Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Sending a dose of patriotism from our family to yours this Independence Day.
We hit the floor running today as we are expecting 15 family and friends over for a celebration of Independence Day between 1 and 5 pm.
Becky texted us with a photo of their matching Old Navy shirts.
It was 115 degrees in Phoenix today!
What did the colonists wear to the Boston Tea Party? Tea-shirts.
We were almost ready when the first people arrived, and we were so glad it was Robion, Bob, and Nick.
With their assistance, we were ready by 1:15 pm when Vicky and Jim joined the celebration.
Everyone visited the island to see what goodies were in store for them!
We had a variety of appetizers, including a homemade avocado dip. Zachary, Becca, and the kids joined us around 1:30 pm on their way to Peanut and Gary’s home (Becca’s parents who live in Garden Grove).
What did Luke Skywalker say on the 4th of July? “May the 4th be with you!”
Vicky and Jim told stories all afternoon long.
Mary found the chef’s hat, and our resident chef was now in his full regalia. Bob is a bbq-ologist and cooks anything on the grill, including peas.
Get to work, Bob!!”
The great-grandkids, Remy and Lilly, were amazed at the garden, so we sent them out to find strawberries, and they were pretty successful. Even though I do not use chemicals, I taught them to wash the strawberries off.
Robin and the great-grandkids talked for quite a while.
Meanwhile, at the BBQ, Nick was getting lessons from the ól Master. We heard them chanting, “Burn, baby, burn!” The aroma of hamburgers and hot dogs wafted around the patio, and Scout was going a little nuts.
The Master Chef and his accomplice at work!
Meanwhile, inside, Vicky and Greg share stories!
“Well, Greg, do you remember…………?”
Fast Eddie and Dianne were a welcome addition to the gang. Dianne brought a flag cake for dessert, which was gobbled down in a hurry.
They were in line to get the first of the burgers and hot dogs!
The kitchen seems to be the place everyone congregates.
Vicky and Dru are about to attack lunch!
We were pleased to have Bill Capps and his wife, Sandee, as “first timers” at the annual get-together. We missed the Zaitz and Irene. Bob and Donna were in Oregon visiting Cyndy, while Irene was not feeling well. She did have a good celebration because from her perch on the 11th floor of he new home, she could see the fireworks from Palos Verdes to Malibu!
Bill was hearing the story of the “Montebello Girls Club raffle,” when Vicky was president AND the only member. It was Vicky’s first crime spree.
Mary and Sandee have become good friends, and Mary provided Sandee with a plastic bag and some clippers and sent her to the garden to go shopping.
Everyone had a wonderful time!
When our family and friends gather, it’s a happy time.
Beautiful smiles!
Dianne’s dessert is now on display. It’s almost too beautiful to cut, but we managed to do so! The cake was magical, and it disappeared when no one was looking.
Oops, there are only 49 blueberries!
After 5:00 pm, everyone headed home except Robin, Bob, and Nick. They stayed with us, and Bob drove his car to Joe’s house (our son) for a fireworks demonstration, par excellence!
No, more food! We were busting at the seams. We brought dessert, but we also managed to sample some of the goodies. This group has some amazing cooking talents.
The tent shielded us from the sun’s rays!
Joe managed to obtain a “Gumby lighter”. Remember Gumby?
Gumby, the bendable clay animation icon, debuted in 1955 on “The Howdy Doody Show”. His series, “The Gumby Show,” began in 1957. Key trivia points include his flexible plasticine material (requiring multiple figures per scene), his iconic green color, and his loyal sidekick, Pokey the horse.
He was available on eBay.
Gumby saves the day!!
Joe checks out Gumby to make sure his flames are long enough to set off the fireworks.
Gumby is the green one!
Brave son, lighting fireworks in sandals.
Joe changed shoes, the sun disappeared, and the work began! Opening, sorting, and organizing get underway seriously.
Getting ready to begin requires a BIG bucket of water and homes at the ready!
We had a large crowd, including family and friends. Amy’s (our daughter-in-law) Mom and Dad were here, along with the grandkids. Robin managed to find some patriotic music and played it during the fireworks. I was ready to get up and march around the fireworks table.
All eyes were on the fireworks!
Ka-Boom! The entertainment begins.
Why did the duck say bang? Because he was a firequacker.
Flames shot 500 feet into the air! OM, maybe five feet!
Live action tells a better story!
More Ka-Booms!
More live action!
After the display, we all headed home, and this was the first time I could see all the fireworks on the way home, as Bob did the driving. Amazing.
We also saw drones searching for the people who were firing off the “non-safe-and-sane” fireworks. There were drones everywhere. More than 8,000 pounds of illegal fireworks were captured last year in Orange.
We arrived home safely and proceeded to take out the trash cans for a Saturday pickup!
The pool was too inviting, and besides, the fireworks noise wasn’t great for sleeping. We wandered around the pool for two hours before going to bed. Our wrinkles had wrinkles!
A bathing beauty I am not!!
It was almost 1 am when we hit the hay! Just before lights out, we had a serious conversation (no, really!!).
