Fourth of July Fun

The last four years we have watched 10K runners take on the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th with neighborhood friends, and a part of me felt nostalgic as we inched towards July here in Middle GA.  Then our dear friends, the McLeod's, invited us to their lake house for the 4th, so we still managed to celebrate with some of our Atlanta crew!

Two minutes into the drive JB said "Mac's lake house…it's just soooo faaaaaar, Daddy, it's sooooo faaaaaaar!"  So that tells you how much the kids enjoyed the 1.5 hour trip.  We made 3 stops along the way, then finally arrived at the lake. The boys immediately jumped onto the tractor and started exploring.

 Have you ever seen such cute boys?  I hope they are best buds forever.

When I say that JB rode the tractor nearly the entire time, I am not exaggerating.  I had to bring him in after dark, and he asked to take the front end loader into his bedroom.

All those stops for local produce and meats?  Made one heckuva dinner.  The boys grilled the steaks and corn (from M&T Meats in Hawkinsville), while the girls fixed the fresh limas and sliced tomato from the Dublin Farmer's Market.  Becca's mama brought a dessert called "Strawberry Crack" - definitely worth the calories.

Poor Maryn - Mama restricted her to fruit pouches and cheerios, but she definitely eyed the steak on my plate.  (Just get you a few teeth, girl, and Mama will share some!)  

Speaking of sweet Sissy, she suffered through a Fourth of July photo shoot for her yet be opened baby book.  The McLeod's have the most Americana screened-in porch, providing quite the backdrop for my little sparkler!

Nearly 40 photos, and can you believe she is not smiling in one of them!?  All she wanted to do was crawl and explore, so sitting next to a cold Coca Cola machine was not Maryn's idea of fun.

You know what both our kiddos enjoyed this weekend - WATER!!  Took some convincing, but by the second day we had two little fishes.  

Add in a boat ride, and JB decided he loves the lake. 

So much that we heard tears and cries for "just one more time" all the way back home.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!  

So thankful for this great land that we call home, and these great friends who we celebrate it with.