Firecrackers!

The Fourth of July is always a big holiday around here due to the fact that my mom is a firecracker baby - even though she is not a baby anymore but fifty-_ _ _ r now. For as long as I can remember, our church has had a picnic. When I was little we went to Lake Iowa, but sometime in my elementary years the church built a picnic shelter and it has been there ever since. This year was lacking in people though due the town of Williamsburg turning 150 years. A lot of the church live in Williamsburg. They had a Go Fish concert in the morning which pulled a lot of people away since Jason is from Victor. As mom was making the food, I think that Rachel decided she couldn't miss the potluck and headed over for lunch before going to the lake with her friends - my kids aren't cool enough for her to hang out with them. Grandpa Melvin doesn't get out much but he loves to see people from church so Aunt Donna brought him down for the day. He loves his girls (my mom and Aunt Linda)!

We aren't suppose to play in the pop tank. (I usually call it soda, but this is the POP tank. I haven't been completely converted to the odd Missouri ways. It had NO COKE in it.) When I was a kid, playing in the pop tank would usually end up in a huge water fight with bitter cold water since there were frozen jugs of ice in there. Then someone that didn't want to get wet - usually an elderly or baby would get wet and we all would get in BIG trouble. But what little kid can help themselves from the fun of getting in the water and getting their favorite soda when their parents aren't watching closely. Grandpas should be looking out for the best interest of the children - not laughing! To give Grandpa a little credit - when Drew wasn't looking he filled it up with water - yuck watered down Mountain Dew!

To give kids something to do instead of the water tank, they make a huge waterslide, put baby shampoo on it to make it good and slippery and tadaa - fun. Jason claims that we made a deal that if he would go down, I would - fully clothed because there is NO WAY I would put a swim suit on at a church picnic. He doesn't hear very good lately but it was quite humorous to see him go down - it would have been better if he would have slipped and gotten really wet!
After the picnic we usually head to Grandpa's house in Grinnell for their parade, but Williamsburg's parade was suppose to be great - I am not so sure that a two hour parade with over 100 tractors is great, but I did have fun with my awesome friend Sarah and her family. She has 5 well-behaved kids. Poor Jonah (9) is the lone boy in the clan! I wish I would have had my sun glasses on when Jason took this picture! Beside Sarah is Amy who is one of my many distant cousins in the area. Amy doesn't think that blogging is cool - even though she made the site!

For those of you reading that are my camp buddies. If you don't recognize this yahoo it is Kyle Telecky. Kyle is the camp's interim manager. Kyle is great and I remember him from camp as being a great leader. I also remember that he didn't think it was so funny when Andy Houts, Sarah and I put all of his stuff in the middle of the pond.

After the parade we headed now to Grinnell for cake which was good. I think it was a taste test for the wedding. Jason said that if this was the type of cake for the wedding - he would definitely be there!

My mom and Renae blowing out their candles with help of Drew. There were only 24 candles on the cake - 64 short of these two young babes ages. Renae's birthday is today. Her sister, Debbie's, birthday is on Sunday. I love family birthdays!

Last but not least is a picture of Holly Shepley - Renae's youngest of 4 girls. She didn't say a word all night, but just wandered her little body around watching everybody's every move. She even made it through the fireworks better than my cranky Drew, but I think she got a nap!

Congratulations! You have made it through my LONG babbling post!