No, it's not a football stat…

We had a great long weekend back home with my family. We left Thursday night (DD had to work until 7pm) in the sedan rental car (my car still getting fixed from the accident) and it was tight quarters. We upgraded to a somewhat bigger car, but they had no vans/large cars available (we thought about taking 2 cars, but didn't want DD driving in the horrible holiday traffic; especially on the return Sunday). Three tall teenagers/21 year old cheek to cheek in the back seat did not make for the most pleasant ride. They're spoiled with riding in my minivan where they each get their own seat and a built in screen to watch videos or play games. We gave them DH's laptop and an earphone splitter so they could still watch movies, but DS2 in the middle had to hold it as still as he could and it gets hot on the bottom. DD kept saying "Kill me now!" every time one of the boys would whine.

I tried to entertain them with stories of how my Mom wrecked our station-wagon the morning we were leaving for a camping vacation and after a family vote, we squeezed the whole family of seven and the bare essentials of our week long camping trip (with a huge canvas tent) into a Dodge Dart and rode for 8 hours each way (3 in the front bench and 4 of us in the back seat). They weren't sympathetic. Then I tried to enlighten them on their comfy quarters with the tale of how when we drove to NY to visit my uncle's family once my parents caught the antiquing bug from them and bought a grandmother clock, several chairs and other assorted antiques. Yeah, we had the station wagon with the third flip up bench in the rear, but I still had to ride home 9 hours with my head through the rungs/seat of a chair…still, no sympathy (OK, suck it up…it's a 3.5 hour ride…they settled into the movie and all was quiet again).

We stopped at Phantom Fireworks once we got inside Ohio at about 11pm (along with half the state) and loaded up. We arrived around midnight and started dropping kids at different sister's homes and then we went on to stay at Mom and Dad's with my older sister and her two boys.

Friday we slept in and then I got to see all 4 siblings, two of whom I haven't seen in about a year (we went to lunch with them). We helped Mom and Dad get ready for the 4th and shopped a little and then we had a big family rib dinner.

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

We got ready on the 4th with finishing decorating the roofed golf cart my parents were riding through the parade with 3 of the grandchildren (as past parade chairmen – first ones). Then we were off to watch the parade at noon. DS1 carried the banner with his cousin for the street float. It was the nicest parade weather in years (it's usually fry-an-egg-on-the-pavement-hot).

I got choked up as usual as we all stood and clapped for the flag and the old veterans marching by. We all went to the street picnic for dinner and then lots of backyard fireworks before walking up to the golf course for the big show.

Sunday was just as busy as we ran to pick up food orders at several places for the 80th surprise birthday party my Mom was hosting for Dad at my youngest sister's home. We told him we were having brunch there before my sister from Chicago and my family departed for home (a normal thing we would do). There was a great turn out of about 75 people and he was so surprised…even their best friends surprised us all by coming from Indiana driving out and back Sunday for the event. He got all teared up, so I know he was happy. We arrived back home after a harrowing drive on packed roads last night.