Fun on the 4th!

The Fourth of July is always a lot of fun for us Partridges and Grovers who get to fly North to cool off for a few days. Utah's heat is no match to Arizona's 100-teens and above! We are always grateful to walk outside and be able to breathe without coughing hot air.

Our Fabulous Fourth sometimes begins with the 4th of July Parade downtown. Last year Scott was able to procure superb seats for the kids thanks to his brother Jeff. This summer we skipped the parade and slept in. Sometimes it's just a good idea to slow down and sleep in! But that doesn't slow down the excitement for long. We enjoyed an afternoon BBQ with the whole extended Partridge Family (Bryson, Aunt Stephanie and Hyrum are pictured). The Brothers (as we affectionately call my brothers, husband and brother-in-law) and Dad are expert grillsmen! Burgers, brawts and dogs (hot dogs that is) always play host to the main course, while the girls supply all the sides and table trimmings. This year, Cheryl outdid herself with star table cloth weights.

The grandkids have caught on that Grandma and Grandpa Partridge always have something up their sleeve. This get-together it was hosting our own Boat Reggata! Below is the winner's circle where all the kids await their reward (and bribe for standing still during this picture!)--Multiple boxes of Krispy Kreme goodness! I'd put a plug in for Old Navy's $5 Fourth of July t-shirts which is our annual ensemble but I
have to be honest, we were a little disappointed with their shirts this year. The sizing was all off for the kids and men and the womens shirts were. . . well. . . we're just not really into "Manhattan's and Martinis for All" so we went to Wal-Mart instead. Better luck next year, ON!




Blake (below) is enjoying the fruits of his labors--and patience while we took pictures!



We ended our day with a semi-private viewing of the Stadium of Fire fireworks display from atop the Marriott Parking garage in Provo. But this was only the beginning of the Fun on the 4th!


On the 5th of July we all celebrated my nephew Hyrum's first birthday. 10 cousins running through Brett's backyard(well, really only 8 could run) , in and out of their blow up swimming pools. It was good clean fun for everyone! The funniest thing was how cold the water was--according to the Arizona crew. My sweet sister-in-law poured boiling water into the pools in hopes of warming them up! The festivities ended with a water/hose fight between Super Uncle Chase and all the kids.

Our wet bunch then piled in the car to visit Scott's sister Karen, in Springville. The kids have a great time playing with more cousins and a whole new set of toys and games. It gave the adults an opportunity to talk about life, liberty and solve most of the world's problems. We got to catch up with Karen, Robert, Brent, Olivia, Anna and Grandma Grover while the kids continued to burn up calories from the 11am birthday cake and ice cream.

After we stayed our welcome we headed to The Bamboo Hut--our new Provo hotspot and favorite place to feel like we're back on the islands. The kids love the kalua pork and fried rice. Of course the pineapple skewers are a favorite as well. You pretty much can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Go--you'll love it!

Our Fabulous 4th felt like a continuation of our Maui vacation--only with different scenery. The kids all went through cousins withdrawal once we got home. And Blake is still talking about the "Hawaii volcano" (meaning Haleakala) and his new buddy Hyrum. It's funny to see kids "discover"other kids. The only thing we had to look forward to was swimming lessons and (my brother) Chris and Cassi and their girls moving to AZ. Finally, we get cousins HERE! My boys could hardly wait!

Next post: Here come the nieces--plus a bonus!