Little Firecrackers

Our neighborhood always has a 4th of July parade.  The girls love that they get to decorate their scooters and wagon... and at the end of the parade are popsicles!

Our little firecrackers had a blast, even though it was a HOT summer morning.

Q made it a block... and H almost 2 blocks before they declared they were tired and wanted to ride in the wagon.

That afternoon we did a few of our "big" fireworks in the back yard.

We had a neighborhood BBQ that night.  The girls loved the ice cream sundaes.

I went to the backyard to get a few pics of H getting her fingernails painted by some of the older girls... and when I returned to the front, this is the "cute, hot mess" I stumbled upon.



Only a Marine would be brave enough to get close to this cute pigtailed blond for a picture. 



Even though our day was filled with parades, fireworks, ice cream, and friends... stopping to give thanks to brave men and women like our friend Brad, is really what the 4th is all about.  We way to often take for granted the freedoms we have because of the many sacrifices of others.