July 7, 2011 - Happy 4th of July!

Riley's first pony ride

She LOVED it!

Cruising on the boat ride

At first she wasn't sure about the kangaroos that went up and down as they traveled around the circle but warmed up to it very quickly

I think she liked just running around almost as much as the rides

Loving the carousel

That evening we enjoyed some toddler-free time at a wedding at the V. Sattui winery in Napa Valley

The couple both work at Clorox and invited their bosses, Eric, Chad and Steve

Chad staying cool on the 4th of July with a nice, cold white wine

I try to look stylish despite my growing midsection

Zooey and Riley are ready to hit the pool

Freese family chillin' in the pool

Cheers!

Floating under a canopy, sipping water and looking cool in her sunglasses; what a life!

Seamus hates water. Despite the heat, he preferred to lay next to the pool.

Mommy, Riley and Lisa

Dancing after dinner

Riley is going to be such a good big sister, she loves to take care of her babies.

We had a fantastic 4th of July weekend. We hit the county fair Sunday morning and had a blast. Riley rode a pony for the first time and was fearless. She got right up on that pony, held on, and loved the trip. She enjoyed the other rides too, although I think she was just as happy running around the fairgrounds despite the heat.

That evening Chad and I went to a wedding at the V. Sattui winery in Napa valley. It was a beautiful location for a wedding, although a little hot. It was over 100 when the ceremony started at 6:30 pm and unfortunately the guests were all sitting in the sun. Happily the reception was held in the barrel room where it was very comfortable and cool. We had a great time with our adult friends. Riley, meanwhile, had a great time with her babysitter Irene. She was asleep by the time we got home and woke up asking, "Where's Irene?" When we had first decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom, I worried that Riley would be too attached to me and would become upset any time I left. I am very happy that this isn't the case at all.

We spent the 4th of July with our friends Steve, Lisa and Zooey. Chad smoked ribs and I made cherry pie with fresh cherries from our farmer's market. We had a great day relaxing in their pool to cool off from the hot weather. Riley enjoyed playing with Zooey, who is almost 1 year old; the girls love to dance. We're lucky to have such great friends with whom to spend the holiday.