4th of July

So, today we were supposed to get up to see the balloons at 6:30 in the morning, but I slept right through my alarm and apparently a few phone calls from my mom and brother. We got up when we were semi-ready and played with Harley for a couple hours.
{It was kinda nice to not wake up to children screaming and stomping around, lol. I just love to have time alone with Harley and Jared while no one's home. Don't get me wrong, I love living here with everyone and knowing how everyone's doing all the time. It's just hard sometimes to feel like our own family when we're not in our own place.}
Anyway, after spending some quality family time, we headed over to my parent's house to hang out for a while before the Independence Day festivities started. It was fun. We started watching O, Brother Where Art Thou? with my uncle, who had never seen it before. That was funny. We had a HUGE dinner. I mean, huge! We had brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, several sides and several desserts. Plus, the brats were done right, boiled in beer, then grilled...yummy! Also, there were strawberries right next to the whipped cream and I just devoured them. Oh my gosh, they were fantastic!
After dinner everyone had a water balloon fight (which I watched from the somewhat comfort of the kitchen window). It was really awesome to see my mom running around like a teenager for the first time that I can remember. Losing all that weight has just made her...happier. It's amazing to see the difference in her. It was pretty funny to see my family running around laughing and soaking each other.
Everyone either changed, or just ran around until they got dry and we started setting off the little fireworks while we waited for it to get dark enough to set off the big ones. Harley sat in my lap for his first sparkler and watched all the fireworks. He liked them ok sometimes. But he still wasn't too sure about them. He really wanted his daddy to hold him because they were so loud and some so bright. But, of course, Jared is a pyro and has to be the one lighting the fireworks :D Ah, well. I kept trying to cover Harley's ears, but he just kept shoving my hands away. Then, he would kinda half-heartedly put his hands over his ears for a second, but always put them down again. When they started throwing out the ones that practically blind you, he covered his eyes. He didn't like them, but he didn't not like them either. Actually, he liked the ones that flew in the air and did different colors. He ended up falling asleep about 20 minutes before we stopped lighting them. We hung out at my parent's for a little bit longer, then headed home.
Blake pulled in right before we did, and a little after that, James and Monica came over to say hi and ended up staying for a bit. We all hung out in Blake's room for a bit chatting until Monica decided she was hungry, so it was off to the kitchen. James was sleepy, so Blake made himself and Monica some Pasta Roni and we all talked together. It was nice. I talked to Blake about his mission a little bit, which was cool. I can tell it was a good experience for him, and I'm glad.
Anywho, it's almost 2:30 and I am exhausted. So it's off to bed for me.