shut the front door.

First things first...

Holy hell where is this summer going so fast?  It's like it was right in my grasp and then started slipping away.

It is the middle of JULY already.

Sheesh.

Secondly, I celebrated a BLOG-VERSARY. 

WHAT???

I didn't even realize it. 

FOUR YEARS. yo.  FOUR YEARS?!?!!?

Ok, that's just crazy.


July is my most favorite month ever.  This July has not let me down either.  I love it.

I *heart* JULY.

Our 4th of July was awesome.  I saw, two parades, fireworks twice, swam lots and got a sunburn.  (The last part wasn't that fun.)

After the parade (July 2nd) we went to a party at my Aunt's house. 

Not sure what this face is about, but I can tell you that getting my picture taken isn't something I'm overly comfortable with....

My Mr.FF takes good pictures though.  SMOKIN HOT.

Only in Indiana can you learn a new game that deals with a pole (what), a beer bottle and a Frisbee.  The kids really had fun playing.

To me, there is no better way to spend the holiday than with my family.  It was a great precursor to my birthday celebration.

I'm so excited, I can't even complain...

I want to complain...and I have a doozy of a complaint...but I just can't.

I can't complain when I am this damn excited.

You guys.  It's here.  This weekend.  It's my most favoritest holiday ever.

I love it more than Christmas.

I'm giddy.

Friday night will be fireworks at the beach.
Saturday is a parade followed by a big pool/4th of July party. 
Sunday no plans. 
Monday, kids are in the local parade...then hoping for more pool/4th of July festivities...

Then it's my BERFDAY....

My Mom will also be in on the 7th-14th.  We are so excited to see her.  There will be another trip to the beach for more fireworks....pool time, family...etc. 

I can't even stop the smile on my face from beaming.

How can turning another year older be bad when I have this to all look forward to again next year?


2010 Fireworks. :)

i LOVE the 4th

I'm giddy.
I love the 4th of July.
The parade, the fireworks, the parties, the family/friends...not to mention a very special someone's birthday is the day after the 4th. 


*innocent smile*

(pssttt a nice present would be you clicking for my nomination to best *giggle* parenting blog...just sayin)




I will have one kid Friday for fireworks, both kids Saturday for step dad's party, both kids for the parade. Then they will go (most likely, I still have to talk to Buggy to make sure she WANTS to go) with Captain Cancel until Tuesday.

They will be gone for my birthday. I am a little sad about it, but I did say it was OK. I am already conjuring up things I can do that I can't do while the kids are around.

LIKE...go see Eclipse...or float in the pool, with no noise but the radio.

During the day it's not a big deal, it's the night that I fear a little sadness.

Dinner? For one? I bought steaks, guess I will save those for another night.

I am not sure what Mr.F is doing that night...but I am sure at some point I will see him.

You Capture, The 4th.

This is a fun carnival set up by Beth @ I Should be Folding Laundry.



Click the button to see what everyone else "captured"!

This week was 4th of July pictures and/or food.

Let's face it, food doesn't last long enough on my plate to photograph it.

Therefore, I went with the 4th. Easy Peasy. Love it, love the parade, love the *oh, wait we didn't see fireworks* whatever.

Here are my captures from the 4th.



and



Trust me, I took plenty, but these two are my favorites.
I did do some editing through www.flickr.com.

Semi Wordless...

This was actually taken on the 5th, which was a much nicer day weather wise. We were at our second parade for the weekend, as you can tell, did not thrill Bubba.

Later I added myself to the not thrilled party, when this is what I served for dessert.



*ice cream sandwiches for the kids, candles for me.

You Capture-Photographer's Choice

This is a fun carnival set up by Beth @ I Should be Folding Laundry.



Click the button to see what everyone else "captured"!
This week is photographer's choice.

I took pictures this week, but it's been so darn busy that I never had a chance to upload them...so since it IS my choice, I am going to share a picture I took last week at the beach.


This.is.my.favorite.holiday.

I love it more than Christmas, for many reasons really.

Let's have a list, shall we?

1) Hello it's summer. I love the sun.
2) Parades (though our town does have a Christmas parade, but um, it's f-ing cold)
3) Parties - there is ALWAYS a gathering somewhere to go to. I'm a social butterfly!
4) Food. Enough said.
5) Maybe this should have been first...patriotism. It may be something we don't show enough of on a daily basis, but this day we can scream it loud and proud and wear all the goofy flag stuff and I love it.
6) FIREWORKS (from a distance) I love em. There is something so magical and romantic about watching the fireworks. I also enjoy seeing them with the kids and how amazed they are by them as well.
7) POOL time.
8) Finally, it's some one's birthday right after the 4th, which might have a little to do with my love for the holiday.

I hope you all have a safe holiday and find the joy I do in it.

The weekend in wrap up...

Here was our holiday weekend, in short. :)
We spent some time at the beach


We saw a parade

Ronald was laughing at me and all my weight gain that he KNEW I would do that week/end (I gained 3.4 lbs this week, oops)

We swam, this is Buggy and my brother Chad


We saw fireworks.


We enjoyed birthday cake, again with the weight gods laughing away any weight loss hopes.



We I got buzzed and played with sparklers. By the way, THIS is only one of the TWO total pictures taken of me on MY birthday...Sad.


What we didn't do enough of this past weekend...


*ah* yes, a holiday weekend full of festivities, family and friends.

One Year Ago...

Watching the fireworks at the beach...

So excited...

We are a few short days away from the 4th of July. It is my favorite holiday. The parade, the patriotism, the parties, the pools, the fireworks, I love it all. Helps too that my birthday is the day after, ya'll.

I love having my birthday around this holiday. It's not like a Christmas baby, where your gifts are split...oh no... this holiday, the 4th, doesn't include presents which means all presents are MINE. ;)

Hubby asked me what I wanted to do for the special day...ha. Well, ideally, I would like a day to myself, in a pool with a pina colada. Really, that is all that it takes to please me. After my day in the pool I would like dinner with my family, it may or may not include my parents. Just as long as my kids are there, I am happy...and for the best part...ice cream cake...and I will NOT be counting points that day. :D

Every year we all go to a parade, location changes sometimes, but we always go to a parade. Every year I hear the story of how my mom walked up and down the streets (insert number of years here) ago, her water had broke and she didn't even know. She just kept walking, then she went to a picnic and couldn't eat enough watermelon (incidentally, I LOVE watermelon, coincendence?). She told her sister of this "leaking" that she was feeling and her sister promptly made her go to the hospital. My mom watched the fireworks from her hospital room...and I was born in the early wee morning.

Yes, as much as I groan when mom starts the story, I do love hearing it. :)

Isn't it funny to think back to when you were younger and you thought, wow, 29 sounds so old...then you hit 29 and you hold there...indefinately? I don't know what I thought 34 29 would feel like, other than I thought I would FEEL older, oddly I do not. I thought I would be in a certain place in my life, oddly, I don't think I have HIT that place yet. Not that I am sad about it, but I just thought things would be "in place" by this age...and happily I can say they aren't...and dammit, I have plenty of time yet to get to where ever "THERE" is...plenty of time.

Anyway, this is a little premature birthday post, but I am excited. :)