July 4th

Hi all. 

Hope you are enjoying your summer. 

We've been soaking up the sunshine, each other, and the freedom from the ordinary that summer brings. 

Speaking of freedom, here are a bunch of snapshots from our 4th of July.

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  We ventured up the mountain for lunch at a local landmark, Jones Store. 

Local pals, I'm ashamed to admit that I've lived here for 20 years and this was my first time to the made-famous-by-you Jones Store. 

Maybe you'll cut me some slack when I tell you the Maui cousins are staying with us this week, and sharing our first time to the Jones Store was a perfect memory-making event for this Jones clan!

 (Speaking of freedom- we take ALL the kids to camp this Sunday for 2 weeks- Yeeeeehaaw!)

 This young chap helped build the Jones store in 1954.
 

I ditched my usual water for an A&W root-beer, which is chilled in these retro fridges (in my dream kitchen I have all three of these. They will go nicely with this).

Word on the mountain is that Jones Store has stellar burgers. 

It's true folks! You should have heard us all exclaim, "THESE ARE THE BEST BURGERS EVER!!"  Our cute nephew Nicholas might have expressed love for his burger.

Seriously, drop what your doing and head up Beasore (which we pronounce "Bay Shore," but is pronounced 5 different ways by locals) to prove me wrong.

If your worried about facilities way up in the boonies don't fret, they've got'em!

There's plenty of "Mountain Charmin" available, too. 

After lunch we ventured up the hill to find a "crick" to wade in.  When I say "ventured up the hill" I mean went 4-wheeling in our non-4-wheel-drive-vehicle. Someone in the vehicle might have been full on freaking out! Her husband on the other hand might have enjoyed every bit of tromping through the forest.   

Once we arrived at a creek the kids yelled, "BEAR!"  Someone, who hates 4-wheeling, might also fear bears, and as a result may have been in dire need of the "Mountain Charmin."

Emilie (I love her. She will turn 14 at camp...I will miss her). 

Michael has mad rock stacking skills. 

He is a man with many skills, but he is most talented at loving me (I just made you say, "ahhhhh" didn't I). This 4th of July marked 20 yrs of us being an "item." 

After we were done romping around the mountain side we headed down to Bass Lake for the annual fireworks show,
 

where I had the best view on the lake. *love*

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Before I close I MUST show you the 20th dating anniversary gift Michael SURPRISED ME with~

A 3 hr flight lesson, with one hour flight in which I WILL FLY A PLANE for 30 minutes!!!  AHHH!! This is something I have ALWAYS dreamed of doing.  Now that it is a REALITY I am terrified, like gonna-need-a-lot-of-Mountain-Charmin-TERRIFIED! I'm also really excited...I'M. GOING. TO. FLY. A. PLANE!! 

(Btw- he bid on the certificate and got a deal of $75 instead of the original $249- woot woot!)  

How did you spend July 4th?  

What is something you've dreamed of doing? 

Live in Peace,