Our Nation's Birthday, Stockwell Style

Every family has its special holiday. For my family, it's Christmas. My family goes absolutely nuts over Christmas, from the "Santa explosion", to the ridiculous amount of presents under the tree, to the feast after feast, to the umpteen wonderful family traditions that surround this holiday - we do Christmas right. But when it comes to that quintessential summer holiday, that true celebration of summer, no one does the 4th of July like the Stockwells. For those of you who have had the pleasure of celebrating America's birthday with the Stockwell clan, you know exactly what I'm talking about - this is one wild, wacky, and wonderful weekend. For those of you who haven't been so lucky, I'll give you a quick synopsis of the fun involved.

First, there are plenty of parades to watch/participate in. There's the town parade, in which we marched for the first time this year. There is a Stockwell float for all the kids to ride on, but Ethan was petrified of the tractor driving the float, so Dad got to carry him the whole way while Adam and I rode on the float. Ethan really preferred watching the parade instead, ooohhing and aaahing at every vehicle that passed. After the parade we got to watch a bunch of rubber ducks race down the creek. As I said, wacky.

Then there's the family parade. This is even wackier, because it's the only parade (that I know of) that has no audience. The whole Stockwell clan dresses up in costumes and parades around the compound. We stop at the tennis courts to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and to pay respects to those no longer with us, then head to the playhouse for skits and awards. This year, we won the "Loony Award" for our rendition of The White Sneaker Gang, the Next Generation.

The funny thing about these costumes is that they always need a lot of explanation - no one dresses up like a cat, or Dracula, or a fireman, or something obvious like that. Our costume was an homage to the White Sneaker Gang of the 60s - when Tom and his brothers/cousins (a whole gaggle of boys) used to wear white sneakers and get into lots of mischief. Our boys are two of a whole new generation of boys (ten boys in a row!) who will likely be creating similar mischief in the not too distant future. Hence the inspiration for our costume.

Besides the parades, there are lots of other fun activities surrounding the Fourth. There's the Wilkins Community Breakfast, where the whole community gathers for a delicious spread of homemade muffins and donuts, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, etc. It is one of my favorite events of the year, and it seems like Ethan is following in his Mom's footsteps. I have never seen this kid eat so much breakfast in his life. The kids' portion was not quite big enough, and he ended up scarfing down much of his parents' breakfasts too.

And then there are the usual lake activities - shuffleboard, swimming, playing on the beach, bocce, and driving Grandpa's boat:

But my most favorite part of the celebration, and what makes the Stockwell compound so special, is the gathering of extended family. I'm not sure how many family members were present this past weekend, but I know it was dozens and dozens. Cousins and second cousins, great aunts and great uncles, all get to know one another again at the lake every summer, catching up on the events of the past year, meeting new offspring, and sharing memories of summers past. It is unlike anything I have ever seen, and it is truly wonderful. It is especially fun to watch the next generation of Stockwells begin to interact and get to know each other. Ethan and his third cousin Aidan really enjoyed each other's company this past weekend. They were holding hands most of the weekend, off exploring the woods and beach together.

Adam and his second cousin Caz had their fun too. Adam helped Caz work on his tummy time, and Caz showed Adam how to smile big for the camera.

I look forward to watching the boys form these unique and lasting bonds with their extended family, and will encourage them to do so every step of the way. I am a little scared to see what the next generation of the White Sneaker Gang has in store for us, but I'm sure it will be fun to watch!