It finally happened! Emerie began smiling this week. We were lucky enough to capture a few shots (check them out in the "Smiling Baby" album [not currently active]) ... right now you have to work pretty hard to get a smile out of her, but she seems to be doing it more & more as each day goes by. We also had a great time for the 4th of July. We spent almost the entire day outside - first working on the yard, and then swimming & playing with the boys. Andrea's Dad, Gary, is in town for the weekend & we all went up to the Ediger farm for the evening last night. Several of Cheryl's family were there & we had a great time eating, talking & shooting fireworks off.

Josiah officially shot his first fireworks off. Each year he has been getting more accustomed to them (a few years ago he would get really scared. He was still apprehensive about lighting them (he did a few), but he enjoyed watching. We had our own little nighttime fireworks display. A couple of Cheryl's nephews launched them from one side of the front pond while the rest of us watched & cheered from the other.

Tonight we have our Saturday night worship service for the month of July, with Andrea & I's adult small group Bible study afterwards. We're going to have it at another couple's house who live near where they will be shooting the city fireworks off tonight. That way, when we're done with the study we can pick up the kids from the church & come back to watch the display. I'm also preaching tonight as our pastor is on vacation.

Days are winding down for our youth trip to Glorieta, New Mexico, for Centrifuge - our youth camp. We leave next Friday morning (July 11th) and get back on the 18th. I've got mixed emotions ... on one hand it's exciting thinking about finally going after months and months of preparation & fund-raising, and on the other hand I'm almost sick about having to leave the family for a week. This isn't something new - Andrea & I deal with it each summer (for at least one week - sometimes two). It just doesn't get any easier. I've already got some pics of the family loaded up on my Palm so I can see them whenever I want to - and I'll probably add some more this week (like Emerie's cute smile!).