Fun at my mom's

We got to be at my mom's over the 4th of July. It's so fun because the kids get to do fireworks in the street and then we can just watch the big fireworks from her driveway. My mom lives 2 houses down the street from the high school where they shoot off the fireworks. You can even hear the music a little. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that I don't have to get stuck in any after fireworks traffic and yet get to have front row seats!

This is another picture from the reception, but it's the only one I got of my niece Jessica and her son Spencer who were at my mom's the whole time we were. It was fun since I haven't gotten to spend much time with her in the last few years. My sister Denise is also in the picture ( I think I caught her in the middle of saying something - sorry Denise!) It's not weird for me to think of Jessica as a mom, but I still can't believe that my sister is a grandma!!!
Here is another one of my kids' big cousins. Austin was wrestling and tickling the boys again. You'd think they liked it or something! :)
My kids love to go to the children's museum by my mom's. Here is a pic of the kids on a huge map of the USA. You press a button to hear a clue about a state and then run and stand on that spot on the map.

Here is my fire crew. I'm not sure they'd make it to the right place w/ Ally driving! Hopefully she won't dump Jacob off the side! ;)

Maddy's BEST FRIEND in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD moved last fall. We were able to go visit Payton while on vacation. They hugged for several mins. when they 1st saw each other. Payton's mom and I went inside to visit a little and they were still standing there hugging. I think they missed each other!

While Maddy spent the day w/ Payton, the rest of the kids and I went to my sister Dalynn's house and then to a petting zoo near her house. Here's a cute shot of all the boys "locked up" in jail. Too bad there's such a gap in the bars on the left side! ;)

The kids loved the pony ride. Ally was not sure that she wanted to get on the pony at first, but ended up LOVING the ride and didn't want to get off! You can see Jacob in the background too, Bryson must have been out of the picture.

After a picnic dinner at the park, it was time to go and pick up Maddy. Here are the boys saying good-bye to their cousins, Seth and Bryson - how fun to have cousins so close in age, only a year apart!

Jacob and Calvin - even closer in age, only 4 months!

Saying good-bye was hard! What cute friends! I guess these hugs (and webkinz and phone calls) will have to do until next summer!

As always, we had a GREAT time at my mom's!