Happy Fourth of July

The locals say that summer up here doesn't really start until July 5. In other words, 4th of July is usually wet and damp which puts a bit of a damper of a bbq and fireworks. However, we just keep breaking records up here.

The most snow days,

the coldest weather,

the most rain,

and now one of the hottest, driest weeks for the 4th of July in almost 30 years.

I love records that break tradition.

That is exactly why the boys decided to kick off the 4th by sleeping outside on our bedroom deck the night before.

Then it was up, up, up. Randy headed off earlier to start flipping the pancakes for the 8:30 a.m. annual 4th of July breakfast at the church. Rand, Rand, the cooking man!

While we waited in line, Cayden showed off his bike decorated with roman candles. Last year, we went all out on decorating the bikes. But this year, the kids wanted the basics, and Makayla who is bordering the kid/tween years decided she would just help with Kenzie-Koo rather than bring her bike.

Loyal and true scouts always there early to raise the flag and lead us in the pledge. Then hurry, scurry in line for breakfast. My little red, white, and blue American girls.

Former military serviceman reminding us about our great country.

Bishop Crooks led off the bike rodeo. The kids are crazy ecstatic to ride their bikes around the church parking lot. Our primary has about 140 kids. So the parking lot gets turned into a whirling buzz of red, white, and blue with streames tailing behind huffys and fisher price wagons.

Makenzy was happy to have Dad push her in her stroller.

The girls taking a pause. Maddie chose to wear her Boston shirt, since Boston is a major birthplace of America's freedom.

Cayleb pedaling by.

Seriously it is un-American that he is 5 and still on a fisher price. This is proof of selective parenting and latter-child syndrome.

Cayden taught Madalyn how to ride a two-wheeler in one day when she was 5. I think it is time I call on the services of big brother once more.

Hot day.

Hotter because we don't have a/c and box fans just aren't the same.

Hotter because I had the ribs cooking in the oven before they were turned over to the grill for perfection. We decided against traditional burgers and dogs and went for ribs and brats.

The kids helped out as my kids do, by entertaining themselves in the pool

Summer is the cherry on top of the Mother Nature's seasons. I use to love fall because it was cooler, school was starting, the warmth of fall colors and sweater hum to me, my birthday was coming.

But not now.

I love summer.

The freedom from schedule, the time to have my kids back, the fresh fruit, the longer days, blue skies and sun.

Yeah, I now have a new appreciation of sun and sun worshippers though I still slather on my spf 30+.

Maddie loves the sun too, and Rainier fresh cherries, YUM!

One of my favorite and easiest 4th of July foods, red, white and berry yummy!

So I told Cayden last week we had to commit ourselves to a work project. I told him this had to be done while Dad was gone, that I worked under a premise of ask for forgiveness not permission when it comes to house projects. He stared at me a little hesitantly as I gave him the hammer and told him to bash out the blush pink and white tiles.

I told him it was seriously o.k.

I think all kids need to have demo projects.

He liked this project better than smashing the t.v.

I told Makayla not all kids can say they've pulled out a sink or yanked up cabinets. I told her it was something she could tell them about on facebook.

I don't think 12 year old girls think demo stuff is as Cayden and I do.

I spent a lot of my 4th working on the rest of the demo project.

Randy took the kids to Lake Wilderness where families spend all day playing old fashioned games like 3-legged races and sack races while setting and getting ready for the evenings' firework display.

We were invited by our neighbors to their cul-de-sac to light off fireworks. Cayden and Cayleb took their box named the "War Lord" and a bag of poppers and other small assorted fireworks to join in the all out firwork bash.

Up here it isn't usually dry. So fireworks spank the pants off what we used to be able to light off in Utah. All sorts of things can shoot up in the sky. The first year we moved here, we had neighbors to ask us to keep an eye on their roof because the neighbors fireworks get so crazy they were worried their house might catch fire. We thought they were a little weird. Then we saw how many big fireworks go off and we though they were smart to close off their windows to smoke and ask us to look sparks they might not be able to see.

The city fireworks this year lasted about 20 minutes.

The neighbor fireworks started about 8:00 p.m. and lasted past 11. One guy rolled in a dolly full of fireworks.

Cayden was excited to light off the assortment in the "War Lord" box. He had a couple big ones that got applause from the circle of neighbors and friends.

The girls ran home for more chips.

The fireworks kept going.

By 11 p.m. we were done,

they kept going.

They spend lots of money.

It is lots of fun to watch fireworks and other people's money go up in colorful sparks and flames.

We had a great 4th of July!!!