Lots to Celebrate!

One of our favorite family traditions is going to Fredericktown on the 4th of July.  We have also started celebrating Jake's birthday that day too.  Mom and dad buy all the fireworks and I think dad enjoys that as much as the kids do watching them.  Matt has inherited the responsibility of shooting them off now. Unfortunately Colton wanted no part of the fireworks this year so he had to stay inside with Gretchen. We really are lucky to have these times to be together.  We are also very blessed to have Jake as a part of our family.  Him and Linc are best buds and Jake needs him more than Linc will ever understand.  We have had some tough times with Jake but Gretchen has finally figured it all out by seeing some new Drs.  Jake and been diagnosed with autism so this year was a special celebration for us.  We are all taking the extra steps to understand him and help him along the way. He is doing much better now too that Gretchen is homeschooling him and their next goal is to get him back in school.  He really is a special kid and we love him very much no matter how different he is.  He is perfect in our eyes and the best cousin and friend to Linc.

Lincoln is finally tall enough to reach the pedals on the mule so he took it for a spin.  Daddy went along to help but said he did just fine without him.

This looks like trouble!

Tank races, didnt really go as planned.  A lot of noise and shocked kids.  They were way louder than we thought and the kids were not prepared!

Best Buds!

Setting up!

Mom got all the kids Murphy hats with lights on the bills.

Come on mom, enough with the pictures.

Fine we will look cute!

Ha, Brea's chair fell over.

Dad and Matt borrowed the kids hats.  They worked perfect!

She hated the flash!  This is as good as it gets.

Thats some serious conversation.

I love it when they truly look happy together.