Independence Day

This was quite a different holiday for us. Out of every holiday July 4th has the most set traditions for us. We were far away from home, but we decided to do what we could to make it feel patriotic. Luckily Ty didn't have to work so we got to spend the whole day with him!
In the morning we went to a Stake pancake breakfast at church.

Our little American cuties

Happy to be with daddy!

Lindsey wouldn't let the ipod out of her hands for some reason and just gave everyone dirty looks all morning.

We had a relaxing afternoon and both the girls took much needed laps so they wouldn't be grumpy later. We packed up and headed down to La Jolla Cove for fireworks. We didn't quite know what to expect, but it was a little crazy with the amount of people there. We had quite a trek from the car to the beach and because I'm so smart, I forgot the stroller. :-( But the girls did really well and didn't seem to mind.

Can't complain about that view before fireworks start!

Whitney kept doing everything Ty would do. This time she laid down then said, "Mom, take our picture!"

We got there with a few hours to spare so we just relaxed, ate snacks, explored the beach, and enjoyed watching the pelicans and seals. The downside: I got bird poop on me, Lindsey threw up on me (my fault, I was bopping her up and down), and applesauce was spilled all over my leg. Thank goodness for wipes and hand sanitizer!

I asked Ty to throw our garbage away and he took the girls with him. Well, he came back and they both had these glow swords. I love how Lindsey is yelling in this picture. She totally loves hers.

Watching fireworks

Oh how I love watching fireworks!

The finale was very bright and loud. I loved it!

It was a really cool experience to watch fireworks right next to the ocean. I'm so glad we braved the throngs of people and went. Although this wasn't a normal 4th of July feeling to me, I'm still grateful for the country that I live in and the freedoms that we have. Did you try anything new this Independence Day?