Fireworks!

 

Someone asked for the firework pictures I took when our Aunts took Mommy and us children out to see the display they always go to. I know it is really late to share them, but here they are :).
We had a really good time with our Grandparents and Aunts :). We also enjoyed some family time the following Saturday- Daddy put off his own little display (I think it was the best yet!) and followed it up with his delicious homemade vanilla ice cream :).
(I just realized that this post is number 200 on my blog, I thought that was kind of neat :)! Also, I will be posting that promised blueberry picking post soon, and the stationary/card post is being written. After that, I think I am fully caught up, and will hope to start actively blogging about CURRENT happenings again!)

Happy Fourth!!!

So if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

On this July Fourth, we are so grateful for our freedom...
...both the freedom that so many men died to give us...
...and the freedom that is ours through our Lord's death.
Praise the Lord!!!!

Our Fourth of July

Our Fourth of July started on the 2nd, when we went to the fireworks at Lake Murry. They were beautiful, and Emmi loved them, but Abbi answered Mommy's question "Aren't they beautiful?" with "They NOT bootiful, and I HIDE from them!!!" While we were at the lake, one lady offered to take a family picture. That was a blessing!
On the Fourth we had friends over for grilled hamburgers and homemade ice cream, and we did sparklers and fireworks! At first we thought it would rain, but all we felt were a few drops! Daddy set the fireworks off, and he got some really pretty ones! He even got one that did like three things in one for the grand finale! I think that one was everybody's favorite.
Oh, and those projects we were doing for 4th of July? We DID complete them in time! Mommy got her's finished on Friday last week, I got my headbands done on Saturday, and Tori even had time to make some braided bracelets with the left over yarn!

Oh, the joys of hand crafting...Haha

Why can't that joy be easier to get to???
For Fourth of July, Mommy and I both had some projects we wanted to get done. I wanted to get some hairbands with stars done, and Mommy wanted to make some matching tiered tee shirt dresses.
After experimenting for about an hour on making a star to go on the hairbands, I finally asked Mommy to look for a pattern online. I looked at the pattern she found, and it all made sense- finally!
And as to the hairbands... I've made them before (with the same pattern). I had no problems with them last time. This time... they look like earmuffs. The yarn was just too thick to make good summer hairbands (not to mention the one that should have fit Bethani fit me instead, and she was able to wear Emmi's!!!). So, I'll most likely be finding thinner yarn and starting over. Maybe these ones won't look quite so out of place in November.
And then there are the dresses... I offered to help Mommy with the gathers on the tiers, since she dislikes that part. Let's put it this way- I need some more practice!!!
First, I had finished gathering the skirt to the size of the shirt. Then I started evening out the gathers. I must have pulled the wrong thread or something, because the next thing I know, I don't have any gathers left!!! So, I needed to start over. Then I snapped the thread and... you guessed it. I had to start over. Finally I was ready to pin the shirt and the first tier together. I pinned it together.. backwards! So I had to take ALL the pins out, put ALL the pins back in, and then Mommy was able to sew it together. Then I took all those gathering stitches out, gathered the next tier, and pined it on the first tier... BACKWARDS!!! And had to take ALL the pins out, put ALL the pins back in, and let Mommy sew it. Luckily I didn't pull out the wrong threads when I was taking out the gathering threads!
So, the lesson from this experience? Tiered skirts are (much!) harder to make then they look... And when a pattern for hairbands says "use this yarn"... use that yarn!!! Now time for more knitting... don't be surprised if I have another "handcrafting mistakes" post up soon... haha...

My (very late) Independence Day post

Well, We were all just hoping that it would stop raining on the last day of June, because that is the day that the lake we watch fireworks at had decided to set fireworks off. Well I must say it did or I might not be writing this post! We left and had a delightful time especially at the lake and even in the car. It wasn't too hot, and we listened to songs of America. Well, it could have been better if only a spider hadn't made his home right where we sat. Daddy had to move him with a stick, and then we girls worried that he'd come back (I so wish I was better with bugs!).
On Independence Day, mother read what I quoted in my last post and right after I posted that I started to fix waters. No, there weren't any more fireworks at the lake, but we were going somewhere to see fireworks :).
Well, we went to Carolina Dreaming to eat, along with some of Daddy's employees, and really enjoyed it!
Then, we went to the house of one of Daddy's employees and Daddy set off fireworks! He got some really good ones too! And one of the nice things is that we didn't have to pay a thing to get the fireworks even though Daddy picked them out! You see, Daddy's store won a lot of money last year for a store party and they still hadn't gotten to use it, so they used it to have an Independence Day party! All in all everyone had a pretty good day!
We had our last celebration by ourselves. It wasn't long but like the others, it was fun! We did some sparklers,and a few fireworks, and then... homemade ICE CREAM! This is an every year thing. The ice cream and sparklers are really the only thing that doesn't change. We always have chocolate ice cream in tiny cones. The rest Daddy might get something different then last year, but these stay the same every year since we got our ice cream maker.

I hope you had a good day too!

Happy Fourth of July

I just wanted to share a few things my Mother just read to us out of the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal......We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America...

appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world... do

...Publish and declare, That these United Colonies are...

Free and independent States...And for the

support of this Declaration,

with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we...

pledge to each other our lifes, Our fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

........................................................................................

And a quote from George Washington when he took his leave from his post in war:

"As my last official duty, I want to commend the interests of our dear country to the protection of Almighty God. I now take my leave."

........................................................................................

And some say that we were never a Christian nation?

I'll post our Fourth of July tomorrow ;).