Amazing 4th of July Weekend

Okay, this one is definitely going to go down in the history books as one of the best 4th of July weekends we've had (had family been here to celebrate with us, and had we been able to spend Aunt Teri's birthday with her, it would have been THE best - hand's down!).

Let's see, where to begin. Saturday Merrick and I had a nice, leisurely day at Happy Hollow while Craig did some work.

On the 4th of July - Sunday - we met with some friends to go the parade in Menlo Park. This was the perfect family event, and I'm certain we'll have this as part of our annual tradition as long as we're here in the Bay Area. The parade was so cool because all the kids were able to decorate their bicycles or scooters and actually be a part of the parade themselves.

Here's Merrick's creation:

The start of the parade:

Merrick got about halfway through before he turned the keys over to Daddy to finish:

After the parade, we were able to find the PERFECT spot in the shade for a nice picnic lunch:

Then after lunch the kids got to go crazy running between all the different bounce houses that were set up. I kid you not, there were probably 6-8 bounce houses for them to choose from:

After that, 3 hour naps were had by all -- well, by Merrick -- so he was well rested for the fireworks that evening. We bought tickets to attend the San Francisco Symphony at the Amphitheater here in Mountain View. Fireworks kicked off close to 10PM - they were fantastic!

But was that the end of our incredible weekend? Oh no, not at all!

Monday we woke up and decided we had had enough of the heat (which really was NOT bad AT ALL in comparison to a summer in FL) and headed to Half Moon Bay to spend some time on the coast.

See, in CA we are spoiled like that. A little too hot? Head about a half hour north or west and see the temperature drop about 20 degrees. Too chilly? Go just a little east or south.

We stopped in for lunch at this cozy spot right on the beach:
Merrick made me so proud by venturing out a little on his menu choice. I know, it's macaroni & cheese. But I can count on 1 hand, maybe 2 fingers, how many times he's ordered something other than chicken nuggets.

Then we played on the beach for a little bit. CHILLY!!

I saw this really cool, unique house right on the beach and had to take a picture of it - the flowers were gorgeous!

So there you have it, yet another fun-filled weekend in this AMAZING state.