July 3rd Family Lunch

You probably wouldn't know it by looking at us, but we're a bunch of rebels. This year, we decided to celebrate our country's birthday a day early ... we hope the Founding Fathers don't mind! :)

We all gathered at my mom's house a bit after 11 for mass (ahh... nothing like a Jesuit fix!) and then a lunch that could have fed a small country!! The best part of the day? The fried chicken? Nope (but it was mighty good!) The thought-provoking homily? Again, nope (but ya really can't beat a homily by Fred!). 

The cousins played and had a marvelous time being silly together. They played badminton, tag, and hide-and-seek. They even had a cherry pit-spitting contest. Good times, I tell ya!!

The best part of the day was just being together and relaxing together. We laughed ... joked ... the kids played ... and we just were. There wasn't anything specific that was scheduled or planned and that was perfectly wonderful. We just were. Sometimes it is nice to stop doing and just be ... and today we "just be'd" together around a couple of tables. Days without a set agenda are sometimes the most rejuvenating and fulfilling.

The sugar cookies I made for the get together

Eric and Conor being silly

Annika's photobomb

Fred talking about how the chalice's original owner
 (Fr. Suver) was at the flag raising at Iwo Jima

Troy being very serious as he did the 1st reading

Kat and Staci

Ian sporting his patriotic lei

Eric and Annika ... snuggle time

Annika and Nana enjoying lunch together

Happy Kat

Fred taking in all of the family-related craziness

Fred teaching us how to open a beer using another beer ... once a teacher, always a teacher

Troy's turn

An Olson totem pole

Cherry pit spitting is a messy business

Independence Day ala the Olsons

Our celebration of the U.S.A.'s birthday wasn't quite what we anticipated. On the 3rd, Eric and the kids picked me up after work so we could head over to my brother/sister-in-law's house for a fun family sleepover.... at least, that was the plan.

Mid-span on the I-90 bridge, Conor got sick (he'd been complaining about a tummy ache since Eric and the kids entered downtown). Fortunately, my mommy senses kicked in and I had a plastic bag at the ready, so my van didn't get trashed (woot). We offered to cancel the night, but Troy insisted we continue as planned and come up with a Plan B if the tummy troubles continued. Fortunately, all seemed to be fine. Conor was a bit lethargic, but no more getting sick.

We had a laid back evening at Troy/Staci's and enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner (as I'm sure the founding fathers would have done had pizza delivery been invented back in 1776!) and plenty of laughter.

The next morning, Conor was back to his normal self and happily played throughout the morning. He was feeling so good that we took a mini field trip to the playground in Troy/Staci's housing development. The kids had a blast! They played on the swings and play structures, went down the slides, and event spent time trying to master crossing the monkey bars. Unfortunately, that wiped out Annika and she started to go down hill a bit (uh oh); she wound up spending the rest of the morning in our niece Kat's bed watching "Tangled".

We spent time in the backyard marveling at the fact it wasn't raining on the 4th of July, had a lovely BBQ lunch, and then high-tailed it back home so everyone could take a much-needed nap and to flee before my brother's family was even more exposed to our family's potential tummy troubles.

After 3 of the 4 of us slept, we had a very traditional dinner of waffles and then showed the kids how the "pop-it" firecrackers and little American flags can make the 4th of July a party for all.

Eric pushing Annika on the swings

Cheese!

Conor having fun on the play structure

Annika whispering the reasons why she is glad Eric is her daddy

Annika whispering the reasons why she is glad I'm her mama
(She's a very breathy whisperer ... it tickles!!)

Annika zipping down the bumpy slide

Eric showing his patriotic side

Conor having a one-man flag parade

Annika wanted us to have a parade on the street, but settled for one on the deck
(I'm fairly certain she thinks we are slacker parents)