a new way to celebrate the 4th of July

It was important for Dave and I to make the 4th special for the girls this year since we weren't in HB for our annual 4th of July celebration, so we decided to go to the local celebration that the Calvary Church put on...This was the 22 anniversary of this production and when I say production, that is exactly what it was! When we got there we thought it would be a small town celebration with maybe a singer and some of the local dancers...NOT! This show was full of professional singers, dancers, actors and an AMAZING firework show. There was also a choir of over 150 people sitting in the stripes of the flag on the stage and the different acts ranged from Mary Poppins to Madagascar...and at the end there was a tribute to all military servicemen and women...It brought tears to my eyes to see this small community come together on the day of our Independence and celebrate...It was INCREDIBLE and it made me excited to think of all the different celebrations we will see along our journey...

We also went to the local parade in the morning but I deleted the photos...sorry, but honestly it wasn't anything compared to our hometown parade. It was nice though to see the community come together.

we staked out this spot 6 hours before the show started...
the stage

JD and Char dancin' and singin'

grandma and alyssa snugglin'

my little *sparkler* singin'

alyssa was "too cool" to dance while char danced away

the flag lite up at night! Beauty-ful

military tribute

home.sweet.home...Nor Cal

I know, I know...you don't even have to say it or think it...

~I'M AN AWFUL BLOGGER~

maybe because I really don't know how many people really read this, but then again I'm doing this for my own good and so it's better late than never...right?!

Anywho, we are getting all settled in and making our new house a home. The move went as smooth as it could. Dave and I drove up with the dogs a few days before the girls and all our stuff arrived and we could tell by the moment of our arrival it was a TOTALLY different way of life up here! Not a bad thing, but life moves WAY slower than it does in the OC. My mom drove up with the girls and is staying with us until the 20th...it has been so great having all the extra help and I'm nervous to see how I'll do it when she leaves.

We are now living in a small town and specifically, our neighborhood is one that you'd find on Army Wives or any other military wife show. All the wives hang out in the front yards while the kids (everyone has at least 2 kiddos) play in the street, houses, pools or whatever keeps them busy at the time. Just to give you an idea...we live next door to a family with 4 kids: 4 year old triplet girls and a 5 yr old boy...across the street is a family with 3 kids: a 7 yr old boy, 5 yr old boy and an 18 month old girl...and two different families who just had a baby (yesterday AND a week ago)...Everyone has welcomed our family and I can honestly say that I feel at home already.

However, I miss our family and friends tremendously but hope to be seeing you all sooner than later for a visit! hint.hint.

our backyard view

the windmills on the drive up

mr. dave driving the budget


I had the dogs with me they made me proud...good dogs!

**I'll be posting pics of the house soon**