fourth with family

My sister and her family are in town for the holiday.  This means that Alex is beside herself -- she loves her cousins.

Today, July 4th, was particularly exciting.  It included a summer party at the home of some close family friends, where the kids spent the entire day in the pool:

And after fingers and toes were perfectly wrinkled, in true Independence Day form, the kids busted out the sparklers.

You know, I have some fond memories of summers with my cousins when I was a child -- mostly in Vancouver, Canada, where much of my dad's brothers and sisters emigrated, where our parents would stand around in the late evening, drinking wine and telling raucous jokes that we didn't understand, while we played in pools and backyards and caught fireflies and sat around bonfires and even waved sparklers.  I remember feeling like it was such a magical time.

And so tonight, as I type this sitting next to Marcus on the couch and Alex is happily passed out in her bed, I can't help but hope that she files golden days like this away in her memory under the heading "Magical Time," as well.

I hope you had a great weekend.

Images:  Photographed with Nikon D300 and the 50mm lens Nikon lent me.

Song:  Golden by Jill Scott