to tide you over...

So I've actually taken pictures of my new scrap space and even have some before shots...but I haven't had time to upload them...sorry.

It's the last week of summer around here (whoo hoo!) and I'm just trying to keep the hooligans super duper busy...and trying to practice getting up earlier. It's hard on momma I tell ya!

So in the mean time...I'll share some photos from the 4th of July. I'm using some of these on a layout using the July kit. Can't wait to share.

{Oh, speaking of which...the flickr account was updated recently and there are some May and June goodies in there now. :)}

Okay, so back to the Fourth. It's our absolute favorite holiday as a family. Something about celebrating our great country in the heat of summer with fire. :) We had a long standing tradition when we lived down south to go to the annual Fourth concert at the Hollywood Bowl. I highly recommend it if you live in the area! There is always a full orchestra and a guest performer. Half the night is the guest's concert and the other half is more of them plus an incredible fireworks show with amazing patriotic music...full orchestra...so awesome! We even took J when he was nearly 1 and nearly 2...he did great!

So when we moved up here in May of 2004 we were so bummed to miss our tradition. We floundered for a few years and then, thanks to good friends, found our new tradition. It is more fun since it involves our whole gang now...plus lots of good food and amazing friends.

This year J was so into the fire!!

The typical way our kids watch fireworks? With their hands over their ears!

And T...not too keen about sparklers but anxious to join in the fun...kind of.

S enjoyed it yet again...he never gets nervous about them.

But he did learn from his brothers to cover his ears!

We were able to include my brother in law and his family who were in town from So Cal. We loved sharing it with them! Thanks to great friends for hosting yet another fun Fourth celebration!

Oh! And the cupcakes at the top? My attempt at being Martha Stewart. I used a recipe from the Cake Doctor book...have you heard of it? Amazing resource if you are a cake or cupcake kind of gal. And I got the idea from the Martha Stewart Cupcake book. Mine didn't look nearly as cute as hers...but they were yummy! Another friend of ours made cupcakes for the party and hers...way more professional...but if you know Alisha...you know she does amazing things with cake...she won the dessert show down. :)