Our 1st Fourth of July

I love being in South Carolina on the 4th of July. The festivities always begin a few days early and continue for a couple more. The best part of living here on the 4th, has to be the fireworks. Although you have to have a permit for the really exciting fireworks, you can find them up and down the beach for miles and miles. Simply grab a blanket and take a seat and sit back and enjoy. This is definitely the life. We left the house at 7:30 for dinner at a local pizza joint, called Capricco's and enjoyed a wonderful pie before heading for some firework action of our own. By 9:00, as the sun was finally setting far into the west, you could start to hear fireworks in every direction. Once we got on the road, you could see them too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember as a child driving through South Carolina on our way to our annual Florida vacation and stopping because we HAD to get fireworks. It was all my brother and I knew about the state of South Carolina. It was the place you bought really cool fireworks. We would bring them home and my stepfather would set them off on the 4th for us. They never lasted long enough. My brother always managed to keep his stink bombs for use weeks later. Those days really seem like ages ago. Who would of thunk it, I would be living with my own family in that 'fireworks' state!

Outside of Drunken Jack's- where we met family friends from Marion, Greg and Pat Berry. We forgot to get any pictures with them!! Shame on us!

Cooling off in the shade, after walking on the Marsh Walk at Murrells Inlet, we missed the Boat Parade, but Garrett still showed off that he was a boat fan!

Yes, that's Bryan and Garrett on the beach during fireworks. Don't ask, we only stayed for about 15 minutes and Garrett's ears were covered the ENTIRE time, except maybe in this picture...eeek.

This year was a great experience, not very eventful but it definitely was a learning process- that planning and participating in holidays is a major process with a child. We had fun being together as a family! All three of us were worn out by the end of the night and ready for some R & R. We even slept in this morning for the first time in a long time!!

One of Garrett's many faces as I tried to captured a 'birthday' smile!

Side notes:

• Garrett turned 3 months today!! YAH! Unfortunately, he has had a horrible teething day. More on that tomorrow.
• My brother is safely back in the U.S. from his Bolivia trip and I am excited to share some pictures as soon as he sends them my way!