Tradition!

Tuesday, 4 July 2006

If you've ever been around our house at the beginning of July, you know it isn't a big secret that GR LOVES the 4th of July. Specifically, he loves fireworks and setting them off. And for as long as I've known him, we've done our own show on the 4th.

Bob and Diane's house has a large open field (the size of 2 football fields?) behind their house that is perfect for launching and watching fireworks. And over the last three or four 4th of July's GR has been perfecting his show. This year it was one of his best shows yet. It was well attended and well organized.

Last year we had an open invitation to everyone at church to attend our fireworks display and have root beer floats, blending the two family's traditions... GR's fireworks show, and my serving root beer floats before the show. This year we did the same, opening the spectrum a little wider to include two wards.

All in all I think we had 100 if not 125 people attend this years show. We went through seven boxes of ice cream (112 servings) and a little less root beer (in a perfect world it's a perfect ratio ... 1 box of ice cream to 1 2-liter of root beer = 16 8oz. root beer floats.).

The kids loved doing sparklers before the show, and Sam made it through the first half of GR’s 30 minute show – with his hands covering his ears – before deciding he’d had enough of the show, and went in to play with a couple other little kids who’d had enough lights and loud noises.



GR has gone to the same fireworks tent in town for the last three years. And this year, as always, the owner was very good to “the four fat men.” GR was suppose to get a picture of all the fireworks before they got blown up, (I have yet to actually see the volume at which they purchase – probably best for me to simply not know) but I haven’t found it yet.

We use to joke that GR would spend more on the 4th of July than on Christmas... that was before we had kids. I'm not thinking that's completely true anymore. Although he does spend more than some, he is very, very good at making wise, smart purchases. Something I'm learning few people know how to do when it comes to fireworks.

I got more than one comment from a few of the dad’s bouncing tired babies at the back of the show, went something like this:

“So why does GR want a commercial license? What could it give him that he doesn’t already have?”

“Oh these were all purchases at ______ tent in town… with a commercial license he can buy bigger fireworks.”

“Really? These were ALL purchased at a tent?! … Wow, this is so much better than what I thought it was going to be!”

Thanks to Sandra, GR also got the email address of someone he can apprentice under to get his own commercial license. By September at the latest he should have it. So next year's show should be even bigger and better … mark your calendars, and plan your vacations to KS early!