Wednesday, July 23, 2014

All day, All night...4th of July Summer Lake Party!

4th of July is my second favorite holiday! Hours of sunshine, kick back relaxation, free spirits, loud American noise into the sky, active late night, creamy ice cream and fresh popsicles, and the smell of dinner on the Bar-B-Q. 
I wasn't feeling too well as I prepped for this, which was a bummer (more on that adventure later!) but we still had a super fun time.  


My mom and I got together to plan another festive holiday party.
It's a favorite thing to do for lil homemakers! ;)

We dressed as twins...
on accident...
Love her!



Okay!  Here is our summary of our day and night SUMMER party, including all the good stuff:
 the fun, the scene, the decor, the menu, the desserts, and the fireworks.


Happy 4th of July!
Colorado Style
Light it up!



We kicked off our party at my parent's residential lake in Ruby Canyon.  The lake is pretty small so we were only able to invite a handful of fun families and kids. 


The Set Up:

Flags lined down the beach


Crates of snacks for guests to grab and go.


Plenty of h2o and patriotic drinks all day long.
Lots of watermelon, a classic July treat!


And Rocket Pops for the kids,
of course!


I made family fun baskets for the kids.  



The Fun:

We used our jet skis to play on all day.  
We also had wakeboards, tubes, skis, paddleboards, and rafts to entertain us under the sun.













We played for hours under the giant July sunshine before coming inside.


Welcome 
inside my parent's home sweet home,
 away from the sand 
and water
 and sunshine
 and into
 the cool summer home sweet home.



Let's be festive, let's make a holiday,
let's DECORATE!

My vintage patriotic bunting that I use most every year.



I used fireworks as decorations for our table centerpiece.



And red, white, and blue papergoods 
of course.


Fresh flowers are the most simple and most beautiful way
 to adorn any celebration.


The Food:

Our 4th of July
Summer Feast Menu

Fresh-squeezed lemonade
Seasoned Angus Beef Cheeseburgers
Hot Dogs
Homemade pepper baked beans
Grilled Corn on the cob
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
Homemade ice creams
Homemade mini chocolate berry cheesecakes

Our guests added to our feast with delicious...
homemade pasta salad
fresh deviled eggs
Guacamole
fresh fruit salad
homemade peanut butter bars
and more!

The boys and I took 2 dozen lemons 
and made fresh-squeezed lemonade for this hot summer holiday!
Those lil boys are the BEST helpers.
ever.




Dig in!



The Desserts:

The highlight of any holiday, 
DESSERTS!


I made bitty Patriotic chocolate berry cheesecakes for one of the desserts. 


These mini pies fit in the palm of your hands! 



4th of July is an ice cream holiday.  Sooo, my Mom and I got busy churning up homemade goodness.

I made creamy chocolate and fresh strawberry and she made a lot of classic vanilla.  Every bite, lick, and drip was delicious.



Special "I love ice cream" wooden spoons


Neapolitan triple scoop,
Homemade ice cream goodness 
for the best summer holiday!



We've been dipping our patriotic cones in chocolate for a few years now...


I scooped my homemade chocolate ice cream into chocolate cups 
that melted faster than we could eat them.



Other sweet snacks included blueberry, pina colada, and cherry licorice.  Totally not homemade. ;)
...a jar of patriotic marshmallow stars, and red, white, and blue yogurt dipped pretzels. Yum stuff.



The Fireworks:

When darkness arrived, and our tummies were full of ice cream, we grabbed some chairs and headed out into the warm night for a glowing show of fire.


Chris and Kotah worked hard to keep the sky lit and the booms loud.

Chris actually worked EXTRA hard all day...
pulling people on water toys, grilling piles of burgers, and giving us a night show.
Thank you babe!




"Land of the free,
HOME of the brave."

Titus says that fireworks are America's birthday gift.  I like that.  


Thank you Mom and Dad for letting us use your beautiful home
 to celebrate summer,
our country,
good times, 
and great friends!



I hope each one of you had a memorable 4th, 
full of everything that makes life beautiful.





Moore 4th of July celebrations found here:




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7 comments:

The Tuscan Home said...

What a wonderful celebration, everything you did looked A M A Z I N G!! You are so talented. xo, Liz

Stacey said...

I love every detail. You and your momma make such a fantastic team.

Natasha in Oz said...

G'day from Oz. Thanks for sharing your 4th pictures-it looks like you had an amazing time together!

If you have a minute to spare I'd be thrilled if you could share your post at my weekly Say G'Day Saturday linky party. It has just started and this would be a fabulous addition.

Best wishes for a great weekend.
Natasha in Oz

Amanda said...

Looks like so much fun! I love the drink crates you used for the snacks!

Shanice Bannis said...

Great post! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams, starts on Fridays :D Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party.

Anonymous said...

What an awesome party! Looks great.

Jane said...

What a wonderful day of celebrations! You and your family really know how to throw a party... Happy Independence Day!