And the prize goes to …
Monroe.
The most patriotic costume prize, that is. It all started Tuesday night with a series of group text messages among the Lubbock clan. Such things as who’s buying what fireworks, when is who gathering to go to the parade? Where are we going to eat?
A few puns were kicked around. Somewhere in the middle of all this fun, somebody had the temerity to ask “Why is everyone up at this hour?” Eventually Jake suggest Ben should silence his phone so he could go to sleep, Jenni said “nighty-night,” and the messages stopped coming. I think the only consensus was that we would have lunch at Grandma’s and anyone who wanted to go swimming could.
All that happened according to schedule, except nobody went swimming. Instead, we sat on the back porch and watch Jake practice his golf swing.
And we talked about the nice job Aiden had done on the lawn and about fireworks and just exactly where the city limits are in which part of town.
Rufus and Abel (Jenni’s dogs) ran around the yard, and generally it was a good start to Independence Day.
It got better. We got a text from Heather. She won a series of first places at the church Independence Day festivities. First in the ladies watermelon eating contest. First place in the bake-off with her chocolate chip cookies. She was second in the three-legged race, and won the MVP award in co-ed tug-of-war. Dressed in white pants and white heels that once belonged to Grandma, she said she just dug those heels right in. Then the other team let go, and Heather and the bishop’s wife landed in the mud.
But the incontrovertible prize for best costume came in a photo sent from northern California. Monroe Grim, the youngest member of the family at 31 days, was all red white and blue … naturally.