Fourth of July - Fireworks, Family... and tons o' fun!

As a kid, the 4th was one holiday I could never wait for. What didn’t you love about it? It always included tons of barbequed food, several hours on the beach, wiffle ball with the cousins, and an evening watching the fireworks explode over Cape Cod’s canal. Fourth of July brings memories of corn on the cob, waving flags and sparklers in the back yard of my aunt’s cute little Cape Cod home.

Then, I turned 14. Suddenly, Fourth of July with the family was way less fun and instead a punishment – a weekend away from my friends. The best was when the family would get together and I could stay home hanging out with my friends. I suppose this behavior is typical to teens.

But now, Fourth of July is quickly climbing the ladder of awesomeness. One, I’m way more psyched to spend time with the fam – grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins alike. Two, I love BBQs. Three, it’s still a great excuse to go to the beach – though now I’m far more concerned about getting a tan than catching crabs. And last but not least, the 4th is way funner with alcohol in the picture.

Not even kidding. The cousins still played an awesome game of wiffle ball… but with a buzz. While the little kids set off their sparklers, we cracked open more Corona. And as the children and their grandparents stared at the sky, the cousins clinked bottles, toasting good health and good times.

And then we went back to the house, put the grandparents and kids to bed… and Fourth of July got even better. The hilarity! Incidents in open bathrooms, crazy stories from ages ago, dreaming of the perfect fast food feast…

Aw, growing up is still so much fun…