Independence Day

4th of July at the Bluth home ROCKS!  We had so much fun this year and we were also able to enjoy the wonderful company of the Heath family as well.  The Heaths lived in Kansas with us for a few years and then LEFT us to go to Houston.  Our girls were such good friends and when we raved to them about how great our 4th of July is, they decided to come on over!

Family pictures are always a must, but they are also one of the more stressful things each year.  Besides kids being bored and tired of smiling and holding still, it is HOT outside.  BUT we do it because it makes our mom happy. =)

Kelli's friend, Tanor, came down for the holiday as well.  It was so nice to meet him and get to know him.  He is such a nice guy! 

And here is the lovely Heath Family

All the cousins

Best Friends

It is now time for the Bluth Family Olympics!!!  Karlee spear headed this and it was so much fun!  The adults and the children had a chocolate pudding pie eating contest.  No hands allowed.  I'm not a huge pudding fan, so I didn't participate (plus I was pregnant and probably would have barfed it all up).

The sons-in-law

Now it's time for the children to have their turn at the pies.

Yes, this is Sophie using her hands, but I mostly love this picture because of Boston's face in the background!!! 

HILARIOUS!!!!

They were all so proud of themselves

Next was sucking J-E-L-L-O through a straw.  It was actually alot harder than it sounds.  We probably should have let the the Jell-O sit out for a few minutes so it could soften just a little bit.

Then, of course, it was time for the annual men's basketball tournament.  It can get a bit brutal out there at times, but they always have a lot of fun.

We did a balloon toss for the kids and adults as well.  The kiddos LOVED doing this.  Then of course they begged and begged to throw the extra ones at everyone.

Time for the 3-legged race!  THIS was hilarious.  Chad and I didn't compete because we would have blown everyone out of the water I am obviously pregnant (7 months to be exact) and I could totally see myself biffing it and landing straight on my belly.  Not.a.chance.  Soooo, I was the referee.

I didn't even have to show everyone what would have happened to me if I would have done the race....Kari and Brandon showed everyone for me. ;)

Then it was the littles turn.  They all did fantastic.  The oldest girls won (of course), Sophie and Izzie were great sports and had so much fun just being a part of the race, and Boston and Charlie had to have a little coaching by Karlee.  I can still hear her voice inside my head everytime I look at this picture, "BOYS! Inside, outside!  Inside, outside!  Inside, outside!"  It was too funny!

Sweet boys fell down, but they didn't give up, they got right back up and made it to the finish line.

After the fun and games, we ate some delicious food and let the kids swim til dark!

Time for homemade ice cream!  My mom always makes homemade ice cream each year on the 4th of July.  It's tradition.  This year she made strawberry and chocolate almond.  Yummmmmm!

And, yes, here are the boys sneaking to play not OUR DSI's, but one of the Heath girls DSI's, right before we were going out to watch the fireworks.

Here is the mother load of fireworks this year.  I know I've said this before, but in my parents parish there are no laws against big fireworks.  So each year we all put $$ into the pot and the boys go and purchase fireworks so they can put on a fabulous show for us the evening of the 4th!

Kari and her Krew boy waiting for the firework show to begin

Charlie was a little, okay A LOT afraid of the fireworks last year.  What you don't see in this picture is the motivational speech we had to give in order for him to actually hold the sparklers this year.

The girls lying down to watch the show

Charlie was on my lap the ENTIRE time.  He was still a little nervous this year, but I didn't mind one bit.

Happy 4th Friends!