Fourth of July!

The fourth of July weekend there were a lot of grumpy Smith's! Usually this time of year we would have been up to the river several times by now and wouldn't have dreamt of being anywhere but at the river for July 4th celebration. This year was different...we didn't have a choice. We haven't been to the river even once! The water has been way over the lots so it hasn't even been a possibility. We didn't want to let this ruin our festivities though. I pulled my camper to mom and dad's and decided to camp out there instead! No big deal...it was still camping, just without the river!! It was fantastic to be around family! We went Saturday evening, got all set up and put the kids to bed. I couldn't convince Brian to come...I'm not sure why!! That night was interesting to say the least. The girls didn't fall asleep until at least 11. I was way beyond that and then had to pee in the middle of the night causing me to have to get up and go into the house! It was fun! Ha Ha!  We weren't scared off though!
Sunday we got up and went to church. When we got back, my mom's family started arriving for a family get together!  We had so much fun sitting around, eating too much and doing a lot of talking and laughing!  It was such a blessing to see my Uncle Craig especially since he has been battling cancer since last October.  He is getting better though and successfully made it through a bone marrow transplant the last couple months. 
Austin spent some of his rock-picking money on fireworks so later that night he had plans to put on a show for us all.  Most of the family went home but Wayne and Jane and Craig and Thelma stayed and stuck it out (Emily and Adam's family is in between houses so they are currently living at mom and dad's)!  We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows and made s'moores.  I tried to keep both girls awake but as time went on I realized it wasn't worth it as Adah was growing very tired.  I think she made it until 9!  Kezzie made it through almost all the fireworks which was almost 10:30!  She thoroughly enjoyed her s'moore and a few sparklers before the fireworks started!  By the time I put her to bed she was looking pretty loopy!  I was excited because Austin actually even stayed out in the camper with us that night (he opted for air conditioning the night before)!  But it wasn't until after a good game of Mario on the Wii (in the house) that Austin and I snuck in the camper to go to bed (it was midnight!).  We all slept good that night!!  Monday morning we all got up and went inside the house for some breakfast.  We were kind of exhausted from being outside all day Sunday so we stayed inside most of the morning.  After the kids all napped, Ethan, Bennett, Austin, Keziah and Adah went out for a swim in the little kiddie pool.  Brian went home sometime Sunday afternoon so the girls and I were anxious to get home and eat supper with him since it was the day of the fourth!  It was good to spend the evening with him before going back to work the next day! 
What a great country we live in!  I am so incredibly blessed to be an American!  God bless all the men and women who fight for our country's freedom every day!  Happy Fourth of July!