I seriously love the 4th of July. A holiday where I just get to hang out outside eating and drinking with friends and I can dress my boys in themed outfits--it just doesn't get much better than that!
It has now become our tradition to have all of our friends meet up before the big concert in the park in the Mont and have all the kids decorate their bikes. Last year after we all about died from the extreme heat parading from our house to the park, we decided that we would meet at the park and just parade around the park before the concert. We did just that this year, and it was perfect. Our parade has changed from mainly strollers and wagons to scooters and big kid bikes as our kids have gotten older, and we have some new babies in the group, so it just keeps growing each year!
And they're off!
Each year, there is a contest for the best picnic set-up at the park. We have never participated before, but Kelly and I rose to the challege this year. All of our friends and families humored us and we set up a pretty awesome patriotic tent/tablescape/picnic spread. Here is most of the crew.
Kelly and I with our finished tablescape. We got to the park at 9am to stake out an ideal shady location next to the playground and spent time perfecting our decorations before everyone else arrived.
Highlights included: sliders made by Kelly with toppers made by me, layered Jello shots made by Tim, custom water bottle wrappers and other stickers made by me, a red, white and blue layered punch made by Kelly, 7 layer dip with an American flag on top made by Erika, a trifle with a star on top made by me, table runner sewn by Kelly, fruit flag made by Lindsay, patriotic pasta salad made by Sarah, and pretzel sparklers made by me. Kelly and I did tell everyone that if their dish wasn't patriotic enough, it wasn't making the tablescape, and I am pleased to say they all listened :-)
When the judges came to our table, we had our kids sing Yankee Doodle Dandee. We thought it added that little something extra.
There were 24 entries in the contest this year, and we came in 3rd. Not too shabby for our first time. We took notes and are already planning next year's tablescape. We figure if we had won the first time we entered, it would have been kind of anti-climatic anyway. Now we have something to work towards. We won a family movie night themed gift basket with candy, popcorn, and movies, and a gift certificate to get our oil changed.
Both of us felt very validated by all of our over the top efforts in decor and food when no less than 10 strangers stopped to take photos of our spread, and multiple people also stopped and asked if they could buy our food. We are good at picnicing!
We headed home for naps after the concert and reconvened at our house that evening for a barbeque. All the kids had a great time playing together, and the adults enjoyed patriotic mojitos, good food and Tim and I's patriotic playlist that has been accumulating songs for the past 4 years.
The kids' table chowing down on hot dogs and/or black bean burgers, fruit, chips and pasta salad.
How many kids can fit in a wagon?
4 kids didn't seem to be pushing the limits of the wagon enough, so Mac and Cam crammed themselves in for a few spins around the yard.
John, Colin and James doing an impromptu jam session/dance party on the picnic table after dinner. I really wish this was a video because Colin and James' had some seriously awesome moves.
Patriotic bomb pops are really the only way to end a 4th of July meal if you are a kid.
Longmont, along with many other Colorado towns has a fire ban for the rest of the summer, which includes ALL fireworks-even sparklers. I have to admit that I was a little bummed, fireworks are one of my all time favorite things, but we all came inside, turned off the lights and watched NYC's fireworks show on tv and all the kids had a dance party to Katy Perry's Fireworks. So it was a pretty good ending to our evening. And now going to NYC for the 4th of July is on my bucket list. Best fireworks ever!
And if there is anything I love more than themed outfits for my boys, it is holiday themed pajamas! Seriously, are they not the cutest?!
Happy Independence Day!
5 comments:
Your table looks awesome - well done, ladies!
You and Kelly could seriously be professional party planners - I find it hard to believe there were 2 tables better than yours... Great job!
What a perfect 4th. Wish we had been there to watch.
And as a counterpoint to the NYC fireworks - there is the San Diego aptly named Big Bay Boom. Look that up on You Tube.
He He, I've been waiting for this post to see all of your decorations. Your tent looked great and it looks like you had the perfect day!
I think you may be the only other person I know who LOVES the 4th as much as me Katy, I think it's something growing up in A-Town taught us. Love every second of that festive table, looks like a perfect day!
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