Thankful Thursday ... Madison Lollipop Sucker

On July 27, 2007, our darling Madison Lily entered the world. She was born two weeks before her due date, and a week before our scheduled c-section date. I should have known then that this little girl had a mind of her own!

My contractions started in the middle of the afternoon, and by evening we knew we needed to head in. At the hospital, the doctor (who in my opinion did not want to come in and do a c-section at night) gave me some medicine to stop the contractions and sent us home around midnight. Well, the medicine worked until about 5 AM. The contractions came roaring back, and we were at the doctor's office at 9, and checking into the maternity ward by 10. Madi was delivered, uneventfully, around 12:30. And we were smitten.

I wish I had newborn pictures of her to show you, but unfortunately my evil computer downstairs is not allowing me to email pictures, burn a CD of pictures, or copy pictures to a flash drive. Yes, I've tried them all. The evil computer does not like me. But I digress..

I joke that if I would have had Madison first, I would have stopped. She screamed for literally the first two weeks of her life. I had MAJOR breastfeeding issues, and struggled with depression to boot. And, yet, I could still look at that sweet little cherub face and fall in love all over again. I think I learned a lot about how much God loves her during those first few months. God loves me, too, no matter what. And I adore this beautiful princess, no matter what.

Here she is in Paris last January with her daddy. She was such a trooper on that trip, battling jet lag and crazy parents who drug her around a strange city every day for two weeks.

She hadn't yet taken her first steps by the time we took that trip, but she did figure out that she could reach and play the piano in the apartment. And, true to Madi's nature, she preferred to do it half naked.

That trip (Yes, we took a 4 year old, a 1 1/2 year old, and a newborn. Yes, we're crazy.) was also our girls' first experience at Disneyland. We, of course, had to buy the ears. And isn't Tigger appropriate for her?

Nowadays, she models the same ears with her adored sister Violet.

Pigtails have always been my hairstyle of choice for Madison. They just reflect her spunky, ornery personality so well, don't you think?

Now that she's a big girl (in her eyes) she can often be found hanging around my parents' ranch...

... dressing up as the cutest sheep EVER (thanks again Jill for the beautiful pic)...

... or just hanging out with her sisters, waiting for a bath.

Madison is truly a gift from God. She is a three-year-old version of me, which my mom loves. She is stubborn, confident, joyous, hilarious, discerning, and truthful to a fault. She will not hesitate to express her opinion, but is learning to submit her VERY strong will to ours (yes, Dr. Dobson is my best friend right now). She is the sweetest big sister, and the orneriest little sister. She is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. And, those she loves, she loves deeply. She is also becoming much more expressive in her love for us, which just melts our hearts.

We joke that Madison will rule something someday. Whether it's a company, a country, or the world, we don't know. By the way, if someday, on the news, you hear that she really has taken over a country, please don't call us. We probably already know. But she is so strong, and so confident, that I know God will take her amazing places through leadership.

It's so hard to be three. You're a big girl and a little girl, all in one package. But Madison loves every minute. Well, most minutes.

My darling Madi, I love you more that I could ever possibly express in words. My prayer is that you will grow to trust your Daddy unfailingly. That you would follow His leading and His will. I know you will accomplish great things. My prayer is that those things are for His glory. You are so many different things, all in one toe-haired spunky package. Thank you for being such a darling little blessing in our lives. You are truly a gift from God. I love you baby!

P.S. In case you didn't know, Madison Lollipop Sucker was the name Katrina told the nurses right after Madi was born. It stuck.

Hair Cuts!

We (the girls) desperately needed hair cuts. It had been far, far too long. I can kind of trim bangs. Ok, I can't really trim bangs. I just pretend, and hope for the best. The girls are only 5, 3, and 1, and they've already had some pretty special Mommy cuts. They need Miss Ronda.

Miss Ronda has cut my hair since I was 5, and she is the only person who has cut the girls hair. Yes, I know we're spoiled. I've already told her that she's never allowed to retire. Ever.

So, we all needed cuts. Katrina went first. She is totally girly, and really starting to get into the primping thing. So she loves that Miss Ronda has long nails, and rubs her head. I think Katrina even started to fall asleep at one point. But, point a camera her direction, and she's all grins.

Her hair turned out really cute. We had to compromise between her idea (at her ears) and mine (below her shoulders). It's a good thing Ronda knows how to negotiate.

It ended up being a little longer in the back than we were both expecting, but Ronda thinned her hair quite a bit, so I think it will be ok.

Next was Madison's turn. Madison LOVES sitting in Miss Ronda's chair. She absolutely does whatever Ronda asks, is totally patient, and doesn't even whine. I know, I know - who is this child and what has she done with Madison. I've personally threatened to take Ronda home with us.

Madi thinks Ronda is just about the funniest thing in the world. She was talking up a storm, telling her all about her little life. Of course then I had to translate, but that's ok. It was fun to watch.

Do you see how still and obediently she is sitting? Does she do this when Mom is cutting her bangs at home? Noooo, of course not. At home it's a roping competition at the rodeo. At Ronda's - perfect obedience.

And I got my hair cut too. You can see my new hair cut (my dad is calling me Shorty now) in my profile pic. And what, you may ask, were Jerome and Violet doing? Well, Jerome was catching up on his celebrity gossip...

Actually, I have to give my hubby huge props. He sat through the entire almost 3 hours and patiently attended to the girls with me. There is no way I would have been able to do it without him there.

Violet tried to steal the show...

... sat on the patio with Madi...

...climbed on...

... sat on ...

... and climbed off the bench many times ...

... and tried to steal Miss Ronda's candy.

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

Every year, on July 14th, the French celebrate Bastille Day. It is their independence day, marking the day that the Bastille Prison in Paris was overrun by revolutionaries in 1789. It signaled the start of their Revolution, echoing the sentiments held by the newly-formed United States. Now, all that marks the location of the Bastille Prison is the Colonne de Juillet, seen below:

In Durango, there is no better place to celebrate La Fete Nationale than at my in-laws bakery. Every year, J-P goes nuts for the few weeks before July 14, ordering massive amounts of food, and generally running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

Not that this is different from any other day, but I digress...

Anyone and everyone is invited - and if you've come once, you're invited for life. There is always plenty of food...

... but you must be willing to let go of your gastronomical predispositions. There are escargots (snails), fois gras (duck liver pate), rochfort and brie (cheese - stinky cheese), and plenty of desserts. The girls were very brave and tried everything this year - I think Madison ate more escargots than her Pepe!

Years ago, food preparation for the party was a family affair, literally. It used to take all of us the better part of two full days to have everything prepared, and most years we still weren't ready when people started showing up. Now, J-P has gotten smart and had his staff prepare everything. They also staff the event, refilling the food trays and pouring beverages. We (especially my mom-in-law) can all enjoy the festivities a little easier now.









Violet, of course, ate bread.







This is our friends Chelsea & Pete's son Josiah. He came, didn't care much for the crowds, but fell in love with J-P's new delivery truck. So he sat in it for the better part of the evening.








And Josiah's dad Pete, auditioning for the new J-P spokesman model role.








Here are Kim & Phil Farrington, dear family friends and baker/cake decorator (Kim) and handyman (Phil) extraordinaire, enjoying the chairs under the canopy. It took us ten years, but we finally figured out that renting chairs and canopies was a smart idea.

Katrina and Celine took a little break from running around with the rest of the kids.

And Madison showing off her favorite part of the evening - dessert!






J-P does this really neat trick where he removes the cork from a champagne bottle with a sword. Well, usually it's really neat. This year, someone had stolen his good sword. I know, I know. Only my dad-in-law has more than one sword in the house. But, really - who steals a sword? Probably the same people who stole his truck. Did I forget to mention that? Someone (we think ex-employees who were politely told to not return to work) stole the orange-sherbert colored van, never to return. We suspect that the van is somewhere in Mexico in bits and pieces. But I digress.


J-P's bottle opening trick was a bit trickier this year, as the above-mentioned replacement sword was not nearly as sharp as the usual blade. But, he is a stubborn man, and eventually beat the bottle.

It really was a wonderful party, and one I am (weird to say) starting to actually look forward to each year. There are a lot of really neat people that we just don't get to see that often. And, if you're interested, the party actually made the Herald. No, not the police blotter. Although that has happened before. But not this year. No, there is a lovely photo and write up here if you would care to read a guest's perspective.

Only My Children

Today is Madison's third birthday. Brilliant Mommy scheduled a doctor's appointment for both Madison and Violet for first thing this morning. Please understand, I didn't think she was going to get a shot.


Madi LOVES Dr. McGrath, and was so excited to get to go. Violet just kept saying, "dcter", having no real idea what a "dcter" is. Well, we got to the dr's office, only to realize that our appointment was in their new satellite office 10 minutes away. As I tried to hurry up and get them to the other office, Madison thought we were leaving without seeing Dr. McGrath, and promptly started crying. She got better when she realized that he was playing hide and seek, and we were it (oh, the things you come up with).


Well, we got to the new office, got a drink out of the fountain (always exciting in our world) and went back to the room. This is where Madison the fearless turned into Madison the giant chicken. Violet had to go first on EVERYTHING. Height, weight, head measurements, the works. Luckily, they've stopped measuring Madi's head. Don't need to cause the poor girl any more trauma than necessary.


We got the measurements done, then Dr. McGrath came in. Violet suddenly remembered that the last time someone put a stethoscope to her chest, she spent two days getting poked in the hospital. She cried. That made Madison cry. Poor McGrath did the exam as fast as possible - he hates being the meanie. Then he quickly exited the room before the nurses and needles came.


We decided to "shoot" Madi first since there is the distinct possibility that she will pass out. But she didn't! She was very brave, only cried a little, then was ok. She only got one shot. Violet was next, and the poor girl got four. But, she was very brave too, and got over it quickly. We gathered our stickers from the amazing Miss Laura, nurse and friend extraordinaire, and headed to the car.


In the car, Madi realized that Violet had four band aids and she only had one. And she got mad. Seriously? She pitched a hissy because of it. Then Violet, just to be a stinker, decided that the band aids looked better on her forehead than her legs. So she put them there. And grinned and giggled the entire time Madi cried over not having as many band aids.


Sigh


Only my children...

Thankful Thursday...Two Amazing Women

When Jerome and I decided that I needed to work full-time last September, I had one MAJOR concern. Who was going to watch my children? I had been at home with them since they were born. Who could we find that was affordable and would truly love my children? Katrina was already in kindergarten, so I wasn't so worried about her. But Madison and Violet?


My amazing friend Jo called me one day and said, "You know, I would be more than willing to take Madison and Violet. And I talked to Matt (her hubby) about it, and I would charge you $--- a month. If that works for you." That $--- was far less than any "professional" daycare I had found in the area.

If that works for me? Seriously? It was an amazing, God-provided miracle! An amazing woman, a great friend, who already knew my kiddos, was going to watch my children for a fee that I could afford. In the words of our pastor Linn, Yippee Jesus!

She loved our girls 5 days a week for 9 months. I knew when I dropped them off that they were going to have a wonderful time, be loved and prayed for, and disciplined like Momma would (so important when raising the future dictator of the free world). She was truly a gift from God!

This summer, Jo and Matt decided that, in order for Jo to be able to homeschool their daughter Anna this fall, Jo needed to be able to concentrate solely on Anna. Which I totally agreed with, and applauded them for doing it. But, once again, I was in a childcare pickle.


I began calling literally every place in town. There were either 2 year waiting lists (not kidding!) or the price was so high that it would have taken literally my entire paycheck. Doesn't make much sense to work just to pay for childcare, now does it? So, I had no idea what we were going to do. But, I have seen God show up in so many ways in the past year, I actually didn't worry. Somehow, I knew God had it figured out. And, boy, did He ever!


I got a random text from a young lady in our church late June, a few weeks after Jo and I had talked. She had been working for a local restaurant in town a few nights a week, and was burned out. She wanted to do something different. She already knew my kids, knew our situation, and wanted to work as a nanny for us! Hey, anyone that knows Madison and is still willing to spend 5 days a week with her must be an answer to prayer!

This is Holly, on the left, with her sister Heather. During our first conversation about the job, I was bluntly honest with her. I said, "This --- is how much we paid Jo. This --- is how much we could afford to pay you. If that is not enough for you, I completely understand, and I would be glad to help you find a job as a nanny with someone else." Much to my shock and joy, she said, "That sounds great. When can I start?"




Holly has been watching the kiddos at my house for almost a month now, and what a blessing it has been. She is even stronger-willed than my Madison, and has been able to put her in line. Now that we made it over the "Holly will discipline you just like Mommy does" hurdle, they have been having a blast with her. They literally scream for joy every morning when they hear her car pull into the parking lot. They give her huge hugs every evening when she goes home. They really do adore Miss Holly.


I have discovered a secret, side benefit of this new nanny. Every evening when I get home, my kitchen is SPOTLESS! Not just clean, mind you, but spotless! And the toys are always picked up. And the floor is clean (not covered in random food particles, like when Mommy is home & too busy to sweep).


But the best part, I think, is the peace. I feel peaceful when I leave the house in the morning. I'm not anxious or worried about my kids. I know that they will be loved, prayed for, played with.


I am so grateful for these two amazing women. They have made this time of my life so much easier to deal with. They are both truly gifts from God!

Frankenbaby

All of our girls have been late walkers. Katrina took her first steps at 18 months, Madi took hers at a week shy of 20 months. So, I knew that Violet was going to take her sweet time. But a mother can always hope, can't she?

Violet turned 20 months on July 2. Violet actually took her first solo steps at the end of June, but then decided that crawling was still faster. Her big sisters loved walking immediately, and took off like little rockets. Violet - not so much. We just could not get her to walk, with or without us.

A few weeks ago, I helped out in our church's nursery one service. I was cuddling another baby while Violet was in the room playing. Suddenly, she stood up in the middle of the room and took six or seven steps! I was shocked! I was honestly convinced that she had decided walking was not for her. I was going to be the only mother of an 18-year-old that still had to carry her child.

After church, we usually herd the children into the sanctuary so that we can visit with our friends while the kids play for a while. Violet climbed onto the stage and promptly stood up and walked across towards some of our staff teens. When she got a reaction from them, she did it again. Hallelujah! Our child can walk.

She has been progressively getting steadier and steadier, and walking further by herself. She now walks confidently around the house with no help. Outside, she still prefers to crawl. I think that's because she can get dirtier when she crawls.

But, I knew I had to get proof. Definitive proof that our youngest could, in fact, walk. On her own. By her own choosing. With no video editing or body doubles.

So, the other night while she was feeling rather adventurous and brave, I whipped out the video feature on our camera and attempted to get proof. Now, you have to realize that Violet LOVES the camera. More specifically, she loves to see pictures of herself on the camera. So, what follows is a mad dash by Violet to walk across the room to get ahold of the camera, followed by close encounters with her eyeball and hair as she tries to "see" herself. But, she is clearly walking, and no, the video is not edited.

I consider it a major feat to upload a video. Don't even talk to me about editing. No clue!

Conversations with a Two-Almost-Three-Year-Old

Tuesday, our amazing friends Bill & Jen had a beautiful baby girl. On the way to the hospital, Madison randomly said, "Mommy I'm gonna pray for you." I said OK, wondering what was going to come out of her mouth. Because you never really know what is going to come out of her mouth.


She started praying, "Thank you Jesus for this day. Thank you for my food. Thank you for my mommy. Thank you for my daddy. Thank you for my sisters. Thank you for my kitties. Thank you for my grandma. Thank you for my Papa. Thank you for Miss Jen...." She continued to name everyone she could think of. I was thinking just how sweet her little prayer was.


From the very back of the car, Miss Katrina piped up with, "Mommy, we learned on Sunday that Jesus is the king of kings." I replied, "You're right, honey, He is."


"And we learned that Jesus is the Lord of Lords."


"Yes. He is the Lord."


And then, Madison, true to her slightly dominant nature, replied:














"Mommy, and I'm the Lord!"



Can I just say that I think I am the only parent on the face of the earth that actually has to explain to her child that no, she is not, in fact, the Creator of the Universe?


"No, honey. You're not the Lord. Jesus is the Lord."


"I not the Lord?"


"No sweetie. Jesus is."


"Jesus is the (pronounced duh) Lord. I not the Lord."








Although I must say she took it well...







Later, after we left the hospital, Madison again regaled us. We were discussing the amazingly beautiful baby Josie (not that I'm biased or anything), and Madison asked, "Baby Josie comin' to our house?" I told her that, no, Baby Josie had to stay in the hospital a few days with her mommy.


"Well, after the hospital, she comin' to our house."


"No, sweetie. Baby Josie's going to live with her mommy and daddy."


"No Mommy. Billy gonna bring Baby Josie to our house."


"Baby Josie does not live with us Madison. Baby Josie will live with Mrs. Jen and Mr. Bill at their house."


"NO MOMMY!!!" Much crying ensued... The child who invites then un-invites literally everyone to her birthday party was brought to tears over the thought of a baby, not belonging to our fleshly family, not living with us.


She was OK when we told her that Mr. Billy and Mrs. Jen would probably bring her over in a few weeks for a visit.


And then she wanted a cookie.


That's my kid. Sigh.

I thought weekends were supposed to be restful?

I guess whoever decided that never met our family. We had, as usual, a weekend of chaotic fun. Friday night we had our awesome new Pastors of Student Ministries over for dinner. Kevin, Brenda, Adam, & Kayla Dolbee are some of the most fun people to hang out with, even if they're Raiders fans. I will forgive them for that. Although I am praying for their deliverance...





The girls automatically fell in love with Kayla, and covinced her to play every form of pretend play imaginable. Madison decided to make Pastor Kevin work really hard for a smile - no big surprise there. Katrina decided to show off her new gymnastics skills, which immediately created the need for the "we do not do flips in the living room and show off our underwear when the new pastors are over for the first time" discussion. Violet was in rare form, taking solo steps for applause.





That's right - I forgot to mention this! Violet is finally walking! Hallelujah, glorious day! She took her first solo steps last Sunday, and has gotten more and more confident as the days pass. She even walked into and out of church holding Katrina's hand this Sunday. After church, she realized that all the QuissenSaunderDolbeeBerry teens (my new nickname for all the pastoral staff teenagers - since they usually roam in one big herd) were admiring her, so she decided to gain applause and adoration by walking, solo, back and forth across the stage.





Back to the weekend...





Saturday morning, Jerome had to show property, so we went to a few yard sales with the Randol clan, then back to our house to tackle Sommer's girls' 4-H projects. We put together their display boards for the fair and enjoyed a bunch of conversation in the midst of "working".





Saturday afternoon, Katrina got to go to a friend's birthday party. So, while the little ones slept, I made Jerome help me tackle some yard work. We have a tree that is supposed to be a tree, but due to lack of trimming had become a 20 foot tall bush. We trimmed back all the extra limbs until we had a relatively tree-looking creation. I also cut Jerome's hair. So I guess two overgrown bushes were trimmed Saturday!



After Katrina got home, and we all had dinner, we headed into town for one of our favorite summer activities - Name That Foreign Tourist. We walk around downtown and listen to the tourists' conversations, trying to guess where they're from. It actually does help the girls learn the differences between languages, and it's just plain fun to watch all the tourists!





Sunday morning was church, and a ton of fun with a herd of high schoolers. We absolutely love the teens in our church. And, while we can't physically be there on Wednesday (youth) nights anymore, it doesn't mean we can't harass them on Sundays. I feel like I have a herd of little brothers harassing me, but I love it. They are too fun.





Sunday afternoon, while the girls napped, we successfully avoided doing housework. In Jerome's words, "The Tour (the Tour de France) was calling!". After naps, we went back into town and got our rear ends toasted in softball. It was not pretty. We got run-ruled. I thought Jerome & Billy were going to cry.




But they were still able to admit that even a bad day of softball is better than a good day of work. And, because our lives do not slow down just because of the work week, I am finally posting a weekend update, when the next weekend is almost here. Oh well. Happy Thursday Everybody!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful:

• that my sister is starting to feel better.
• for all my husband's clients.
• that I KNOW God will get our friends' houses sold!
• that I get to hang out with super-rock-star people tonight.
• for the two new baby girls born this week.
• for the hope of life eternal for a family who is hurting right now.
• that I have friends who encourage me to get healthy with them.
• that God chose to let me live in such a beautiful area.
• for answered prayers literally all over the world. God is moving, if you are willing to look for Him!

What are you thankful for today?

New Ministries & New Blessings

Jerome & I recently embarked on a new adventure at church. Our friends, the "J team" (Jen, Jo, Jinny, and Jill) that head up various areas of the children's ministry, all ganged up on us. Somehow we got coerced into heading up a new facet of the children's ministry. OK, we weren't coerced. We had been talking and praying about it for a while. Actually, since we stepped down from the student ministries. It didn't take much convincing. They pretty much said, "Hey, what do you think about...?" and we said, "sure". Like I said, it didn't take much.

Well, we are now (gulp) River Guides. We are forming a team of Super Greeters, whose ongoing mission is to boldly go where no greeter has gone before. To seek out shy children, and uneasy parents. To explore new ways of making kids excited to come to church. Sorry, too much Star Trek lately. I digress...

We have always loved visiting with people, and getting to know new visitors and members to our church. And, now, we get to love on kids and visit with all their parents every week. I am really excited.

But, soon after accepting this prestigious appointment (yes, it is similar to a Supreme Court acceptance - you're there till you die. Just kidding. I think. Am I Jen?), I got really overwhelmed. How in the world were we going to find enough people to greet during two services in two different areas each week? That's essentially four teams each week. Four weeks a month. 12 months a year. That's a lot of people. I got a little stressed. Cause I never do that otherwise...

And then, we had church this week. We have gone from a ministry of two (Jerome & I) to fifteen in three hours. We approached people we thought would be fun, welcoming, and available. And they said yes. We have four couples (not counting us), with a fifth still considering, and six middle schoolers and high schoolers. Kayla, our new youth pastor's amazing young daughter, helped us this morning, and is willing to take over one service for the next 4 weeks. We have the Three Musketeers (or Stooges) - three of our high school boys, who are going to join. Couples that weren't serving elsewhere on Sunday mornings.

The best part is that I still have a list of people to ask that is still longer than our list of people who've joined us. I am so excited to see where God is going to take this - a group of people who might otherwise not have known each other, serving together because it is needed. Isn't that what a church is supposed to do? Help where you're needed.

I have seen the potential this morning. I have seen how to get people involved. And I'm hooked. I wish everyone would find a place to serve in their church. You want to meet people? You want to make friends? You want to feel needed? Then serve. Somewhere. Anywhere. But, if you go to TRC, I'd prefer that you serve with us... cause our ministry is the best. Not that I'm biased or anything. But we're going to have the most fun. And I am giddy to see where God is going to take it!

P.S. - And, J team, I'm not feeling as overwhelmed anymore. Although I am racing to get to the QuissenSaunderDolbeeBerrys before you do.

Do you like dirt?

Because apparently my children do. We watch Daddy play men's softball almost every Tuesday evening. Softball fields are dirty. And, just two weeks after I took these pristine photos of my clean daughters at said softball fields, they found the dirt.


No, that is not a tan on my youngest daughter. That is dirt. Lots and lots of dirt. At one point I caught her putting dirt in her hair and down her diaper.





We had to strip her outside and use the hose on her to clean her off. Just kidding. She took a bath in the bathtub, with nice, warm water. But after the amount of scrubbing time it took to get my tub clean again, I just might consider it...


Madison found a puddle, and was happily throwing grass into said puddle. Until she tripped and fell into the puddle. Then she was a muddy mess. She came waddling over to me, crying. I told her, "What an awesome job! That is so cool!" My attempt to get her to chill out backfired. She then thought the mud was so cool that she got mad when I tried to wipe it off. Here she is admiring her handy work.

Just some proof that having girls does not mean that you won't have dirt. Girls get dirty too. Really, really dirty. And then Mom blogs...

Parades, Fireworks, and Birthday Cakes!

WARNING: LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!!!!

I love the 4th of July! It is, I think, the only holiday where you get to spend the entire day as a family, just having fun. You don't have to worry or stress about all the other stuff that goes along with the other holidays. And, it's my mom's birthday. Double bonus!

Every year, we do the same thing for the 4th. I know, I know. Boring to you. But so fun for us!

We got the girls up and dressed in their special shirts and had breakfast before leaving the house. Daddy also bought the girls new sunglasses, so we had to try them out.












After breakfast, we loaded up the minivan and headed to Bayfield. It's a little town outside of Durango, and filled with patriotic spirit. Every year they have a pet parade, parade, town fair, and fireworks show. We got to Bayfield by 8:15. The parade didn't start till 10 - but we had to make sure we got our good spots!

Kate (our friends' Mark & Jill's daughter) and Madison entertained themselves quite well waiting for the parade. I walked down the street and bought homemade strawberry & rhubarb jam from one of the church's women's groups. Yum!







We always sit in front of the Pine River Valley Times office, the local newspaper. This year, they gave all the kids free cookies! Oh happy day! This is, from left to right, Celine (Jerome's sister), Katrina, our niece Vanessa, and Madi.







Apparently, Madison took the parade very seriously this year.







Violet didn't really care much for the parade. Once she was shot with a water cannon, she was pretty much grumpy for the rest of the time.







After the parade we walked down to the fair. I find it entertaining that Celine, age 15, and Vanessa, age 8, are the same height.







Madison insisted upon walking with Papa, which I didn't mind because it made a cute picture. He is a Shriner, and every year they ride their little trucks, the Tin Lizzies, in the parade. This year, they all lined up in front of Mom DURING THE PARADE, stopped, and sang her Happy Birthday in front of everyone. She acted embarrassed, but I think she secretly enjoyed it.







While at the fair we bought a whole herd of snow cones for some very hot and tired girls...







then went back to my folks house for some ribs...






...and brownie cupcakes.




















The granddaughters "helped" Grandma open her presents...






Then we headed to the high school to watch the fireworks. But what fireworks display would be complete without a trip to the bathroom...






...glowsticks...






... and a little snack?

"Goldfish? What Goldfish?"

Hope you and yours had a safe and fun 4th of July. God bless America!