Hi Everyone!
It's Kate here for our first post. It's also the week of the 4th of July.
Emma and Bailey are out here visiting for the weekend, and so is the
rest of their family. For the Fourth of July barbeque we made Red Velvet Fudge
(recipe from the fantastic blog
Vittles and Bits), Red Velvet Cupcakes from a mix (are you
sensing a theme here?), sugar cookies (to be topped with strawberries and
blueberries later), my dad smoked some pork ribs and made his infamous baked
beans (maybe someday I'll do a tutorial!). We also had watermelon, chips, corn
on the cob, and lots of other delicious sides made by other relatives and
friends.
By the time this barbeque was full swing, we had sixteen kids-
seventeen if you count the Emma and Bailey's little brother due
in November- ranging from 2-3 months to 16 years old.
On the agenda for the party we had a water balloon war- because with 14, 11,
and 4 year old boys, it won't just be a fight- a sprinkler, a
kiddie pool, a homemade life-sized board game (designed by Julia). And, of
course, fireworks, sparklers, and pop-its to end a long, fun night.
So here's 5 reasons I love the 4th of July.
1. Everyone matches!
A shallow reason at best, but it's always so fun to see everyone
matching and competing to see who is THE MOST patriotic and decked out person
at the party. When I was young- probably between 6 and 9 years old- I
would dress is red, white, and blue for the whole week of the 4th. But
the crème de la crème of my outfits would be saved for the real event.
2. Parades
The neighborhood parade was the perfect beginning to the 4th as a kid.
I would get up, have a good breakfast- usually coffee cake made by my dad-
and once everyone was ready, we'd go outside and decorate our bikes with
streamers, balloons, stars, and sometimes glitter. And then we'd head off to
'Town Center' and meet up with most of the families in the neighborhood to
follow slowly behind a fire truck for a few block circuit in a parade.
Afterwards, the fire truck would shoot water out the hose for us to play in,
and there'd be free face painting, a park to play at, once or twice there was a
petting zoo, and a concessions stand. Finally, around lunch time, the party
would wind down and my family would go home to prepare for the barbeque in a
few hours.
3. Parties and barbeques.
The music, the food, the 30 neighborhood kids, the water fights, the
games, the mosquito bites, and the fireworks. It was- and still is- the life.
The 4th of July barbeque was always the highlight of my summer
when I was younger. Ever single one of my friends would show up- I'd estimate
anywhere between 15 and 40 kids would be running wild in our backyard and
sometimes the yards around it. From afternoon until it was pitch black
outside we'd play game upon game upon game. Sometimes they would be games
of our own invention, and we had what seemed like endless fun
4. The Food
Everything from hotdogs to hamburgers, to chili, to fruit, to deserts.
My dad makes his infamous baked beans maybe 6 times a year, and they are
fantastic- definitely one of my favorite parts of the 4th. I also
look forward to stuffing my face with too many chips and
deserts, and hoping that my occasionally sensitive stomach would be able to
handle it. Oh food, glorious food.
5. The Fireworks
They always seem to put me in a Disney mood. :)
There was, and still is, something magical about fireworks- something that
makes you afraid to blink because you might miss something awesome.
When I was younger, a few of the dads would get fireworks and set them off-
and all of the kids would sit on the porch railings and laugh as the dads
scrambled away from the fireworks before they went off. One year, just as
we ran out of fireworks, a stranger pulled over in front of our house and asked
if we wanted some free fireworks. Our answer was yes, of course, and that
man was forever dubbed the 'fireworks angel'. We still bring him
up from time to time and laugh.
The Fourth of July is the highlight of every child's summer, and I, for
one, will cherish them always.
What is your favorite thing about the 4th? Let us know in the comments!
Kate <3
I've always loved Belle I don't know why because I'm nothing like her. 
