The Gwilliam Fam: July 4th, 2020

Happy 4th of July! We started our celebration late on the 3rd over at the Birds.

Disney released the musical Hamilton. Brit and Adam set up their projector out in the shop, and Bryn, Aub and I joined them to watch it on their huge screen.

The shop doors were open to let in the breeze As we were listening to this amazing musical, largely about the revolutionary war , we could see and hear the fireworks booming in the neighborhood. It was it's own kind of awesome. I love America and am so grateful for the freedoms I enjoy in this country.

Our family has seen Hamilton, but Adam and Britney had not. It was fun to hash out the details with them during intermission and after the show. Brit was disappointed with her experience. She knows all of the music but thinks she'll enjoy it more in person. Adam only gave it a 40 on a scale of 100. Their reactions kind of crushed me. Personally, I loved it every time I've seen it: twice live and once recorded.

We made it home by 1:30 am and to bed by 2:00 am.

Kerry invited us over to his shop for a delicious breakfast the morning of the 4th. I didn't wake my teens. It was a last minute invite, and I was sure they would prefer sleeping in. However, Brian and I enjoyed the good company and amazing breakfast. (Breakfast burritos w/ eggs, bacon, sausage, cilantro, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes; homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit...it was a feast.)

Gram and Ella sporting their red, white and blue.

Kerry cooking on his cool grill.

Later that afternoon, we met the Birds and Holden over at Gram and Gramps to swim. (Chris and Ang had family in town so they did their own gathering.) It was fun having the dads available to join in. I missed having Parker there. (And for the record, parenting teens can be sooooo hard. We initially told Park no on his current lake trip. He begged, pleaded, negotiated, and we gave in. I am not sure what the best decision was, but I wish he were spending the holiday with us.)

I swung by Dairy Queen and purchased six huge slushies to pour into separate cups. When our kids where younger, we would do that often. Tanner kept saying, "This is great. It's taking me on a trip down memory lane."

Tanner dunking!

This video is fun. The cousins spent a good 45 minutes trying to make this stunt work. Overall, they were very patient with on another and encouraging. I was impressed with their perseverance.

Click Here for the Video

The girls did their traditional 4th of July photo shoot. Aub took pictures for Bryn in the morning, and Bryn took some of Aubrey in the afternoon.

Four years ago on this day was the first time Bryn and Morgan hung out and realized they were going to be great friends.

Perfect picture. Masks were made mandatory in public buildings in Texas on July 3rd. These are crazy times.

We had an extended family gathering out at Dave and Emily Martin's. Dave is my sister in law's brother and lives two doors down from my sister Britney...so there's that for you. Tons of fireworks are popped in their neighborhood so it makes for a great place to gather. Plus they had lots to share as well. It was a relaxing night with family.

Lincoln, Adam and Megan. Lincoln loved the fireworks. He would try to count them, and he was thrilled with each knew explosion. He was right by his Grandpa (my brother Chris) and I heard him yell, "GRANDPA! DID YOU HEAR THAT LOUD GUY?!" Pretty adorable.