A Fabulous Fourth (and 3rd...and 2nd...)

Our 4th of July festivities stretched out over 3 days this year, since many of the community events were over the weekend rather than on Monday. On Saturday our friends from church invited us over for a cookout. They live just down the street from where the community "Star Spangled Celebration" was being held that evening in a park. After dinner, the 3 of us ventured down to the park...the heat and humidity made everyone else want to stay at the house and watch the fireworks from the front yard. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the park it was nearly dark and the inflatables we'd promised Emma could visit were already shutting down. After a quick trip through an obstacle course and with a bag of popcorn in hand, Emma agreed to go back to the house, where we enjoyed the fireworks without the crowds. Well...we enjoyed the fireworks while Emma and her friend Maci played with the neighbor's wind chime and sang "Jingle Bells!"
On Sunday, we went to a street fair in a nearby town. Emma enjoyed the ferris wheel, merry-go-round, cars, and mini roller coaster, as well as some more popcorn! On Monday, we went to Mom and Dad's for a cookout. We have our own face paint, so I'd painted Emma's face with stars and fireworks the two previous days. However, I was glad to let Jason, the artist in the family, fulfill Emma's request for a blue horse on her cheek! We also enjoyed a game of croquet (with Emma helping Grandma), and a trip to a playground in town before enjoying a campfire and a few fireworks from a nearby house. Emma had a request, though..."Grandpa, can you cut down the trees so I can see the fireworks better?"

Swimming!

We've been going to our community pool every summer since we moved to the area, and Emma's enjoyed its baby pool, wading pool, and "splashground" since she was less than a year old. However, this year she's able to enjoy a few new things, thanks to her height and skills! She's able to swim 5-10 feet under water now! She loves swimming in the sprinkler area, where she can now touch bottom and not have to be held all the time. She also has a new kickboard, and she is already getting the hang of using it. Finally, at 42 inches (yes, she's still tall for her age), she's tall enough to ride on the lazy river! She says she can hardly wait until she's tall enough for the "big" slides...I don't have the heart to tell her she has another foot to grow before she's eligible for those!

Coolin' off with my cousins!

On June 29th, Emma and I drove to North Columbus (Polaris area) to visit with Papa Norm, Grandma Sheila, Aunt Aranne, Uncle John, and cousins Bobby and Lily. Norm and Sheila were in town for a workshop, and we all met at their hotel to swim. Although Emma got a little chilly, we all enjoyed soaking up the sun, playing with water toys, and a Steak and Shake dinner beside the pool. Finally, the kids went into the room to get into their jammies before we all headed home...and it turned into a bit of a pajama party! Emma, of course, enjoyed showing off her new stuffed llama, who was sporting jammies that matched her own!

Sharing the Fun!

Aunt Linda and I ("Mommy") share a birthday on June 27th. This year she, Grandma Coe, Mom and Dad, Jason, Kristen, Todd, Emma and I got together for lunch before giving Emma some time to run around at a nearby playground, one she long ago dubbed "The Tower Playground." It was fun to share some family time in a casual setting. It was also very amusing to see the grown family members get involved in Emma's child's play, especially Grandma Coe, who's recovering from a back injury. This was Grandma's first trip away from her apartment in quite a while, and we were happy to see her getting around so well!

"Not Just for Kids" Day

On June 26th, our energy co-op hosted its annual Kids' Day at our local museum. Activities included crafts, face painting, a petting zoo, balloons, horseback rides, food, and a bouncy house! However, Emma's favorite was a horse-drawn carriage ride. The carriage looked like Cinderella's! We had to wait awhile to ride it, but it was worth it to hear Emma describe the ride to friends and family!

Vacation Bible School

From June 20-24th, our church hosted Vacation Bible School. The theme this year was "Hometown Nazareth: Where Jesus Was a Kid." As a small church, we welcome kids as young as 2 (actually Emma was a bit shy of 2 the first time she went two years ago). However, we were concerned at first that we had too many young ones and not enough older kids. The first night surprised us, though...we had more kids show up, and our teenage helpers did a great job of making the preschoolers feel welcome. Furthermore, they loved the music (which Todd and I were helping with), and learned the songs quickly. Emma even started singing them at home! She also enjoyed story time, crafts, and game time. Finally, I was relieved that she sang a few Bible School songs with the other kids at the Sunday service (rather than getting stage fright as she did last Christmas)!