Star Spangled Tanner

I have to give credit to my brother David for the title of this blog. As he was singing to Tanner yesterday and came up with this name. It cracked me up and so I had to use it.
Seeing as this was Tanner's first fourth of July- we had to make a big deal out of it.

4th of July Family picture

Last night we all went to Nanny and Papa's house to eat dinner. We had our traditional bar-b-q beef brisket and lots of yummy side dishes. It was delicious! Then we ate the fruit pizza I brought.

There were so many of us that we ate the entire thing. I think there were 16 of us total. Some family friends came over for dinner and stayed to chat. It was fun.
We didn't buy a lot of big fireworks this year, but we did get some for the little kids to do. We had sparklers, bottle rocks, smoke bombs.. you know- the usual. Chris set off the few big fireworks we did buy and we all watched from the porch.

Tanner was completely enthralled by the sparklers. It was so funny to watch his face.

He wasn't even scared of the loud popping or explosions. Such a big boy!
We had fun watching the bigger firework shows around the neighborhood too. We had the perfect set up fromt he back porch- we could see everything.
Here is Nanny and Tanner on the porch together

Tanner and Papa watching the fireworks together.

Eventually Tanner got tired and I took him into to go to bed. But I'd say it was a pretty successful first 4th of July.

I'm so grateful to live in a land where I'm free to do with my life what I want. I'm especially grateful for the freedom to worship as I wish, since my testimony of the gospel and the blessings it brings to my life and family is one thing I hold closest to my heart. Thank you to the founding fathers who had the wisdom to create a country with these freedoms and for a God who watches over it. Thank you to those who serve to preserve those freedoms and protect its citizens.

Happy Birthday America- Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!