Independence Day Review!

   The 

4th 

    of          July!

🎆🗽 


First things first, we decided to rise early and hike before the heat of the day hit. 
We also decided to bring Apollo our goldendoodle (who is not yet 8 months old). 

Fail. 

We were partway up the mountain when he got spooked by a snake. 
In a flash he pulled out of his collar and bolted down the mountain.

End hike.  






(Apollo the scaredy cat.)

Next...

We took the girls to the water park which surprisingly wasn't crowded at all!









And finally... 

Down to the river to eat dinner and watch fireworks!



We found the most lovely little spot to settle in for the night.

(Goofballs.)


 

This girl can shake a maraca!!


(The Sorenson Sisters.)


The sun set...
and then...



BOOM!

God Bless America!!!

The Big Hunt

We are dog people. Which is why we have three, as crazy as that may seem.

Anyways, yesterday afternoon I was cleaning out the refrigerator and there was a leftover steak that Donald had grilled up while the girls and I were out of town. Instead of tossing it, he suggested we cut it up and give it to the dogs.

But I did better than that.

I cut it into a gazillion tiny pieces and sprinkled them all over the yard while the dogs were in the house. Then we set them out on the big hunt! It was soooooo entertaining to watch! And it kept them busy for a good long while as they sniffed out every inch of the backyard! Plus, it's probably good for them to use their innate smelling skills, right?

"More steak???"

-Apollo

Nine and Three Quarters!

It happened like this...

My mom recently spent a day at Universal Studios visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That's when she saw it... a shirt with a large 9 and 3/4 on it. She had read the books and knew - as any Harry Potter fan would know - that it was referring to Platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London, but what immediately popped into her head was that it should represent an age.

That's when the wheels started turning...

Elisabeth is 9...

Her birthday was September 24th...

Jump ahead 9 months to get to 3/4 of the way through the year...

On June 24th she would be precisely 9 and 3/4.

My mom then realized we would be in California visiting on that exact day!

The next thing we knew a party was in the works!

An  

Elisabeth-is-nine-and-three-quarters party!

The decor:

A Harry Potter garland was draped above the fireplace.

Details like a snow globe and hanging Hogwarts emblems were throughout the house.

 

Paper goods with the different house emblems:

The cake:

It was baked with love by Lorelai.

She designed it with the Hogwarts crest.

(I took the official house sorting quiz and was placed in Ravenclaw!)

Games:

1) Balance the balloon on the wand.

2) Drop the knuts (pennies) in the butterbeer mug.

 

3) Guess how much money is in the Chocolate Frogs box. (There was nine and a three quarter dollars!)

4) Pin the glasses on Harry Potter.

5) Guess the number of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in the Honeydukes jar.

6) And... bottle flipping with a Pumpkin Juice bottle!

A bag full of gifts:

And of course...

The blowing out of candles!!

(Nine and three quarter candles!)

Mischief managed!