Fourth of July Extravaganza!!!

Our family at the end of the night enjoying fireworks...and there were tons!!! We did not even break into our $20 bag- except for a couple of sparklers!

Ready for fun!

Getting ready to go to the Tumwater Parade in red, white and blue!

One of our traditions is to go to the parade in Tumwater on the Fourth-this year Vinny took the kids while I got the house ready for the rest of the day...(since mom was away this year Toni and I took over her role-I realized it is not as much fun to be the hostess!!! There is a lot of work to get ready for this day...stuff I never had to think about before!)

Shelley and her beautiful girls!

Did you know this was the universal sign for saying it is the "fourth?"

Enjoying the action! Thanks to festive Auntie Jody, G got to wear this cute headband!

The Kissels enjoying the floating dock and having "important" discusstions about floating and sinking with Nathan!

All of the Langston kids

Multi-talented family: floating, drinking, dodging waterguns, and smiling for the camera!

Jared started the "Diaper Revolution" as he calls it! He showed the people how you can easily hold a drink in your hand and bob in the water by wearing a life vest on your legs, upside down.

Here are a bunch of "diaper revolution" followers!

Hanging out, drinking "mini-pops"

BBQ-ing following all of the afternoon swimming

This pool was a hit-although the water a very murky by the end of the afternoon!

Vinny was so happy to have his buddies out for the fun!

I was so happy to have my girlfriends with us on this day!

So happy my husband put down his cigar!

Dominic loved playing with his cousin Braxton.

Here is one view of the dock as people started to do fireworks-you can't tell from the picture, but there were 59 people on our little dock for the evening! WOW!!

There were several boxes of fireworks that were amazing!

I am so lucky to have such great sisters-in-law!

My girlfriends

G with her Auntie Toni

Cracking up with Uncle Dan

The Langston Crew

Gianna moved from Uncle to Auntie throughout the night! She soaked up their love and attention!

Watching the fireworks with Ab

Thank goodness we had a fireman here in case of wayward fireworks!

Dom ended his night on Auntie Jody's lap-it must be very comfortable since both kids rarely left it all night!

Finn biscuit on the morning of the fifth-what a great way to wake up after a long night!

July 3rd...starting the fun

Our friends, the Langstons, came down from Sequim for the holiday weekend!

Riding in the boat, touring the lake

hanging on the floating dock

Let the games begin! Shawn just had rotater cuff surgery and so he has a "dead arm" as Vinny likes to say...BUT that doesn't stop him from helping with the competitions!

Jumping the board

hmmm-looks tricky

catching the ball while diving

of course, there was much of this...they love the fight!

Our friends, the Reeds showed up later to BBQ too! It was great to see them and catch up. Cousin Jonathon came for an early weekend too! Much fun was to be had!

Then the Kissels came to enjoy the sun and water too!

Trying to catch "stuff" in the water-these nets were the hot commodity!

Loving on Uncle Dan

So lucky!

I was walking out the door to run some errands and Vinny stopped me and HAD to take some pictures of me and the kids! He thought we all looked so cute! I thought that was so cute of him!

The sweetness in my life!

More Summer Fun at Summit Lake

This lucky guy got some personal, free :) wakeboarding lessons from a real pro...his Uncle Jared! Jared is a very patient, talented teacher of wakeboarding and this year Nick wanted to learn. We were so excited! The boys really look up to Jared...they love his wakeboarding videos and he is a pretty cool guy!

Learning the techniques of getting up

Don't bend the arms!! (We learned that.) After this they went out on the boat and Nick tried several times-getting up, then falling, but just a short while later he went by the dock, STANDING UP, RIDING the waves! AWESOME teacher...and good job Nick for continuing to try!

Lovin on Auntie Toni

My guys!

Watermelon on a hot day-yummy!

Baby Cash chillin' on the dock

We always LOVE watching Uncle Jared...what a treat!

Sweet brothers

Cousin love

Sharing nicely a bag of chips

not for long! The summer heat was getting to them!

Our First Official Day of Vacation...30 days left!

The picture of summer sweetness!

Swimming in Summit Lake

Baby Cash was an angel by the water! As soon as we got to Olympia we went to the lake with Jared and Toni's family. What a beautiful week to start off our month of vacation!

Sweet baby boy

Hanging out on the steps...should we get in?

Riding with Uncle Dan in his boat

Riding with Daddy and Uncle Jared in the rowboat to the Island-the kids had a great time exploring the island.

Warming up in the sun

Playing around in the hot tub

What a crew! We spent a great evening on the deck with the kids jumping between the hot tub and the little kiddie pool, drinking some much deserved drinks :) and watching the sun go down on the lake.