A week of firsts

So we spent the last week in Warsaw Missouri enjoying some family time with my side of the family. We had a nice family reunion style BBQ with the Morgan family to kick off our weekend. We had a lot of fun and then we were able to check into a cabin that was perfect for our family vacation! It is so nice to be able to stay in a place where you don't have to go out to dinner every night, since that is always a struggle with little ones, and we even had a washer and dryer! As you can see in the pictures below, we really had a great time.
Leila had a lot of firsts and she just loved everything. She is so bonded to her aunts and uncles and grandparents, it was no surprise that she LOVED staying in the cabin and waking up every morning to her family around her to play all day! I have to say I agree, it was a lot of fun to spend the week together. We went to HahaTonka State Park, which actually has some family ties for the Morgan side of my family, that was pretty neat to see, if only Leila had been in a better mood while we were there!
We went Golfing with Grandpa Mark and took turns watching the babies and going out on the boat. The lake was beautiful and we are already looking forward to our next trip!
Leila had her first ride on the tube, which she LOVED. She got to see her first fireflies. and then, when we got home we spent the 4th of July holiday with our friends Matt, Cindy, Bryce and Eli. Probably the best first of all, at least from my perspective was her first view of fireworks. When we first got out of the car to find a place to sit someone let off a loud firecracker and really scared Leila. She jumped up on her daddy pretty fast!
We found our spot and laid out blankets for all of us to sit on. It seemed like it was taking FOREVER for the fireworks to start but Bryce and Leila made use of the time by running around in circles around our blankets again and again until finally....a very loud bang sounded and Leila ran straight into my lap! :)
Bryce was a brave guy and didn't seem bothered by the noises, but Leila was a little jumpier, which I had expected. We sat and watched the fireworks and the kids LOVED it! They kept yelling out what color the fireworks were as they appeared in the sky and loudly announcing which ones were their favorites.
I remember when I was a little girl, I was terrified of the fireworks. I have a memory of sitting on the bleachers somewhere during a fireworks display and hiding my face in fear. I remember looking up occasionally to see the bright fireworks after the boom had finished. Since then I have learned to really love fireworks. For the last couple of years, we haven't made it in to see the displays, mostly because of Leila's schedule, but as she gets older she is a lot more flexible and this year I was very happy to get to go again, and to share something that I really enjoy with my daughter. I was very pleased that she wasn't afraid as she sat on my lap with her nigh nigh blanket watching with awe. I think I like them even more now, having seen them through the eyes of my very excited baby girl. I am so beyond blessed.