Our Great Country-a few days later!

To celebrate the 4th of July, we went with our neighbors to Schoefield to watch the fireworks. We have done this the past 3 years and it is crazy, insane with people. Each year they open the base to the public and estimate anywhere from 40,000-60,000 people show up. We all gather in this huge field and there are bouncy houses and slides for the kids, food for everyone and all sorts of little stands selling random stuff. Here is Finn with Tia- one of our new neighbors with whom we have really been glad to meet. Tia actually got lost at this extravaganza. We had the MP's (military police) notified and everything. All in all, she was only gone for about 20 min when her mom found her at the McDonalds happy meal house for lost kids. As you can see, she was then givin a bracelet to keep her from getting lost again. Finn and Tia have so much fun together in our pool and on our daily outings to the playground. She is 25 months and even though she has no fear to speak of, and can talk your ear off, they get along great.

Suzette, Tia's mom, was brilliant enough to bring along these blueberries which the kids spent at least a half hour munching on. That was after Finn devoured all of their dried cherries. Geeze! You'd think we never fed the kid! I have decided to stop buying fruit snacks and replace them with raisen's and dried fruit. Normally, I would be concerned that eating so much fruit would give him the runs but since our child maintains the need for cheese in this country, the fruit prevents him from being plugged up.
This pic didn't turn out like I had hoped. It was already dark and the kids were playing with some glow-sticks. Those are the green lights in front of us. As for the lights around my head...who knows where those came from. But at least you can see our faces. Thanks again to my mom in law who gave Eric and I this beach blanket. This will be its last use here in Hawaii. It has been to the beach with us almost every trip. Very useful!