Gramma & Grampa Borkan

The 4th of July is quite easily my least favorite holiday. Hold your hate comments---I'm very grateful for our country, I just don't like celebrating it with fireworks and hot dogs and sweaty outside hotness....those "are a few of my [least] favorite things".

How do I like celebrating it then? With Tom's parents, of course!! There were still fireworks, hot dogs, and sweaty outside hotness, but the company we had this year seemed to make it so much more enjoyable!! Ron and Marilyn (aka Ronilyn) made the long trek out from Idaho to see us for the weekend and we treasured every bit of it!

"Gramma and Grampa Borkan" make fabulous playmates and Reese was in absolute heaven having them all to herself (besides the attention that was of course given to that pesky little sister ;) ).

Indoor time....

Lots of time coloring and playing in the loft

Pretending to be queens

and kings.

Making oatmeal cookies

Explaining the very serious dangers of egg cracking to Grandma. Reese cut her finger doing it like a year ago and hasn't gotten over the trauma.

And probably the most fun indoor activity....making and flying paper airplanes with Grandpa.

Claire was quite enamored with Grandma and Grandpa too and definitely got her fair share of personal attention.

Grandma was also a fabulous help in helping Claire get used to nursery.

Outdoor time.....

Saturday morning we explored downtown and ate lunch. Tom was also able to re-live the trauma show off his old work stomping grounds (the PwC building).

Later we all took an afternoon bike ride/walk through our neighborhood.
That night we headed out for fireworks. I had good intentions and really thought I'd be able to sit through it, but I felt my body tensing up so I ran to the car before it started and blasted music while I watched. That is even an improvement for me. I feel like I need to quickly clarify that I really am scared of fireworks and all loud, anticipated noises. Even balloons popping. I feel like some people I tell just think I'm trying to be cute or funny. I try to make light of it, but it really is a legitimate fear. I put earplugs in while at home during thunderstorms and I sit there plugging my ears filled with panic until the chandelier crashes in "Phantom of the Opera". I know logically that those things can't hurt me (except for maybe the lightning), but there's something to it that I just can't explain. I really am trying to get over it though.

A good portion of Monday was spent in the mountains on a little hiking adventure.
Our fearless leader, Claire. (And I do mean fearless as evidenced by the little scars still on her knees.)
Grandma helping Claire not die as she scaled the rocks looking for chipmunks.
Awww, and here's a tender moment between the girls....Not! Claire was actually trying to move Reese out of the way. Reese decided she wanted to be the leader and kept stopping right in Claire's path. Don't mess with Claire! She'll literally put you in your place.

And of course, the absolute highlight for my girls was all the billions of dogs we got to see and pet along the way.

Tom pointing out downtown. We are always amazed at how close we actually are to such beauty! There are so many hikes and trails only 30 minutes away.

I loved this cute little moment with Reese and her new BFF.

And those were just the activities we did while they were here. That's not even mentioning all the fabulous conversations we had. I really do have wonderful in-laws. My sister-in-law, Amy B., said it best, "They always make you feel like you have something important to say." They make you feel so loved and I am so especially grateful that they drove all the way out to see us!