4th of July Memories

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Good morning! Did you have a good weekend? Mine went too fast and frankly,  I feel as if I should still be enjoying it considering Wednesday it the 4th of July. I do not like when holidays are in the middle of the week, yes it does break up the week but there is no bonus day off. Do you feel the same?

1. On Sutton Place 2.  Midwest Living I 3.Stone Gable 4.Housepitality Designs

I love the 4th of July! For me it was the happiest holiday of the summer because it was always spent with family. For most of my childhood we lived away from my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. We typically saw them at the holidays and one of my favorites was the 4th of July. In Milwaukee where my grandparents lived the 3rd of July is when the BIG fireworks are celebrated so that the little communities around them can have their celebrations on the 4th.

On the 3rd of July, my mom and my grandmother would pack our blankets and our treats and we would walk into the city to sit on the hill overlooking Lake Michigan where we would watch the biggest and best fireworks in the Midwest. Sometimes, if we were really good my grandfather would give us some money before we left, (he never came along) to get cotton candy. To this day the smell of cotton candy takes me right back to my blanket sitting on the hill overlooking the lake.

1. Climbing Grier Mountain 2. Swanky Recipes 3. Love and Olive Oil 4.Damn Delicious

After the fireworks, 4 tired little kids, up way past their bedtime would trudge back along with the masses of other people home to get a good nights sleep before we awoke the next morning to go to the festivities in the park.

Typically, our local park had a contest for the “best” decorated bike, wagon or trike. Many hot summer days were spent with crepe paper, close-pins, cards and whatever else we could come up with making paper flowers and other decorations in the hopes of creating the best bike. 

I never won but my a couple of times my siblings did. After the contest we would eat way too much ice cream and bomb pops before we addled home to the next festivity. 

1. White Cake with Buttercream Icing and Fresh Berries 2. Blackberry Cheesecake Bars 3.Trisha Yearwood Brownies 4. Blueberry Muffins

The next event was either a bbq at my Aunt Joanie who had a lake house where we would frolic in the lake, waterski, walk to the local store for Fudgsicles and sit in awe at the collection of interesting friends that she had. Or we would spend the day at my Aunt Jeans’ where we would run from the pool to the house, tracking in water in our wake, to eat the donuts and other tasty treats that she always had for us.

This year I will be staying at home but I am sure that my niece will be watching the fireworks at our special spot on the hill with my mom.

Do you have any special memories of the 4th of July? Or a favorite recipe or meal? If so, please share.

Have a great day!