4th of July

I love this day. I always find it so relaxing. I began my day at 5 when Jack woke up. I fed Jack, made a pasta salad, made cupcakes, and went to the gym all before 8, whew! While I got up really early, I felt incredibly rested due to the over 6 hours of consecutive sleep time I got last night. Jack ate at 9 last night and didn't get up till 5; way to go little buddy!

Mark and I walked into town this morning to our friend Kristen's house for her annual Pancake breakfast. Coffee, mimosas, chocolate chip/butterscotch pancakes, sunshine, friends = good times! Next, we ventured another 2 blocks to main street where we had prime viewing for the parade.

(L.) Me, Kelsi, Kelly (R.) Me, Mark, and Jack
Parade viewing Fun!

We stayed till Jack started getting hungry and then headed back to the house.
Our afternoon consisted of Jack sleeping, Mark going for a run, and me working on a little hamburger/fry cupcake project I found via bakerella. Baking is just so much fun for me and I love trying new things. I had a great time replicating this recipe and was pleased with the way it turned out. I made cupcakes and cut them in half, they are the buns. I cut out brownies to make the beef patties. I used red, green, and yellow frosting for the ketchup, lettuce, and mustard. Assembled and topped with real sesames. Very easy! The fries are sugar cookies cut into strips and sprinkled with sugar.

For dinner we headed to the Colvin's house, a family we know from church. They also have an annual get together. Everyone brings a dish to share (we brought a pasta salad and the burgers and fries), there is an egg toss, a water balloon toss, and then we have the Colvin's infamous homemade ice cream...so good!

Mark and I made a quick pit stop at our house after leaving dinner to check on the dogs and feed Jack and then we were off again. This time we were off to hang out with DJ, Jen, and DJ's family at the house where DJ and Jen are house sitting. We ended up having an incredible view of the fireworks. I love fireworks shows. They are beautiful and breathtaking. I find myself saying "I love this one," "I think this one is my favorite," only to find a new favorite in just a few seconds. Growing up I would watch fireworks in the Oklahoma heat lying on a blanket. Now I just watch fireworks in the Colorado cool, wearing a jacket. Oh, and I also love the way the fireworks echo in the mountains. It makes the silence in between each one seem so much more pronounced.

Jen and DJ

Fireworks are loud though and I am not too surprised that Jack slept through the whole thing. Really, what did I expect from an almost 9 week old baby?
So, we had a lovely day. Full of fun, tradition, and relaxation!