Our 4th of July Weekend

Hello and happy Friday to you!!!  Have you been as confused as I've been as to what day it is...like everyday?  I am so looking forward to getting my days straight after this weekend.  :)

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July holiday.  We had a very busy weekend.  It all started on Friday with the hubs and I doing our grocery shopping for the weekend.

We were at the Houston Garden Center early on Saturday morning on a mission to get potting soil, flowers, and a couple of plants for the backyard.

Here's a small snippet of what's available at the HGC.  Oh and before I forget, everything is 1/2 off.  Yes siree...half off.  

#houstongardencenter

I chose the Dallas Red Lantana and the Toto Gold Rudbeckia for the basket on the fence outside of the breakfast room window.  The contrast of the red and yellow is so pretty.  We also got some purple fountain grass to flank each side.  It looks really good.

We bought Zinnias and Portulaca for the front beds (need to take pics).  We repotted several plants around the pool and added a corn plant to the corner of the patio.  When we first started repotting the plants I was the one adding the soil as the hubs held the plants in place.  Naturally I got it all over his arms (by accident of course).  He'd tell me "come on Debbie, it can't be that hard to get it in the pot".  Famous last words.  Later he was adding the soil and got it all over my leg (unintentionally).  He soon found out it wasn't as easy as it looked.  :)  We were so dirty at the end of the day I had dirt in the creases of my elbow.  Ewww!!!  We didn't go in until 9:15 p.m. that evening.

Here's a pic of what the front looked like on Memorial Day (I forgot to take pics for the 4th).  Things look totally different now as we have added shutters to the windows on the porch and moved the decor around.

Here are a few pics of the backyard.  I didn't go all out decorating this year.  Mostly because I ran out of time.  :)  I used flags as the main decorations and was quite happy with the way it looked.

Our immediate family celebrated the 4th on Sunday.  Everyone was there except for Brad as he was working.  :(

It was really hot here in Texas.

The shutters are new.  I have been talking about putting shutters on each side of the French doors for a long time much to the hubs dismay.  I'm quite sure the hubs is glad he won't hear that topic any more.  :)  As much as he fought me on the subject (yes, there are times we do not see eye to eye), he is very happy with the way they look.  Go figure!

We never got around to cleaning the back wall of the pool so we will be cleaning it this weekend.

The hubs was outside grilling on the little charcoal grill sweating like crazy so I brought him out a small fan to cool off.

We used the snow cone machine for the first time.  It's unbelievable how smooth the ice is...so soft.  They tasted really good!

Here's the hubs' portable charcoal grill.  We rarely use the charcoal grill.  Personally, I prefer the gas grill.  It is so much easier and so much cleaner.

I didn't decorate on the inside.  We used disposable (recyclable) plates and bowls to minimize clean up afterwards.

Our menu:

Grilled bone in chicken breasts

Grilled chicken quarters

Sausage links from Market Basket

Hot dogs

Hamburgers

Mac-n-cheese

Barbecue beans

Assorted chips

French bread

Angel Food cake with strawberry topping and Cool Whip

Snow cones

Root Beer Ice Cream pops

Mickey Mouse pops

Skittles

Drinks

Assorted beers

Root Beer

Dr. Pepper

Lemonade

Sweet Tea

Lots of water

Nothing fancy.  Just simple and easy foods.

I have zero pics of the kids swimming.  I was relaxing and visiting and never thought to pick up the camera.  :)

On Monday the hubs and I helped Kim move everything onto her new patio (need to take pics).  Needless to say it was another hot day.  We were glad to help her get everything in place.  It looks beautiful!

We were very lazy on the day of the 4th.  After three days in the heat we stayed inside with the AC.  :)  Later that evening we all went to Brooke and Brad's for fireworks and grilled burgers.  Brad's family went, too.  We had a great time visiting with everyone.

Brad and Justin tried their hardest to get the bonfire going.  I think the trees were too fresh and maybe too wet.  I think it worked out for the best as it was pretty hot without the fire.

Living in the country they have the weirdest looking bugs.

Here are a few pics Brad's sister took of the kids.  Here is Sweet P holding her son baby Luke.  Can you tell how excited she was?

Here's a cute pic of Brad holding his nephew with Mr. W and Sweet P looking on.

This is a cute one of the bigger kids in the back of Brad's truck.

Brad and Justin did an awesome job with the fireworks.  They were awesome!

We had a wonderful 4th of July holiday weekend.  I hope you had the same.  Hope you have a fabulous weekend!  Stay cool!

Take care,

xoxoxo

Debbie

"Value and celebrate the loyalty of the individuals around you; celebrate their competencies and successes, as well as your own.  Build up your circle and reinforce it at every opportunity."

- Mary Ann Rachmacher