The Stinson Family: 4th Festivities

Busy weekend, but what fun! Friday we enjoyed a family trip to the zoo in the early AM, before the sun got too hot (but let me interject here that the temps this weekend were a relief to the 95 degrees with 80% humidity we have been experiencing, instead we have had 88 with 10%, whew! Lovely!)

I am bound and determined to get a few pictures of me with my children. Such a daunting task!

Friday night we enjoyed dinner with some friends we met July 3rd, 2009. ;) We/I joked that it could have been our anniversary dinner (come on, you know that making "couple" friends is like dating, only harder. You like them, your husband doesn't, or he likes them but you and the girl do not "click". We have only experienced a few close couple relationships where we were both very comfortable with both of "them")...anyway, back to my story... Emily did not take a nap Friday so although we had a nice dinner, it seemed as if one of us was out of the room with the duration of the evening.

Saturday we drove to Gardendale for some swim time with our sweet friends "the Rhodes". We love them. They are so laid back and easy to be around. Our girls love each other, and Stacy and I are alike in more ways than I care to count. It was a very relaxing day, one we would love to repeat anytime soon, *hint, *hint!

Meme, with little BenBen, relaxing...Sara and Ems, catchin' some rays...Sunday morning we woke up, bright and early, to watch Troy run the Annual Peavine Falls race. It is held every 4th of July at Oak Mountain State Park. Troy has been able to run in it 4 years in a row now. The kids were great about the early rise and we had fun strolling around the lake while Troy was running. He had a PR this year, way to go Babe!

What a smile...I am afraid that most people were looking at my husbands body that day. He refuses to wear a shirt in the summer while running, mowing the grass, driving his truck (just kidding) ;)...Waiting...Finding a few treasures along the way...This scene always starts out good...And typically ends like this...Nate finished, beating his PR by 2 minutes!!Troy, always racing in the end...Cheryl's first Peavine run. Way to go!On to breakfast at Egg & I (awesome, a must try); church; then cookout and swim with our family...You must eat watermelon like this if you are 2...That night we watched the fireworks from Brookwood Medical...Emily thought the fireworks were great!
Stac and She, babysitting...