4th of July 2018

So my favorite holiday of the year was smack dab in the middle of the week this year.   I keep thinking, though, that next year, since it will be on a Thursday...it will be the perfect start to a long weekend!!  Anyway, we had so much fun around home...here is what our day looked like.....

We started off by getting some things ready for dinner...some of our besties were coming over and I like to prep in advance, throughout the day, so I am not stressed when they get there.....

I prepped three side dishes- my caprese salad, 

a red white and blue fruit salad 

and this sweet potato salad that was delish.  You can find the recipe HERE

  

Then while everyone was still sleeping, I cleaned up the kitchen and enjoyed some reading...my first book for July is Elin Hilderbrand's new novel, her first murder mystery, The Perfect Couple- so far so great per usual!

oh and that centerpiece in the background?  I made it!  Got the idea on Pinterest and went to town! :)

I then ran to the coffee shop to grab muffins for the fam and my friend Jess was behind me in line so we actually got to see each other on the 4th- so fun :)

Once everyone was up and fed, Daddy cut the lawn and then we went to visit Grammy.  This was her first birthday in heaven and it is still so hard.  We brought some pretty flowers and later on my father in law actually planted them in the ground so they will last longer :)

After our little visit, we did a few errands and headed home to relax.  We also stopped by Golden Brook School to see the construction progress...I snapped a few pics...as exciting as it is...it will also be sad when the old building is no longer

I was sooo in my happy place when I found this new channel "Pop" because they are doing 90210 marathons so I snuck a few episodes in and just chilled...we all did...we actually switched between the Red Sox game, Wimbledon and 90210....nothing says 4th of July like Beverly Hills ;)

Oh and Lea made me become obsessed with these American Eagle jeans....so excited...got them in two colors!  You can find them HERE

I was doing a happy dance when I put them on because for the first time in awhile, I saw progress!!

and of course the patriotic nails are still in full effect;)

Selfie Time!

 and a little while later, it was time for the festivities.....

We started with some apps, Matt's mom's awesome taco dip, a cheese board and these wonderful cilantro, crab and corn stuffed sweet peppers.  Find the recipe HERE

and then for the main event, lobsters with butter, corn on the cob, cornbread, Beth Ann's delicious gluten free cornbread

and all of the sides I made that morning...

We devoured everything...so yummy and so perfect for the 4th!

After dinner, it was time for BA and the fam to teach our fam the game of Marbles...we had SO MUCH FUN!!  I haven't laughed that hard in sooo long...such good therapy.....we had so much fun we decided to play another game instead of heading to the fireworks across town....such a great problem :)

 

and that's a wrap....we crawled into bed so wiped out and so grateful....what were you up to?