Happy 4th of July! How Will You Spend Your Day?

Happy 4th of July! Next to Halloween and Thanksgiving, this is my favorite holiday of the year, and definitely my favorite summer holiday.

I remember as a kid we would have a ton of family and friends over to swim, grill and hang out. And when it was dark enough, my dad and uncles would light fireworks and we would get to play with sparklers. This was years ago, back before it was illegal to light off fireworks in your backyard. And aside from the fireworks, we continue to spend our 4th of  July’s the same way every year.

The 4th of July is also my mom’s birthday, so we have two reasons to celebrate the day. Today, my siblings and I (I have 4 siblings) will all gather with extended family and friends at my sister’s house. She has a huge pool and great big back yard, and there’s more than enough room to keep all of the kids busy. I say all of the kids because between my siblings and I we have 12 kids (and my sister has one on the way!), and if you include our friends’ kids, there are at least another 6 – 10 coming. It’s crazy and busy and we spend most of the day running around, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

The kids will spend all afternoon swimming, chasing each other around, jumping on the trampoline and playing on the swing set. The adults will spend the afternoon trying not to go crazy, counting heads in the pool, and enjoying each others’ conversation while sipping a cool drink.

Dinner will be potluck style. This year since my sister, who is our resident Master Griller, is pregnant and can’t stand to be anywhere near the grill, we decided to order some food in. We all pitch in money to order the best fried chicken from a local pizzeria…I know that sounds weird but their chicken is amazing! Then every family brings either an appetizer, side dish or dessert. I will be making a yummy ham and cheese dip appetizer, my Texas Caviar (bean salad), and bringing a fruit tray with lots of Chiquita pineapple on it.

Ethan watching fireworks with his Daddy

When the sun finally goes down and it gets dark, the kids will all pile onto the trampoline to watch fireworks. The view from the backyard is incredible, and we can see at least 5 different cities’ fireworks shows. Everybody will ooh and awe and enjoy the shows. Then we will pile all kids in the car with the guarantee that they’ll all be asleep before we even drive the two miles home.

Ethan is really excited about seeing the fireworks again this year. He remembers them from last year, and it’s so cute to listen to him explain what fireworks are to his sisters, who don’t remember them from last year. His excitement is contagious, because the girls are just as excited as he is. I can’t wait to see their faces and hope I can capture a picture of their happiness!

That’s what we are going to do today – how will your family be spending its day?

Fireworks Photo Source: Flickr.com/Stephen_Gunby