Fourth of July

The final post of family time pictures! 

A few days before the first, Nina shared a picture of a strawberry/rhubarb pie in a flag design on facebook. I felt inspired. I made the dough for these pies the day before, so on the morning of the fourth, I just had to prep the fillings. I felt so prepared. The recipe I used for pie dough made enough for two pies, so... 

I tried to think what I could use for the other filling and decided to see if there was a recipe for cranberry/peach pie. And there was! So I went with that. Frozen cranberries and canned peaches. Sounds deluxe doesn't it? It actually was quite good. But very tart! 

Caleb, carefully not falling out of the hammock with Hoyt and Gilbert

Pushing Lily

A iphone picture of the baked pies. (Why are the fillings so much more photogenic raw than baked?) 

Cool concrete bowl Andrea has

Gilbert admiring Levi's climbing ability

Hoyt was hugging Phebe a lot here. He used to do this to Elsie too--hug her until she loses all patience with him. What a kid!

Kid's table

Philip earning his shirt

The older girls were great with all the kids. They had games to play and all sorts of fun things.

This lady... She is a star.

Justin being a lifeguard while the little kids were in the pool

Elsie was thoroughly enjoying the basket of toys after getting out of the pool...

While we all talked...

And the guys played beanbags...

And Jeff and Bonnie took a walk to the river.

Laughing

A gorgeous zinnia. Andrea has fabulous flower beds.

Hoyt getting enthusiastic about an apple tree

Abilene and grandma

The boys having a good scrimmage

Hoyt and Grandma Wendy 

Abilene and her two grandmothers

The boys were thrilled with the nerf guns.

She is worth two pictures

Amy had a few games for the kids

But these boys were too busy with battle strategy to bother with games.

Trying to move the gumballs from one bottle to the other.

Scheming 

These girls are good friends that don't get to see each other very often.

The Moving-the-oreo-from-your-forehead-to-your-mouth-with-only-your-face-muscles game. Hilarious faces are a given.

While all us adults were being silly with oreos, the boys were manning their stations with their nerf guns. I never did figure out who they were planning on attacking. 

Levi and Andy were debating who should sit where

Elsie was excluded from the boy canoe, so she came back to the oreo game. 

And eventually managed to get in the canoe while the boys were distracted with other things. 

Elliott admiring the pinata the girls made the night before. 

This picture is classic Andrea

The pinata procession

Philip talking to Elsie

Getting ready for goodbyes. Which are easier, when you are bouncing. 

After this, all the cousins left, including Lisa and the kids, so we were lonesome. But there were still fireworks to look forward to that night. And Union meeting the next morning. And convention the next week.