Independence Day

The boys were fired up for the annual kiddo bike parade at their cousin's house this year.  Arjen was excited he got to ride his "pedal bike", and Gus made a valid attempt at joining in on his strider bike.  The results were none-the-less entertaining.  And thanks to some super awesome bow-ties from the west coast Aunt Shannon, the boys were well suited in their red, white, and blue!

I actually got them to pose together for a picture!




Gus playing catch up to the parade start

And Gus needing to pull off to the side so the parade could go by

Arjen and "some guy" on a really small bike

Gus found an easier way to make it down the parade route, thanks to Adalin.  The two of them got quite the attention in her decked-out fire engine!

All five cousins (Alex is hiding in the back), getting ready to double back on the parade route

Probably the cutest moment of the morning…as they were heading up the driveway to park the truck, Gus ever so gently put his arm around Addie's back.  Sweetest thing I've ever seen.  Then she decided to reciprocate.  Some day when the 5 year age difference between these two has caught up with them, I'll be happy to remind them that they were best buds, at least for a summer.  :) 

Possibly the new fave fourth tradition…Water Balloon Wars!  

And you can't have a lake house without going for a ride on the lake!  Thunderdome!!!

If you turn up the volume, you'll hear all three of them shout out "Thunderdome!".  And then, what's sibling rivalry without the infamous oldest sibling downplaying the fun of the younguns.  I wouldn't know anything about that.  ;)

Sunday was the Elkhart Lake July 4th parade.  The boys were pretty excited to see all the fire trucks.  Almost as excited as the were to fill their bags with all the candy that gets tossed to the spectators.  (bags which i'm currently raiding as I write this.  Shhh!  Forgot how much I love smarties!)