fireworks!

i love the 4th of july. brian is off work (yay!), so we usually have a relaxing morning, and then we head to the church for fun on a huge water slide, a delicious meal, and songs of praise about our country's freedom. afterwards, we enjoy the fireworks with our friends down at the marina. didn't brian capture a great shot of the fireworks? (he would've taken more if i had not been bugging him to use the camera...sorry honey!) gram stayed at home with sleeping caroline, and ethan had a blast watching the bright show in the sky. he kept exclaiming, "see more bubbles! see more bubbles!" his friend joseph, however, was quite afraid of the booming fireworks... you can see him burying his face in his aunt dabney's shoulder below.


2 little firecrackers!
ethan was so excited to play "pan-o" with nana
during our patriotic worship time at church.


jonathan & tammy & kids... do you see joseph below?
dabney, jessica, and matt did their best to persuade
joseph to watch the fireworks-- he ended up hiding in the car!

natalie and ethan with their light sticks

and now for their tenlittletoes debut, 2 wonderful families.......
aaron & heather and their sweet kids avery & savannahi love to tell the story of God's providence in meeting our new friends, but that will have to be another post for another time. we are loving having them just down the street, and "etho" and "ave-y" love to play together! (aren't savannah's bloomers just the cutest??)

and ryan and catherine!ryan and i grew up living down the street from each other, and one sunday last year, ryan & catherine visited our church and sat right behind us! it's been so much fun to get to know ryan again and to grow closer to catherine.

thank you, Lord, for friends new and old! thank you, Lord, for our freedom in this country and most of all, for our freedom in You.