Our 4th As Four

Here lately, we have ordained July 4th as our Official Richard's Family Reunion.

For the last 5 years, we have spent July 4th at Lake Possum Kingdom.

Being a Texas native, I am proud of many things....

...our beautiful, sparkling lakes being one of them.





I am a girly girl. Everyone who knows me, knows that. I wear waterproof mascara and lip gloss during the summer. I despise June Bugs and Geckos. And I feel it utmost necessary to shower before going swimming.

Don't know why. I just do.

So, going to "the lake" for a weekend is a pretty big deal. I can't just throw a swimsuit into a bag with a bottle of sunscreen and call it a day, oh no!

Especially when I am told that I will NOT be staying in our Aunt's amazing Pottery Barn Style Lake house, but instead be staying in.a.cabin.


GASP.


I need my own large duffel bag with my necessities......you know, like my hair dryer, flat iron, makeup bag, clothes for the weekend including evening wear, and my own pillow. Not to mention my sweet baby girl's outfits, snacks, pack n play, blankets, sassies, and floaties, etc.

Let's just say that our SUV was loaded to the max!!


When we arrived Saturday morning, we were in our element. Skipping rocks with Pappi and Cousin Caleb.....what more could a little boy ask for?

The sky was blue, the weather was perfect.

We had coolers of beer and juice boxes and appetizers in the oven.

We played 42, Texas Hold 'Em, and Spades indoors......

and rode on Jet Ski's and Tubes outdoors.

After too much sun, we settled down by making crafts and reading stories with Mimi...

And at night, after dinner, we watched movies and dined on S'mores.

The first night we slept soundly in our cabin.

The second.....not so much.





After watching fireworks light up the sky, we headed back to our sleeping quarters to find a H.U.G.E.

stinging scorpion just chilling over our bed and a mound of fire ants under the carpet where Gray had slept the night before in his sleeping bag.



Can't you just picture how fast I gathered our belongings and bolted outta there??????

We ended up heading back to Aunt Joy's to make a big 'ol family pallet on the floor in her living room and slept soundly for the night....after counting stars through the wall of windows separating us from the lake.



I do not heart cabins.

The next morning, we woke to bacon grilling and eggs frying and re-telling of our nights adventures.

"Not much of a country girl, are ya?".....Uncle Russ asked.




He's lucky, he's cute.

We spent the day grilling, drinking, laughing, and sunning.


And that night, we watched the most magnificent sunset.....all the while, hanging out as a family, sucking the marrow out of life.

It.was.fantastic.

We ate watermelon for breakfast and skinny dipped in the pool.

We put our party hats on and waved our flags proudly.


We sat sail on an AMAZING house boat to cruise the lake and take in the beautiful scenery.

We laughed, danced, sang, showed our tan lines, and ate cake.

We dug through bags that didn't belong to us, slid down slides that should not have held us, and drank in God's beautiful sunset.

We prayed for those who had lost EVERYTHING in the fires and prayed even harder when we saw two more fires start.

We laughed hard, we loved big, and we enjoyed every single second of the beauty that He gave us.

And we sang "Happy Birthday to America", because She was the whole reason that we were here in the first place.