4th of July Festivities

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love the colors, grilling out, hanging with family/friends, and the fireworks.

When we were kids, we would head over to my Aunt and Uncle's house in @rkansas. We would head over either the day before or the morning of. On the way over, we would always stop by a gas station just past the MS bridge to pick up a soda and fireworks.

Once we arrived at my Aunt C and Uncle A's we would hit the pool all day, only getting out to eat, swing on the swing set, or fight with each other. As the sun began to cross over the trees, just out of the pool's sight, we knew it was getting close to the time that we could shoot fireworks.

As soon as we dried off, it was time to start with the little stuff first, the bottle rockets at the cars and people passing, smoke bombs, and those little black turd-growing things. Once it was dark enough to see the fun stuff, we all fought over who was getting to shoot off what. Kids running around with punks, trying (usually unsuccessfully) not to burn each other. Brother's are the worst. I swear their whole goal is to blow a body part of yours off or burn you.

Once it got close to 9 or so, we would leave. If we timed it right, we could get to the MS bridge just in time for Memph!s to shoot their fireworks. We would pull over on I-40, hoping the police wouldn't flash us all away. What? We weren't the only rednecks to do this. There's always a line of us dumbasses.

Ahhh, memories. This is something I've always looked forward to going to doing with my husband and children. To watch them swim in the same pool we did. To watch our kids sit at the kiddie table, while we adults talked. To shoot fireworks with our kids.

I'm not sure what NYEBoy and I will do this year. I'd like to go to the neighborhood we're getting ready to move into to watch their fireworks, but we'll see. Wish A was with us, I know she'd love the fireworks.