Family and friends BBQ, Fireworks, and s'mores making party!

I invited my daughter and her boyfriend, and my friend Stacy, her daughters, and her boyfriend to come over for a barbeque before going to the park to watch fireworks. It was a lot of fun! Stacy has been one of my best buddies for several years now. We worked in the same factory and sometimes spent more time laughing than working. Her boyfriend also worked there, but he didn't come into the picture until about a year and a half ago.

My daughter is usually a camera hog, but today, the only picture I was able to get of her is in the group photo above where she is standing in the center.

Here is the cast of characters:

Here is Stacy and her sweetie Brian. Aren't they cute together?



Here is Stacy's oldest daughter Sydney. The grill I was given is right behind her.

Here is her middle daughter Shaelyn, or Shae-baby as I have always called her. Love the face

And here is her youngest sweetie pie Symantha, or Sam for short, also making a face.

Here is Brian, sans sunglasses, eating my very awful hamburgers. I had never operated a gas grill before...seriously! And I did not do a very good job on the hot dogs and hamburgers, but they were eaten anyway. We also had potato salad, baked beans, chips and dip, and cookies.

And here I am in my newly painted chair. This was right before I got all hot and sweaty from grilling burgers and hot dogs. Just a moment before this, Brian was giving me bunny ears.

After dinner, we all went to the park to watch fireworks. We staked out a spot, which turned out to be partially blocked by a tree, ugh, but we all had fun anyhow. Here are the girls with their glow necklaces on. I think they had more fun with those than they did with the fireworks! I took some pics of the fireworks, but they didn't turn out.

Afterwards, we came back to start up the fire and roast marshmallows for s'mores. I got the fire stoking!

Here we all are roasting our marshmallows. Some fell in the fire. Some got flung into the yard. Thankfully, none were blazing when they went flying off the skewers. Some actually got eaten!

Tried to take a pic of my son, but he covered his face, the little stinker! I heard from my youngest son on the 4th, and he said he had a fun day in Texas where they spent it with his step-mother's youngest son and his family. I have met them and they are the sweetest, and I was glad he got to spend the holiday with them.

Here is Mike, my daughter's boyfriend. Not sure where she is. Maybe in the bathroom. Ha!

Stacy is really enjoying her s'more. Not sure what was said that got her so tickled. Maybe Brian goosed her.

Here is Brian mesmerized by the flames, and Shae toasting her marshmallow.

Here is Sam below, contemplating the zen of S'mores.

All in all, it was a great night, and we stayed up until after midnight around the fire, listening to neighborhood fireworks still popping and banging. The girls had great fun poking around in the fire.
Eventually the evening died down, just as the fire had. The glowing embers looked almost alive! The girls thought it was very cool.

We ended the evening with the warm glow of friendship and time spent together! Hope you were all able to spend time with family and friends this holiday too!