Happy Independence Day!

And it truly was...
As usual, we spent the day preparing for the evening's festivities. Papa smoked some chicken wings and the girls and I spent time in the (still unfinished) backyard in the wading pool. The weather (thankfully) stayed mild so Papa and I were considerably less grumpy then we had been in past years. When six o'clock rolled around, we all headed outside for the annual parade led by none other than dear old Uncle Sam.

After the parade came the waterballoon fight. Now, Kyla is apparently not a fan of these because she spent the entire time saying "oh no! Broke it! Water! All wet!" and I spent that entire time responding "It's ok, they did it on purpose, they're having fun. See, they like to get wet!" I don't think I ever convinced her though, so I was glad for it to end.

After the waterballoon fight came the potluck dinner. I can't speak for everyone, but I know I look forward to this feast the whole year. There are, of course, certain staples (things made every year) R's deviled eggs are always a favorite, our neighbor, S always makes some sort of delicious meat (this year it was BBQ ribs), and P across the street always makes hamburgers and hot dogs on his grill. This year, the favorites were macaroni and cheese (I love you H!) and ST's baked beans. Unfortunately, Papa and I seem to have been so busy pleasing our palates that neither of us got any pictures of the three (yes three) tables filled with food.

After we had all filled our bellies, it was time for the bubblegum blowing contest! For the first time in the history of these festivities, C did not win! (she chose not to compete) So, the rest of us actually had a chance this year! ST blew a mean bubble, but ultimately K won out...here's some pictures of this year's finalists.
When the flavor had gone from the gum and the winner (K) had been declared, the egg throwing contest commenced. Traditionally this is a father-son activity so I was glad to see a few girls in the mix this year. Of course the "big" kids won and then we all settled in to hang out and wait for the sun to finish setting.



After the streets had been cleaned, we sat around and chatted until the sun set. W and the men set up their ladders and other various platforms for the fireworks, we each picked our viewing spot and sat back to enjoy the show! Now, the fireworks display on Our Street is so fabulous that it could easily rival any professional show. I had put Bunny in the Moby anticipating that she was so tired she would go to sleep. But as soon as those fireworks went off, she was wide awake, bouncing around and all smiles - she was in good form all day, despite the lack of sleep, and greatly enjoyed each of the laps she got to sit on and all the smiles and attention bestowed upon her. I was relieved to see that Punkin' could finally appreciate it (she was frightened last year) from her vantage point on T's lap (T is her most favorite person, ever).

It was a marvelous show...maybe the best yet! We really are blessed to have such a wonderful community. Thanks neighbors!