Happy Independence Day!

Well, it wasn't like the last six Fourths of July, but change can be good. Our tradition in years past has been to head down to my office, sit in the air conditioning, and watch the fireworks over The Mall. Due to bedtimes and a cranky Clara we decided to stay home and have a BBQ.

And what better way to BBQ than with a group of great friends? David, Bonnie & Michael, Bruce, Julie & Colter, Pete, Mika, Lauren & McKenzie, and Aaron, Tiffany, Logan & Samara converged on our homestead for a midday munch-fest. The one tradition we did keep up was preparing enough food for a group twice our size. Julie made an amazing 3-P potato salad featuring pepper, paprika, and potatoes. Tiffany brought a great grape and pecan salad (with a dressing made from orange juice, sour cream, and goodness), and a sugar-cookie dessert topped like the American flag in fresh berries. Mika brought a couple of great salads (loved the Caesar) and a veggie tray. And Bonnie made a great summer punch with a limeade base, seltzer water and fresh cucumber.

After ingesting enough calories for the next three days we started playing the Wii. Aaron & Tiffany have one, too, so he ran home and got an extra controller so we could have four people playing at all times. We had a great time playing the Mario Party mini-games, the cow game, and all of Wii Sports. We found out that someone is pretty competitive, almost to the level of the male host. It's nice to have competitive people around.

To top the evening off, we headed over to David & Bonnie's new house to check it out. The place looks awesome! We're so glad they were able to get a home so close by.

Happy 4th!