The Beaven Family: 4th of July

We spent our 4th of July evening with our church family!

My sweet Mimi-Bear has the cutest dimples!
They get extra deep when she's extra happy!
And swimming sure does make her happy.

Jeremy gave a little pre-party US history/bible study.
He really is a great public speaker.

Bob Wyman sang "America the Beautiful".
Before singing, he described how when he moved here and saw the mountains, that he realized that he now knew where the "Purple Mountain Majesties" were. Jeremy and I had the same discussion shortly after arriving in Yuma!

Like all great picnics, this one involved good picnic food!
REALLY really good picnic food!
Marshall had a little run-in with some outdoor bug fogger.... we're thinking perhaps that's the reason for the pensive look on his face! ;)

Fred found a quiet spot to enjoy his dinner.
The kids all had so much fun swimming and socializing. I'm so grateful my kids get to have this environment for a few years!

Little Beavens devouring little cupcakes...
This was the dessert the kids decided Jeremy should have for his birthday. Jeremy chose something else, so I decided to make these for our party so everyone could have what they wanted.

No matter the time or place, teenagers will always find other teenagers and something that requires batteries or electricity to entertain themselves....

A boy after Amelia's own heart...
Ayden just turned 3, but he's not letting that stop him from hanging with the big kids!

And anyone who has ever met Amelia knows that she "has serious thrill issues, DUDE!"
I had to tell her not once, but twice that the blow up raft was NOT a vehicle. She tried to ride it down the waterfall and when that was thwarted, tried to ride it off the diving board. Remember my "Apples and Trees" post a few weeks ago? Well, this is a different Apple falling from a different Tree.....

Quite the good looking group of kids!

The best I could get when trying to take a picture of 11 kids ranging in age from 3-15...

Amelia was so happy that there WERE fireworks visible from where we were! I had originally told them that we wouldn't be able to see them, but some kind neighbors put on their own display and put the smile back on my girl's face.

Jeremy demonstrating the adaptability of a Marine.... When you can't find a fork or spoon, you can eat your bean salad with a knife! Or as Lorry so accurately pointed out, he could have just scared the beans into his mouth!