a smorgasbord of celebration

hi, friends!

today is a good day to celebrate

"why?" you ask?

well, for starters, it's friday, which is always a good reason to break out into a happy dance

but today is even more celebration worthy than your average friday

because it's also the Fourth of July, so without further ado:

                                                                                                                 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                                                                                                 

and although i hate the movie (sorry to all you Will Smith fans / that crazy husband of mine) 

i am proud to be American and very thankful for those who have fought to earn and keep our freedom

and as if all that isn't enough reason to celebrate, it's also my sweet little nephew's the three week birthday

he was born at 28 weeks and is a teeny tiny little person

i took this picture of him the day after he was born, he's since grown a bit and is doing well, 

but as with any preemie, any and all prayers are appreciated!

finally, here are some pictures i took en route to our camping trip last weekend
because smiling faces are a good way to end a celebratory blog post
(and yes, my child is wearing a jacket on her legs instead of her arms in some of these...life with two year olds!)