Food, Fireworks and Fun

  We had an enjoyable holiday this year.  It was super relaxed,  perfect weather, there was great food, and a wonderful vibe in the neighborhood with friends and fireworks.  I couldn't have asked for more.

Roger got out his smoker and he made a delicious brisket with homemade BBQ sauce.  We had calico baked beans with brisket burnt ends in it,  homemade rolls with raspberry honey butter, deviled eggs, fruit and corn on the cob.  For dessert we had Texas Sheet Cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and a strawberry-rhubarb compote on top.  It was wonderful.  Roger and I have sure learned a lot from watching the Food Network and we enjoy cooking together and making new and exciting things.  Yummy!

Afterwards we lit off some fireworks but mainly enjoyed watching all of the shows around us.  Since Utah made aerial fireworks legal, it was incredible to see the displays.  We could see out across the lake and every where you looked it was beautiful and inspiring.  What a perfect day.

4th of July

Each year we try and make it to the launching of the hot air balloons that are part of the Freedom Festival.  This is one tradition that I do my best to encourage for a couple of reasons.  Not only is it fun and cool to see but it has significant meaning for the Felix Family.  When my mom had Leukemia, she spent several months in and out of the hospital receiving chemo and trying to recover.  After her final session, and her platelets were looking good, she was ready to be discharged, hopefully for good.  As she was waiting to go home, she looked out of her hospital room window and saw all the hot air balloons floating in the sky.  It was such an inspirational sight after such a long and difficult journey.  It gave her hope and joy and she always remembers that moment.  We have been blessed that she was able to overcome the cancer and is still with us 23 years later.  Each time we go and see the balloons marks another year with her and reminds us of our blessings.

This year the weather was kind of crazy so they weren't able to launch the balloons.  Nonetheless, it was still fun to be among them as they inflated.  Afterwards we all enjoyed a yummy breakfast at Ihop.  It was a great way to start the holiday.

4th of July

To be honest, I am not really writing this on the 4th of July. And since we are on vacation, we have packed in a million things and so they are all starting to blend in together. So in this entry I will recap both the 4th of July and the day after.

On the 4th Grampy was in the Westerville parade. So lucky for daddy, he got to attend yet another of his favorite events. It was in downtown Westerville. I love the feel of the old time main streets here in the Midwest. I love the cobblestone streets and the gorgeous flowers that are hanging from the light posts and the quaint little shops that somehow still survive in our modern world. It just has a wonderful feel about it.

The parade was kind of different, there weren't any floats. But they still threw candy and there was a lot to see so the kids enjoyed it.

Later in the day Uncle Andy and his family came over as well as Aunt Del and her boyfriend George. We spent the rest of the day getting reacquainted. Brianna hit it off with Elizabeth and they were practically inseparable. Ryan and Thomas had unlimited access to the Wii and loved every minute of it.

We introduced Elizabeth to Geocaching and went on some nice hikes through woods to find the treasures. We just love going into the trees here.

George and Del really like to play games. We played Catch Phrase and Skipbo together. Playing games is such a great way to bond and get to know one another better. There was a lot of laughing and a plethora of good spirited competition.





Of course, a celebration just isn't complete without good food. True to Grammy's style we have been eating well. Some of of the delectables we have enjoyed are sausage biscuits and gravy, bbq steaks, sweet potatoe casserole, funeral potatoes, ham, blueberry pancakes, chicken and homemade noodle, chocolate eclair dessert, peach pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and much more. If I don't gain 5 pounds on this trip I will be surprised. But it has all been worth it.

Later in the evening we lit off sparklers or "sparkly sticks" as Brianna liked to call them. It was a little mellow compared to our 4th and 24th celebrations back in Utah but we enjoyed making cool shapes in the air and capturing them on camera. Del and George made the heart (insert AHHH here).

We were able to enjoy the Westerville fireworks from Grammy's backyard. It doesn't get much better than that. We had a great couple of days with cousins, family, good food and fun.