Happy 4th!

We had a great Fourth of July celebration this year, and thanks to Rachel's great ideas and family traditions, we enjoyed more than just fireworks and barbecue. Rachel has been missing the traditions that she was raised with when she was growing up. Now that we have our own place, we finally have the room to entertain a few of the ideas that she had for us and the friends we invited over. The Muirs and the Lewis' joined us for a fun afternoon and evening, thanks to Rachel's great planning and hosting skills.

I spent the morning getting the yard as ready as possible for when everyone came over. A word of advice: do not take out a stump with nothing more than a shovel and a mattock and then try to do the limbo in the same day. My back didn't like it, and I bet yours wouldn't either. Once the yard work was all squared away, we took care of some last minute shopping. One minor beef about St. Louis that I've recently developed is their firework laws. Legal in one county, but NOT across the river in another county!? Forget that! We'd rather enjoy life. Our neighbors enlightened us to the fact that no one really cares, and in fact, we had one of the more mild firework displays on the street. So we figured things would be alright if we bought a few kid-friendly ones to keep them and everyone else happy.

The fun began at 5 when everyone showed up. First thing's first - food. We grilled up some burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken breast to give everyone a variety and the sides were classic. Watermelon, chips, pasta salad, a great bean dip - everyone had their fill. The kids tried to shoo away the flies as best they could as they ate on the patio, but they must've been just as hungry. The best idea to get rid of them came when Dave Muir told his son Matthew to just wave at them. So, listening to his dad, Matthew gave the flies a friendly hello wave :)

The Piñata was a huge hit with the kids. Even Vance Lewis got in on the action once all the kids had a few turns whacking the thing. Annalyn was probably thinking something more along the lines of a drum, but once the candy flew, she figured it out!

 The limbo was a lot of fun too. Again, do not attempt if you've taken out any stumps the same day. Unfortunately the kids didnt quite seem to understand the concept, so the adults got in on the fun and enjoyed making fools of ourselves. Rachel stole the show when she made it under the stick with Annalyn in her arms and being 5 months pregnant. Quite the champ!

The fireflies that we were hoping to catch weren't nearly as plentiful as they usually are. Must've bed the crowd and the smoke from the fireworks that kept them away. But a few we're caught, and all the kids had a blast.

Finally it was dark enough to set off more than just the sparklers and snaps. We were surprised at how high they went. Utah's height limitation on fireworks definitely gave us a low expectation on how they'd look. Many of them shot more than 20 feet in the air! All in all, not a bad show.

Ultimately, everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time. Everyone was safe and well-fed. We hope to be able to have just as fun next year....but I probably won't limbo.