hey there happy: Family Fun on the 4th

For the first time since we met Caden didn't have to work and we were actually able to spend the 4th of July with family!

Caden's family is all about traditions (which I love!) It seems they have a tradition for just about everything and it's always fun for me to be included and have them become my traditions too. Just a few of the many include:

*Special Birthday Cake- Everyone gets a "special birthday cake" as its called on their big day. Lets
just say this cake is usually known by a much different name!
*Engagement skit- every time someone gets engaged family members act out funny things about the
couple. Its quite a hoot!
*Cousin movie- Every year at Christmas time all of the Ritz cousins get together and go to a movie
together. We've been hitting up the Hobbit movies the past two years with #3 coming out just in
time this year! Yay!
*Mugs- Everyone (all cousins, their spouses, and children) have their own glass mug to drink out of
when we spend Christmas together in Arkansas. And each mug has our corresponding number on
it. Now that I'm an official family member my mug will say 4 - 4 +! (I married Caden, hence the
plus sign, and he is the 4th child of Linda, who is the 4th child in her family). When not in use
allllll the mugs sit in multiple rows on shelves in Grandma Ritz's kitchen.

It's so fun being a part of so many traditions and the 4th of July is no different. Every year his family travels up to Comstock, where his moms family is originally from, and enjoys the parade, foot races, baseball games, pulled pork sandwiches, and lots of family time!

Favorite little nephew

Foot Races

I too participated in the many races but thankfully there is no photographic proof! (That I know of anyways) I'm pretty sure I held my own in the foot and three-legged races ending up somewhere in the middle of the group, but the sack race was an utter disaster. I knew going into it that I was probably going to make a fool of myself and yet I let Chelsea talk me into that one. Ugh. The only good thing about that race was that Chelsea and I tied for last...maybe I should start practicing for next year? If you see me on the side of HWY 14 hopping around in a potato sack...just keep driving!

Doting Uncles
Seriously though this little boy gets loved on by everyone!
Such a cutie!

At the Dam

We went on a tour around Comstock to see where Linda's family used to live and such and ended up at this cabin being built by a family member. Its really quite adorable on the inside!