once upon a time, it was the 4th of july.

this fourth of july will forever be the year i will remember as the one where chase went around burying his head in our shoulders so he couldn't see the fireworks.

but when each firework would pop off,

you'd see his little eyes curve over to the side of his head to watch,

just out of the corner of his eye.

with utter trepidation on his face.

it was my favorite thing of the entire day.

just so so SOOOO cute.

this year's menu:

baby back smoked ribs

homemade french fries

bacon wrapped cheese stuffed hot dogs

soft serve ice cream cones

snow cones {with or without ice cream, however you fancy}

homemade corn dogs {i will never eat a frozen on EVER again. WOW.}

grilled corn

broccoli salad

avocado dips #1 and #2

chicken skewers

watermelon

desserts a'plenty

...

basically, we pulled out ALLLLL the stops in the food department this 4th of july.

ladies and gentlemen,

without further delay...i give you,

The 4TH Of JULY

FAMILY YARD FEAST!

EXTRA SALT.

i swear to you, you've never tasted any combination as good as this.

not even peanut butter and chocolate could top this.

which is saying a lot coming from me.

word to the wise: don't try to drink the melted ice cream after.

basically like drinking the ocean, but worse.

had to get myself a 5th bowl of ice cream and fries just to recover.

totally worth it.

{note: it's days like these where i really appreciate my 90/60 blood pressure.}

{mmm mmm mmm. i promise, they're supposed to look that way.

if you don't light them on fire, they won't taste right. delish! 

when they're popping on the grill, you KNOW they're done.}

{above: the corn dogs i CAN'T stop thinking about.}

i

will

never

have

a

frozen

corn dog

EVER

again.

UHHHH--MAZE--ZING GRAAAAACE.

{aka: homemade corn dog.}

{note: somewhere between above 

and below he lost something...}

{i was in love with max's 4th of july nails.}

{above: when you try to grab a sparkler 

from the wrong end one too many times.

you're BANNED. so rough to be 2.}

 then one of the fireworks blew out of its side, fell over, 

and shot at keaton one way, and grandma gigi the other,

and that pretty much wrapped up the night in a jiffy!

no one's fault, even though keaton thought it was his at first,

just a bad egg so ta speak.

the firework, not keaton;)

we couldn't find brennan for 20 minutes because he was hiding in the big yellow slide,

and max and chase ran inside to grandma carol's house.

good times in the land of the free.

i just love america's birthday.

it never gets old:)

the end.

reasons why i love chick-fil-A

i told them to make their best "we love chick-fil-A faces."

this is what they gave me.

greatest picture of max of all time.

...

reasons why i love Chick-fil-A

1. chicken always feels healthier than a burger.

it doesn't matter if it's fried.

it's chicken.

not red meat.

it wins every time.

don't argue with me.

these are my reasons.

you lose.

by default.

plus, you have the option to order it not fried.

i never have, but i've heard people do.

like sean.

he tells me he does.

go him.

2. fresh flowers at ever table, hanging outside, 

on tables throughout the restaurant.

don't believe me?

smell them.

touch them.

pull them out.

i did.

they're real.

there's water in there.

i know, it genuinely surprised me too.

3. the play place smells fresh.

not scented.

not a puff of automated air freshener.

FRESH.

just normal FRESH.

not like bleach.

FRESH.

like it's clean,

you just know it.

'cause it smells

FRESH:)

go smell it.

you'll see.

and there's a toddler tree.

for the littlest of your chick's.

4. THE BABY CHAIRS ROLL.

i repeat: THE BABY CHAIRS ROLL.

why has no one else thought of this???

5. best lemonade on the planet.

period.

buy it by the gallon.

you won't regret it.

in fact, buy 2 gallons.

i give you permission.

go ahead.

6. cow photo cut out.

every time.

never gets old.

7. there's decor on the walls and in the bathrooms that i would actually like to hang in my home.

it sounds weird.

and makes me sound tacky.

trust me,

you'd like it too.

don't judge.

rod works.

i swear to you.

8. BEST service on the entire planet.

not just for fast food.

but for anywhere.

"oh you have three screaming children with you,

here, let me carry out your tray, get you straws, bring you napkins,

and give your child another bbq sauce b/c he just spilled the first one on the floor,

two cherries on your milkshake, it's my pleasure! i'm genuinely happy to serve you today, 

b/c i am happy to do whatever makes your Chick-fil-A experience a good one, i'm not even bothered,

and i'll use good etiquette and manners the entire time too,

b/c i work at Chick-fil-A and we're just awesome like that here."

{i don't work at Chick-fil-A, no one from Chick-fil-A is telling me to write this, i'm getting nothing from Chick-fil-A for doing this, i'm just saying that's what i think the Chick-fil-A guy was thinking, hypothetically.}

seriously, they're just awesome.

every time i go,

i'm more amazed at how consistently awesome they are at Chick-fil-A.

 eat more chicken.

go to Chick-fil-A.

order it not fried, if that's your fancy.

or fried.

whichever.

the end.

baby you're a firework {cheese stuffed bacon wrapped hot dogs & grilled corn}

THE 4TH OF JULY:

where you are hungry at 9am 

when you eat breakfast,

and then you never feel hungry again 

for 

the 

rest 

of 

the 

day.

i give you...

the 4th of july

at the

FAMILY YARD:)

when brody's friend saw these he said, 
and i quote,
"i volunteer as tribute!!!"
my sentiments exactly:)

cheese stuffed

bacon wrapped

hot dogs

{totally labor intensive, TOTALLY worth it.}

1. cut hot dogs, but not all the way through.

2. stuff with shredded cheese {i used colby jack}.

3. grill bacon and wrap hot dog, using toothpicks to secure for baking {you can use precooked bacon, but cooking it fresh is soooo much more amazing}.

4. place cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped hot dogs on PAM sprayed foiled cookie sheet in a 450* oven for about 10 min 

or until the hot dogs look cooked.

5. toast buns in a pan: spread mayo on the insides of the buns before toasting to give them the most DEEEELICIOUS taste and pretty toasted look you have ever experienced on a bun.

6. carefully remove toothpicks, no big deal if the bacon breaks, just put it back in place on the bun.

7. serve/INHALE immediately!

YOU HAD ME AT HELLLLLLLOOOOOOO:)

ABOVE:

the scene of the crime. 

where troy smoked his ribs all day 

and made the best french fries i have ever fancied 

in

my

entire

life.

salty, crispy, golden brown.

no other fries will ever compare.

i knew the corn was done b/c it started popping on the grill inside of it's shucks.

i may never boil corn ever again.

it was my favorite thing of the day.

sweet, grilled, mayonnaise, Parmesan, chili lickin' good.

GRILLED CORN ON THE COB

1. soak corn in water {i didn't and it was fine, but andrea said that would keep the shucks from burning better next time}.

2. turn after 15 minutes.

3. turn again after 15 minutes.

4. continue until you start to hear the corn popping.

5. then you know they're done:)

iccccceeeeee creeeeeaaaaammmm.

be there first.

for the creamiest cones.

i put chocolate at the bottom this year.

hello hello hello.

and then troy made french fries 

off of the back of his meat smoker 

where he was smoking the ribs, 

so we dipped them in ice cream.

the fries.

not the ribs.

the ribs didn't even need bbq sauce they were so amazing. 

summer time,

when the livin's eeeeeeaaaaaasssssyyyyy.

in the coolest of teenage boy voices i overheard johnny say,

"brennan, can you go in the pool with that, you're splashing me."

i died laughing.

all of that hot water was getting to his head, and i just couldn't stop laughing at how he said it.

you had to be there.

not boogers.

mustache.

just when you thought troy didn't have 

anything else up his sleeves.

i liked the blue the best.

but i don't really like cotton candy anyway.

everyone else liked the green.

except max who favored pink.

typical:)

round number 500 of swimming for the day,

where you no longer care about swim diapers, suits, or sunscreen.

just throw them naked in to wash off the cotton candy 

and snow cone debris.

my favorite time of the night.

{the end.}

it took us three days to recover.

...

and last but not least...

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

to my mom today!

one year older and wiser too!

happy birthday,

TO

YOU!