My favorite fourth of July memory: I was twelve years old, and we had embarked upon a three week camping adventure with friends, exploring the western United States. We pitched tents in Estes Park, climbed Pike’s Peak, swam in hot springs, and straddled the lines of the Four Corners like we were playing Twister. In one trip, I checked off a list of American landmarks: the Badlands, the Rockies, the Royal Gorge, and more. It was timed appropriately that we’d land in South Dakota on July 4th. That evening, we sat beneath the magnificence that is Mount Rushmore and watched in awe as fireworks colored the sky. I’ll never forget it.
Someday I want to repeat that with my kids. Someday I will.
In the meantime, that experience is closely rivaled by our adventures at home. We’ve been busy this weekend.
I’ll be back tomorrow for more…and a giveaway winner.
Made me smile. Ellie is taking her pre-fireworks nap. Last year at this time, it was total morning sickness! Much better this year 🙂
I am going to comment, only becuase I am the second one, and thats just exciting to me. Also, I am Canadian, so our celebration is over so I am bored today and this seems like a big deal right now. haha, ok I am lame!!
Independence Day at Mount Rushmore sounds amazing!! I’m anxiously awaiting my daughter’s first experience with fireworks tonight! Here’s hoping it’s the first of many great memories!
Happy 4th of July!!! 🙂
Happy 4th! One of my all-time-favorite 4th’s was in Iowa on an old farmyard… age 8, happy belly full of sweet-corn, running circles around the barn & outbuildings with a pack of other kids with sparklers, dodging fireflies along the way… one of those magic moments that make me smile remembering.
Cheers,
Kate
Happy Independence Day to you and your family Kelle.
Have been here lurking for a while but haven’t commented. Love your blog! and your photography so I can’t wait to see the pictures or your weekend!
All 4 of my pyros (including Nora) are outside blowing up cans, while I am marinating our tomato, mozzarella & basil appetizer in balsamic vinegar & olive oil…..I like the food on the 4th more than the fireworks—haha! What are YOU having for the 4th?
Happy Celebrating & can’t wait to see more pics,
Kelly
p.s. And Ooohh, ouch! Estes park is where Eli completely tore off his entire nail from his tiny little 3 year old finger!! We still loved the park, though & enjoyed the fireworks over the water 🙂
My favourite 4th of July memory is every night of the 3rd, my mum & my brothers would spend the night at my grandma’s (she lived one block away from the parade route.) After the parade we would visit my dad (who was a police officer) in the old girl scout’s house… that’s where the emergency place was set up. We loved bringing him burgers and Sheboygan bratwurts and hearing people talk over the police walkies. xx Happy 4th of July!
My all time favorite fireworks were in Key West, sitting on rocks in the water & feeling like they were falling all around me. It may be too crowded now, it was a long time ago. But it was awesome.
Tonight it will be sparklers, pop-its, & ground blasters right here. My boys have asked me every 15 minutes when it will be dark…and my 5 year old just asked me how many seconds it will be until we do them…off to find a calculator… 😉
Happy 4th!!! 🙂
Fireworks have always scared the bejeezus out of me. It’s not a rational fear, I realize. BUT- I do so enjoy outdoor adventures with my family. This July 4th, we’re watching movies indoors with cousins. It’s a break from tradition, but it’s over 100 degrees and the drought and subsequent burn ban means there are no fireworks in the county this year, anyway. Happy 4th to you!
Hey! Hope you guys have a great 4th of July! Looking forward to seeing some of your awesome pictures!
——–
Rick (Noah’s Dad
)
So. Dak. is my stomping grounds! i love the black hills and mt. rushmore. i’ve never seen the fireworks display there though. my sister lives there and she’s taking her little guy there tonight. happy 4th to you too!!
Happy fourth of July, my American friend.
I thought of you at the weekend – we went to a children’s farm and there was a sign upon leaving which read:
Leave nothing but footprints
Take nothing but photographs
Waste nothing but time
Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
What a great memory! That sounds like an amazing trip. Something you would definitely want to re-create with your own family!
Happy Fourth Hamptons =) Enjoy!!
I grew up in Rapid City South Dakota, and spent many July 4ths in awe at Mount Rushmore. As a result in being stationed in CA for the USAF we are spending our first 4th away from home. We sure miss it! Have a wonderful day Hamptons, hello from the west coast!
Happy 4th, Kelle
Estes Park is one of my favorite spots, but this year for us, nothing comes close to HOME.
Enjoy it!
We were at Mount Rushmore last year with our three kids and it was amazing!
Happy 4th of July to you and your family!!
I live in the Springs and have yet to go the top of Pikes Peak. Maybe when the kids are a bit bigger. 🙂
Happy Independence Day! I would love to sit and watch the fireworks at Mt. Rushmore. What an experience that must have been.
Kate (KWDQ) sound great! A shout out to Beth (feas–) HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! And to you, Kelle, and family! WOW- 3 wks of travel and camping and all those great sites . Sounds like such fun and great famly times! I am a bit jealous of people with these memories of holidays. I came from a very dysfunctinal family (wont even get started on that..), whom hardly celebrated any holidays. On July 4th, we did nothing. NOw, I try to create my own little traditions, even if they are simple. Cant wait to hear about your weekend~ Love from the Blog Mama~
Happy 4th Kelle and fam. xo
What a nice memory. . . happy 4th!!
We just had one of the best 4th’s! Spent time on the great lakes exploring the islands with family. Happy 4th Hampton Family!
Happy 4th of July! =)
Just finished an amazing, jam-packed 4th of July. Finished off with Alex tasting her first s’more and watching fireworks without wanting to scream or to run away. Locking this 4th into my locker of awesome moments with both my dear family and friends.
Here’s wishing you a great holiday.
Jennifer from Annapolis
I’ve been to Mt. Rushmore for the 4th and it IS spectacular. Quite a memory. You will do it. I’m sure of it. 🙂
Wow, I’m sooo glad to hear someone ‘shout out’ South Dakota! As a local, I just forget how lucky I am to live by great landscapes. Happy 4th to you and your family!
I live in Rapid City, SD, and the fireworks at Mt. Rushmore were always amazing. It’s sad they no longer do them due to fire danger.
I love reading your blog!
Have a Happy 4th!
Um, you didn’t do sparklers inside your house, did you?!! I adore the
4th of July and love that my girl picked up on my excitement this year. Can’t wait to see more pics!
LOVE that pic!
We just sat at the foot of Pikes Peak and watched the fireworks’ light bounce off those beautiful mountains tonight.
Estes and RMNP is pretty darn close to heavenly.
Hope your 4th has been lovely.
Loved reading that memory! It really inspires me to get my family out and road trippin’! We vacationed when I was a kid, but we never did the family truckster style traditional type. I wanted to add the fireworks at Mt. Rushmore to our family bucket list, but after reading one of the comments I’m not sure they do them anymore. What a shame.
Fellow South Dakotan here too! There is nothing like watching the fireworks atop Mt. Rushmore! Happy 4th to you and the family!
I have to say, Americans do more on the 4th of July than we do up here in Canada..I’m jealous!!!
Happy Fourth to you 🙂
Happy 4th to you and your family!
Sounds like a lovely trip that I would love to make also 😀
I look forward to the upcoming update 🙂
This year has been hard for my husband and I. We made the out of state move from Kentucky to Ohio and have been staying with friends since April. It’s been hard getting jobs, and I’m just getting over the effects of an ectopic pregnancy. So our fourth wasn’t as extragant as we would have liked it to have been.
But we’re together, and we’re alive, and we’re in love. (Getting ready to celebrate our first anniversary on the 24th!)
So we sat outside on our friends patio in the dark, side by side, holding hands, and watching the fireworks the neighbors were sending up into the sky.
It might not have been what we wanted, but I will never forget that moment for the rest of our years together.
I’ll never forget the first year I was married and my husband and I saw the fireworks in downtown Orlando, FL. I felt like I could touch them they were so close and so beautiful! Off to watch Katy Perry’s video for the billionth time this month (My kids love it)!
I so wish I could spend one July 4th in the USA… just to experience it! Our July 1st, Canada Day, is so quiet in comparison.
My husband took a very similar trip as a kid and still talks about it and his yearning to relive it with our kids. Hope you had a fabulous 4th.
Awesome memory. I am looking forward to making memories with my children. I have very fond memories of my childhood and the fun things we did as kids. I hope someday that my children will look back on some of these special memories that we can give them.
Wow, your bike incident sounds like an incident we had Sunday. My poor little one, Hayli, tripped right into a HUGE mud puddle. I was trying to help her but it was just so darn funny! Glad to know im not the only one who laughs at the littles!
T DARCUS – so sorry it has been a rough year. Hope the job scene improves. SO very sorry about the ectopic pregnancy. But that picture of you two on the porch, wow, that is definitiely a picture to keep forever. OFten, those simple, little moments are the ones we remember forever. Love from the Blog Mama~
Happy 4th – – a day late. Just getting to read your blog post from yesterday. I hope you and your family had a great holiday weekend!
Sweet memories!
Belated Happy 4th!
I’m from South Dakota!! We used to go watch the Mt. Rushmore fireworks every year! but now sadly they do not do them anymore! Hopefully they will start again soon, because they are amazing.
I rarely comment, because you always have so many comments by the time I get here, but now there’s only 51, so…
Just wanted to say that I love the way you approach holidays. And birthdays. And anniversaries. It’s been a subject of my own contemplation here recently, and the way you approach each of them hits home to me. The celebration, the joy, the enjoying each moment… it’s something I’ve decided I will be working towards a greater appreciation of.
So for those posts, and so many others, thank you for sharing your world with us.
That sounds like a dream. I don’t even know where to begin with all the photos I took this weekend so we are just napping today. 🙂
Steph
Happy Long Weekend!! Enjoy! Can’t wait to see all the pics. I can only imagine Nella’s face and Ooo’s!!
The 4th of July is such a wonderful event. I have fond memories of being in the US for this celebration. You Americans do parties and celebrations with so much flair. I have just found your blog last weekend and have spent ages having a good nosy around it! You little girls are just so beautiful.
Sparklers and lollipop. Doesn’t get much better.
I have similar Mt. Rushmore memories (from 1990). :o)
This 4th, we weren’t going to go see fireworks other than the massive display our neighbor sets off, but then we were reminded about how many parents out there would give their left & right arms to be able to take their children to fireworks. People whose kids are in hospital beds or even people who don’t have a way to get to the celebration. So we changed our plans and set up shop on a baseball field with our girls. It was worth the humidity, traffic, and general craziness just to watch our healthy girls watch the fireworks.
Kelle, where did you get that beautiful ‘love’-necklace you wear in the picture with Nella?! I LOVE it!!
– Kristel
i think an “out west” trip is a must for all families. the question is – will you make your kids follow the tradition to the tee:
m&m’s 2 for a dollah…
lol.
Whenever you make your awesome trip through the west again, we’d love to meet you!! Our girls are only about a week apart in age. 🙂