The 4th of July

 Sleepy boy...

 Lots of fun in the baby pool with cousins Madilynn and Rob. 

 Cracker??

  So patriotic.

The fam before the fireworks on the river.  G was hamming it up.

Every year we go up to my Aunt Cathy's house in Caruthersville, MO (middle of nowhere) and swim and stuff ourselves with barbecue and delicious sides and desserts.  This year we had a new event which I was excited about.  After the kiddos had gone to bed, Sal, Nay, Josh, Dad, Dwayne and I went to the Lady Luck Casino...wow, the site makes it look so glamourous...it's not.  I would describe it as a Truck Stop/Casino, very entertaining.  I won $50 on my first pull at a slot machine! Then I quit.  It was great.  Everyone came out ahead or even so it was a successful venture.  Dwayne was the top winner with $70 at Black Jack (Dad won $55!), which was really fun to watch,  I think I might even try it at our friend's birthday party casino run in a few weeks!  Sal had never been to a casino, so it was funny that this one was her first.  She was sitting at a slot machine and there was a man who looked like life had not smiled on him (which is a whole other issue with Casinos, they're pretty depressing and make me sad for the people who are in there daily.  I just want to hug them.).  As Sally made comments like, "What does this button do?" and "I don't get it!" and "I don't understand why you would bet the max?!", the man was looking at her. When she pushed the button for bet the max she won $18.  The man next to her took a long drag on his cigar and blew the smoke in her face....it was terrible and funny at the same time! Oh well, the $18 made she and Nathan even for the night.  Newly wedded love birds...so sweet.