Guest Post: Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest

[from Shiloh, one of my six sisters/closets friends]


So when I got Amber's first request to share my gratitude... my hands smelled like the last diaper I changed and Anne was screaming her little head off in the other room and I was tired and the day just wasn't going my way.  Since the only thing I could think of to be grateful for was hand sanitizer I decided to put this off. So now I have something better than hand sanitizer.  


I married into a very tight knit family.  For example Sandra's Parents live exactly 1.7 miles away and Marlo's mother lives 8.7 miles away.  Also, both families (Treglowns and Stradleys) know and hang out with each other on occasion.  There are so many traditions that have been shared and enjoyed by both sides.  This post is about one of those traditions.  


The Fourth of July!  You see the Fourth of July probably has more tradition around it than even Christmas and Thanksgiving put together.  Strange right?  Not to them and by them I mean us.  


This year we started off with banana splits at Marlo and Sandra's and then a firework show put on by the kids.  This year it was Andrew and  his brother Matthew who choreographed the fireworks.  Megan, the only talking grandkiddo at this point, kept thanking Uncle Matthew for the pretty fireworks.  She even remember to thank him during gospel doctrine class the next day.  


Sunday we went to Jared and Tiffany's ward to have the twins blessed.  Then to their house for lunch and general enjoying of  each others company.  Monday morning was the pancake breakfast at Marlo and Sandra's.  We sang the national anthem and did the pledge of allegiance.  Then after everything is all cleaned up from breakfast there is always a water fight.  No one is spared.  Its always freezing.  I tried this year to hide with the little grandbabies but to no avail.  However, I still maintain I won because half of my hair was still dry.  Then we had a BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa Treglowns.  After food there we always play pickle ball and volleyball.  Then everyone heads off to fireworks at whatever local park is hosting.  That is our fun filled 4th.  


I love this family.  I love their traditions.  I love that I can not worry about my kiddos every stinking second of the fun because someone will always pitch in and keep an eye on them so I can enjoy myself too.  Anne got 6 or 7 people to walk her all over the Treglowns property.  I love that they just won't let their traditions die even when there are only 5 people involved in the water fight and their favorite firework park cancels their show so they go somewhere else.   I am grateful for family.  I am grateful for tradition.  I am also grateful for hand sanitizer.
 
What are you blessed with today?