The 4th

For the 4th this year, we spent our time in Jacksonville with Jon's parents. We always have a blast with Nana and Grandpa and this time was no exception. Nana had to work some, but Grandpa took us to the splash park in Little Rock to kill some time. It was super hot that day so the water was just what we needed. 

The boys were a little unsure at first but after a few minutes they really got into it. Spencer isn't a very big fan of large groups so it always takes him a bit to warm up. William follows Spencer's lead so if Spencer is nervous, so is William. 

While we were there, Jon overheard a lady on her phone and it seemed as though she had lost her daughter. I asked Jon which lady it was and as soon as he pointed her out I knew I had to help. I went over to her and I could just feel her panic. Her little 6 yr old daughter was playing on the splash pad and no one could find her. The Mother called the police and myself and many other parents were looking for her. For those who have never been to the Little Rock splash pad, there are tunnels all around the park so it would be very easy for a little one to get very lost, very quickly. I felt so scared for this woman. If our roles were reversed, I would be asking everyone within earshot for help. Luckily she was eventually found. Her uncle found her wandering around the nearby park. I was really touched at how many strangers were looking for this little girl. Everywhere I looked I could see other Moms and Dads searching. It was really good to see so many people coming together to help this woman. 

 All's well that ends well, but we left shortly after that. It was hot, there were a lot of people around, and I didn't want to lose my own little ones. 

Watching the fireworks was an interesting experience. Haha. We went down to Verizon Arena to avoid traffic and we all sat in Grandpas truck. It was late and the boys were tired and grouchy but we pushed on. Spencer did not want anything to do with the fireworks. He said they were "way too loud!" He started to get pretty upset and I thought we might have to bag it and just go home when Jon got a brilliant idea:

His Bose headphones. Haha. Ridiculous, I know. But they worked! We made it through the whole show with no more tears. 

Nana also had a great idea: glow sticks!! These were a big hit with William and they totally saved us from a meltdown while waiting for the fireworks to start. 

The actual show was not all that impressive. That large apartment building in the picture above blocked half of the fireworks so we really only saw half the show. William wasn't bothered at all by it. Every time he saw (or heard) a firework go off, he would say, "Wooooow! Cool!" Hahaha :) He was the comical relief we all needed. 

While on this visit, Nana watched the boys while Grandpa, Jon, and myself went to see Man of Steel. This is what we came home to:

Don't my boys have the best Nana ever?!