Katiedid It: July 24th Festivities

Every year our family celebrates July 24th. We've done it so long that I don't remember NOT doing it. Spanish Fork (where I grew up until we moved when I was 13) celebrates their "Fiesta Days" and they have a carnival come to town, a big parade, and a rodeo. We've never really been into the carnival or rodeo, but we usually have a family BBQ, eat tons of yummy food, light fireworks, and generally just have a last summer shebang before school starts.

This year was no exception! We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, had a delicious broccoli salad, Mom's World Famous potato salad, chips, scrumptious shrimp dip, cream cheese and salsa dip, and a fruit salad with Oreos in it. Plus, Dave (the dutch oven guru) made a cherry cobbler and pineapple upside-down cake - served with REAL whipped cream. Delish! Oh yeah, we can't forget these bad boys:


This picture doesn't even do these justice. Go to Walmart and buy some. You won't be disappointed.

These things are HUGE! One marshmallow doesn't even fit in your hand. And I have big hands - like man-hand size! Boy are they yummy. And gluten free (which is a plus at our house). I think I ate two. And later wished I had not met the dang things!

After we ate, we hung out in the front yard. We have two giant willow trees there and, since our house faces east, it makes for a very shady spot in the evenings. Mom bought bubbles for the younger kids, and I bought pop-its and sparklers. The sparklers weren't such a hit, but the whole box (40 small boxes total) of pop-its got used. The kiddies basically dumped them on the ground and stomped on them to their heart's content. Great fun!

Once it got a little dark, we lit a few sparklers and then went for the main event - the "light your driveway on fire" fireworks! We had some really good ones this year (thank you, Sam's Club). Alex lit them all off (which is my least favorite job of the night) and we saved a couple of really good ones for last - the grand finale! Overall, one of the best 24th's we've ever had.

On top of that, one of my best friends, Ashley, and her family came down to stay with me. Her husband, Paul, and their two little girls, Aubrey and Hailey, came as well. We got up early the next morning and went to the parade where we all got a little tan. Before they left to go home, I torched some steaks, made a really yummy green salad, and grilled some corn on the cob. Ashley made brownies for dessert (I had another marshmallow ...) and it was a wonderful meal with my favorite people.

As much as I have disliked summer in the past, I find myself loving it now. Not only am I happy to not be freezing to death (which I do quite often now), but it's a fun time of the year to hang with the family and be active while we laugh and joke and poke fun at each other. There are fond memories made, and I really like that the most.

Here are some pics of the events: