4th of July

For the 4th of July my Mom wanted us to have a big get together, and play softball, while celebrating both hers and Libby's birthdays. Originally we were gonna have another family join us, and do us against them, but that didn't work out. So we got up bright and early on Saturday morning and got ready for our get together. Everyone was there, Libby, Jon, Gabe, Emily, and all three little boys, Jonathan, Thomas, and Josiah. Shortly after they arrived we all headed down to the jr. High behind our house to play softball. We warmed up by playing catch, and Phillip hit some balls to us. The we all got a turn at bat. Gabe hit first, then me, Phillip, Dad, Emily, Little Jonathan, Thomas, Libby, and Big Jonathan. It was a blast! :D then we headed back to the house for a barbecue, and to open presents. The boys made flags later on too. Everyone helped out! Afterwards I left to go off roading with a group from the church. A couple of the guys went in together on a deuce (you know those army transport trucks? the ones with the canvas sides and jsut plank benches in the back? yea, one of those) so we all met on highway 38 and piled into the back, then headed up the trail. It was the cooelst thing, because it's so big, you don't feel the bumps at all. Felt an aweful lot like riding on the paved road, not kidding. We went to a fire lookout tower, and hung out till it got dark enough to see the fireworks. We were able to see at least 15, probably more like 20 shows all at once. Some looked like they might be as far away as disnyland. Thye aren't quite as impressice when they;re small like that, because we were so high, but it was still cool to be able to see so many at once and the sound lag between seeing them and hearing then was cool too. We left around 10 and got back down to the main road by 11. On both the way up and the way down we started singing songs. We sang tv show tunes, and veggietales, and disney songs. It was a lot of fun.


softball, warming up, helping hte little boys aroubd the bases, and relaxing afterward


craft time, making the flags, the finished product


the deuce and us with the deuce(it's a lot bigger close up :P)


pretty scenery from where we were. Isn't it gorgeous?


city lights(blurry cuz my camera wouldnt make them clear without the flash, and it wouldn't capture them at all with the flash), and the one firework I was able to get, cool huh?