HAPPY 4th!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!! Happy Fireworks Day! Happy Cookout Day! Happy Birthday to America Day! Happy I am Proud to be an American Day! Happy Red, White and Blue Day! Happy I live at Yesteryear Acres Day! We are all busy getting ready for our awesome 4th of July celebration this evening.  I started the day out with a nice 4 mile walk with my daughter, my son, our labradoodle Elmo, our labradoodle Olive, and our Double Doodle Trixie.  The weather was relatively cool this morning and the doggies just loved the morning hike.  After we got back home and cleaned up - the real work began.  First up - homemade potato buns. They are rising in the oven right this moment and it already smells heavenly.  Next my daughter made Red Velvet 4th of July celebration cupcakes.  She decorated the top to look like fireworks.  Not only are the beautiful - but SUPER yummy too!!!  Then came the most important task of the day.  The never to be missed, must have, essential, critical piece to our 4th of July celebration.....Homemade Ice Cream! We are making 4 gallons of our heavenly ice cream.  I mean you need the 4th of July happiness to last all week long don't you?!? First batch was homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.  That one is my son's favorite.  Second batch - Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chunk. Mmmmmm.  That one is EVERYONE'S favorite! Last batch is a Pistachio Vanilla Rocky Road. Again - one word - mmmmmmm!  The last batch is still cranking away and should be done in the next half hour or so.  We are definitely ready for the evening's festivities. Mr. Yesteryear Acres is making his world famous hamburgers.  He gets the outside all caramelized crispy. Oh my gosh. They are so salty crispy juicy delicious!  Of course they will go right on top of the homemade potato buns. We also have some caramelized onions for the burgers.  4th of July Hamburgers have to be perfect.  We are planning on having a cookout, fireworks, and lots of fun.  The only thing missing is my older daughter.  She is busy training the incoming Plebes at the Naval Academy and will miss our 4th of July celebration. Days like this make me miss her all the more!  If you get a chance to read this dear daughter - don't worry - your daddy has a new flavor of ice cream he is waiting to try when you come home. You are going to make Honey Caramel Ice Cream. We will do 4th of July...Part II!  We love you!  We are proud of you! Happy 4th of July to all our friends, family, puppy families, puppies, doggies, doodles and to those you love!