Happy 4th of July!

Being in an old New England coastal town that is rich with naval Revolutionary War history, you could probably guess that the 4th of July is an especially big one around here ...

(image courtesy of j&j graphics)

The big day really is as picturesque as it appears in this idyllic image of our town - no wonder we attract such a crowd at this time of year! Every year, the 4th of July turns into a 3-day celebration put on by the Chamber of Commerce with family-oriented activities all day long throughout town and parties and fireworks all night long. This weekend in particular is definitely our little town's shining moment ...

(courtesy of Martha Stewart Living)

So far this weekend we've seen a local parade, flown kites at our beach, bought raffle tickets to win 20 lbs of lobster (!), gone swimming, eaten ice cream, grilled out, lit sparklers, and enjoyed a distant view of the fireworks in neighboring coastal towns. Thus far it's been wonderful, and yet the best is still to come - today we'll boat up to a beautiful beach just up the coast and raft up with friends in their own boats ... the kids will all jump overboard and swim, we'll have a picnic and listen to music under the summer sun and as if that isn't enough, tonight we'll gather with 10 other family members for another grill-out and head down to the harbor for a front row seat to the fireworks. How lucky is that?! Lucky as a ladybug, of course ... I'm hoping that everyone out there is having a wonderful holiday, too ... Happy 4th!!