Family Fun & the Fourth of July

Xiaoyu and I once had friends, and sometimes we still pretend like we do...but mostly we are found hanging out with each other and our family.
The other day we were able to spend some time with Pa at the Murray Park. We had heard from our sources (Sharon) that there was an Irish band playing at the park, but by the time we got there all the tin whistles had been put down, all the four leafed clovers had been retired, and all the leprechauns had left the building. We didn't let it phase us though, and we made use of our time just walking around the park grounds, remembering the time when I hit a seagull with an Easter egg and almost injured it for life, and having fun with Pa.We also had a fun time at Grampa & Grama Baugh's house celebrating the Fourth of July. The ceremonies began with Fernando, Pa, myself, and eventually Blake cutting...or attempting to cut down some branches on Grampa's tree with his newfangled "high limb cutter." Looks easy enough...and truth be told it wasn't really that hard. However, I must say that the above picture of an aged man (even with what seem to be pretty strong old man arms) effortlessly cutting down a ten-inch thick branch like he was slicing through butter with a hot knife is a little misleading. The hardest part was throwing the "throwing weight" right over the branch that you wanted. I got it stuck once, and although Fernando was almost sentenced to a monkey climb up 40 feet to go snag it, Blake finally dislodged by throwing a basketball up at it (my idea). All in all it turned out to be 2.5 hours of pure, uninterrupted, old fashion fun with the family.This is a picture of Miranda thoroughly enjoying her vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. I've never seen somebody enjoy something so much as she enjoyed those cherries.
Okay so I take that last statement back, because Miranda really seemed to enjoy her birthday party yesterday (except for the part when Pa took away the butterfly garden piece with the long sharp metal rod sticking out from its bottom, or when she got in trouble for telling me I wasn't very smart...which, yes, hurts coming from a 4 year old). She was so excited about her presents that Grampa Baugh asked if she was serious. I'm pretty sure she was. If she's anything like her mother, who I happen to know quite well, then she was dead serious. I think my favorite thing she said was, "Mom. Dad. It doesn't matter what this present is. I love it just because you gave it to me!" Who says that?! Who says that and actually means it?! Miranda...that's who.
Lucas had a great time too, and he loved being outside and around his family. When he wasn't eating or sleeping, he was talking and smiling. He had a good, long conversation with Fernando, and enjoyed listening to Miranda serenade him with her impromptu melodies (my favorite line, "Everyday, new faces. Everyday, the sun is there." That's Lucas' life to a T). Eventually, however, he partied a little too hard, and after an embarrassing episode involving too much bosom milk, some gas, and a messy diaper, he finally passed out. At least there is consolation in the fact that he never remembers what happened when he wakes up the next day.

Genius. We gotta get one.