4th of July

We arrived at the beach at 8:30am on the 4th of July and it was already packed to the brim with pop up tents. We just kept walking until we could wedge ourselves in. 

The boys spent most of their time in the waves, but they paused for a moment to build a sandcastle.

Finn is particular about his snacks and shade at the beach.

We invested in a beach wagon this summer and it has been the best purchase ever. We load up Finn along with all of our gear. Our backs and shoulders thank us every time.

We came back to the house for showers and naps. Of course, it wouldn't be the 4th of July without some grilling action.

We headed over to the town carnival, but not until after Finn had some drama falling off his chair and bleeding profusely.

Crew only had eyes for one game; the water balloon launch. He was grumpy and tired, but it was the only thing that didn't bring him to tears over unearned prizes, so we decided to wait in the long line. We finally made it to the front and Crew partnered up with his dad to load the slingshot.

Their opponents were Blake and his friend Liam. It's safe to say that all parties involved got drenched.

The balloon launch portion of the carnival made it worth it, but we decided as a group that we're going to skip the games, long lines and dollar store prizes next year and head straight to the highlight; the fireworks show.

Troy planted our blankets at 5:30am earlier that day to reserve a spot for the show. If you don't claim your ground early, you're out of luck. It's a little crazy but I also kind of love how everyone is out on the town on this one day.

I tried to cajole the boys into capturing a shot in the slanting sun while the live music was blaring from the stage, but they were over it. Our nonstop weekend full of beach and sun had caught up with them.

They eventually cheered up in bit. It's hard not to get up and dance when your friends and neighbors are surrounding you.

At last, the sky darkened and we settled in for another fantastic fireworks show. We sat directly underneath the launching area and had to wear sunglasses at first because we were so blinded.

Crew was actually terrified and clung to me and cried the majority of the time. Nash asked him, "Crew, do you think the world is exploding?" Ha!

We were sufficiently exhausted after a day of nonstop fun, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The 4th of July is the best.