Now that our boys and our grandchildren are grown we don't do much to celebrate Independence Day. However, when they were young we always had a big family celebration. Everyone would come over to our house and we would make homemade ice cream, have watermelon and barbecue something special to have for dinner along with homemade potatoe salad and lots of other goodies. One of the highlights of the day was the fireworks. There would be a few special daytime fireworks for the kids such as parachute rockets and poppers, all done safely by an adult. When it got dark we lined up our outdoor chairs in the front yard to watch the nighttime fireworks. Most of our neighbors also did fireworks so we all got to enjoy a shared neighborhood show.
1998 - Annika testing out the homemade ice cream
2001 - Tom spraying the ribs with apple juice as they were being smoked
2003 - Gavin gets his first taste of barbecued ribs
2008 - Annika, her friend Becka and Gavin enjoy watermelon
2016 - Shish Kebabs on the grill
We don't do a big celebration any longer since it will just be Tom and myself here. I do plan on having watermelon though as that is my holiday favorite! We will also grill some steaks and have a nice dinner tonight. Today is also a special day for my older brother, Charlie, as it is his 80th birthday! Happy Birthday Charlie!
Happy Independence Day to all who celebrate it!
