4th of July Preview

I recently decided that July is probably one of my favorite months. I don't think I could pick just one month to be a favorite so I will stick with one of my favorites. 

What's not to love about July? (Besides, the sunburns, sweltering heat, and someone stealing the last pool chair, obviously.)

It's the middle of the summer and the livings easy. The days just seem to slide on by without a care in the world. 

The month starts out with a bang (literally) when the Fourth of July arrives. The 4th makes me happier than an ADD kid with a paper bag full of explosives and a fistful of matches. In case you're wondering, that's pretty damn excited. 

Around these parts we have a huge family reunion with my grandpa's family (on my mom's side). My grandpa is one of 10 kids and each of those kids now has kids, grandkids and great grandkids and they all show up. Just my Grandpa alone has 7 kids (6 are married), with 34 grandkids (lots are married now) and probably a dozen or so great grandkids. And I'm sure you're confused so, let's just say, there's a lot of people. 

The tables in the garage are piled high with KFC chicken, pasta salads, baked beans, fruit and veggie trays, and more desserts than the home page of Pinterest. Before eating we all gather underneath my Grandma's flag pole and say the Pledge of Allegiance and sometimes break into a hearty rendition of America the Beautiful (Oh beautiful for spacious skies...) because we're patriotic like that. 

After the fingers have been licked and the beers have been cracked, we recline in our lawn chairs to catch up on the good ole' days and make fun of each other. Once we can discretely re-button our top button, half the group heads across the street to the local ball fields to start up a friendly game of softball. The in-laws vs. the out-laws. The other half squeezes our fat butts slips gracefully into swimsuits to go relax in the local pool where the softball half later joins us. 

The evening arrives before we know it and we are back at the food table devouring munching the leftovers and bringing out more food for the people who decided to stay for the fireworks. Our chairs are packed onto the bug-free driveway and the little kids are shoved onto flammable blankets, with sparklers in hand. We all break our necks staring into the sky as we ooh and aah at the city fireworks display as well as the competing neighbors dynamite sticks.  It's a literal surround sound of explosions and terror and utter delight as we soak in the glorious days of summer. 

If that didn't get you all nostalgic for the most patriotic day of days, check out these 15 people who probably love America a little more than you do. 

I dare you to argue this guy doesn't love Americuh!

I'll tell my (Army Sergeant) brother you said "thanks" for fighting for your freedom to enjoy this great country we proudly call America!

He's single ladies:) (and back in the states)