Rounding Out the Weekend's Bits

      Hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday.  Here are a few photos from the weekend, nothing earth shattering, but I have all sorts of email this morning asking where I have been and why I haven't posted anything for days on end.   First photo is Matt helping Steven with his fireworks at Grandma and Grandpa's on Friday.  Alex, David, and Jonathan were all busy looking after their own rockets and what not, but Matt has a soft spot for Steven, and vice versa, so the littlest often gets a helping hand from Matt.  

      After the pre-show in the driveway, the boys headed down to the school grounds in Elwood for the town fireworks show, as they do each year, and light even more sparklers and things while waiting for the show to start.    (Left to right:  Alex, David, Matthew, Jonathan, and Steven.)  I don't know what it is with little boys and fire, but they are all just thrilled with the idea of playing with all these things each year.  They scare me to death...I try not to be around watching as I am more likely to keep saying "Oh, be careful," and the first rule of lighting fireworks is for a certain amount of danger to be present, or so my husband tells me it is with boys.  It's better if I just don't even peek while they do it all. 

      So, we had fireworks in Elwood on Friday, then on Saturday there were fireworks at the end of the Symphony on the Prairie, pictured at the left here, which are always a big hit and much anticipated each year, the boys never tiring of this from year to year and aghast at the thought of ever missing it, like last year when Matt and Mark were in Italy over the 4th.  (Photo courtesy of Alex who is using it in his 4-H scrapbook this year.)  The stage is lit very attractively and since Conner Prairie is a historical venue, depicting a farm in 1836 Indiana, there aren't any lights to interfere with the fireworks display out in the middle of the farm fields.  They shoot the fireworks off to the 1812 Overture, of course.

      And, finally, last night at Buddy and Laurie's party, Buddy had a stunning display of fireworks that Matt is still raving about as he just thinks Buddy rocks with all his crazy fun ways.  It was the perfect day to sit around their pool and chat and eat barbecued brisket and just enjoy the day.  Here is a nice photo of Matt and Ali before everyone else arrived and Ali changed into her swimming suit as I figured this was a better shot that one of Ali in her very pretty bikini looking oh so lovely, being shown on the Internet and all.  Since the butterfly is Ali's stroke of choice, we requested a swim off between her and Matt in the butterfly, but she declined saying it was her "only day off of swimming competitively," so we will never know if she can take him on that stroke or not...it's not his best and I think she could do it.   This morning at practice, Laurie was picking Ali up and I said, "I can't believe you are up, dressed, in full makeup, and functional after that very late evening last night..." She just chuckled and said, "Well, it might look like all that, but I am tired this morning."  It was a great party. 

      In other news, no photo currently available due to the sensitivity of the subject to be discussed, all skateboarding has been called to a halt for the swimmers.  Coach Chris arrived back from the Olympic Trials in Omaha to the news that JJ was sporting a wrist brace and 'fessing up to the apparent cause, i.e. skateboarding dos and dares, and while I don't know the whole story, apparently all the boys have decided that one Junior National championship swimmer injured is one too many and skateboarding will be sidelined.  Raising boys certainly helps one understand one's husband a lot more, let me tell you.  

      Okay, this makes two posts today (only because I am a lightening fast typist and I am doing laundry, pumping off the pool cover from the rain earlier so I can swim, and fielding various requests for transport to and from various venues)...and now there is a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich calling my name, with a side of cantaloupe and a nice glass of ice water properly condensed and wonderful looking with the water droplets running down the side...Yahooo...it's summer!  Have a great week!