4th of July

It's a River Valley Ranch time of year. The girls & I went to RVR to pick up cousin Kelby, who's been washing dishes there for a few weeks. We went early, and on the way we stopped at a rural graveyard (the girls run around, stop at gravestones--or "statues" as Amelia calls them--and ask me to read the people's names.) Evelyn found some plastic flowers (no, we didn't take them off a grave--they were stuck up against an old outhouse, and since we had no idea what they'd once adorned, I let her take them. I hope that's not terribly unethical. Evelyn could have kissed me for letting her have them.) At RVR, we played at the Fort Roller playground (oh yes, Evelyn chose the double-tutu outfit. That's her for SURE) before taking Kelby home with us. And if it looks like Evelyn likes Kelby, well, that is an understatement. She's president of the Kelby fan club.

Shelley came over and we had a picnic in the backyard. I even bought hot dogs (can't remember the last time I did that.) Local folks shot off fireworks, we enjoyed the swings until the mosquitoes drove us inside, and Esther came over for a game of "Apples to Apples," which I think Shelley won (or did I win? Wow. I am getting old. I can't remember whether or not I won the game!) Nice. Very nice.