Fourth of July

We have celebrated 4th of July in many different ways and with many different friends over the years!  This year we were home and, amazingly, so were our friends, the Bergen family!  So our two families got together for a BBQ, swimming (they are so gracious to share their pool with us every summer), and some small fireworks in their front yard to end the evening.  

Since we have been neighbors (for 7 years now) we have spent our summer weeks mostly apart.  We've taken long road trips to visit family in Kansas or Oregon right after school gets out.  They usually road trip to Canada to visit family later in the summer. Much to our kids' dismay, that leaves only a few weeks together in Fresno.  It is rare, and an incredible blessing, to have family friends with kids so close in age and in the same order...girl, boy, girl!  Over the years we have traded babysitting so we can go on dates or help in classrooms, taught each other's children (Marcy takes my daughter for runs, I've taught her daughter some basics of piano, we've been teachers in our kids' church classrooms, etc), walked our kids to school together, and worked side-by-side in different ministries at our church.  I am so thankful for this family in my own life and the lives of my husband and kids!  It was a fun treat to spend the evening with our friends!  

Enjoying the ice cream topped with grilled peaches before the fireworks show!