fun with fireworks

we are able to take a well deserved break from our home beautification projects to enjoy good company and some fireworks this 4th of july. our neighbors, the dimit's, invited us over for a bbq and fireworks.

our week has been filled up with pressure washing the house, roof, gutters, walkways, and windows on the outside, and scrubbing, touch-up painting, cleaning out closets on the inside, all in preparation to place our home on the market to sell. on top of all of this, we have been trying to get ready for our sabbatical trip which we have pushed back til tuesday, instead of monday. our poor girls have been so good about entertaining themselves while we have been busy, busy, busy. we look forward to pulling out in the fifth wheel in a few more days and leaving the house behind to, hopefully, sell! we finally decided on a realtor and she will be coming over saturdayy afternoon to sign papers and take pictures of the house (i hope to get some pictures of the house, so stay-tuned for a "virtual tour" of our home), then it will go on the market monday!

this is the reason i am so late posting these pictures from the 4th of july, i really should be sleeping right now, but i wanted to post some fun pictures i took on wednesday night. i've never been able to get very good fireworks pictures. i need to learn how to use my camera better for those types of shots. i did play around a bit and got some pretty cool shots. so here are some of my favorites:

sparklers are always a favorite. they were always my favorite as a kid, that and the snakes!

kawena is getting a different perspective on the fireworks, here. in fact, the fireworks didn't even really phase her. she wasn't scared, but she didn't seem overly impressed either, just a bit indifferent. however, it was way past her bedtime, and she kind of skipped her afternoon nap. she was a trooper, though!

evidence that i was there, just kickin' back, relaxing, and enjoying the show!

some things that i am grateful for this fourth of july are:

• beautiful, sunny weather
• seeing the girls run around in their swimsuits playing on the neighbors slip and slide and then later in the afternoon playing in the pool at our other neighbors house
• a very, very hard working husband
• getting our house all cleaned up and appreciating what a beautiful home we have
• a yard with green trees, green grass, and colorful flowers
• a wonderful realtor
• seeing the american flag blowing in the breeze
• elizabeth, who has had our girls over to play everyother day this week so they can have fun while mitch and i work
• patient girls
• our freedom
• kawena's smile and noisy talking
• climbing into bed at night after crossing many things off on my list of thing to do
• anticipating 8 weeks of having mitch around and not having him go to work
• making memories