Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July! This year didn't seem so Independence Day-like to me. Growing up, it was tradition for me to spend the day in Winthrop with some of my "family" and watch them dress like goofballs for the parade in the morning, stay on the beach and eat all day, and watch the fireworks at night. Now that I am grown up (supposedly), the Fourth is Matt's birthday. The past few years, Matt & I have only attended the parade & then headed off to do his birthday stuff. This year, we opted out of the parade & decided we'd head to Winthrop for the fireworks. I was psyched to be there for them, but it didn't feel like the 4th, being able to sleep in & hanging around the house during the day without seeing the fam dressed up in the most ridiculous costumes ever! Regardless, we had a really nice day. Matt's family came over for a little birthday cookout & it was nice to see everyone & spend time with them. Then we headed into Winthrop with my parents for what turned out to be some AMAZING fireworks.

My cousin Anthony taking a picture of the rainbow
The rainbow
I sat at the picnic table in the backyard & didn't use the zoom. This plane was surprisingly far away compared to how low they usually fly.
Sunset
Balcony view, Twisted Tea, Sunset, Harbor, Fireworks = Heaven
Sitting on the balcony, watching the explosions

Happy Fourth

The Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. The only thing that can ever beat it is Christmas Eve. I love traditions. I don't think there's anything better than doing the same thing with the same people year after year and just knowing you can count on it. I think that's why I love Christmas and the Fourth. Since I was only a baby in my mom's belly, I've gone to Winthrop on the Fourth. We go with all of my dad's family and my grandmother and all of her friends dress like crazies and go in the parade. They win something almost every year and they're a crowd favorite. This year they were the Winthrop Girls. My grandmother didn't march, but my younger cousin, Shannon, did. They sang this song as they marched down the street about being the Winthrop girls who wear their hair in curls with their jeans rolled up and their father's shirts and brother's ties... I wish I knew the lyrics because it was pretty adorable. They marched & we watched. I love it. I feel like a child again, sitting on the curb, waiting for candy to be thrown. It's really exciting to me. After the parade we used to spend the rest of the day at Kathy & Tiger's house. I would hang on the beach... (After all, this is their back yard..)
I would join in the egg toss on the beach, hang with my cousins, Traci & Sandra, go to the park, and eat all day, awaiting this grand fireworks display. Since I now have to share my favorite holiday with Matt's birthday, he gets some say in what we do as well. This year, we hung in Winthrop until noontime. It was great to sit by the water and just relax (and NOT be working on the basement!) I think Matt had a pretty nice time. At least it looks like he did...
After Winthrop, we came home for a while and then headed to Matt's Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Jeff's house in North Andover. I had such a great time hanging out with Matt's family. They're all so welcoming, and they remind me of the family get-togethers we used to have. It's so wonderful.
For the night, Matt wanted to relax so he and I built our first fire in our fire pit in the backyard and Rey & J came over. We watched our neighbors do a fantastic fireworks display which was so close, pieces of fireworks were actually landing around us in the yard. It was such a nice day, and finally, the sun was shining!