You aren't really free until . . .

you can jump on the couch. So says Sweetie in regards to the 4th of July. So, she will celebrate the holiday but please keep in mind that she is not really free.

Despite the sad, oppressed state that Sweetie finds herself in, we did manage to celebrate the 4th of July. I am sad to report that I failed to play Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" for my children. Oh well, there's always next year. And hopefully next year won't find us in the firework-forbidden, sparkler-forbidden, heat-ridden desert for the 4th. Because it's just not very fun to watch fireworks when you yourself feel as though you might catch fire just from sitting outside.

But we did our best this year and it was actually a really good 4th. We ate our share of pancakes at the ward breakfast, we swam, we ate our share of Scooby Snacks (as the pic of Mister below attests), we swam, we ate our share of burgers and steak, we swam. And we made a few festive hats, we tried to make some festive homemade suckers (but our experimental flavoring didn't go over so well, as you can see in the pic below), and we set off a few fireworks that were left over from last year.

1. holidays with family, 2. freedom and opportunities, 3. date night to see Wicked with J

who needs a fishing pole . . .

when you have your hands?

She's setting her sights on it now . . .

I just downloaded these pics and had to share Sweetie's first experience fishing at the 4th of July park activities in small-town northern Utah. They had a rectangular area divided with hay bales and large tarp over the bales--you can see them in the pic above. They filled the area with water and dumped a bunch of fish in. They let the kids in according to age groups. At the end, the fish were getting tired of swimming away from all of those grasping fingers and were a little slower, so Sweetie went in for the grab. Ahhh, a girl not afraid of a little slip and slime. That's my Sweetie!