A 4th With No Fireworks

Over the last eight years, we have made so many fun memories from going to the lake on July 4th. We have been going to Lake Tillery ever since Boomer and I started dating in 2009. It has become a tradition for the whole Kennedy gang to gather at the lake house for the weekend. Year to year, there may be a family member absent, but we've also added a few family members along the way. There is always a lot of good food, several boat rides, sunscreen and sunburns, and even a parade. With July 4th on a Tuesday this year, the holiday seemed a little off, but not in a bad way -- it just seemed that we got to spread out the festivities even longer! It meant having the weekend at the lake with the Kennedys and then having a second holiday in Kernersville with the Houstons and Bakewells. In between the celebrations, there was one pesky day of work on the 3rd, but even that wasn't too much of a bother. 

Before hitting the road on Saturday morning, we upgraded Em's Bumbo to an actual seat. We had been using the Bumbo as a way to keep her propped up during meals, but it was just a temporary solution until she had better upper-body control. With the last few meals, it seemed like we were stuffing her in there. It was also becoming a challenge to keep her in the Bumbo, as she would try to twist and grab anything within her reach. I needed to accept that Em was ready to move on: she has outgrown the Bumbo. Here is our big girl, so proud of herself in her new high chair! 

After her first meal in her new seat, we timed our trip to the lake to coincide with Em's morning nap, and we arrived at the house around 10:30AM. The last time we were at the lake over Memorial Day weekend, Em was around 6 months old, and there was the infamous face-plant into the baby pool. It was amazing to see the growth that has happened since then. Emmy was able to sit unassisted in the pool (although Granny or I were close by, just in case), and she was such a busy girl grabbing at all the pool toys. She especially loved putting the shovel in her mouth. She also loved going on boat rides. Over Memorial Day weekend, we didn't take Em on the boat, so this weekend was her first time. Of course we followed all boater safety laws, and Emmy was a funny sight in her life jacket. It swallowed up her neck and left just her head peeking out. Between the sound of the boat motor and the breeze of the wind, Em didn't stay awake too long on either ride. She found a comfy spot next to Daddy and napped for most of the time. Another big improvement this weekend was her eating. She ate a full serving of apples on Saturday and a double serving of rice cereal on Sunday. It seems our little girl may be going through a growth spurt...or perhaps she is starting to accept that we aren't giving up on the solid food and the spoon is here to stay. 

Probably one of the funniest moments of the weekend was when Aunt Carlin accidentally switched Emerson's and Ellison's bottles! Carlin was on baby duty while a group of us went on a boat ride, and when we returned, I noticed my milk cooler was missing one bottle. Once we figured out the mix-up, we all got a good laugh at Carlin's expense. I feel sure we will be picking on her about it for a while! The only concern was that Ellison has shown an allergy to dairy, and Darby has been trying to limit cheese and milk in her own diet. Needless to say, I have not been adhering to that same diet. :/ Luckily, there weren't any major reactions. Whew!

On Sunday, we headed back to Kernersville, unfortunately without seeing the annual parade and fireworks. The lake community decided that the fireworks would be on Monday evening and the parade would be on Tuesday. The weekend was still a pretty full one, and Emmy was tired from all the water and sun. Once we got home Sunday evening, we took our usual evening stroll around the neighborhood, and Em was wiped out from the weekend's activities. 

 

After working on the 3rd, Boomer and I both had Tuesday off, and he shocked me by suggesting we go to the YMCA pool. He doesn't usually volunteer for spending hours outside in the sun, so of course I jumped on the opportunity. The Kernersville Y has a great outdoor pool, with a separate 'splash park' for younger kids. It was our first time going to the pool this year, and Em loved sitting in the water and playing with Daddy. It was a little different than when I have gone to the pool in the past: no lounging in the sun, working on my tan and reading. We stayed for just a little under 2 hours, and we were mostly in the water the whole time. I was sure to slather Em in sunscreen and keep her head covered with a [different] sun hat. (R.I.P. pink sun hat!) This hat was a gift from Grammy and Grandpa after their trip to New Zealand. Perhaps I was too worried about Em that I forgot to lather up myself. I'm sporting a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders!

We finished out the holiday with a cookout at the Houston's. Megan and Zack are such great hosts, and it is always a treat to be invited to one of their get-togethers. We had ribs, hot dogs, chicken skewers, and steak, along with corn on the cob, deviled eggs, baked beans, and chips and dip. In addition to Zander and Maddox, there were two other children there, all a little older than Em. She had fun rolling around on the floor and watching the big kids play. She also got some snuggles from Aunt M and Caro. On Wednesday, we had a special visitor -- Aunt CoCo! Em got a lot of snuggles from her, too! 

The town of Kernersville had their firework show on Tuesday evening around 9PM after the sun went down. We didn't think it would be the best idea to keep Em up past her bedtime, so for this year, we didn't see any fireworks. Next year she will be a little older, and breaking bedtime will probably be in order for this one night. I'm sure she will love the fireworks. Aside from fireworks, our 4th of July was lacking in no other way! It is special to celebrate another holiday with Emmy.