Holiday Weekend

 So much happened this weekend and there are so few pictures! Very strange! It started with our community 4th of July parade. The van was loaded and ready for WV, but we waited for the parade. Aliza and Josiah did not want to miss the parade. They get so much candy!

This is Congressman Harris--introducing himself to us. I didn't exactly realize I was in the picture. =)

 After the parade we had a smooth, quick trip to WV. It was so nice to drive without waiting in traffic! We had a great weekend. My main memory of the weekend is being Aliza's psychologist. Most of the activities revolved around water and fire--the two things besides dogs that she is irrationally fearful of. It took a lot of energy to sort our what was real fear, what was attention getting behavior and what was just drama.

We enjoyed a fireworks show on Friday night. I sat in the car with Aliza and Josiah on my lap. Aliza talked incessantly the whole time with her face against mine. Ultimately she did enjoy the fireworks. So did Josiah.

A neighbor allowed us to use their pool. The water felt so good! Jeremy and Joel entertained us with their diving abilities.

 Who could resist diving over and over again when little girls were cheering for every dive and begging you to do it again? And there was a little boy giving every dive 2 thumbs up.

My birthday was somewhere in the weekend. Jeremy and I had a few hours alone. We used it for practical purposes--outlet shopping for clothes for Jeremy. Everything was 50% off and seeing as how Jeremy has lost weight he needs some new clothes. He looked quite spectacular this morning when he walked out in his new gray Gap dress pants and J.Crew button down shirt. My mother-in-law made me a whoopie pie cake and I got to watch old recorded Pioneer Woman cooking shows. When we got home last night I had another meal and cake with my family.

I started off my new year by working in the yard today. The grass needs to be cut and there are still fallen limbs to be carried to the brush pile. I conquered the biggest area today. Once the children figured out that, indeed, their whining and complaining was not going to change my goal they pitched in. Josiah's Gator is awesome. It saved me quite a few steps today.