4th of July

Every year for the 4th of July, we travel to Delta, UT to celebrate. It's where Shalum calls home. This is pretty much a tradition in Shalum's family. Sometimes things come up or different plans are made, but usually most of Shalum's family goes each year. In the 9 years Shalum and I have been together we have only missed one. What made this 4th more special was that it was Jax's first 4th of July! Woot Woot!

 Isn't he just adorable?
And that's Grandpa Stone in the pink shirt and sunglasses behind him. He assured everyone that real men really do wear pink! He totally rocked it.

It was so fun having all the babies in the family (well on Shalum's side of the family) there in Delta. 

The only feet missing in this picture is Sariah. 

Before the parade begins, every year, jets fly overhead. And when Jax heard them he started crying. I figured he would cry at some point, I had just figured it would be when the firetrucks pass with the sirens blaring. But no, it was the jets. He fell asleep before the parade even began and only woke up at the end. Slept right through the sirens. And they were so much louder than the jets!

There's always a derby the night of the 4th. It's what I most look forward to. I love watching all the crashing and smashing. And it's not a derby unless there's a rollover and a car starts on fire! Which both happened! Unfortunately that was pretty much all the excitement that happened. I hate to say it, but this years derby was totally lame. There were half as many cars as usual that entered in. And in the wipeout event, there were only 2 cars still running and able to enter in it. But it was fun hanging out with the fam. Plus it was fun teasing my niece about the boy who wouldn't leave her alone and refused to leave her side. And I love one of the texts she sent me after the derby "he tried to give me a hug. Rejection sucks." That's my girl. :) Ok, so maybe that's not very nice, but he wasn't taking any of her hints that she wasn't interested. I told her she was being too encouraging, that because she was still talking to him, it made him think she was interested. And of course I was right on the matter.

Here I am with Kassi and Kailee.

This next picture cracks me and Kim up. These two are just too funny.... and weird.

Thayne and Shalum, they're snuggling buddies!

Last year on the 4th, we took a picture of all of us expecting...or chosen to adopt in my case...except for Tiffany, she didn't make it to Delta last year. And then this year we took a picture of all of us again with our babies. Tiffany was there for the picture this year.

I love this! 

Top picture: Kerry, me, Tammy, Kim, and Kimi

Bottom picture: Kerry and Sariah (the only girl of the bunch), Tammy and Rhiley, Kimi and Jared (she named her baby Jared as well, so we call my Jared, Jax, around Shalum's family so as not to get mixed up), Kim and Noah, Tiffany and Isaac, and me and Jax