Sparkling Fourth

July was crazy hot around here.  We tried to keep cool while visiting family in Virginia for the fourth of July.

Thanks to some friends we were able to enjoy a less populated beach with mild waves for the little ones.

O was more daring in the water. W went in, but didn't go too far. He was happier playing in the sand.

The kids enjoyed building sandcastles, splashing, and of course, eating.

First time in sleeping bags. 

They were very excited about the whole experience. It took over 2 hours to go to sleep the first night!

This is how we found them a few hours later.

Another night.

They're getting better. At least they're sleeping on or under their sleeping bag.

A morning at the zoo with Daddy.

The dads took all the boys to the zoo on the same day the heat index topped 311...a scorcher.

Getting cool with little fountains.

On the same day, the dads then took the girls to the zoo. They got to play in larger fountains.

Talk about cooling off!

Uncle E swung the girls through the fountains.

Woo-hoo!

A lot of spraying going on at the zoo.

We were greeted with a massive thunderstorm shortly before fireworks. What was once a jam packed viewing area for fireworks, quickly became deserted. We were one of the few families who stuck it out, sat in wet chairs and had a great view over the water. It was chilly, but we had a fun time. The kids especially enjoyed flying their flags, marching around, and singing the same song over and over again.

America! America!

People slowly started to come back as we were waiting for the fireworks. After dusk, another thunderstorm rolled towards us.

We were hoping they would start the fireworks early before people cleared out again.

The sky grumbled and rain began to fall. They decided to start the show early. Awesome.

The bright colors shot into the air from over the water and it was fabulous. Short, but fabulous.