Annual Redneck Party 2017 or (Fourth of July party!)

 Yes I'm still posting about July 4!

Well it's my favorite time of year, my favorite holiday, and I'm going to spend this week telling you all about LAST WEEK (END)!

We had our party on Sunday...

and I thought I'd show you the very quick way I decorated.

I purchased these towels when I was in Florida a couple of years ago.  I knew I wanted to use them for bunting but didn't know exactly where or how I would use them.

It came to me, to hang them in the kitchen window.  I sewed tabs on them and hung them on the rod.  I probably need to put a middle tab on them.  Maybe next year.

I love this look.  It just says

FAMILY

FRIENDS

and

FUN

to me!

 I love putting big bundles of herbs, in this case it's mint, in vases and set them around the house.

So, we have taken to calling this party The Annual Redneck Party!

And here is why!

 Just Kidding.  That's Ryan, my first cousin once removed (who I've always called my cousin, or my second cousin, but apparently that is wrong!)  Anyway, we have shooting games.  Yes, with real guns.  And the shooting range was a mud bog if you remember from my last post.  So, we told everyone that was planning on shooting to wear boots, or shoes that you don't care get loaded with mud. And bring a spare pair for the house!

The neighborhood men coming over to join the party.

 The shooting games are well supervised, with strict rules, and no alcohol.

  Yep, that's my Shug.  He's so tuff. (70's term)

Everyone is away from the person shooting.

 In this picture you can see how far back everyone is.

You can also see earplugs are a must.

 And here you can see that the house is across the road from the shooting range.

 This picture was taken from the house site.

 Ashley and her husband Eric.  Yep, he's a Policeman. 

And she is also my first cousin, once removed. 

 While the shooting is going on across the road, we are all over at the house snacking and gabbing.

Of course, I'm playing host.

 

You can see in the background we also have games, thanks to my sister, for those at the house.

These two were going to get in some serious trouble!

We have been trying to get a group picture for years.  It's just impossible,

but we THOUGHT we might have done it this year.

 After the picture was taken, these two come walking out of the house.

 Every year, Anh (the Mother to the boys I used to babysit)

gets a birthday cake for me.

Look how pretty.

 I did not get one picture of the inside!  It was layered like this...

strawberry,

chocolate,

vanilla,

chocolate,

chocolate.

We couldn't figure out what the middle layers of chocolate between the cake layers were, but it was delicious!  And RICH!

 Ok so this is ONE of the boys I watched.  The youngest.

And he graduated from high school this year.

I was giving a speech.

"Vinh, do you remember when you were little and you would come running in the house after school and say you were going to go dig?"

"Yes"

"Do you remember what you were digging for?"

"ummmm.....glass"

"Yes, glass"

So, here I am handing him the garden gloves he wore as a child....

and I choked!

I did NOT cry, I was not going to make this about me. 

So I did NOT cry! 

BUT.....those gloves.....I have goosies just writing this peeps.

And he said "awwwwwww"

And what I was TRYING to say, but couldn't get it out correctly was....

"Vinh, here is that glass you collected."

" So, When you become a nurse, dig for answers to peoples health issues the way you used to dig for glass."

" Because, in my life, it has sometimes been the nurses that helped me more than the Dr.'s"

 "So be a nurse that cares.

Dig for answers.

Be someone's hero!"

 But yeah....

those garden gloves.....

I choked....

But I did not cry!

 He couldn't believe I saved that glass.  I had an apothecary jar in the bathroom upstairs.  The thrill for him was digging for it.  But he would leave it laying around the house.  So I would take it and put it in the jar upstairs.  I told him it was in the same bathroom that he locked himself in when he was three or four....another story....for another time.

Then there was THIS......

 Which will be getting framed and hung!

 Someday I will get out all of the pictures I have of these three.  When the middle one was not even a year old, the other two were around four and seven.  They are brothers by the way, and the middle one is my niece.  I would babysit her often when I would have these two.  So they played together a lot.  The stories we tell when we all get together!

Time for Chinese lanterns and fireworks!

 We used to say we had all the bases covered for this party. 

We had a judge, a lawyer, and a cop. 

Well, we lost our judge last year, in October, and we miss him terribly. 

Especially at this party. 

He always brought the cannon! 

So his son brings it now.

But first...

 This is one of his sons, my sister's husband Trent.

 

 

 

Friends since these men were kids!

 Good Night everyone!

 Cindy

PS.  I realize this is a long post.   It's my favorite party and I love having family and friends over in the summer.  I love our porches and yard and pond and summer!  And I wanted this all in one post.  So thank you if you read this far!  I hope you felt like you were a part of it!  You're always welcome!