[summer round up: part 2]

Aloha! I know we are well into October, and Halloween in on the radar...So...the only thing I can say is that I have to hurry and get this summer round up completed so I can delve into skeletons bones and black cauldrons!

Shortly after the super-hero reunion we made our way out to Colorado for a patriotic 4th of July weekend with a Hawaiian luau twist...Allred style. My fabulous mother and sister, D-lyn, did most of the party prep creating giant, brightly colored surfboards that were used as benches (and then for photo back drops), organizing our annual hot dog bar, making fishing booths and lolli-pop ring toss games for the kiddos, adorning everything with grass skirts and much, much more (D-lyn even managed to make her very own vintage swim suit!).

The kids enjoyed the day show complete with colored fireworks and Mentos and Diet Coke explosions. D-lyn taught all the little girls Hulu lessons (after becoming a self-trained instructor via library videos) which they were head-over-heels for. There was also a lot of swimming, slip-and-sliding, chatting, eating, reminiscing, giggling, running, playing, laughing, chasing, movie watching, napping, game playing, fire work watching and more going on throughout the weekend. I can't think of a more perfect way to have celebrated the 4th. (Although we all agree that for next year's theme, we're going to have to keep to the red, white and blue color scheme...makes things really feel more patriotic...naturally. Plans for a nautical/pirate 2011 4th of July are in the works...I mean, it just wouldn't be an Allred party if we didn't put a slant on it...right?).