July 4

This holiday is our family's holiday. I know it is big for family time for a lot of families. But really. This is our family holiday, over Christmas and Easter and Flag day. We choose Independence Day.

I already posted about our early afternoon here. So now, more pictures of our day:

Little ones make cousin time even more fun.

We spent some quality cousin time out on the lake at the dunes (not pictured for fear of dropping camera in said lake). All the aunts and uncles were waiting on the back porch for us to return home for dinner, so we came back singing. Except for Murph who was so over it.

And the boys who were too far behind the boat to hear the music...

The winners of the Independence Day Open needed a winners team shot. 

Ronni showed her true feelings for her dad and sister winning bragging rights for a year...

The next day and we are back on the boat again.

When we started slowing down to get to the dunes Murphy showed just how nervous he was for those of us on the tube.

So he jumped in to try and save us. And almost killed himself. But we succeeded in pulling him onto the tube with us and he succeeded in looking like a drowned rat.

Every year there are fireworks on Lake Michigan. I didn't take photos, whoops. But the following night there are more fireworks on our lake. We head to Upper Hamlin and eat and roast and gaze and ooh and ahh with the Hankwitz's. As I said, cousin time is our thing.

At the end of the show, my uncle shows his gratitude with his train horn hooked up to the air compressor.

Love my family. Love this holiday. Love being home for it.

But I was a bit nostalgic about last 4th of July with these two beauts and ice cream shots and celebrating our great nation in the capital. Miss you.