Stars and Stripes Forever

Don't you just love the 4th of July? For me, it brings back memories of being near the water all day, soaking up the sun, having a picnic on the beach, then snuggling up with loved ones after the sun goes down in excited anticipation of the grand fireworks show. That's exactly what we did for the 4th of July this year.

After exploring our surroundings the day before, we decided to return to the beautiful beach with the playground. Chad, Gracie, and I found an awesome spot on the sand, so we set up our umbrella, chairs, and blankets and settled right in. Grace was so FREE, playing in the sand and water all day.









That afternoon, the rest of our party joined us (they spent the morning miniature golfing). Grace had even more fun playing in the sand once Benji got there!







Chad got in on the sand-castle building, too!



By the time late afternoon rolled around, Gracie was exhausted! She fought taking a nap all day, but she finally succumbed to sleep. Doesn't her little cocoon look cozy?



At one point, Steffen let Benji bury him in the sand. Hannah thought it was pretty funny to see her daddy like this:



Once the lifeguards were officially off duty that evening, Chad, Gracie, and Benji assumed their positions on the deserted lifeguard stand. It was a fantastic vantage point to blow some bubbles and look at the gorgeous view (bright blue water for miles, flanked by snow-capped mountains on all sides).



Here's Meggie and Hannah settling in for fireworks (dusk was a few hours away, but it started to get kinda cold as the sun began its descent).



... and here's our girl re-hydrating herself after a long day in the sunshine:



When it started to get dark, we gave the kids glow sticks to play with (unfortunately, none of the pictures turned out). Boy, were those a hit! In fact, the little ones could've done without the fireworks in favor of those malleable tubes of fluorescent light. The fireworks were spectacular, but the view of Lake Tahoe at twilight was truly awe-inspiring:



It was a fantastic day, filled with all the things I hope Gracie will associate with the 4th of July for years to come.