fourth with family

This year we kind of split our 4th of July three ways. Our first celebration was a couple days before the 4th with the boys' friend Seth. We swam and had some fun with sparklers after dark! That night I captured a video that not only gives me a laugh every single time I see it but also captures my two boys in a way words never could. I just happened to be recording when both Ash and Maddox were holding a sparkler at the same time. As I panned from Maddox to Ash and then back to Maddox again you can CLEARLY see my boys' personalities simply in the way they hold a sparkler. Maddox is full of energy and, at times, downright crazy! I can't count how many times we had to say "Be careful Maddox!" "You're going to burn yourself Maddox!" "You almost set the yard on fire Maddox!" while Ash, on the other hand, was SO cautious with his sparkler that he was even trying to back away from the sparkler in his own hand! Wearing noise cancelling headphones, Ash would stand very still holding his sparkler as far as he could possibly get it from his body and stare at it with the most concerned look on his face until the sparkler burnt out. These kids crack me up!

Maddox has to do everything Seth does and Ash could only be convinced to hold one sparkler at a time...

Our second 4th of July celebration was on the actual 4th of July. This time we celebrated with my parents. We set up the canopy in the backyard, shot guns, swam, cooked more food than could feed our entire block and then the boys (and men) put on a fireworks display right in our backyard!

It wouldn't be the 4th of July if Brandon didn't wear his American flag hammer pants and Cloyd Rivers t-shirt. He's not allowed to go in the front yard when wearing this outfit...

Mustang is the greatest place on the planet to celebrate the 4th! I've said it a thousand times but I'll say it again, you haven't lived until you've experienced fireworks in Mustang, Oklahoma on the 4th of July! It is totally and completely, 100% legal to set off fireworks within the city limits of Mustang and boy do the residents take advantage. For about a week prior all the way through the 4th, when the sun goes down, it sounds like a war zone outside. The cracks, the pops, the bangs, the zings and the booms...it's not worth even TRYING to sleep until after 11PM. Then on the actual 4th of July it's a whole other level! We always set off some of our own fireworks at our house but then spend most of the night sitting outside, eating s'mores and watching the huge fireworks going on in the neighborhood that we can see sitting on our very own deck! They are literally going off right over our heads! It's awesome!

My parents have come to our house for the 4th of July for several years in a row now...it's become a sort of tradition. My dad loves to take video and pictures of all the displays, the kids (of course) love spending the holiday with their grandparents and I love cooking tons of food with my mom and then talking to her while the boys blow everything up. And Brandon loves having another man (my dad) around to blow stuff up with...and he loves his American flag hammer pants. The ones that are only allowed out of the closet for 24 hours each year. I've always liked the 4th of July but it was never my favorite holiday simply because it's in the middle of summer and summer is far from my favorite season...BUT when you spend it with family it's awesome! And the last few years have been the best!

Our third 4th of July celebration was during the second half of the weekend when we visited Brandon's family in Ponca City. Brandon's older brother and his family came from Colorado and we all gathered at his younger brother's house for a couple days. I especially love getting together with Brandon's family because my sisters-in-law both only have daughters! So it's fun to buy them girly gifts and do something other than kill bugs and sword fight for awhile! Ha!

Ashtyn still has a fear of dogs but once he gets to know a particular dog he will usually warm up to them and really love them! Ash actually worked up the courage to walk Uncle Tyler's dog Hallie on this visit! He was very proud of himself!

Auntie April's parents were nice enough to invite us to their home for a full day of swimming and even had a bounce house too! They have an AWESOME pool! The cousins were all together and some of April's family brought their boys as well. I'm pretty sure my boys want to move in with Rick and Carol at this point! If there's room...I'll come too...

We couldn't get cousin Evie to take a group picture but I got this picture with the boys and their cousin Natalie! 

This is the boys' great grandma. We call her Gran Gran. She also made the long trip to visit for the 4th and we're glad she did!

The newest member of the Knight family (until Auntie April has her baby next month) is this little sweetheart, Gretta! This was our first time to meet Gretta and she's such a beautiful baby! Maddox loved to make her smile!

And THIS is Evie! Since she wouldn't pose for a picture with the cousins I had to sneak a somewhat blurry picture of her while she was coloring on the last morning of our visit. Shhhhh! No one tell her!

Soooo...pretty much our 4th of July was FFFUUUNNN!!!! We got to see so much family and eat so much yummy food! (Not as important as family, of course, but a close second!) We are one lucky crew to have such awesome family!