Independence Day

I love traditions.  Lanie and I talk a lot about that and we make a real effort to keep some going through out the years.  One of them is 4^th of July.  The afternoon is always spent at her parents house where they bbq, play games and of course light fireworks.  Usually we leave before the light show because Dom has always been so young.  But this year, we decided to stay and let him experience it for the first time.

The day is always so fun.  There is the egg toss, water balloon toss, UNO tournament and lets not forget trash can punch.  Along with Lanie’s family, friends are also there.  Tina, Jorge and Ethan as well as Rayline and Maddie.  It’s been so cool to watch Dom grown up with this tradition, and see how different he is every year.  I have photos of him and Maddie from the beginning where Dom was just learning how to walk, and would mostly fall over and army crawl to Maddie.  Now they chase each other all over the yard and have the best time hanging out. 

Watching Dom experience fire works for the first time was so awesome.  He wasn’t scared, he was just amazed.  We put headphones on him so it wouldn’t be too loud, and he looked like a little rock star.  Every time one shot into the air, he’d stare in awe and beg for more. 

This is the beautiful thing about tradition.  Not only is it something to look forward to every year, but it’s also an eye opener of milestones for you and your loved ones.  Seeing the changes from one year to the next is something that is so special, and to get to do that with people I love, that’s even better.