Happy 4th!

I LOVE our annual 4th of July party in Alabama.  I knew this year though, would be tough.  Going to "Mimmie's" without Mimmie being there was hard.  Trace informed me the day before we left that we aren't going to call it "Mimmie's house" anymore because she's in heaven with Jesus, we are now going to call it the "Alabama house."  I just assumed that Sylvia had told him that so it wasn't so sad and confusing.  But then tonight, she told me it was all his idea and he came up with the Alabama house all on his own.  You never really know what is going on in their little heads, but I think he's been thinking about it a lot more than we realized.

Anyway, we picked him up from school on Tuesday and hit the road.  My friend Kipp had sweetly given me a new batch of DVD's to try out for Keatyn along with a full bag of vanilla cupcake flavored Goldfish... oh my, heavenly!  I texted her this pic of a very content Special K munching away on her goldfish while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Thank you Kipp!!!

We hit the pool only moments after walking in the door...

After dinner, we went to the Marriott and got settled in time for the fireworks.  Somebody took a little catnap in the car... big mistake, BIG!

She woke up right at the end of the fireworks (after having slept for almost an hour) and was ready to PaRtAy.  We had adjoining rooms with Granddaddy and Sisty, so Trace slept in there with them and Jimmy and I took turns wrestling with Keatyn until 2 a.m.  Yawn.

He NEVER took his fingers out of his ears.  Jimmy asked for a high five in the middle of the fireworks, and he got an elbow.  ha!

The next morning, Trace and Granddaddy hit the pool at 8 a.m.  I'm glad to see someone got some sleep!  The family decided to come over for a little while to play at the pool and on the water slide. 

I just knew Keatyn would love the zero entry pool, but it was SO cold, she won't get near it.  Maybe next year.  Kinda makes for a grumpy girl when you only sleep for 6 hours...

I earned major cool points with my boy for this one...

Around lunchtime, we headed back to Mimmie's and swam some more and ate no less than 3 dozen ice pops.

Oh... I was tempted.

Then Sisty and the kids decorated Fourth of July cupcakes...

Many attempts were made to get this exhausted baby to sleep...

I sat back in Mimmie's room (where no one could bring themselves to sleep in yet) and rocked her until she finally gave it up.  I loved looking at the wall of pictures in her bedroom that go back 40+ years.  She was all about family and was no doubt smiling down on us all that day!

Rick and Sheila bought a cotton candy machine.  I'll have to say, that was one of the coolest things I've seen and Trace was spellbound.  One of those might turn up at his next b-day party!

She could fight sleep no longer.  We made a palate in the living room for her and Jimmy laid in there with her.

I was very, very tempted to just climb in the car, wet bathing suits and all when it was time to leave.  But I really wanted some pictures in our red, white, and blue duds.  So amongst the grumbles, I made everybody change... and smile for the camera.

I LOVE these of Jimmy with Mallory and Keatyn.  She was not happy that another lady was in her daddy's lap!!

By this point, Trace had logged more than 12 hours in the water over 2 days.  He had no voice, his nose was full of pool water and exhaustion had set in.  Probably should have done the family pictures a little earlier. :)

And she was over it too...  Time to head home!

As always, everyone gathered in the driveway to see us off.  I've never pulled out of that house without a crowd there to wave goodbye.  It is truly something special to see!  That's when I felt Mimmie's loss the most.  No matter her state of health, she always managed to get to the front porch to kiss us and she didn't stop waving until we'd honked the horn and were out of sight.  I love that her tradition continues!!

Unbelievably, they both stayed awake the entire car ride and traveled really well.  It was after 10 when we pulled into the driveway so we got to see and hear some fireworks on the way home. (hardly a spectacular display while peeking through trees, traveling at 70 miles per hour, but enough to keep a 5 year old entertained anyway) 

I DON'T know how children traveled before random roadside firework displays, built-in DVD systems, and vanilla cupcake goldfish!!