Our (Almost) July 4th Outing

Yesterday was a VERY good day.

James and I, Brandon, Whitney, and Matt all went down to Driggs to have dinner with a family that James taught...Hold up.

Side note: I LOVE visiting people from James's mission with him. It is SO fun to see him light up every time he goes back. (Incase you don't know, he served in the Pocatello, Idaho mission so we're pretty dang close to TONS of people!)

I know he was a really good missionary a) because EVERYONE knows and LOVES him, b) because people have countless stories about him and his companions and he laughs through the whole thing and gets fired up whenever they recount them to me, c) it's in the hugs people give me, let alone him and d) he's James and has THE most caring heart of anyone I have ever met.

Anyway, so we had a BBQ dinner with them and talked with their family and the boys tossed around a football with their kids while Whitney and I watched and tried to avoid Brandon's "secret" flying rocks. It was really fun. They were so nice and I felt like I'd known them forever even when I came in the door. Then we all went to Huntsman Springs together and (although we missed Glenn Beck!) set up camp before the big show! Matt did homework, Brandon & Whitney explored, the Spencers were right there snuggled up to each other next to us, James set up his camera, and I just took it all in.

These gems were after about 25 picture attempts...seriously.

Jayme and Christine (James's roommate and his fiance) even met up with us so we all got to watch them together! And man do I LOVE fireworks. The Fourth of July is probably my third favorite holiday (I mean, you just can't top Valentine's Day and Christmas) and it makes me SO proud to be in this crazy, unpredictable country that was founded on morals and the freedom to do so. Can't be beat.

These are the SUH-WEET pictures James got!! They look like some awesome galaxy exploding!

What can I say? I just love my life. And I love my friends who make the drive home 10 times better: nodding their cowboy hats to random strangers (and since we are in Idaho, they do it right back) and a driver who takes the SCARIEST, but easier path so we don't have to sit in a looooooong line of cars just to save his car (that's my country boy who needs a truck. Haha) and who decide that ice cream is a must at midnight. Yeah. Pretty amazing day.