Independence Day

We love the Fourth of July at our house! There is so much fun, family, food and fireworks going on, who doesn't love it? We started our personal Freedom Celebration on the Thursday night before. We took the kids to a fireworks stand and let the boys pick out some fireworks. Aidan went crazy with all the selection, and Wyatt only wanted the "bird." After that was done, we took them all for a sno cone. When we got home, we invited our neighbors to come over and watch us light them off. It was the perfect start to our weekend.
Aidan, Ella, and Jackson doing the sparklers.

Wyatt and Brodan watching the "pretty lights."

Jeremy's sister and brother in law invites everyone over to their house every year for a huge fireworks extravaganza. Seriously, it puts the Melaluca Freedom Celebration to shame. It is so much fun! They set out a spread, we all bring blankets and camp chairs and we just chat, eat and watch, while the kids do sparklers and play with each other. I don't have any pictures of the actual fireworks, I get too caught up in the display, but here are some pictures of the cousins playing together with the sparklers.

Wyatt and Conner

Aidan, Dillan and MaKenna

Aidan and Ashley

Ashley, MaKenna and Kayleen

Then, on the Fourth, we started out the day watching Independence Day. We love that movie and watch it every year. Nothing like celebrating your freedom by watch Will Smith kick alien booty! Then we had another swimming party with Grandma and Grandpa (se post below) and a wonderful weenie roast with them. Then we took the kids to Freeman Park for the "big" fireworks show (as Aidan calls them). We always have so much fun sitting there and listening to the music and seeing the fireworks. They always make me cry. I am so thankful that I live in America and have the opportunity to raise my children the way I feel best, and worship what I believe in. Happy Birthday America!

Swimming

My parents have set up a pool and slip n' slide in their backyard. On Saturday's, when it is warm, we head over there with our swimming suits and towels and hang out in the water. Grandpa, Jeremy, and Aidan really love to get each other wet, Grandma, Lydia and I like to catch some rays, and Wyatt likes to play ladder ball. Here are some pictures of a recent day over there.

Aidan loves these days-he is a pro at the slip n' slide.

Wyatt likes to watch mostly. But, when we finally get him in the pool, he realizes it is like a big bathtub and starts to splash.

Even Liddy has her own suit!

The pool! We love these afternoons! We especially like to "shower" each other.Drying off in the sunshine.
These swimmimg days are really becoming one of those favorite summer memories. Thanks for sharing them with us Grandma and Grandpa!

T-Ball

Aidan was on a T-ball team this summer. Also on his team was his cousin Ashley and his neighbor Ella. He said he likes T-ball better than soccer because there is less running. He did really well! He got some really good hits off the T and is good at catching and throwing to base. Wyatt, always wanting to play with the big kids, also tried his hand at the game. Perhaps we have a pair of major leaugers on our hands?

His team-GO TEAM YELLOW!!!!
Run, Aidan, Run!!!
SAFE!
Hey mom! Watch this!
Aidan tries to impart his T-ball wisdom on his brother.

T-ball was fun! It is so neat to see Aidan experience all these new things and find out what he likes to do.

Such a busy summer!

And now I need to catch up! I hope to do this over the next couple of days, each with a seprate post. We have lots of fun things to show you guys!

Daddy, We Love You!

Happy Father's Day! You are a wonderful daddy and we love you so much. Thank you for all that you do for us. We don't know what we would do without you. Love, Rachel, Aidan, Wyatt and Lydia

New Pictures!

A few weeks ago, Jeremy's cousin took pictures of the kids (she did is as a baby present for Lydia-isn't that an awesome present?!). Anyway, they are up and here is the link to see them all:
http://picasaweb.google.com/downeyem/Lydia?feat=embedwebsite#
Thank you so much Emily! I love them!

Liddy Lou

I was looking though my blog and I realized that I have no current pictures of Lydia on here, so I thought that I would give everyone an update on the newest member of our family. Miss Lydia Anne is doing fantastic! She is now 3 months old and I do not know where the time went!! She is no longer a bump on the log, but she is grinning and rolling over and starting to show her adorable little personality. She has the biggest blue eyes, and her hair is growing in dark brown. Her new trick this week is holding up her head and looking around. I always say that she has only 3 moods-perfectly content and happy, sleeping or ANGRY! There is no middle ground with her. Luckily for us, she is usually happy, and even when she isn't, she is easily made happy. She is so easy to make smile and she has the most adorable grin. But, I can never ever get her to smile for the camera (she just stares at it like, Mom, what are you doing?), so *if* I ever accomplish that feat, I will post that-you really don't see her personality until she grins at you.

Her brothers love her-sometimes a bit too much. Wyatt always needs to be right next to her-like in her chair or sitting on top of her head. But he does it with no malice-only love. Aidan is already her protector-saving her from Wyatt's loves, the dog's loves, and people in the store who come to coo at her. She is so lucky to have to not 1, but 2 wonderful big brothers. I love to dress her up-she is just my little girly girl. I have even started painting her little tiny toenails! It is so fun having a girl!

I love this next picture because I see her from this angle all the time. This is just after I got done feeding her, with that "milk drunk" look on her face. I also love that she has her fingers in her mouth, imitating the sign language for "I Love You."
Even though Liddy looks angry in this picture, she actually loves being in her swing. As long as it is not too sunny or windy, she likes to be outside-she loves to look at new things. But, if the weather is not exactly to her liking, the princess comes out in her and she gets angry.
We are all so enjoying her-she was definately suppose to be in our family. We love her so much! And speaking of Miss Lydia, she is awake and crying for her bottle. I better go!