Monday, July 14, 2008

Pics from the 4th

Grandpa Lee & Grandma Jean



Uncle Guy with Rohan & Caden



Watergun Griffin

4th of July weekend

What's that? 4th of July weekend? Wasn't that something like ten days ago already? Quiet, you...I'm taking baby steps here...

Our 4th of July weekend was great! I was a little worried that it'd be exhausting, and it was, but in a good way.

On Friday morning we packed up the minivan with Caden, Rohan, Griffin, our niece Lizzie, our dog Porter, Dina and myself, and all of our stuff. It was a full load! Luckily my wife is a black belt Tetris master and can pack pretty much anything into pretty much anywhere. We left town around noon for Dina's uncle's place near our hometown of Benson, MN. Every year Dina's mom's side of the family has a gathering there for the 4th, and it's always a ton of fun. Highlights this year included fireworks (some legal, some il-), a huge freaking bonfire, having fun burning clearanced cans of de-icer, a 50-caliber rifle firing tracer rounds, helping the kids catch big fat tadpoles in the pond, squirtgun fights, riding the 4-wheeler, playing with the pet goat one of Dina's uncles brought, lots of grilled meat and beer, and good times had by all. Most people bring tents or campers and camp in the yard, but we decided to sleep at my mom's place in town, figuring it would be easier with the babies. Next year we may camp instead.

So that burned Friday and Saturday. On Sunday we went to my dad's place in town. My grandpa Lee and his wife Jean were going to be in town (they live most of the year in Benson, AZ, but drive a 5th wheel to cooler climates in the summer) so we were going to meet up. We only get to see Lee and Jean every couple of years, so we were excited about that. It eventually turned into a full-fledged family get together at my dad's, including my uncle Wendell and his wife Martha; three of my cousins, Dominique, Jesse, and Alicia, with their families/significant others; grandpa Lee and grandma Jean; my Grandma Fran; and a couple other people that I don't remember. It was great to see everyone. It's a little weird; I'm not all that close to my dad, and because of that I don't see his side of the family that often. However, I have fun on those rare occasions that we do all get together, and I'm glad that they get to see my family and vice-versa.

After spending some time at my dad's we again packed up the van and headed home. Lizzie rode with us again, which is great, because Griffin absolutely adores her and it makes the ride much more smooth (don't get me wrong, we love Lizzie, too!). On the way back, we stopped at our friends Theresa and Chris' house for a quick chat. Their baby girl Morgan is getting big, and is very cute. She's a few weeks older than Caden and Rohan, and I'm sure someday they'll all run around the yard together, getting into all sorts of mischief.

That was pretty much the weekend! I'll post pics if I can get my hands on them. :-)