My Plans for the Three-Day Fourth of July Weekend

For the first time in a few years, I will have a 3-day weekend this 4^th of July. Since I love summer, this is the perfect opportunity for a weekend party at my house. Since we do have 3 full days, I will be able to have out-of-town friends come in and stay for a day or two.

Since I have already decided to have this party, I will invite my family -Mom, Dad, sister, aunts and uncles and cousins. Next, there are a few friends that I will invite to stay the weekend at my house. They travel from out-of-town, so staying over will make the trip more doable. I will also invite friends that live nearby. I let friends and family know that they are welcome to bring guests. I just need to know about it a few days in advance so that I have enough food.

I cook and we mostly enjoy being outdoors. I set up horseshoes with a regulation set for the adults and a plastic set that is closer together for the kids. I also have volleyball net and a couple of volleyballs available. A lot of times we will join forces and play an impromptu game -and have a lot of fun.

In addition to the outdoor games, I have an above ground pool that I have ready for jumping in to cook off. I always make sure to have several extra floats so that everyone can lie on a float if they want to. To make the pool a place that we are comfortable, I have an inflatable, floating cooler that I keep stocked with cola and bottled water. I also have a couple of pool games (basketball and the diving sticks) so that the kids can have fun and not feel the need to flip over the floats.

Last, I like to feed everyone. The main part of my party is a cookout. I grill hamburgers and hot dogs. I get a full range of condiments: cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles (dill and sweet), relish, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, etc. I make sure all of these are presented on a nice chilled tray. Then I add 3 or 4 kinds of chips and dips. Baked beans and drinks round out my meal.

This is a good summary of my three-day weekend this year. I will play volleyball, throw some horseshoes, spend a lot of time on a float in the pool and cook. If there are enough kids at the party, I will break out the water guns and have a great water fight!

I hope this gives you some ideas to fill your weekend. I know that I will have a great time!