July 4

Happy Independence Day!

Today was our last full day in Maryland, so we spent most of our time hanging out with Bobby, Reaya, and Brendan, save a quick run to the Mother Ship for iced coffee and Safeway for some red, white and blue Haribo bears (an Abby special request. She does like to be hyped for the fourth). 

Otherwise, we laid low. Abby went for a walk with the DeLauders among us, I finished up a pair of projects I brought with me, and we watched episodes of "Ugliest House in America" (which I'd never seen before but found fascinating. The design decisions some people make are eye-popping, to put it lightly).

Late in the day, my mom came over and we all enjoyed late-lunch-slash-early-dinner prepared by our gracious hosts that featured hot dogs, sausages, and cheeseburgers paired with homemade buns, potato salad, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cole slaw. It was all delicious and I probably ate too much, but I figured it was a special occasion.

And then a bit after dinner (after I'd helped my brother figure out how to remove the cap from an ibuprofen bottle -- the struggle is real, folks), someone brought up s'mores (it may have been Abby), and Reaya pulled out the ingredients and voila, s'mores on the stovetop were created and consumed.

It was a nice, mostly quiet day. And I'm grateful for the time spent with family we so rarely see.