The 4th of July

I LOVE the 4th of July!  It's the perfect holiday...summertime, family time, swimming, BBQing, parades, red & blue...my two favorite colors, fireworks, remembering how blessed we are to live in the USofA!!  I didn't always love it so much.  I remember on my mission one of my Scottish companions loved America more than I did.  She loved the National Anthem and all things American.  During that time away from our country, I realized how much I had taken "being American" for granted.  I've since changed my ways:)

Here are some pictures from the Summerlin parade that morning.  I thought they had some great floats this year.  We had fun being with family and sweating our bums off.  It was actually pretty nice weather...just super muggy!

Daddy & Cruz

Our friend Tommy and Zander

Zacky boy

Can I get a decent picture?  I don't care if the sun's in your eyes:)

Nope, guess not.

The Futrell Clan

Aunt Chelsea & Cruzer

Taylor & some cool biker boy

After the parade we went over to Jeanene & Keith's house for swimming and BBQ.  All seven of us kids were together.  That doesn't happen too often!  I wish I would have taken a picture of all of us.  (Actually the only ones we were missing were Mom, Dad, Anjuli, and Porter).  At one point, I think there were 13 of us in the pool.  That's probably a record for Jeanene & Keith's pool.

The boys love playing with their uncles.

Caught your smile Bennett boy

See Aaron laying there on the mat.  He literally did not move from that spot for probably 2 hours.  It's 11 days later, and he's still got peeling skin to prove it.

Aubree's yummy fruit pizza

Cruz snoozed through most of the swimming, but splashed around a bit in the evening.

We went and watched fireworks out in the desert near the Red Rock.  We woke Zackery up to watch, and we were glad we did cause it was a good show.  I loved the heart fireworks let off to "All You Need is Love."

A few things I didn't catch on camera over the holiday...Taylor's patriotic concert.  I love listening to patriotic music.  It was awesome (she's awesome too)!  I loved when they played all the songs of the different branches of the service.  I've never been close to someone that's served in my lifetime, so I haven't thought often enough of what they really go through.  But lately when I think of what they sacrifice to serve our country, I always get a little choked up.

My most favorite moment over the holiday was Sunday during sacrament meeting.  Aaron was working, but the boys and I got all dressed up in our red, white, and blue.  As they started singing The National Anthem for the closing song, Zackery's eyes got so big and excited.  He loves that song, and he knows that song!  He sang along, proud as ever.  All the sudden, during the last line, he belted out as loud as his little lungs could sing..."the land and of the freeeeeeee, and the home of the braaaaaave!"  All heads turned within about a 3 row radius trying to stifle their laughs.  Our old bishop who was sitting in front of us turned around and said, "That's how that song should be sung!"  Despite the embarrassment, I was proud of my little man!