Yesterday during my trip across the state, I had to stop at the State Capitol. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph the beautiful interior of the Capitol dome. The photo is so perfectly centered and sharp because I put the iphone on the floor and used a timer to take the photo. This of course created the nice scene of me stepping over the ropes cordoning off the state seal on the center of the rotunda floor and planting an electronic devise on the floor which immediately began beeping.

A little closer.

Full resolution, zero resizing.

My jealous mistress, seems like I spend more time with her than my family. She's not very modest...cover yourself up Lady J. This Lady Justice is found in the Canadian County Courthouse in El Reno, Oklahoma.

Mary was quick with the camera today (and skillful with the focus) and caught a shy bunny in our garden hiding out amongst the plants.

Will was fortunate this year as he got to celebrate his birthday twice, once on Saturday with all of us, Ma, Pa, Uncle David, Aunt Catherine and Aunt Donelda and again today with just the five of us and Aunt Donelda. Will picked out chocolate cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles for his traditional number cake which Mary did an awesome job of making!

Completely out of character, when it came time to serve the cake and ice cream, Will declared that he didn't like cake...not even as a frosting delivery device! So, Will happily celebrated his birthday with just some chocolate mint ice cream.

Will proudly displaying his number four cake.

Landon was very interested in all the gift opening and Will was kind enough to let him work on his package opening skills.

Not a bad haul as Will excitedly displays his new Star Wars Clone Wars Clone Trooper Blaster. Thank you to everyone who called, sent cards and gifts, and helped to make Will's birthday weekend really special for him.

Tonight we enjoyed some sparklers left over from our celebration of the 4th of July. Drew is making a big circle with a more modern sparkler. Notice how the sparks flying off are different at their ends than the old fashioned ones in the next two photos. The first three photos are each 1 second exposure.

Drew with an old fashioned metal sparkler, which supposedly burns at a higher temperature, making some crazy circles.

Finally, Drew with the same old fashioned sparkler making small circles.

I really love this photo I took of myself holding a sparkler. Canon 500D, f/2.8, 1/6 sec., ISO-100.

The same photo enlarged.

Finally, the full native resolution of the same photo. Pretty cool. I had no idea before hand how well it would turn out.

In six and a half years and three kids, we've never really had anyone get into something unsupervised and make a mess...until today.

Landon has developed the fun little habit of pulling the placemats off the kitchen table in order to get at whatever is sitting on the placemat. Today, he managed to acquire some Cheetos while no one was in the room to hear the bag fall to the floor. The spring loaded clip was no barrier to the cheesy, salty, crunchy, goodness inside.

Someone's got guilt smeared all over his little chin.

Aunt Donelda is in town for Will's fourth birthday. You wouldn't think a simple photo with everyone smiling and looking at the camera would be that hard...you (and I) would be wrong. In fact...*cough* *cough*...you won't exactly find this particular photo in our photo library.

After the 4th of July parade this morning and playing at the neighborhood park where there was a jupiter jump, we worked around the house, ran some errands, grilled out and then went to see fireworks at Rhema.

I took pictures of the fire works and experimented with different settings. I think the above photo came out the best. Click beneath it to see it in its full-size glory. After the jump, an absolutely ridiculous number of other photos from the evenings fireworks show.

Our neighborhood had a 4th of July parade this morning with a fire engine ladder truck to lead the way. Everyone decorated their bikes and strollers and Drew and Will decorated their scooters. The parade ended at our neighborhood park where everyone enjoyed some frozen treats and the kids got to jupiter jump until they couldn't jump any more.

It will be a while before Will will be able to reach the pedals.

Drew is ready to drive the fire engine to the next fire.

Two patriotic American boys enjoying the 4th of July sitting on the back of a fire engine...it doesn't get much better than this!

All three boys in their Old Navy American Flag shirts. Landon missed the parade but was waiting at the park at the end, ready to help hand out treats to all the boys and girls. After the jump, see Daddy driving the fire engine.

Happy birthday United States of America! Sorry the liberals have been giving you such a beating lately. We conservatives know that you have always been, and still are, the greatest nation, unequaled in all the world, the steadfast beacon of liberty. God Bless the USA!

Landon is getting his first haircut and is looking at Mama for reassurance that the stylist really should be cutting off his golden locks.

Fourteen month old Landon sat quietly while big brother, three year old Will, was getting his haircut too.

Landon holding still while some hairs get clipped.

Landon's first haircut is all done and now he looks less like a baby and more like a little boy...hand Mama a tissue.

Three awesome brothers simply being all brotherly...and in need of haircuts (next post).