Did You Have a Wonderful 4th?

We did. It was relatively anti-climatic; but that's okay, being parents of small children and all. Our attempt at a double date watching a fireworks show on  the lake the night before was met with a boat that wouldn't start. None of us felt like rowing, so plan B found us taking a hike down the country road to get a view of the magnificent explosions and while missing part of the show, it was still (get this) a blast (didn't see that one coming did you?). I think kids have taught us how to roll with the punches and always always be prepared to come up with a plan B. 

We had a small cookout in our backyard with my bro and his fam. My sweet husband has mastered the art of grill chef and between the barbecued chicken, beer brats accompanied with a few tasty side dishes, we all ate way too much and conveniently forgot about the ice cream in the freezer that was supposed to be served with hot fudge sauce and peanuts. Jimmy and his little cousin Kailyn had their own kiddie pool party and had so much fun they didn't even know they missed out on the traditional parades and fireworks this year. Lucky for us, at the end of the day the kids had so much fun they were begging for bed earlier than usual so after the bro-fam left and the boys were sleeping sweetly in their beds, the husband and I lit our tiki torches and sat out on the patio enjoying some Black Velvet on the rocks and Dick van Dyke. I fear we have entered the mature and boring stage of life, when "pleasant" and "relaxing" usually trumps "exciting" and "spectacular". Usually. 

So were we the only ones that exercised our right to party on the simple and boring but oh-so-pleasant side of Independence Day traditions?