Thunderworks!

Happy Fourth of July! This was the first year I haven't spent the Fourth with family (as I wasn't told what our plans were until it was too late to get a reasonably-priced plane ticket), but I made the most of it by inviting friends over for a summer dinner of fried chicken, homemade salsa, fruit salad, and brownies with ice cream. Afterwards, we ventured up to the Lighthouse Beach in Evanston to watch the fireworks. Owen, my friend Ann's three-year-old kept referring to them as "thunderworks" as in "These thunderworks are really pretty!" We had a great spot to see the fireworks, though it was a bit chilly out after having rained all day. Nonetheless, it was a good Fourth of July made even better by the fact that I still have the whole day tomorrow to sleep and read my time away despite the fact that we've already had two days off now. Gotta love those three-day weekends.

The lighthouse of Lighthouse Beach

Becky, Katie, Ann, and I waiting for the fireworks to start

Owen goofing off for the camera

Ann and Steve

Becky and Owen racing on the beach

Fireworks finale