fun on the 4th

i love holidays and to me, the fanfare isn't really important, it's simply about family - spending quality time with my loved ones. fortunately, this 4th, the boys and i were able to enjoy lots of family time. now, i'm sitting and wishing it wasn't over already. trevor, shannon and the kids drove from utah and we can't thank them for making that trek. we've driven it a few times and we know it's NOT easy, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. with the utah gerbs in town, and with jay and his family now living in san diego, the weekend was full of family and fun activities. this included a neighborhood parade (non-motorized), lots of tennis between the brothers, a few good runs for shannon and i, a beach/surf day, pool day, time with cousin 'maddy' and auntie jen, bocce ball and badminton, a little baking by the kids, a backyard bbq and a competitive game of pictionary. i look forward to next year's 4th and hopefully being able to share with extended family. who knows, maybe we'll even see the fireworks if the kids can make it that late! *wink*