What’s your favorite way to celebrate the 4th of July?

My parents love to have family over for the holiday. Food is a plenty, beverages are flowing and my uncles and my Father tell stories about the Korean War and WWII. This year, I’m going to record these stories as these men will not be with us forever. I think we need to remember not just their service but their stories, too.

Every year we go  to a Civil War Re-enactment..

My grown kids ask “why”?..Do you expect the end result to turn out different?????:smileyfrustrated:

We actually go because the entrance fee..goes to the local veterans origanization:smileyhappy:

To everyone ..have a safe and wonderful 4th of July.

We like to go to an event where there is a very impressive 1,600 flags display and a military band playing patriotic music.Seeing all those perfect rows of flags in the park and lining nearby roads, fluttering in the wind, is really awesome. Gives me goosebumps. I feel proud and blessed to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

To prep the doggies for the boomers  I will make sure that they get the calming medication early in the am.   Then the kennels are moved to the basement and a radio will be playing for them.

After I raise  the American flag out on the flagpole.  I will then go to work.

After I get off work, this is how I will celebrate.   I will stuff myself silly with smoked pork butt, smoked chicken, burgers, brats and/or  hot dogs  all grilled or smoked by my son.  I will have already sent over ginormous bowl of macaroni salad with the other kids.    After that I will be watching the fireworks in the sky.   Hopefully the neighbors will be elsewhere watching the shows and not shooting off too many as I have to be at work Tuesday at the crack of dawn.

Happy Independence Day everyone.  Stay safe and have a great day!

barbecue, watching the american flags in the neighborhood flutter in the wind, being with my family and a huge portion of a delicious italian-american chilled dessert- a creative collaboration between me and my mom!!!! love it. happy 4th of july everyone!!! and, remember to stay safe!!! xoxo  (psandbtw, when i was a small child, the kids in the neighborhood used to all light up “sparklers”. i must admit, i was scared of them then. and, i’m still scared of them now. the same goes for fire works. the only time i like fireworks is if we are on a river dinner cruise. other than that, i’ll stay far away. happy 4th everyone!!! oh, sigh… xoxo)

When our  kids were young, we celebrated the 4th of July by having a bar b que at home and then took the kids to Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey, where the kids went to the Arcade and rides and when it got dark, we laid on blankets on the beach and watched the fireworks overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  What a beautiful sight!!!

Now we go to the 4th of July parade in Kenwood, CA with my 88-year old Mom and other family members and watch the parade and partake of the bountiful foods and fine wines available to us. After the parade, we go back to my house and have a pleasant afternoon, followed by dinner and watch the fireworks throughout the nation and watch the “POPS” and national celebrations throughout.

We always remember the reason why we have this day to remember.  So many have made it possible for all of us to be able to celebrate our freedom!!  God bless America and all the troops who have made it possible to live in a free country!!  I’m proud to be an American!!!

A picnic in the backyard with enough food to feed an army with great music playing and then watching fireworks at the local fair ??????

Being thankful for our country’s freedom:)

By hanging out the American Flag:)

Thanking our troops for our freedom:)

The land of the Free and the home of the Brave:)

Barbeque, home made potato salad and home made ice cream with family and friends.  At 9:30 we can watch the fireworks display from our back yard.  We’re not allowed to have fireworks within our city limits so we are super grateful to have a huge display from our local amusement park.  Unfortunately our SIL who is deployed won’t be home until the 5th but we will have lots of hugs and leftovers waiting for him when he arrives!

And of course everyone is in some form of red, white, and blue!!!!!! We love the United States of America around here.

Every year we get the family together and just spend the day eating, visiting and having a great time. Once its dark out we bring out the fire works we’ve all bought and set back and watch the show. The litlle ones are able to help light them with the help of the grown ups and they feel so important I  enjoy watching them as much as the fireworks. It’s just a day of fun, family and love!!!!!

Every year we go to Lied Lodge in Nebraska City home of J. Sterling Morton founder of Arbor Day and attend their small town festivities.  Fantastic Fireworks, oldtime ice cream social and patriotitc songs performed by the local talent.  We love the laid back quiet town, the beautiful relaxing Arbor Day Lodge with its apple farm and orchards, touring the Morton Mansion, taking a horse and carriage ride and the baseball game at the park. Perfect!

Luckyruby, loved those little guns.  Your photo of the cap guns brought back really “WONDERFUL MEMORIES.”  Thank you for that.  Love to go back in time.  Psychologist say, “There is a child locked-up in all of us.  We must let that child out and play….it’s HEALTHY.”  Any hoo, that is what you just did to me….my child came out.  LOL  :womanvery-happy:

Lemire, your outing at the lake sounds really great and really beautiful.  I know your family appreciates “YOU” for those memories, and the “HEAVEN ABOVE” loves all the prayers you send up for others.

I thank you all for the lovely response to my long paragraph of my way to celebrate the 4th of July. 

I am very fortunate to have a lake house.  The 4th wouldn’t be right without all the family and BBQ.  We do a lot of water sports.  When evening comes most people on the lake light flares on the water front and there is a parade of boats.  That is my favorite time because that is when I get out my supply of Sky Lanterns.  You light the wax and wait until it gives off enough heat to soar the lantern way up into the sky.  While I tell everyone as I light each one (I call them prayer balloons) who the prayer is for.  I send a balloon up to heaven for each of our deceased family members and those that are ill or having hard times.  We then watch the fireworks and we all feel so happy with so many blessings the 4th always has.  

Like everyone … always with Family & Friends (and my famous PUB burgers 🙂 ) …. but my truly favorite way to celebrate would be to go back in time when every 4th, my little brother and I

got brand new cap guns and holsters !  Remember these ? 🙂