4th of July

We started out 4th of July on July 3rd by going to Michael's to swim.  We bought them snorkels and masks in Florida and clearly we are getting our money's worth.

 The official 4th of July hat.  Collierville does fireworks every year the day before and we have always walked to the park to see them.  It is only about 1/2 a mile away, but this year houses are being built at the end of our street where there was an empty field...and a tree line.  They cut down the tree line to build the houses so we, and everyone else on the street, just walked to the end of the street, sat down in chairs, and watched.  We could see them really well and even hear the music.  Very convenient.

ALTHOUGH, I have to say I missed out on the festivity part of it all, being so close to the actual event, etc.  But Jon is quite the non-festivity type of person, and I knew we were going somewhere fun the next day, so I gave in.

That somewhere the next day is the home of a random, rich customer of Michael's.  No, not the random, rich one that gave him a free iPad, a different random, rich customer.   This guy, whose name is Tiny (apparently no one knows his real name), owns a large piece of land on a lake and every year buys $4000 worth of fireworks, rents (owns?) waterslides & bouncy houses, and cooks bar-b-q, ribs, and hotdogs for around 200-250 people.  AT NO CHARGE.  He doesn't even end up knowing half the people who come because the people he actually invited always bring other people.  All he asks is that every family bring a dessert.  Michael has gone the last 3 years and has always invited us, but we have always had something else going on.  We went this year, and I can say that it will take priority over everything else in the future.

 This was just one of the slides.  They hurled themselves down it.

Jacob eating ribs.

 Random people who brought their MONKEY.  What?

 The two kids in the middle are a friend of Michael's.  He invited 14 people himself-us and 3 different friends with kids.  So you can see how this thing just grows beyond the host's control.

And the fireworks were legit.  CRAZY.  I actually got tired of watching them.  I barely took any pics because I was actually having fun.  There were kids everywhere, various other yard games like cornhole, and fishing in the lake. Who does that?  I mean, just fun.

 

Best part of all this? I didn't spend a DIME.  I just mooched.  It's the American Way!