Celebrating the 4th!

I love the 4th of July.  Not because of the fireworks, but because it means spending time at the lake with family - boating, swimming, riding on the golf cart, and playing outdoor games.  Love it!  And this year was no different.  In between Tony's hectic work schedule and the tough times we were having with our family, we were able to take a break and enjoy wonderful Lake Wabaunsee.  Over the 4th, Clare got to meet her Great Uncle Billy for the first time.  Billy lives in Connecticut and comes out to visit once a year.  She really enjoyed time playing and having fun with him as well as daddy, grandpa, and Tammy.  In addition to the fireworks themselves, there were a lot of firsts for Clare Bear during our time at the lake and she seemed to love all of them. 

We started out with her first time riding on the pontoon boat.  She loved the boat.  She could crawl around, pull herself up, and feel the wind blowing in her hair.  Her favorite thing, though, was driving the boat.  It wasn't good enough to have her hands on the wheel, she liked to lick the steering wheel and have one hand on the gear shift.  I didn't get any pics of it, but it was pretty funny!

There was her first time swimming in the lake.  I wasn't sure how she would like this one because it meant getting in the very restrictive life jacket and dipping into the chilly (even with the hot temperatures) water.  But she was like a little fish...so cute!

Clare also had her first ride on the golf cart as well as the paddle boat. 



And last but certainly not least, Clare participated in her first 4th of July Boat parade.  This is a tradition at the lake.  Every year, we dress up in silly hats and other red, white, and blue items, decorate the boat and head out for a cruise with many other boats that do the same thing. 

As you can see, we had so much fun over the 4th of July.  I know there are plenty of pics on this post, but I will leave you with a couple more that are too cute.  Clare had two different outfits for the occasion.  One was a little romper with stars and stripes (check out how cute the back of it is), and the other was this adorable t-shirt that says "Red, White, and Cute"...yes she is!

We hope that you had a great 4th of July like we did!  Have a great week!