July 4th Weekend

We had a fabulous 4th of July weekend, we started off by going to a fun bounce birthday party for our friend Aidan. We had so much fun – thanks for having us Aidan!

Then we headed off to Lake Conroe. 

Last time I saw the swimming pool, it looked like this:

    

The landscaping and outdoor kitchen aren’t done yet – but the pool now looks like this:

 

At first we worried that the weather wouldn’t be nice enough for swimming. And it was overcast on Saturday. Now I don’t really like swimming in overcast weather, even if it is very hot. I just need actually yellow rays of sunshine to feel warm.  So I took pictures instead:

The kids played with Daddy.

 

Cousin Lulu chilled out on the raft

 

Uncle Bob and Will had an epic fight with noodles:

 

Jacob flew (OK really he just launched himself off the side of the hot tub)

The kids watched movies

And ate ice cream  and water melon (the watermelon is meant to be a whale. I need more practice!)

 

Bella swept the patio.

We had hot dogs and hamburgers and stayed up late visiting.

On Sunday night after dark Jacob and I  went out in the paddle boat to see the fireworks. The house faces the wrong way to see any fireworks, we needed to get out on the water and clear the tree line. 

We could hear the frogs and things slipping into the water (ducks probably) and it was quiet except for the sloshing of the paddle under the boat. It was the most perfect half hour…just Jacob and I out on the water, with darkness all around us.

As we passed each house we got a glimpse of all the different ways people were celebrating. Some houses were quiet with just the flash of TV blue coming from the living room, some houses were in full party mode – rock music and teens laughing and flirting out on the docks, some were traditional – with porches covered in bunting and little ones twirling with sparklers. Most houses were like ours,  folks outside on the deck, with a cold drink, tending the grill. 

We paddled until the canal opened up and we could see the fireworks in the sky all around us. They were beautiful, and far enough away that Jacob was content (he doesn’t like to be close to the noise).  After a while we paddled back but not until after we had our fill of the fireworks, the dark water gently rocking the boat, and the stars above us.