Let Freedom Ring - On Our iPHONES!

Happy Fourth of July AMERICA!!!!!!!  We love America here at The Heb and are super patriotic.  Though we did forgo this year participating in one of the greastest, longstanding traditions to show your love of the U.S.A. - that of watching Independance Day, but we did cook meat and watch things explode.

Luke also did his first flag ceremony!  We have this little two foot tall flag that Marinda wanted to put into the flag holder above our garage.  So Luke held it and Marinda called the color guard calls, and Luke marched forward with it above his head.  Marinda even walked him through saying the pledge of allegiance for the first time!  Marinda always loved teaching the flag ceremony in Girl Scouts, so this was particularly meaningful for her.  :)

Jacy exercising her freedom to be adorable!

We hiked over to Blackely to spend the 4th grilling and hanging out with our good friends the Bushmans and Houstons.  Marinda made a TON of food, and when asked about it she just kind of shrugged and said that she could, so why not?  Part of being in a free country is the ability to feast, so we did!  We also got to meet the CUTEST little boy - baby Elliot Houston!  He was less than a week old and Marinda's heart was just exploding.

Luke and his backup singers!

Love these guys!

We finished our 4th by climbing to the top of the same parking garage we went to last year and watched the Union Bay fireworks.  You're not right in the action, but you still get a really great show. Luke's favorite part of it had to be the police boats patroling the water, and the giant army helicopter with a HUGE American flag hanging from it that was flying around Seattle.  He kept asking where the helicopter was long after the fireworks were over.

"THERE IT IS!!!  The Helicopter with the flag!!!"

"Did you know fireworks say Boom Daddy?"

This was also a monuentous week for the Misras because they have officially graduated from the stone age and both got iPhone 6s!  It was the very generous gift from Amit's Dad for our graduation present, and we're loving them so far.

Oh yeah, Mommy and Daddy are getting phones!
Wait, I'm not getting one!  But I'm, like, 3 months old!
I HAVE to have one!  My social life will DIE without one Mom!

This week was also graced with visits from foriegn dignitaries.  On Thursday Leslie Krzeczowski, one of Marinda and her Mom's Girl Scout Friends, stopped by the house with her husband and son and two dogs on their way to see Rachel over at UW.  Luke was asleep, but Jacy had fun getting some kisses!

Yup Jacy, kissing boys isn't much different.

Then Brain McKenna, Marinda's "notcousin", had driven up with a friend Sunday and was planning on leaving Monday morning, but we were happy to have him for a night!  Our guest room sure is getting a lot of usage!

Marinda, Jacy, and some goofball photo bombing our picture!

Brian reading a book about planes to Luke.
Yup, that's all it takes to win a toddler's love!

Luke Stories:
- Luke knows a lot about driving - like that you're supposed to stop when the light is red.  However, Marinda is a madwoman on the road apparently and will turn right even if the light is red.  Luke freaks out and yells at Marinda every time she does this.
- In last month's Friend, our church's magazine for kids, there was a story about a little girl who mowed all her neighbor's lawns to earn some money for a family whose dad just got diagnosed with cancer.  It was a cute, beautiful story, and now Luke keeps trying to escape with his toy lawn mower because he wants to "do something special for my neighbors!"and mow their lawns too.
- Luke likes to play "fire" where Marinda will sit in the chair in the living room with Jacy and say "Help!  Help!  There's a fire!  We need Firefighter Luke!" and then Luke will come running from the family room with one of his firetrucks and put out the fire.  Then tells Marinda that he wants to play "fire" again and runs to family room to wait for Marinda to call again.

Jacy Stories:
-Our daughter is no more.  We can't find her anywhere.  In her place, however, is one very loud and funny looking pterodactyl!  (did you know that's how you spelled it?)   It squaks all day long, not crying but actually like it is trying to carry on a conversation.  Hopefully our little girl will return to us eventually.
- Whenever we see Jacy wake up, she does the cutest little stretch with her arms reaching above her head and her little toes pointed oh so perfectly.  Her eyes are closed and she sticks out her neck and your heart just melts for this little person who is sleeping in our house!

Wild Child