Every week I like to take a moment to showcase the moments that brought me the most joy. Sometimes they are awesome activities and other times it’s a sweet moment between the kids. There are always moments that can fill us with joy if we choose to see them with a thankful heart.
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What a fun and weird week! Having a holiday in the middle really throws off the normal groove. Micah was home for the 4th which allowed us to have a really fun day with the kids. We took them to Despicable Me 3 at the theater then out to lunch for pizza. And of course fireworks that night! I was off my game on Wednesday though because of the day off. We still managed to get some things done around the house and have some great fun!
1. Family BBQ
Micah’s sister lives about two hours from us – our closest family – and their parents were visiting her and her family for the 4th. We drove out on Sunday after church for a BBQ and time for the cousins to play. It was warm enough to let the kids splash in the pool but cooled off enough to have smores and a fire in the evening. We didn’t get back to our place until 1030 that night but thankfully all the kids fell asleep for a while in the car.
2. Neighborhood fireworks
Some of the kids a few houses down from us were lighting fireworks in the street. The big kids kept inching closer and closer so I walked down with them so they could watch and I could keep hollering for them to stand back. They thought the animals that “pooped” the ash were hilarious and the rockets that let off parachutes were the most fun.
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3. Chalk Monsters
We opened up a new pack of chalk on the 4th (yay for new chalk!) and I traced all the kids. They decorated their chalk bodies to look like monsters. It was Parker’s idea and he helped the younger ones add claws and teeth.
4. Fireworks
Our deck is such a great place for the 4th! We can see about 5 or 6 shows without ever leaving our chairs. There was also a lightening storm at the same time which made for a really neat show with the flashes of light and sparkling explosions. We even let the big kids stay up until they started instead of trying to wake them up later. They thought staying up + firework shows made the best night ever.
5. Splash Pad
I got brave enough to take all five to the splash pad by myself! I took the little three a couple weeks ago to a different one but the one by our house is at the top of a hill that flows down into a pond. Seems like an odd place for a kid area! But the kids did amazing and had so much fun. Plus I’ve reached that point of being a sideline mom at the splash pad. I could have read a book but I was having too much fun watching them play.
6. Fresh Pasta
Micah spotted this pasta maker set on clearance at Target on Friday. Half price! My birthday is next month so I told him it can be my birthday present early and put it in the cart. Yay! Birthday! Fresh pasta! I tried it out on Saturday night and fell in love. It was really simple and so delicious. I can’t wait to try more variations and experiment with thickness and flavors. And it was so easy! You can get your own on Amazon for only $119!
Where did you find joy in the chaos this week? What did you do for the 4th of July?
