Red, White and Blue

July 3rd

This was the beginning of our 4th of July celebration. We spent the afternoon on our new friends D & S's catamaran. We had front row seats to the Poulsbo fireworks and couldn't wait for the show. This was Ayla's first time on a boat so we had to buy her a life jacket. We figured since she probably wouldn't use it to much this summer we might as well get her one she could wear next year as well. It was kind of risky since the jacket fits a 35-50 pound kid and Ayla is only 26 pounds. But we took the chance not realizing the torture we were going to put her through. So we got to the dock and it was time for her to put the life jacket on. At first it looked fine but then when she tried to move her head she couldn't and was she mad. The jacket went way up to her ears so we had to hold the jacket down so she wouldn't look so paralyzed. Once we got on the dinghy it was a short ride to the boat and she was to intrigued by all the other boats and the water that she forgot about it...until it was time to go home. We had so much fun spending the afternoon with friends and there's something about being on the water that's relaxing. We had a great dinner and some of us played a very competitive game of scrabble. Does "Pi" and "El" really count in scrabble? And on another note why does every dad insist on taking this picture:

Seriously is this supposed to be funny? Whatever! At least she's not holding a Busch. The catamaran was extremely spacious and all 7 kids did so well playing together and keeping occupied. Once the sun set we all found our spots on the boat to watch the fireworks and we waited...and waited...and waited. It was 10:30 when the show started and Ayla was holding on by a thin thread. I have to hand it to her, the kid only got a hour nap that morning. But once the fireworks went off her eyes lit up in amazement. She kept pointing at them saying "Bubbles" and "Flowers". Then about 15 minutes later she was out.

July 4th

The festivities continued at our other friends G & L's cabin in Quilcene. They have a beautiful piece on waterfront property across the Hood Canal Bridge. It's so peaceful and quiet and you really appreciate Mother Nature. However the clouds and wind kept rolling in and out and we weren't sure whether to put a sweater on or not. It wasn't long before all the kids were in their swimsuits playing on a mini water slide. And it wasn't long before they all got cold and decided to do something else. Except Ayla. Once all the kids were done she was all about it. I'm telling ya underneath it all she's a mermaid. She kept putting her face in the water, splashing around and laughing with complete excitement. I should mention that the water came straight from a hose which probably came straight from the Puget Sound. And it was windy. So imagine how cold it was. But did that stop her...heck no! Even when her lips turned purple and she was shivering she didn't want to quit. I'm sure she was borderline hypothermia when Steve decided she was done.

So to keep her entertained and distract her from the water we put her in the bounce house and it did the trick. All the kids were in with her bouncing her all over the place. And she loved every second of it.

Steve, G and L thought it would be fun to go diving for crab. In the Puget Sound. Not my cup of tea but whatever. So they got their gear on and headed out. To find crab. In the Puget Sound. It wasn't long before problems started. Steve lost his weight belt and L had fresh water running through her suit making her extremely cold. Needless to say no crab was caught but they had a good time anyways.
Our 4th of July was a blast thanks to all of our great friends! And thanks for giving me and Ayla 14 hours of beauty rest!