Fourth of July Fun!

4th of July... Time for friends and family and random people!

We started our day at Lunch de Aunt E's. Our friend could not make the night celebration so we met up early to share the day with them.

Brotherly conversations about work... Boring!

Favorite Aunt EVER! (Such a cute picture!)

My sweetie... Just had to put this in here!

Little girls and pretty eyes... Emma wanted peacock eyes and Sabine was patriotic.

We brought our bouncy house along. The girls laid down while the boys bounced them.

Elijah and Bryan playing with the poppers.

Just enjoying the tolerable 4th weather. Think it stayed in the mid-90's all day!

Nap time outside. So sweet.

Snakes, smoke bombs, tanks and much more pre-firework fun.

I played frisbee with my daughter. She is really good!

Grace and Trista were entertained with bubbles. Except the fan kept making a funny noise and E'Dawn said all I had to do was smack it. All the kids kept laughing cause I was beating up Elmo... they crack me up!

Nothing going on... But still watching!

Grandma Tanner joined us this year. The kids were super excited that she came... me, too!

These two are inseparable. Trista is in love with her baby Grace. Almost like Grace is her doll!

11 kids for the show, (one not in the picture) Family, friends and new friends, too! They all had a great time!

The girls being true sparkle dancers!

All in all it was fun. Bryan blew up his usual watermelon and added an eggplant, too. The kids got to see their friends and cousins and spend time with family. It was really nice to have my mom there.

Although there were a few things I didn't like that night... The kids had a blast. Since Emma was little I have always been too overprotective of our children. Bryan and I both have our own perspective on things... We know that being a Later-day Saint means we don't drink, smoke, etc... I just don't know why we keep going to things where this is happening at the same party we are at. It feels like high school all over again.
I want to raise the children in an environment that shows we can have fun even if none of us do that. Bryan believes that we cannot protect our children from it and would rather let our children learn that even though there are "things" going on around us, we don't have to be apart of it. He usually wins and I just spend the evening being upset. My choice, I know. But it still bothers me.

Next year we are staying home... Or doing something else? Maybe Cedar City for a real 4th celebration??!!