Happy Fourth!

WE WANT YOU! :)

Happy Independence Day to everyone! Our little family here had a fantastic, relaxing day, which was so nice!

In preparation for the big day, Brandon, Evan, and I painted them some t-shirts yesterday (which you see in the pictures). Now, I am not a crafty person by nature, so this was a big deal - it involved t-shirts, freezer paper, an iron, and two kinds of fabric paint! :) Anyway, I think they turned out great, and the boys loved wearing shirts that they helped to make themselves.

Today, we started the day at the Arlington Heights parade. It is a great local parade, although it was funny for us to see two different Chicago news crews there! We made the local news when the village asked residents not to save their space along the route until 7pm the night before this year. Apparently, the popularity of the parade caused people to start marking out spots with blankets, police tape, and more a week or so in advance - and this is on sidewalks downtown and in the parkway in front of other people's houses! Yikes! In spite of not saving a spot, we were able to find a place to sit, and we had a great time.

Evan, Steve, and Brandon before the parade

Arlington Heights Fire Department - complete with sirens blaring...

...Evan thought they were a little loud.

Evan and Brandon getting excited for some candy

The boys were allowed to have one piece of candy at the parade; here, Brandon is hunting for the best choice.

This afternoon, we were lucky to be able to visit with Aunt Joyce, Uncle Jerry, and Biff. We haven't had the chance to see them since our move to Illinois. They were in Chicago for Greg's birthday and the holiday weekend and were nice enough to take the train out to Arlington Heights so we could show off the house and not drag the fellas into the city.

We had a really nice afternoon visit. The boys showed off their baseball skills, cooked food for their aunt and uncle, and all around showed them a good time. I am sure the highlight for Brandon and Evan was getting presents from their Aunt Joyce and Uncle Jerry - bubbles!!!

Evan

Aunt Joyce and Brandon

To end the day, once the boys went to bed, Steve and I got to watch some of Mount Prospect's fireworks from our back patio. Now to get the neighbors to cut down some trees so we can get a better view...

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!