Fourth with Cousins, a photo by here we wander on Flickr.
For the first time in I don't know how many years, I spent a Fourth of July away from the lake. And while part of me missed it - thought about all the summers spent at favorite lakes with faraway friends and with family - yesterday came pretty close to being perfect.
Uncle Brian and Cousins Austin and Kyndal joined us early in the afternoon to spend most of the day under the patio umbrella and in the back yard pool. The kids had a great day, going from pool to slide (it was better when you were wet, of course) to trampoline and back again. They spent the better part of five hours out there splashing, sliding and bouncing. Uncle Brian and I sipped beverages on the patio, caught some sun (mostly for me) and enjoyed catching up.
Sadly, Josh was working. But as he's not big on the pool or the sun, I don't imagine he felt like he was missing much. Certainly not with time-and-a-half holiday pay.
After soaking up as much sun and water as we possibly could, we all came back inside to get dressed and get ready for the second half of the day. Up next was dinner at El Chico, arguably an odd choice for the Fourth of July, but it was a belated birthday dinner for Kyndal and it was her choice. So Mexican was on the menu.
Our night ended across town at Uncle Brian's house. The kids alternated between the back yard trampoline and the indoor Wii Gaming system. We sipped some more beverages as we waiting for dark to come.
And then the real show began. I was a bit hesitant, wondering how the twins would do with real fireworks up close and personal (hello new state laws allowing military grade shells). But the boys surprised us all. There were a few hands-over-ears moments, especially at dusk as the neighborhood starting popping and cracking with the first fireworks. But once they saw the flashing lights, the noise faded into the background.
We all left the back yard and headed out front to the cul-de-sac in front of the house. We opened the back hatch on my truck and the kids sat down (though this would not last for long). Uncle Brian began setting up the show. Bottle rockets, roman candles, sparklers, big and small shooting fireworks. It was a big show and a big night. All the boys did incredibly well, watching and bouncing and smiling the whole night. We had to warn the twins back a few times, as they desperately wanted to touch the bright, shooting sparks from time to time. But all in all, they did well.
It wasn't a typical Fourth of July, without the boat and the lake and the grill, but it was still a great one. Back yard fun. Family and Friends. Good food and good times.