Happy Independence Day!

I am so grateful to live in this country. I am grateful to my husband and all the military members who give their time and energy so that we can continue to enjoy our freedom. Our lifestyle depends on these people to keep being selfless in helping preserve our freedom. Thank You!

Jason is still in Cali, but I wanted to make sure and celebrate the 4th with the kids somehow. I found out that Fort Carson was hosting a big celebration, and since Colorado Springs didn't do a thing, it seemed like a good option. I am so glad I went! I've been telling everybody that the army really knows how to throw a party! There were about 20 jumpy castles for the kids, booths, lots of food, glow necklaces that my kids loved, and a band that was very entertaining indeed. The rock band and a traditional band accompanied the fireworks, which made it even more amazing. I was worried that the kids would be awful considering I had them up 3 hours past their bedtime, but they did remarkably well. Charlee was scared of the fireworks at first. I had her up on my shoulders until she started pulling my hair out to get down. Then she hid behind my legs, only peeking out briefly and then hiding again. But after a while, she warmed up to it and was just as enthusiastic as the boys.

My parents came up a couple weeks ago and we had a ton of fun exploring Colorado Springs. It is very beautiful here with lots of things to see and do. I think we only scratched the surface, and we were busy for 5 days. Here are some of the highlights.