We spent a very happy Fourth of July weekend with friends that are near and dear to our hearts. Torry, John, and their little sweetheart, Alex, flew in from Chicago to spend a few days with us. Lily and Alex got along famously and we can't wait for many more visits as they grow up because we're sure they will be great friends. Alex and Lily are both great sleepers, but it was Alex who slept later on most mornings and so Lily would venture downstairs loudly saying, "Shh, Alex is sleeping." Needless to say, she was very excited once Alex awoke and made it down to play. Lily was very willing to share her toys and Alex made herself right at home. John amused both girls with his amazing juggling skills and now Lily tries to juggle her blocks too. We also tried to beat the heat with some water play. One afternoon we set up the "tiny pool" as Lily says and played with the water table in the backyard. Another morning we went to the "big pool" in my Dad's neighborhood and swam for a bit. Alex is a fish but Lily preferred to stay on the steps. Both girls watched older kids throwing balls and jumping off of the side. Lily still talks about the fun she had with Alex.
To celebrate the 4th we grilled hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob as I'm sure many families did. As you can see from this picture, Lily is our all-american girl sporting red, white, and blue and enjoying her "big corn". Watermelon was another evening favorite.
Since the girls went to sleep at 8pm, the four of us enjoyed watching the D.C. and NYC fireworks from the comfort of our living room. We talked, laughed, and reminisced about our younger days and still managed to get to sleep by 10:45. John and Torry, thanks for a great weekend! We'll definitely make the trip up to Chicago soon.
