Family, food, & fireworks

Being back in Washington has it's perks. One of them being family close by. The kids love getting to play with their cousins, and I love getting to spend time with my niece and nephew. Every year my brother and his wife throw a big shindig for the 4th of July. They have dome it since my niece was born 9 years ago. It is definitely something to look forward to because they pull out all the stops. There is always a ton of food, way to many fireworks, water play, and of course family and friends. We had a great time and got to relax and enjoy the day.My nephew Jake's birthday is the day before Lilly's and they are 2 years apart. This is the first year they have been able to celebrate together. I think both of them were excited that their special day was even more special this year because they got to be together. Since we were all getting together for the 4th we decided that we would celebrate their birthdays then too. Lilly really wanted a Buzz cake and her Auntie Kristen delivered! It was fantastic.