The Fourth of July is one of the few holidays where both Jeff and i are off at the same time. It also happens to fall on a Wednesday so we get a mid-week break from our busy work schedule to enjoy family time. We did not have a whole lot planned for the day. I just wanted to stay close to home, enjoy some great food, and create some new and wonderful memories.
The day started off pretty great. We all slept in till almost 8am. That is a true feat in our house. I am the early riser, up for work anywhere between 4:45 and 6 am. Yikes, i know. Jeff usually has to get the kids off to daycare or my work so he is usually up around 6:30 with the kids following close behind. Luckily, Grandma is visiting until September so the kids can sleep in most days. Of course, Riley still has daycare once a week so she has to be up early on that one day.
But, I digress. The day started off pretty great with sleeping in and then feasting on thick slices of smoked bacon and raspberry cream cheese stuffed french toast with a smidgen of lemon curd and real maple syrup. Yum. Somebody must love their family very much or have severe cravings to make such splendid dishes. I admit, it was a little bit of both. The kids were not overly fond of the french toast but could eat an entire plate of bacon if we let them. Jeff must have liked it as he had seconds. This is very rare, indeed. Its not that i am bad cook, far from it. Jeff is just particular and he happened to LOVE (dare i say) my dish this day. It was not grandma's favorite but she polished off her food. I will say i LOVED my breakfast, too. I had two helpings of french toast drenched in real maple syrup and three helpings of bacon. Hey, its Independence Day and i will soon be on the Chilkoot Trail without such grand fare (but that's a whole different post) so why not be a little glutinous.
Unfortunately, the day soured fast. I guess Morgan did not wake up on the right side of bed so she was banished to our room for a mid-morning nap. She slept for quite a few hours and was in a much better mood when she awoke. Riley headed to North Pole with her dad to check out the North Pole parade and pick up propane for the grill. The parade is quite small but Santa does make an appearance every year which is always a treat. I was busy packing my backpack for the Chilkoot Trail, i have mentioned it yet (ah, that's another post entirely). I leave Saturday. Can't wait. Woo hoo.
Once Jeff returned home, he busied himself with making our 4th of July dinner:
BBQ Pork Ribs, Marinated Beef Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Whipped Lemon Cheesecake, Corn on the cob, and Deviled Eggs
Okay, dinner is a little misleading. It was yet another feast in the Griffeth household. Everything was tasty...well, except the beans as Jeff put too much brown sugar in them. Jeff made deviled eggs out of 4 eggs which would be eight deviled eggs. By the time the family sat down for dinner, there was only one on the plate after each person except myself at the table took one and placed it on their plate. That means three were missing. I thought for sure Jeff had been nibbling prior to dinner but oh no, it was not him. Riley polished off 5 deviled eggs, three before dinner began and two more while we sat at the table. Crazy.After dinner, i finished packing the rest of my stuff while grandma cleaned the kitchen. Jeff took the girls outside to finish off the fireworks we had been storing since New Years Eve. Grandma and i eventually headed outside to watch the fun. The girls enjoyed the mini show and the sparklers afterwards. A nice end to a wonderful day.
Happy Fourth of July everyone.
