Happy 4th!

I love all the hype that comes with the 4th of July. It is right up there with Halloween for me. So much fun with matching outfits, themed food and don't' forget the fireworks. We had previously decided to skip the parade and firework show this year because I knew I wouldn't last in the heat being so round. So we made our own fun.
I was up late painting my nails the night before and heard some massive explosions super close to our house. I went out front and found the firework show of a lifetime happening two houses down from ours!

I was super surprised that the kids had slept through most of it. Ariana eventually woke up and wanted to come outside with me, but then hid under the blanket the entire time.

 I couldn't believe the magnitude of this neighborhood show. Thousands of dollars must have been dumped into this show. I guess it is quite a tradition and we can expect it every year!

 The morning of I woke up a little early to make super yummy pancakes for the kiddos and even added a flare of the holiday by adding our favorite berries.

 Because we missed the parade we promised the boys that we would do a few fun extra things at home. So we played our own (very small) game of softball in the backyard. and played a whole bunch of board games as the day went on.

 Ariana helped me make our very favorite jello treat!

 As soon as dusk hit we took the kids, our massive bag of treats, a few fireworks and our fire pit out front to enjoy a night out. Colored coordinated outfits, glow sticks and sweets made this night unforgettable!

 Once it got dark enough we pulled out the sparklers for the kids and let them have their firework fun.

 Someone else down the road started their own show as soon as we started to pack up the kids to go inside so we let them sit on the sidewalk and enjoy a few more fireworks!

What a year to remember. Maybe we will never have to leave our house for the holiday again. This was so much fun, and the stress level was nearly non-existent. Maybe we found our way to make this the best holiday yet!