The 4th of July, Round Two

The 4th of July has long been my favorite holiday. My grandparents live on Little Sebago Lake in Maine, and as mentioned in my previous post, year after year family flock to their house for summertime celebrations. Unfortunately this year it rained on the 4th (the only rainy day in 3 weeks!) so we did what any smart Americans would do and spread our independence festivities out over two days instead of one. The gals and I spent our first 4th of July eating BBQ and dancing in town, and our second 4th (really the 5th) at my grandparent’s house on the lake.We spent the day boating and barbecuing, swimming and eating ribs!

Can you spot the waterskier sporting the American flag, out on the lake?
This is my little cousin Jake :) When I’m at home there are always so many cuties underfoot. I really miss interacting and playing with kids while I’m in Amsterdam, so I have to soak up as much baby time as I can while I’m in the States :) The best spot at my grandparent’s house is on their hammock, looking up at the pine trees, swinging in the breeze by the water.The lake is crystal clear, and is where we spend the majority of our time in the summer.It is lined with birch trees and blueberry bushes, which were just shy of ripe for the picking.
As the sun sets, everyone slowly crawls in from the lake to dry off, and usually we take the boat out for one final sunset cruise around the lake.
Once the sun sets, the camp fire is lit, and we all gather around to roast marshmallows and light sparklers. Around 8pm, camps all along the lake begin to set off fireworks.
My Gramma and Papa usually put on their own brilliant show, especially now that fireworks have been made legal in Maine. We usually cruise just off the shore to watch the fireworks from the boat, as my grandpa sets them off from the dock. It’s our job to clap and cheer for the best fireworks, so my grandparents can know to buy the good ones again next year. This special place is so dear to my heart, and I love everything about the 4th of July at my grandparent’s.