Wordless Wednesday: Train Ride *Linky*

Train Ride

Join me in the Wordless Wednesday fun and link your post!

Refrigerator Oatmeal Breakfast

Stephen actually found this recipe, which turned out to be delicious. I want to give thanks to Monica over at "The Yummy Life" for sharing such a wonderful treat. Now I want to share it again with you because a delicious, inexpensive, easy breakfast.

Delicious Ingredients

For the base of the recipe you will need:

• mason jars (1/2 pint or 1 pint)
• reusable lids for the jars
• Old Fashion Oats (not instant or quick)
• Almond milk
• Greek yogurt
• Chia seeds* 

On top of this basic recipe you can add all sorts of fruit and flavors to make the taste just what you want it to be and become even more delicious. Monica has all sorts of variations at "The Yummy Life."

Adding all the ingredients together!

The first step is to add the ingredients in to the mason jars:

• 1/4 cup Old Fashion Oats
• 1/3 cup Almond Milk
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbs Chia seeds*

Then you close the lid for the jar and shake vigorously. If you are adding fresh fruit, do so after shaking so you don't smash it. This is actually pretty fun. 

Shake, Shake, Shake!

Now is the time to add fresh fruit, if you choose. So far we have only tried bananas and honey, which was delicious. Monica suggests adding bananas and cocoa that sounds amazing. You can add raspberries, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, or whatever flavors you want to. After you add the fruit, stir it in smoothly to mix it all up.

Next, make sure the lid is on tight and put it in the refrigerator. Let it sit overnight and you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you in the morning. Easy right? I thought so. 

Refrigerate overnight for a delicious, filling breakfast.

The best part about this recipe is that you can change it however you like. If you don't like almond milk, then try regular milk or another flavor. You can try a flavored Greek yogurt like honey or vanilla. You can add or take away as much as you want to make this a unique and delicious breakfast or energy meal.

All About Chia Seed

*Now for the Chia seeds...

I have never heard of supplements like this until recently, but now I love them. Chia seeds are used for energy, cardiovascular functions, digestive health, balancing blood sugar and lowering cholesterol. These are easily digestible and good for your health. They have no real taste but contains lots of Omega-3 (the good kind of fatty acids) and is an antioxidant. You simply add a tablespoon to yogurt, cereal, smoothies, salads or baked goods. Chia seeds are organic, gluten free and have no preservatives. It is a good addition to any diet. I found Chia seeds at Whole Foods, but can possibly find them at other similar stores, drug stores or amazon. [For more information]

Stephen and I love this recipe and idea in general. I am glad to share this with you. If you try this recipe I would love to hear how you liked it and what different flavors you tried. 

One More Miscarriage

I don't even know where to start writing this...we are not having a baby, at least not right now.

We went to the doctor right before our trip to New England and the doc said there was no baby. The embryonic sack was there, but no baby was developing in it.

WHAT!?!

I was devastated. I actually wrote a whole entry about it on that day. However, I never published it. We were going on vacation the next day and I decided I did not want to deal with it. Honestly I still don't. I wanted this baby, I want a house full of kids, but it wasn't meant to be, at least not right now.

The only picture of the baby we will never have

Now, I am not so emotionally wound up and can probably write about it better anyway. 

Even though we were seeing friends and family on our vacation, I didn't want to rise concern. I just wanted to enjoy our vacation. And I did. But I had to deal with it again as soon as we got back. The ultrasound showed exactly what I thought it would. An embryonic sac with no baby that hasn't grown hardly any in the past two weeks. No more hope or praying will do anything to change the fact that there isn't a baby and I will have another miscarriage, my third in a row.

The phenomenon is called a blighted ovum or an anembryonic pregnancy. Basically it means that a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus wall, but never forms the embryo within the sac. This is not that uncommon and actually makes up almost half of the causes of miscarriages in the first trimester. It is most often the cause of abnormal chromosomes or other reasons a baby would not develop correctly. This is not anything that can be prevented. There is some great information about this on the American Pregnancy Association site.

So there is nothing I can do but wait. I haven't actually miscarried yet, but it is inevitable. I strongly want to give my body the opportunity to do it naturally as it should. However, I have another appointment in two weeks and if it is still stagnant I will follow through with a D&C to clean the empty sac from my body. If I have to be honest this scares me greatly. Anytime you have to use a medical procedure there is the possibility of complications. Not to mention, I don't want to think about the fact that this is the same procedure they use to abort fetuses. This is silly because I know there is no baby, but it still makes me sad.

I am a very natural person. When I had my daughter I had a completely natural delivery, no pain killers or anything, and I am very thankful that I did. I have passed two miscarriages completely naturally and I hope and pray that this one occurs the same way. I do not like medical intervention when it can be at all prevented. I understand that complications may arise if I let the sac stay stagnant too long, but in two weeks I will only be supposedly 11-12 weeks pregnant so that will pretty much be the cut off of time. If it isn't happening naturally by then it will be time to intervene.

We have talked about getting genetic testing or other testing done to find out why we have had three miscarriages. However, we have one perfect little girl already. I have  no idea what could have changed after we had her, neither does our doctor. I have no other symptoms (even subtle ones) of anything else being wrong. The ultrasound technician assured me that my uterus and ovaries were all in perfect condition. I have no idea why we are miscarrying. Stephen believes that we have just been unlucky three times. I hope he's right. (He also told me to play the lottery because squeezing in the minority of statistics seems in my favor right now.)

I don't want to try for more kids anytime soon. After this all passes I am getting back on birth control and focusing on living and being happy right now. Stephen is making me promise to keep my mind open to having more kids in the next year or two or more. But I'm not sure. I am tired of torturing my body and mind with trying to have kids and failing. I am happy with our one wonderful little girl. If she is all we have I will be happy about that. I realize how blessed we really are to have our beautiful Zoey-bug. Besides, there are always other options to have kids. Adoption has been on our minds lately. It may not be for another year or two, but if we choose to grow our family more, there are other ways that can be a true blessing to not just us, but others as well.

What it all boils down to the fact that this sucks, a lot. However, I have now had time to accept this an make a new plan. In good news this means I will be able to consume alcohol and coffee again. I will be able to eat sushi and other yummy things that I couldn't before. I don't have to worry about not picking Zoey up or playing rough. I can start exercising more intensely and start "Insanity," which I am actually really excited about. We can take Zoey to Disney World next summer because we won't have an infant to worry about. We will have extra money and get or debts paid off faster. I would rather have a baby than all of this, but it is what is keeping be from being incredibly depressed about the whole situation.

                         

Jeremiah (Bible in 90 Days)

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How do you measure success? Is it all about money and how much stuff you have or how expensive each item is? Is it about how many friends you have or how popular you are? What your job title is or how influential you are? Those are all characteristics that society finds successful. But God finds success in a different light.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that all those things are meaningless without God—He should know because he had all of that and more. But what is the point of having worldly success if God doesn’t find you successful?

Jeremiah was a man who the world would have declared a failure. He was poor, no one listened when he spoke, he was thrown in prison at one point and he was rejected by his king, friends and family.

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However, God wasn’t looking at those things—God looked at Jeremiah’s heart and saw that it was good. Jeremiah stood alone speaking God’s word and weeping for the doomed fate of God’s cherished country. God saw the faith; sacrifice and love Jeremiah had for him and the people of Judah and considered Jeremiah a true success.

Jeremiah’s message centered on this theme: Repent and turn to God or you will be punished. He spoke, the people did not listen and they were punished. Jeremiah ends with the prophecies of destruction coming true—the country of Judah is crushed and its people either went into exile in Babylon or they perished by sword or famine.

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Jeremiah showed tremendous faith and courage throughout his life. He took the message he was called to share very sincerely and prayed for those who dismissed him. He presents a good example of success in God’s eyes.

“The Lord game me this message: I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4

Pinterest: Lollipops, birthday albums, S more snacks and more!

I love Pinterest! If you haven't indulged yet, I highly recommend it! And if you are, join me in reliving some of the highlights of the past week...

1. Patriotic Cookie Lollipop

Snackpicks

I love this idea. It seems easy enough to do and you could change the design to accommodate all kinds of holidays and events. Kellie, the creator of this fun snack, also has a personal blog, "Little Nummies," with all sorts of cool kid snacks. There are also more by Kellie and others on "Snackpicks."

2. Birthday Album

Reaves, Party of Four

I have seen this particular idea many times, but now that Zoey is about to turn three I am putting on my should do now list. I love doing special things like this for yearly events like birthdays. It idea is that you ask your child the same 20 questions every year and watch how the answers change as your kids grow. I am excited to start this year on Zoey's birthday.

3. S mores Snack Treats

Come Together Kids

I am always looking for unique snacks and treats to make life a little more fun and interesting. This idea jumped out at me. One, because I love S mores, and two, because Zoey loved making S mores while on vacation this past week. I am excited to try this for myself as much as Zoey.

4. Veggie Garden

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I know this veggie garden will take a lot of effort to build, but we need something similar to this or at least a good fence to keep the dogs out of our garden. They are simply too interested in the plants. Between the dogs, the heat and the flash floods, our garden has not done very well this year at all. This is a bit frustrating, but we are making plans to do what we can to eliminate these problems for next year.

5. Sunflower Beauty

Tasty Treats At Home

Sometimes things are just good for the soul. This picture made me catch my breath the first time I saw it. It is beautiful. It simply makes me happy and something that is all we need. 

I hope you enjoy Pinterest and some of the ideas I find. Feel free to add some more that you found particularly Pinteresting. I would love to make this a linky and possibly link to other Pinterest links around. I intend to make this happen very soon, stay tuned!

Friday Faves: Vacation Edition

We have been gone on vacation for the last almost two weeks. When I look back over the last week to focus on things I am thankful for, they are all from vacation. I am still planning on doing a recap of some of the details of the trip. However, it is important to stop and enjoy and be thankful for the little things.

I am thankful for...

How wonderful a traveler Zoey is.
We went all the way up and back down the east coast and Zoey was a trooper the whole way. She had fun, kept herself and us entertained and made the whole trip a little easier.

Finally getting to see the Liberty Bell.

I had always wanted to see it and Philadelphia and I was finally able to along with some awesome friends.

Zoey's delightful ability to instantly make friends.

Though she has met most of the people we saw this past week, she was too young to remember. So she made new friends easily and love it. She especially enjoyed our friend's little boy who is just a little younger than her.

My silly, awesome family.

No matter where we are or what we are doing, we always have fun. I love them so much and it was wonderful spending so much time together.

S'mores!

I love s'mores and roasting marshmallows, but it is even more exciting when you get to share the experience with five kids. 

Two generations of play.

Stephen grew up in New England where we visited. It was a special treat to have the next generation, Zoey and her cousins, to play in the same place Stephen and his brother did. I know it meant a lot to them to be able to bring the kids to this memorable place. 

Maine

I had always wanted to go to Maine and two years ago I finally did. We went back this year and let me tell you, at least the part I visited, was everything I dreamed it would be and more. We were able to visit more family and camp in a tent. It was warm in the day and cool at night. I already miss Maine.

Three Generations

This is a very special picture to my family. We do not all get together very often, especially with Zoey's grandpa. Anytime we can get three generations together like this is definitely something to be thankful for.

Home

I loved being on vacation and seeing all of our friends and family. But I was also very glad to be home, we all were. There is nothing like spending time away to fully appreciate what a blessing your own life is. I needed the new perspective of our everyday life and I am very thankful for the wonderful friends and life we have right here at home.

Back to The Real World

Beaver Dam Campground; Berwick, ME

We just returned from being on vacation for almost two weeks. It was AMAZING! I didn't want to come home. I loved getting away for a while and slowing down in the process. However, it was time to come home. The last day we were away I asked Zoey if she was ready to go home, her response was "Yes Mommy, go home and play in Zoey's room." Adorable, but also a sign that it is time to go.

Still, we had a blast, Zoey included. We went all around New England. We started in Philidelphia, PA then moved up to Templeton, MA. We also had a stay in New Hampshire before trekking over to Berwick, Maine to camp with our Aunt. It was a wonderful, whirlwind trip to visit friends and family.

I have lots to talk about and small things that I discovered or realized, but it will take several weeks to get them all processed. I also took over 2,000 photos. I will not torture you with all of them, but I have to share a few.

Now we are home. I am glad to be home. The beauty of leaving for a while is that you get a perspective on your life again and now I am ready for the challenges of the house again.

I'll do a real recap after I go through all of my pictures. It was such a wonderful trip. Right now, I am just trying to get back into the swing of the real world and doing lots of laundry.

Time to Fly

I am still packing bags, but we are leaving on vacation this weekend! I will be away with little to no Internet for almost 2 weeks. I am extremely excited about the whole trip. We are going to see some amazing people and visit some awesome places. I will have much to talk about when we return. However, for the time being I am giving myself a small hiatus from posting so I can fully enjoy spending time with my family.

I hope you are having a great summer! See you again in a couple weeks!

Our Visit to See GrannyPops and Our Crazy Week

This past weekend Zoey and I went to see my parents. Zoey calls them Granny and Pops, but the way she says it makes their names become one word. She says "Let's go see GrannyPops!" This proclamation of course melts my hearts as well as GrannyPops'.

I meant to talk about all of this yesterday, but between being completely distracted packing for our big New England trip next week and my exhaustion which I account to a busy weekend, the heat, the first trimester of my pregnancy and the amount of things I need to do, I didn't even open my computer.

That is our crazy week and it gets more crazy before it gets better. However, I do I want to take a minute and share our exciting weekend hanging out with Granny and Pops.

When we arrived on Friday afternoon, Granny was still at work. However, Zoey knows this because we always go in the afternoon. So, she was excited to spend the afternoon with just Pops. It is so special for them to have their own time together. I love watching her with my Dad. Sometimes Zoey follows him into his workshop or out in the garden. She loves to help him with projects, just like I did when I was a kid. On this day though, Zoey cuddled up in the chair next to him and they sang the ABC's thanks with the help of an iPhone app. She is so proud of herself that she knows the ABC song now and I was happy to see Pops singing right along with her.

When Granny got home we went out to eat and then came home and got comfy. Zoey loves to read so it was a special treat for Granny to read with her. This book that they are reading in the picture is fun because you get to act out parts of it. They were so cute together reading and acting out this book.

On Saturday we had a girls day and a mega shopping adventure. We went all over town and were gone most of the day. We ate breakfast and then left, we ate lunch at this awesome Japanese restaurant and then got home at dinner time. While we were out we got a few things for Zoey's Princess Birthday party next month, some craft/scrapbooking supplies and fun books for Zoey, supplies to set up our homeschool preschool this fall and a few clothes. Like I said we went everywhere and we had an amazing time together hanging out and shopping.

On the way home we treated ourselves to an Icee (shaved ice) for each of us. It was delicious and the perfect treat to beat the heat. Zoey got a blue raspberry ("I want blue Mommy!") and ate all of it (which wasn't the full cup at least). Her lips and tongue were blue for hours. I can't say anything, I had Tiger Blood and my lips and tongue were red for hours, even after brushing our teeth. 

Zoey loves to help around the house. She helped Granny do the dishes, fix meals and even put sheets on the bed. Even though she does a lot of the same things at home, they are different and more special with Granny.  I know Granny loves spending time with Zoey and teaching her all she knows.

Zoey, Granny and I went to see Brave in the theaters! It was quite an adventure. It isn't the first movie Zoey has gone to, but it was the first one that she was really interested in and that we stayed the whole time through. She loved watching the Princess on the Big Screen! She didn't really stay still, she was in my lap, in Granny's lap, standing between us and in her own seat too, but it was a matinee several weeks after the movie opened so it wasn't a big deal. There were only two other people in the whole theater. She enjoyed the princess and so did I. It turned out to be a really great movie! 

Granny sewed Zoey a couple dresses. Zoey loved learning about the sewing machine and helping how she could. She was so cute dancing around in her little dress (though unfinished at the time). These are pictures I will always remember because crafts and sewing are special times in our family. I remember sitting in my mom's lap at the sewing machine, it's so exciting to see Zoey enjoying some of the same things I did as a kid. 

That was our weekend. It was lots of fun. Spending time with family and those you love always makes for a good time. I hope you had a great weekend and continue having a good week. 

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Independence

Beautiful Independence

U.S.S. Yorktown and Ravenel Bridge at Sunset

Photo taken on July 4, 2012

God Smiles Down

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Today has been a crazy day. And I am just now getting around to reflect on it. Zoey and I spent the weekend with my parents (Granny and Pops to Zoey) and had a blast. I will reflect so more on that tomorrow. But tonight, I want to share something special that I experienced today. I saw God smile down and it was beautiful.

Like so often, something good comes out of something not-so-great. That not-so-great thing today was the unbelievable amount of traffic on the roads going home. It usually takes me (on average) 3 hours and 15 minutes to get to my parent's house. The 15 mins is usually the amount of time we stop for a potty break (very important for our newly potty trained preschooler).

On this not-so-wonderful travel day it took us 5 hours to make a 3 hour trip. Arg.

My first thought was that I'm glad we were safe and not part of the almost 10 fender benders we saw all along the highway. The second thought was Ahhhhhh! Just get me home already!

I was very tired and I had a list of things (a small but important list, like laundry) that I wanted to do before Stephen got home. It turned out that I barely got home before Stephen did and I was completely exhausted.

During the first time we got stuck in traffic I was very calm and patient. I understood that it was just coming out of the lunch hour in a large city and after all it was Monday. We stopped for a potty break and a snack in the middle to break up the stop-and-go traffic and though it took us almost 2 hours to go 30 miles all was well. Thankfully Zoey did really well in the car despite the traffic.

However, when we got stopped again about 10 miles away from our exit when all I wanted to do was be home, I was aggravated. And tired. But I took a minute to be thankful. We were in traffic, not in a wreck and to boost the mood, Zoey was sleeping so at least that was a plus.

During this time, when I knew there was nothing I could do but wait (and pray I didn't get rear ended by people even less impatient than me) I started making a list in my head of all the things I needed to do this week to ready for our trip up north. On that list I put to make a special time to rededicate myself to God and make sure I am doing what he wants me to do.

I almost laughed out loud. Here I was, stuck in traffic with nothing to do, and I'm making a list about spending quality time with God. My next thought was...Hi God! It's me Amanda. Thanks for me so patient with me!

I have a very open relationship with God that I believe, with reassurance from him, is very strong. I pray all the time and any given moment and I know God hears me. Yet even I end up feeling silly for not realizing right away that now was the perfect time for that special moment. I just prayed for the people possibly in the wreck and others trying to get where they are going, why not pray for myself while I'm at it.

Right there, sitting in the middle of traffic, I had a little talk with God. I thanked him for blessing me so, I told him I wanted to focus more on him personally and not just about him in general. I want my relationship with him to be even stronger. So I asked, what else do I need to do. Is there something that I'm looking over or some other direction that I need to take.

God's Answer? A chuckle. Have you ever heard someone chuckle when you start a run-on sentence that only sort of has a meaning? Well, that is what God's chuckle was to me. He continued, in my spirit, to say that I was doing just fine. I am on the right path, I am headed in the right direction and all I need to do right now in my life is enjoy it. I need to enjoy my family and my friends and especially Stephen, Zoey and our little bean. God let me know that there are always ups and downs, but he is a constant, a shining star always there to point the way. Then he told me to stop worrying so much, that he's watching out for me and for us. He is even watching out for his child that I'm carrying. It meant so much to know, in my spirit, that God is watching out for our little bean.

I knew right then that God was smiling down. Though I'm sure it was no coincidence, the traffic let up just as my conversation with God came to an end. I don't think he put traffic in my way specifically to have a casual conversation with me, but I do think he enjoyed jumping at the opportunity. So did I.

I want to take a minute here to say something. I read back over this and realize this makes me sound very high and mighty, a good little Christian you would say. And I want you to know, in all honesty, that is not the case. I do the best I can. I have a strong prayer connection with God, but it took a long time to get there, to get that close with him in that personal way. However, there are still tons of ways that I fall short of perfection, just like every other human in the world. One of my greatest weaknesses is my patience and my tendency to worry over little things or things out of my control. This conversation where God tells me not to worry, is one that we have a lot.

Some people are closest to God when they read the Bible. This is a practice I've never been very good at following, though I try to do better. Others communicate with God through art or writing. There are numerous ways to be close to God. Mine tends to be through meditative conversation and writing.

I want to encourage you, as children of God, to really appreciate the ways that make you feel close to God because that is how he communicates to you, and everyone is different. Also, don't focus on the things that you fall short on. You work on improving them, but be open with God and he will work with you. I know he is still working on me.

Isaiah (Bible in 90 Days)

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Isaiah begins the books of the Prophets. Isaiah was one of the most well-known prophets and served in active ministry for over 60 years before he was killed.

In that time prophets were a special representation of God that stood beside the Priests and spoke God’s commands and promises over the people and government officials. The position began with Samuel, the last of the judges, and carried on over generations. However, true prohets were often not well liked.

Isaiah was very popular in the beginning of his ministry. He was charismatic and well spoken. But as he continually called the people to turn from their sins and warn them about God’s judgment, he became widely disliked by the people.

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The first half of Isaiah is about his challenge to the people to repent of their sins and turn their lives around. The second half is a little more comforting. Towards the end of his life, Isaiah’s message changed to tell the world of God’s salvation through the coming Messiah. This is a prophecy of hope and future blessings.

Isaiah is a courageous and strong man of God. He fearlessly proclaims the word of God throughout his life. His message is very important—trust God, repent from your sins and be renewed, and rejoice in the coming Messiah.

“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Pinterest: Homeschool Work Boxes, Monthly Meal Planning and More

My relax and dream Saturday where I emphasize all the things I love on Pinterest! Enjoy and feel free to share some of your own wonderful and creative ideas.

1. Homeschool Work Boxes

Boys, School and Fun

Julie at "Boys, School and Fun" has some wonderful ideas for projects to teach for homeschooling. Since I am beginning homeschool with Zoey this fall, I have my eye out for anything and everything creative to use to teach. I also love the organization that Julie entails. That is what I'm trying to do now, get everything organized so school doesn't feel like a forced affair come August.

2. Monthly Meal Planning

Greater Things

I have always wanted to do meal planning. I was actually better at it when I was working before I ever had Zoey, but even then it only lasted about two weeks. I do have that problem where we are always missing one ingredient or I can't think of anything to cook on a night. Having a monthly meal plan and sticking to it would be wonderful. I would just have to stick to it. Callie at "Greater Things" has a wonderful meal plan that I might actually be able to tailor to my family and stick to. She does a great job explaining her plan and even includes recipes for many of her meals. I am excited to start this.

3. Big Sibling Shirt

PB&J Stories

I am so excited about the good news myself! We are having a baby next March and I would love to get a couple Big Sister shirts for Zoey. But this is one that I hadn't thought of. This is such a cute idea and would be super easy to do. Pamela at "PB&J Stories" has all kinds of DIY projects and creative ideas.

4. Children's Book Activities

Mom and 2 Posh Lil Divas

I love reading with Zoey, and with our homeschool preschool coming up this fall, these children's book activities will be the perfect way to incorporate reading, fun and crafts. I am excited to take some of these ideas and also to create some of my own. This link has many ideas and links for more. Also there is a Linky thread where others have added many more ideas. This is a great source for all kinds of different Children's book activities.

5. No Bake Strawberry Summer Cake

So, How's It Taste?

I love simple recipes like this. This Strawberry Cake only has four ingredients and looks amazing. It is a light recipe that is perfect for the hot summer. Leah at "So, How's it Taste?" has many wonderful recipes that are easy and creative. I love finding new ideas to cook that keeps life interesting and my family asking for more.

Ode To The Fourth

My favorite thing this week has been celebrating July 4th. We spent Tuesday evening (Riverdogs Baseball) and most all day on Wednesday with friends. We had a cookout and swam and then went to Patriots Point by the bay and watched July 4th fireworks. It was a beautiful summer day. I loved every minute of it.

My beautiful Zoey loving the summer day with friends

Stephen and Zoey playing in the pool

Zoey is a little fish, she LOVES the water!

Zoey was memorized by the helicopter flying around

My Love and I

Zoey loved the fireworks as long as her ears were covered

Beautiful fireworks over the Bay

Hope you had a wonderful week and were able to spend time with family and friends. I also want to thank all of our nation's military past and present who serve to protect our freedom everyday.