What a Beautiful Ride: 4th of July

We had an awesome, jam-packed weekend!

We started our holiday celebrations on Saturday with a cookout with David's side of the family. The men (and some of the women) played so much volleyball that they couldn't move the next day. The kids enjoyed the ping pong table, the baby pool and the huge water slide (that really, really hurt when you landed flat on the dirt - no cushion! The men didn't like that so much). The food was great. Wait...I can't say that...I didn't even get any food! But, everybody else really enjoyed it :) I CAN say that Travis did a FANTASTIC job on the boiled peanuts! They were amazing. I could have made myself sick off of them!!! And the homemade ice cream wasn't too shabby either ;) Carsyn was a hit going down the slide. Her face coming down is hilarious. Where all of the other babies get to the bottom and scream, she looks up and cracks up laughing :)

Carsyn sliding with Aunt Kecia

Kriston and Chloe

Sunday, we headed to church packed and ready to go straight to the river afterwards. We did just that and Carsyn was asleep before we got out of the church parking lot. She got her a good nap on the way up. We got her out of the truck and she immediately noticed the slip n slide...so, off came the clothes and in the water she went. Grace and Carsyn spent the afternoon playing in the water, eating ice cream and popsicles and fishing. There was a little boy at the house beside us with his grandparents. We could tell that he wanted to get on the slip n slide so badly, so we invited him over...then they couldn't get him back home. We asked him his name and he said, "Turtle." Surely that's not his real name, but I guess we will never know...We took Carsyn's tricycle and, of course, Grace and Turtle wanted to push her in it.Grace was standing with me and ZiZi was walking along while Turtle pushed the tricycle. He hit a bump and turned the tricycle over on it's side with Carsyn in it. Yes, it scared me. I'm pretty sure Carsyn thought it was a joy ride...it didn't phase her a bit. But...Grace...you should have seen her! I thought she was either going to cry or start hyperventilating! She did that about something else that happened with Carsyn in the last few days but I can't remember what it was. I just think it is so sweet...and quite amazing...that somebody that young has such feelings and cares about people so much! There are so many sweet stories about Grace and Carsyn that I (or mama) need to share :)

Sunday night, we took the "contoon" boat down the river for the fireworks show. It was SO pretty! We couldn't decide what was coolest...the fireworks or the echo off of the river wall! Carsyn did great ~~as long as we took her life jacket off~~. She almost went to sleep right at the end of the show. We headed back to the river house, packed up and got going with Josh, Vicki and Grace "not so far behind us." Then we got 5 minutes from the house and we get a call...Josh, Vicki and Grace are no longer not so far behind us. It's midnight now. They are in Letohatchee with a broken wheel bearing which turned out to be a broken axle. So that we would have room for anybody that needed to come home, David dropped me and Carsyn off at the house and unloaded some stuff and headed back to get them. They all got in at 3:30 then David got up to go fishing at 5:00. Crazy.

Driving Uncle Josh's boat

Watching the fireworks

Grace and Pop Pop

Monday, we had a cookout for my side of the family up at Nannie and Papa's. We decided to have it there because of the pool, of course! Again, we had volley ball...which was a blast! Even with a bunch of cheaters!!! The kids (big and little) enjoyed the pool. And, there is just something about Papa's grill! It makes the best hamburgers ever! They are too die for! I was so glad Uncle Kenny made it to McKenzie! It was so great to see him and his smiling face :)