4th of July!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

I will start by saying... this year's 4th of July celebrations were...

CRAZY INSANE!

I am talking a party every night!

The festivities started on Friday the 2nd. We headed up to my parents house for our traditional BBQ, relay competition, movie, sleepover.

For the festivities we had more traditional BBQ fare and I somehow felt ambicious (not sure where that came from) and made a few festive sugar cookies.

YUMMY!!
When we arrived at my parents place we expected to have the kiddie pool set up,
But what we didn't expect was this...
AWESOME!!
The kids had so much fun. Seriously hours of entertainment!
Once Tate figured out how to climb up the back by himself, he too joined in the fun!

And Oh what fun they had!

When they decided they were wet enough,
They'd just take a few laps on the four wheelers to dry off.

We ate some scrumptious food and the relay began...

UNFORTUNATELY... I did not get a single picture of the whole affair. Maybe I will get a hold of some pics from my dad soon. Anyway, I will attempt to give you a play by play of this year's event:

1. Shoot baskets to determine the order of play.

2. Begin

3. Each couple starts by saying the names of every member in the family in birth order.

(Dan and I had to start over because we did not realize we had to include the babies in tummies too- so NOT fair :)

4. Bowl! Number of pins knocked down takes seconds off your final time.

5. Dribble soccer ball and make a goal in the pug. (both hubby and wife had to make a goal)

6. Ring Toss- just one person had to ring it.

7. Put ice on a plastic spoon, put spoon in mouth and walk with it from point A to point B and back. Drop ice into plastic cup. If ice drops... start over.

8. Putt plastic golf balls (with plastic clubs) into the swimming pool.

9. Eat Hot Cinnamon Gummie bear, light 2 sparklers and then sing "The Star Spangled Banner"

10. Blow a bubble through bubble wand.

11. Guy does cartwheels from point A to B and back while girl counts how many. # of cartwheels can take seconds of final time.

12. Guy bobs for apple, carries apple in mouth to girl across the yard. Girl peels apple with knife, guy eats it.

13. Run across yard again... Guy dribbles hackey sack twice.

14. Run up on deck, hold flag high in air and say "The Pledge of Allegiance".

15. Time stops!

***Each station is in different place around yard... therefore requiring a lot of running for a large pregnant lady by the way.***

Anyway, May and Ty won first place.

Dan and Dee got a close second.

Bri and Britt came in third.

Shane and Kenzie took last.

****Better Luck to All Next Year****

Then it was dark.

Dark enough for GLOW STICKS! ( or light sabers as my boys called them)
And then....
FIREWORKS!

Really, they all end up looking the same so...

We all then set up our air mattresses and sleeping bags out on the lawn and my dad set up the big blow up movie screen. "Princess and the Frog" was this years feature.

But because we didn't even start the movie till around 1:00 AM I don't think many of us saw much of it. I know I didn't!

The sun sure does come up early when your sleeping outside.

5:45AM to be exact... at least that is when we woke up and looked at the clock.

We cleaned up our gear and had yummy breakfast of pancakes, breakfast burritos, and fruit all cooked on the grill.

The guys (including Tracen of course) turned on the World Cup soccer game and we heard a lot of hootin' and hollerin' for a while.

Then it was time to head out... everyone had different 4th traditions including parades, fireworks, and more parties!

THANK YOU MOM AND DAD FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!

Dan and I headed home to finish preparing for the next party with Dan's side of the family.

They arrived at our house around 3:00pm.

We started with the kids playing in the pool and jumping on the tramp while the "grown-ups" played a "friendly" game of HELL-O while chowing down on chips, homemade salsa, and fresh guacamole!

It was quite fun to have Kwint and Gina join us.

Then it was on to our own (a bit smaller scaled) relay competition!

(just wanted to break in Dan's family)

This competition was titled, by Dan of course,:

"You ain't JUST whistlin' Dixie"

it included:

*Making a basket in our kid size hoop

*Running down to the basement and scoring ONLY 1 goal against Tracen and Sammy, or Riley and Tyler in a game of Foosball. Not too hard- right? You'd be surprised!!!

*Gallop around the tramp chanting... "The British are coming, The British are coming!"

*Sit on the swing and eat a foot long fruit roll-up to the middle with your partner.

*Then sing "The Star Spangled Banner"

*Hit A croquet ball through the hoop once

*Eat a saltine cracker and whistle "Dixie"

*Go inside to answer a "secret" question or two

*Question included naming at least the last 5 presidents of the U.S. (any additional presidents could take second off your timed score)

Winners: Bruce and Christy- gift card to Cafe Rio

2nd: Leah and Joel- package of OREOS

3rd: Leo and Tricia- penny bank of Tootsie Rolls

Last: :( Kwint and Gina- They actually sang "The Star Spangled Banner" in proper tempo and tune!
Thanks for being such GREAT sports Jacobs' and Kemp clan!

Then it was onto grilling steaks and chowing down. Of course it wouldn't be a party with the Jacobs without Huckleberries!

So Dan and I made a Dutch Oven Huckleberry cobbler and Bruce and Christy made homemade strawberry ice cream.

HEAVEN!

Then it was on to more fireworks... courtesy of the BEST PYRO UNCLE JOEL ever!

He brought a rocket and by far the very biggest of all fireworks!

I'm not sure who had more fun... the kids or him!

THANK YOU UNCLE JOEL!

We actually got to bed at the "early" hour of 11:30pm that night.

Next day on the 4th of July= Sunday, a true day of rest!

But.... Monday the 5th came along and Dan only had to work until 12:00noon so.....

MORE FUN!

We went up to Bruce and Christy's house around 2:00pm.

The kids played in the pool, and sprinkler under the tramp, Christy and I "tried" to keep order and the big boys attempted to make more progress on B&C's waterfall in the backyard.

Then, Leo and Tricia arrived with some good old American Kentucky Fried Chicken! We had creamy, hand-whipped REAL mashed potatoes, hand-shelled (by Christy, Tate, Zeke, and me) peas from their garden, and of course MORE HUCKLEBERRIES!

Christy made a better than delicious cheesecake with huckleberries oozing all over it... oh my I am salivating just re-thinking about it.

So incredible!

We cleaned up, and played more cards... Hearts this time... where Leo took a very fair beating! :)

We then had a lovely discussion about the "Joy of Fireworks".

Seems we have a few Firework Scrooges in our midst.

The 4th of July is NOT Dan's favorite holiday.

But after gently being reminded that this holiday is not all about him...

We headed up to Fernwood to watch MORE FIREWORKS with a wonderful mountain view.

The boys enjoyed the glow sticks, a few mosquito bites, maybe the off in the distant fireworks, and Dan got us home at a somewhat decent hour... sort of.

*Ok- maybe we pushed it a bit this year and MAYBE there is such a thing as too many fireworks*

Hope all had a FABULOUS 4TH and until next year...

LET FREEDOM RING!