Happy 4th of July!

Steve and I were so excited to celebrate Independence Day this year!  It was a HOT day, and I was half expecting to melt into the sidewalk, but we had fun through it.

We started the day at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  After the free gardens in Fort Worth we were a little disappointed to learn that Richmond's is $11 to get in, so we took advantage of the 4th being free!

She wouldn't let go of the pin wheel the entire day

Looking at the lake from the treehouse

A piece of art constructed by weaving branches together.  Seriously, it was the coolest thing

Wondering around the rose garden

I'm seriously excited that hydrangeas grow here

By the reflecting pool

The butterfly exhibit

We let Cadance take a nap during the afternoonand then we headed out to the Diamond to watch Richmond's own Flying Squirrels face off the Mets (the lesser known minor league version).  

You know, I was a little worried about the game.  Benches, sitting, late night, etc, but Cadance actually had a lot of fun.  I know the picture Steve posted on Facebook doesn't show that, but she really did.  She enjoyed climbing on and off the bench, looking through the program, tearing up the program, watching the game, and making friends with people sitting around us.

Can you tell how hot it is?  Her hair was soaked in sweat!

What I was most excited about was the fireworks.  I was so excited to see Cadance's reaction.  It wasn't what I thought it would be.  She didn't get really excited or started talking and pointing.  She sat completely still and gazed at them.  She was in complete awe.  It took her several minutes and some prompting and all she did was point and make so random noise.  I loved it though, fireworks are pretty amazing.