Let Freedom Ring!

HAPPY THURSDAY!

With the 4th of July holiday quickly approaching I have been thinking a lot about 3 things:

1. Food
2. Dessert
3. Family

Growing up in a tight-knit family has always had its perks. We ALWAYS spend every holiday together (4th of July being no exception). I remember being little and going to my Grandma's house in the afternoon to play dolls with my cousins, Annie-over around their huge garage (if you have never played this game, your childhood was not near as cool as mine), and grilling hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill that evening. 

While my dad, uncle and grandpa grilled outside my grandma was usually in the house preparing her AMAZING potato salad, baked beans, and relish tray. It was usually my mom and aunts who brought  the cakes and cookies. (man I am starting to get hungry!) 

Everyone would bring their own slue of fireworks to set off, and when the sun went down we would all sit and watch fireworks in the backyard.

The fireworks were never my favorite part of the 4th of July though. I was always the first person to beg my grandma to break out her homemade ice cream maker and mix up some vanilla ice cream. IT ALWAYS HITS THE SPOT!

This has always been how our 4th of July was as long as I can remember. But over the past 5 years or so, my sisters and I have all grown up, most of us married, and now have our own families. As much as I love how our family has grown over the years, I still miss going to grandma's house on the 4th. Now we all seem to go in different directions, spending time with our in-laws, going to the lake, or doing nothing at all. Almost all of my fondest memories are when I was at my grandma's house. I have a sense of peace when I am there. Even though I never lived with my grandma, it always feels like home. 

Now that I have a family of my own I am ready to start our own traditions. I want my children to have amazing memories of growing up with nothing but happiness and fun times. I want to grill hot dogs, make homemade ice cream, play outside, and just be together. I want my children to have memories spent at grandma's house without a care in the world. 

This year I am not looking forward to the 4th of July like I used to though. We haven't bought fireworks, there isn't a cook-out planned, and we aren't going to grandma's house to make homemade ice cream. I know this happens as families grow. This year the 4th will be spent taking my children to the lake (for a few hours), and spending the evening with my mom. Hopefully the neighbors set off some fireworks so we can watch them. My dad and husband will spend their evening watching my cousin race his micro, and my sisters have an evening planned with their own families. 

....back to my first thought... FOOD. Is it lunch time yet?