Happy 4th of July!

Happy July 4th, everyone! What a beautiful day, full of family, feasting, and a rememberance of our freedoms. I am so thankful for this day---for the barbecue, the croquet, the badminton, the wading pool, the laughter, the epic desserts, the moment under the shady tree to sit in a circle and talk with people I love, watching my little girl absorb the celebration, wagon rides, cool summer evening...everything. Ahhh. I love all of these new memories in Hummingbird Home. I love my family, and I would choose my same family again and again if given the choice. Plus ourselves, we were lucky to have 15 members of our family join us for the festivities. We definitely missed the whole Lambert/Booth contigent (in London and Florida) but they were here in spirit.

I posted tons of pictures on my Facebook but chose some of my favorites for this blog. Everything about today just felt right, and I love how much I love my family (if that makes sense). Celebrations make me so happy, and the love just builds and builds. The older I become, the more I value these relationships more than anything. It seems like the secret to understanding the universe and life must reside in the bonds of love we create with other people, in moments of laughter and loyalty.

I feel so lucky that we got to make these memoris in our new home, a place that truly feels magical and like home to me---even in this short time. I am thankful that we are free to celebrate together and to offer gratitude for the opportunities we have in the United States. Not all of us are fond of politics or of the decisions our state and federal government make, or of the decisions the will of the majority makes---but no where in the world (in my opinion) is there a system that works as well as ours or that is founded on such solid reasoning and philosophy. Democracy and capitalism may not be perfect, but I do believe they are the best systems of governance/economic policy anywhere in this world, and I am thankful to be a part of it and lucky to be born into it.

Katie goes for a 4th of July wagon ride in her Radio Flyer.

Last night, we decorated her wagon. Yay for 4th of July Eve!



Red, white, and blue Katie June.


Katie and Mommy before the party begins.



I love my little 4th of July girl.



On the bridge with Kate. Grandpa built the rails this week to help make the bridge more safe.

The party begins!

David, Mom, Jocelyn, and Evelyn play badminton.

No doubt, David and Mom make a dynamic pair.

They do seem satisfied with their shot, wouldn't you agree?

We set up croquet on the front lawn. Uncle Rich and my Dad are awesome players!

Dad and Jocelyn studied the course... Notice the wicket under the bench. Oh yeah.

Some of the croquet crew prepares for play.

David performs a challenging shot.


So K.D. is definitely the best croquet teammate EVER! I left her in charge of my ball for about twenty minutes while I went to give Katie her bath for night. When I returned, K.D. had completely the entire second half of the course and had my ball lined up to become "poison." Within a few plays, I was able to knock out the remaining balls, and we became July 4th 2009 croquet champions! Rock on, K.D.!