4th of July

Last weekend, the 4 of us headed up to the mountain house again.  For those of you who don't know, the 4th weekend is the BIG weekend in the mountains.  This is when the colony residents bring their moms, nieces, 2nd cousins, uncle's brother's wife's sister, etc.  It's always so much fun, because you're guaranteed to see everyone you know.

We headed up about mid-day on Friday, and grilled out with my parents and sister and her fam Friday night.  Saturday morning, my sister and I headed out for our weekend-ly walk/jog, and then ventured to Cendy's for breakfast.  Cendy's is a glorified gas station that includes a convenience store, semi-grocery store, and the yummiest bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits around.  Note the importance of doing the walk/jog earlier. :)

Saturday, while Stephen went golfing with some of the guys, the girls spent the day at the lake, playing around the house, a forced naptime for my favorite toddler, and going back and forth between my parents' house and my sister's house.  My brother, his wife, and their little girl drove in from Nashville that afternoon.  Olivia, my brother's daughter, and Sydney are only 2-1/2 months apart (although, she's about a head taller!).  That evening, the real fun began.

Taylor hanging in the lake.

Taylor loves her Uncle Bill.

A tradition at Lakemont is to have a picnic and squaredance the Saturday night of the 4th of July weekend.  The "picnic" is held on the grounds with big, cement, outdoor benches.  BBQ is catered.  Typically, I'd say there's anywhere from 125-150 people.  This year, there were 210 reservations!  After the picnic, we let our food settle a bit and then head down to the clubhouse to squaredance.  When I was younger, we'd have a tape that played good ol' squaredancing music, and the tape would just be flipped from side to side so that the squaredancing would go on for a couple hours.  Lately, however, things have been upgraded... or updated... a DJ has been hired, all kinds of music is played (anything from oldies to the Cha Cha Slide), and only a couple of squaredances are done.  After the dancing, when it gets to be dark, a big firework show occurs.  Everyone sits by the lake and enjoys the show.  This year, I enjoyed it from the deck of my parents' cabin as Taylor slept through all the ruckus.

Sydney and me. (and monkey!)

Sweet Taylor.

Sydney busting a move.

Olivia and Sydney swinging with Aunt Jen.

I love her smile. :)

Sunday, we went to chapel and then celebrated Olivia's 3rd birthday!  It was quite the scene.  When the cake was being brought out with the candles, Olivia was screaming/crying, which led to Sydney screaming/crying, which led to even Taylor to have a pouty look on her face before the started crying, too!  It was like a scene from a movie.  :) 

Sydney and Uncle Bill checking out the lake after church.

Me and Taylor.

Olivia!

Sydney!

Sunday night was a hotdog supper at the picnic grounds.  Afterwards, me, Stephen, and Taylor went to a friend's house to hang out while Sydney played happily with Uncle Bill, Aunt Jen, and "O-Lee-Va".  We stayed up hanging out with the fam until late, watching Sydney and Olivia run circles around the house together.

Walking back from our friends' cabin.

Silly Olivia!

We headed home pretty early Monday morning.  It was a great weekend had by all!!