Fourth of July and a Family Visit

We had an amazing week with my parents! It was sad to see them go.

We spent a few hours at the lake one day.We spent time at the park.

We drove my parents all over the area looking at houses (because our goal was to convince them that Tennessee is much more awesome than Arizona). We found one house that had about six peacocks hanging out like it was no big deal. My dad and the girls made themselves at home on a swing they saw in the back yard. Another house we found had deer tracks, tarantulas and snakes.

We lit our fireworks on July 3rd since we had plans on the Fourth. Let me say that the legal fireworks in Tennessee are far superior than the legal fireworks in California. In California you are limited to sparklers and small fountains and the fireworks are outrageously priced. Here, we got bombs that blew up in the sky! SO AWESOME! We spent the same amount we would back in California on fireworks and got twice as much and the fireworks were a thousand times better!

We spent the July 4th in Downtown Nashville. It was raining, like crazy! My mom and dad took some of the girls ziplining downtown. G and L went, A said she wanted to go but backed out. We were all soaking wet before it even got dark so we decided to go home and change before the good stuff started. We got back downtown in time to see the end of Keb' Mo' (he's a pretty cool Blues singer, if you were wondering). After Keb' Mo' we watched The Band Perry. C LOVES them. Loves is probably not even a strong enough word, she worships them! She is only 2 1/2 and basically knows the words to almost all their songs. She had a blast singing and dancing along to all their songs. The older girls love them too! They were pretty great live and we had fun squishing around in the mud while singing along. As soon as The Band Perry finished the fireworks started. Nashville fireworks are amazing! I've never seen anything like that before. The fireworks just never stopped, it was awesome.

After three days of nonstop rain we went for a drive to the Stones River Battlefield. The history there is crazy and so interesting. We explored the National Cemetery after walking around the battlefield. We also drove to the Stones River and saw how flooded it was from all the rain. The walking trail we stopped at was impassable on both sides.

My parents flew home to Arizona on Monday. The last two mornings C has walked downstairs and said "where gramma and granpa? They not home?" She thinks that their home is our home. She's confused that they actually have their own house in Arizona. So, instead of telling her they "went home" I tell her they "went back to Arizona", that doesn't make her any happier but it at least stops her confusion. 

Our plan to make them fall in love with Tennessee was a success. My mom and dad both loved it here. My dad was easier to sell on the idea of living here than my mom was. She worries about my brother being alone in Arizona. I understand where she's coming from but he's lived there by himself for a few years now and he's 27 for heck's sake! My parents just signed a lease on a house out there so I know they won't be going anywhere soon. But, the seed has been planted and I will continue to text them photos from around here weekly to remind them what they left behind! Whether or not they move where we are, I just want them to be happy, wherever they live.