Happy Birthday America!

We headed to Ely, MN to celebrate the 4th of July. Ely is a small town about 4 hours North, right on the border of the Boundry Waters Canoe Area. A good friend of ours, Jen grew up in Ely and her parents were nice enough to host 4 couples (each with a child). Jen's brother and his girlfriend were there too. We took 1300 pictures over the weekend, but here a few of the best.

This picture was taken from the end of the dock. The sunsets rivals those that we used to enjoy in Cali. Such a beautiful beautiful place.

Bill and Martha, Jen's parents, moved into their new house in March and they have a ton of beautiful gardens. Josh caught this Dragon Fly right after it took off from one of their flowers.

This is a fun picture of Cruz. I love taking pictures of him. When you get in close he just stares at the camera. Such a cutie!

This is Grace, John and Jen's little girl. We took a bunch of pics just after we woke up. John said that she is so happy right after she takes a nap. I think you'll agree. What an adorable smile.

This is a random picture of Dane. His hair was matted down and the expression on his face makes him seem so much more like a little boy and not like a little toddler.

Tony and Shadow have the most beautiful little girl, Ella. She loves playing with her "Sponge Bob" tee ball set. She could do it for hours. Perfect form and look at her keep her eyes on the ball. She's a natural.

Charlie, Jen's brother, was chopping some wood for a bonfire. As you can see, the log didn't have a chance. Charlie was blowin' 'em up!!!

The town of Ely has a big picnic/fair every 4th. There are a ton of games and food. It's followed by a parade that lasts a couple hours. The entire town has a great time. Here are the 4 moms and the 4 kids. What a good lookin' group.

John participated in a relay race. 2-person teams have to race with a canoe, carry a 40 lb backpack, and then set up and take down a tent. The team to do it the quickest wins a traveling Trophy. Who Won? Why John and his partner of course!

For the youngsters, there is a "Saw Dust Scavenger Hunt." Lots of toys and $200 worth of quarters are tossed into a gigantic, and I mean gigantic, pile of saw dust. Dane, with a little help from John, found a quarter and was completely enamored with it. I traded him the quarter for a nickel...he's got a lot to learn.

This is a goofy picture of the entire group (except for Jen's mom Martha). We did a serious picture and a goofy picture. Wouldn't you know, we liked the goofy one the best. Thanks you Bill and Martha for opening your lovely home to all of us and thanks to everyone for such a great and memorable weekend.