Happy 4th of July!

Okay. I am not changing the name. I am apparently completely unable to do anything as drastic as change the name of my blog. As much as the name seems to mock my inability to sit down and write a novel, I have become attached to it and nothing else sounds right. So I will apparently live in infamy as "The Storytelling Mommy"...you know, the one that dreams about writing something worthwhile and instead blogs. ;-)

A lot has been going on around here, as usual! The 4th of July weekend was absolutely insane. My nephew Jackson was celebrating his 6th (what??) birthday that Saturday, so Colin and I spent the weekend in Tyler. We were there Friday through Sunday and got home just in time to go to sleep and then wake up for a big 4th filled with awesome stuff! We met Jer's parents bright and early for a 4th of July parade in their neighborhood and it was so much fun. We went back to their house and Colin played with the slip-n-slide while I marveled that I once threw myself down on one of those without breaking all my bones. A long time ago. After a great lunch, we headed home so that I could make up a couple of dishes for an impromptu evening with friends. Kim's parents, Barb and Dave, had some friends over and we stopped by. I really have come to think of that whole family as part of mine! :-) Colin had a blast and I actually managed to take ZERO pictures, either at Jackson's party or the 4th of July with Kim. I guess I needed a camera break. Anyway, we had such a great weekend!

As we drove home that night, we decided on a whim to pull over and buy some sparklers for Colin. It was a rural road and we pulled in to the first place we saw. The sun was going down on the day and Colin was already in his pajamas in the back of the car. He asked for "fireworks", and so he shall have! ;-) It was the cutest little place with families and kids buying stuff and even a litter of puppies being offered for free just running around the place. Colin was very serious about what color sparklers he wanted. GREEN AND GOLD. It turned into one of those little moments I will treasure one day when Colin is a man...I will always remember him in his turtle pajamas, half asleep already, but jumping up and down for sparklers. I will always remember that he was so worried about those puppies running away and how he wanted to make sure the other kids were holding them out of the way before we started the car. I will always remember how excited he was just to be with his family and doing something special. What a perfect day!

Here are Daddy and Colin getting ready for the show. Colin is going to ride in the golf cart with Jer's parents in the parade!


Colin's best case scenario: Cops, firetrucks, and military machines. He was beside himself over it!
This is SO cute of them getting ready to head out on the parade route! Colin was seriously into it!

Just a cute chat with Mom Mom. At our afternoon party, I got a couple of cute shots of the boys eating their spread of cookies, yogurt and cotton candy.


And last, but not least...my little man and his wonderful sparklers! Happy 4th of July!!