This year we spent the 4th of July with family and friends. The morning started out with a family breakfast at a local Amish restaurant (YUM!) and progressed with afternoon bottle shooting at my parents’ house, ending with a company cookout in the evening. Overall, it was a busy day!

Our evening cookout was about 50 miles north of our home. Since Lylee is terrified of thunder/big noises (and we live about 0.25 miles from our local firework-shooting park) we decided to pack up the dogs and take them with us. They travel well and behave relatively well so they were welcomed into our hosts’ home with open arms. Half of my evening was spent holding (65lbs) Lylee while the city fireworks were going off in the distance, but I didn’t mind and she appreciated it. (Enzo could not care less about thunder, fireworks, sirens, tornadoes, hurricanes, and apocalypses.)

On the way home all three of my loves PASSED. OUT. (as in K, Lylee, and Enzo). In that moment I knew what my Monday grateful heart post would be about. To quote my best friend’s Facebook post: Things aren’t always easy but they sure are great. I always think my heart can’t love my little 8-paw, 2-human family any harder, but then I catch two sleeping dogs in my rear view mirror and a tired husband in the passenger seat and my heart explodes.

Another grateful heart moment occurred on Sunday as I sat on my living room couch reflecting on the holiday. My best friend Erica texted and offered some much needed advice, then invited me over to visit with her & Baby Elliot. How lucky I am to have such wonderful friends.

It was an absolutely wonderful weekend; I’m still reeling. How happy and humbled I am to be an American, a Christian, and a very, very loved human being. And it’s all just luck of the draw.

I hope your weekend was just as fabulous! What did you do? Any cookouts or pool parties? Do you ever target shoot in your parents’ backyard?

-Louise