Fun w/ Friends over the 4th

EDIT: I take the time to upload pictures, then I click "Publish" before writing anything. The last post was our fabulous 4th of July, celebrating William's 3rd Birthday and visiting w/ our dear friends, The Marquez's. They are our infamous "gas station" friends we met while both families were travelling through MN about 17 years ago. My Dad noticed a Christian bumper sticker on their van, and asked Joe (their dad), while fueling up the car, "So anyone gettin' saved down in South Carolina?" 3 hrs later we pulled out of the gas station as friends...and now they feel like family to us. They even call my parents "Uncle Chris and Aunt Mary"--I think it's a Southern thing. :) Now that their "kids" are grown-up, we have fun visiting w/ them, listening to their stories (they are world travellers and have been missionaries to Paraguay...and well...lots of other places too!), and comparing parenting notes, doctrine, and whatever else...oh, and LAUGHING!!! It's crazy how we go 3ish years between visiting/talking w/ them, then we just pick up right where we left off...w/ a couple of extra kids in the mix too. :) This time, Daniel & Faith were on their way back home from a camp in Colorado.

The Grillers...

My gorgeous Mom...



All the single portraits credits go to her :)

Last time they came, 1 only had 1 kid, they had 2...now look! :)

















Madeline's 1st experience w/ fireworks...

Max and Isaac put on a great firework show for us. We're afraid the chicken's will be too "stressed" to lay eggs...hopefully not, otherwise, they're goin' in the pot this fall. :)
He.is.adorable!



Yay, Justin! //Tired me...


Andrew liked the chips...surely "Aunt Megan" had healthier choices than that?? ;P



Watching more fireworks...