Our Independence Day celebration

We had a very relaxed Independence Day celebration this year.  Hope drove over Saturday and spent the night with us.  On Sunday morning we all got up late and just hung out around the condo.  Then I started marinating some steaks and then we all headed to the pool.  Queenie and Grandaddy (my parents) arrived later that afternoon.

Then we grilled the steaks and ate them along with some baked sweet potatoes, potato salad, and squash casserole.  And we had Blue Bell ice cream and homemade blueberry cobbler for dessert.  Yum!

It was a gorgeous day outside so we headed to the pier.  The weather was warm but not too hot with a steady breeze.  Just the way I like it!

And of course we brought the fishing cart so the guys (David and Seth) could go fishing.

Grace had a lot of fun with her Queenie.

Then she ate a snack of peanut butter crackers.

After that she wanted to fish, too.  So David hooked her line with a small bait fish.

The first thing she did was run over to her Aunt Hope to show her the "fissie" (fishy).

Meanwhile, Grandaddy explored the bay with a set of binoculars.  He was fascinated the oil skimmer he saw off in the distance.  He thinks it was the Whale. 

Then one of the gators swam right up to the pier so we got a closer look at him.

Seth taunted the poor gator with our bobber.  Otherwise he never would have swam up that close.

Grace was so cute with her American flag.

Every time a boat would come by, Grace would run to the side of the pier with her flag and yell out, "You happy to be Ameri-tan?"  (Are you happy to be an American?)

She was so disappointed when they wouldn't respond back to her.  She kept saying, "I don't tink dey hear me."  (I don't think they hear me.)  And then she'd yell even louder to them.

Finally the sun started to set, so David went inside and got our fireworks.

Grace loved playing with her sparklers.

She waved them around and around.

And she would say over and over again, "I yub my firewuks."  (I love my fireworks.)  We also shot off roman candles, bottle rockets, and other fireworks that I don't know the names to.  All in all, it was a wonderful and relaxing holiday celebration.