The 4th 2012

The greatest thing about blogging is that now I have been doing it so long I get to be able to go back and see what I have done in the years past.

For example: The 4th of July

2011

2010

2009

Sadly I started this little adventure in the middle of July 2008 so 2009 is as far back as I've got.

Nonetheless it is still very cool to have it all documented from that point.

This year like the past 2, I spent the day in PC at City Park.

Lucky for me, Finn and (insert nickname I haven't yet come up with here) got to join me.

We did the typical/wonderful go to events of the day for being in PC.

Watched the parade.

Took self posed jpegs.

Had random people take jpegs.

Ate $3.00 burgers.

Teased Finn accidentally with said burgers.

Saw old friends.

Man I miss these guys.

Watch the excitement get the best of Finn...

Eventually he couldn't take it anymore.

Lastly got to have dinner and beers with long lost traveling buddies.

(Why does my arm look like 5 times the size it really is? Creepy.)

That day was a good one but emotionally a teeny bit straining.

I really miss PC.

I have been in SLC for a few months now and because of work and the commute will continue to stay down here for the next year or so.

PC had become my home and I had fallen very in love with it over the past few years and hopefully will be back after spending a season skiing here.

The coolest thing about being up there is the sense of community and on the 4th there is nothing or no one who does it better.

Sadly because of all of the dry weather we have had and the amount of fires over the west coast fireworks were not an option in the mountains.

So after dinner we headed home.

We contemplated a rooftop watching of the Sugarhood's (my name for Sugarhouse) but I gave into the air conditioning and the sandman and called it a night.

It was a good 4th.

Fireworks or not.

I hope you all had an enjoyable one as well!

xoxo.

The 4th With Dr.BFF and "Her Paraplegic"

First off. For Dr. BFF's accounts of the events click here.

Secondly. This was the greatest surprise of the year. 

You all will never know how wonderful my July 3rd phone call from her telling me she was coming up for the 4th was truly one of the greatest things my ears have heard in so long. 

We hadn't seen each other in over a year.

It was over a year too long.

It was if I could breathe again.

Lucky for me she brought a good friend who I also love and adore...and learned quite a bit from.

After 12 hours of driving, a ticket, and probably 15 gallons of chocolate milk later they arrived in PC just in time to come watch the infamous parade and just chill at the park with my fam.

While chilling they also let me take countless photos of them.

This is one of my favorite things about Dr. BFF. 

She ALWAYS lets me shoot her.

No matter what.

Literally I have over 600 photos of her in 3 days.

Not kidding.

Sometimes being the photographer you don't get 1. very many photos and 2. only dorky ones when you do get them.

Point proven below.

 I also have some great photos of my family just like last year!

How much do you just want to get a hug from this guy?

One of my favorite moments of the day?

Seeing Tang (My boss) rreeaalllyyy enjoying his day off!

He is also enjoying his Coors Light!

As I said everyone in PC spends the day in the park.

If you are ever here for the 4th you will now know where to be!

Later that night we got some V.I.P seats up at the Marriot at the resort.

I didn't really see the fireworks but I did get this shot that I am super in love with!

Upon leaving the resort "Her Paraplegic" showed me how to work out.

It was pretty remarkable actually.

I mean this guy has no lower body balance.

How cool is this?

The 4th this year was so much fun!

I got to spend time with the people I love the most.

Maybe next year I'll get a fun firework kiss...

Awww who am I kidding?!?!

I was considered myself lucky that I made it to the actual fireworks this year!

"Stupid Bunny That Craps Chocolate and Gives America Diabetes."

Better late than never on the Easter post uh?

This year for Easter the Fam and I did something a little different.

We decided that since Mom and Sean don't have a kitchen (Hello remodel!) we would go out to a little place in Immigration canyon that all of us had heard about but never been too.

Apparently, Ruth's Diner was all the buzz and we picked Easter Sunday to give it a test drive along with Maria, P.K. and my friend Bama who was without family and his girlfriend.

Lucky for me I have attracted a very eclectic group of friends in to my life. Bama is one of them. One if you "Google" his real name...I'm not telling... you will get 14 pages on him. 14. Crazy.

Second. He is one of the biggest "foodies" I know. He puts Dr. BFF to shame. This little fact comes in handy when after I asked him if he wanted to join us his reply was, "Hell ya! Ruth's was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives."

Who knows that off the top of their head?

Now, I am sure that you are all thinking how could we just go out to brunch and just get in? To be honest we all were expecting a 2 hour wait. Luckily if you go out to breakfast in Utah around 9 everyone and their mom is at church. We got in, sat right down, and were given these biscuits.

OMG! I have been thinking about them since that day weeks ago.

Another highlight for me was the Easter baskets.

Everyone got one.

Including Cali who was 14 and never had one before! Yes, Never. Weird.

More importantly she got her first Pez dispenser and almost leapt out of the chair with joy. It might of been one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

The other moment that might of toped that was watching P.K. eat his Nerd Rope without trying to get caught by his mom who was sitting right next to him! She has no peripheral vision so he can get away with it even with all of us sitting there! I was belly laughing the whole time at his face in most of these photos!

I will have to say that the conversation that morning was one of those times where everyone at the table just cracks up the entire time. It was one were we all were embraced with moments of sharing little bites, telling great stories, and Bama's ingenious interpretations of what Easter is. Yep, if I could remember it correctly it was this is a holiday where a "stupid bunny craps chocolate and gives America Diabeties."

Pretty much my favorite Easter quote of all time.

Pretty much a family memory I will treasure forever.

Silly bunny.

The Lover's Holiday. Pft.

Can I just say that I love Valentine's Day for two reasons.

1. I love pink.

2. It is now my favorite excuse to have dinner parties.

No joke.

This year Jordy and I decided that we would screw going out to dinner and doing V-Day conventionally.

He was watching T.V. and said that most restaurants have a special menu and raise prices and it just was a little cliche.

Soo I recommended we throw a V-Day dinner party with some friends.

By doing this I also got to check something off my bucket list. "Host a dinner party!"

I was beyond excited.

Lucky us the guest list included.

Two who are a couple. J-Train and PAT-Rice.

Then two friends who had nothing going on the we just love.

Fordo and K-Dawg.

(Yes, I have nicknames for everyone and I love it.)

I decorated in true Bridget style and everyone else pitched in where we asked.

(Thank you for now the 6 bottles of pink champagne we have in our fridge.)

The dinner included PAT-Rice's Salmon... oh yeah... roasted red potatoes, parmasean asparagus, and garlic bread that had more butter on it then known to man.

We drank lovely bottles of red and white wines accompanied with pink... yes pink champagne.

For dessert I included Hersey Kisses, (FOR YOU J-MONEY!)

Circus Animal cookies, and Jordy got heart shaped cheesecakes!

After dinner Mom and Sean stopped by for a little nightcap and their V-Day photo taken.

The Valentine I gave to the girls was posting a funny red and pink back drop for a V-Day photo that they could put in these red frames I got them.

Needless to say they some of them turned out hysterically.

I have to say it was one of the more fun evenings I have had in a long time. There is nothing like being with close friends to just hang with, eat good food, and share so good laughs with or at!

It was also really exciting for me because even though Jordy gave me my Valentine a few weeks early (he can't keep secrets like that he gets to excited) he also surprised me with this!

(I have now come to find out it was more for him and his love of cookies than for me ;)

So cool right?

Jordy and I are thinking this is going to become a February 14th Tradition.

After all the love in the room why not right?

Hopefully you can join us next year we would love to have you!

The 4th.

"Work Brings Freedom."

This has been my mantra for the past few weeks.

What does that have to do with the celebrating the Fourth of July for me? Well, to be honest, it is one of the few holidays that I can have a shot at getting off.

Bartending, or working in the restaurant industry, it is pretty much mandatory that you work holidays. Therefore I do work almost all of them. Including Christmas.

This 4th however I got lucky.

I feel I have made a huge effort in the past 6 months to really work hard to prove myself and I got rewarded on this holiday by having the whole day off!

It was awesome.

For the first time in years I had a really great holiday with my family... well a part of them.

Last year was great.

This year however might of been epic.

Why you ask?

Take a look see....

The greatest thing about being in PC on the 4th is that EVERYBODY and I mean EVERYBODY comes out for it!

There is a huge local parade that starts at the top of Main St and flows all the way down Park Ave.

This year a few of our family friends threw a party so we got to join in on the driveway and enjoy the amazing little floats.

After watching the parade we all then got to venture in to City Park.

When I saw we all I mean me and about 5 thousand other people.

It is insane!

There is a little street fair, rugby game, concert, and plenty of locals partying PC style to give you entertainment all day!

I luckily brought my camera through the crowds and got a few of these great shots!

Yes, most of these people I love and adore!

All in all it was a true all American holiday. If I had the time or patience to load all of my 500 photos taken that day to prove it I would.

Needless to say. I am proud to be an American.

I feel so lucky to live in a country when I can have the opportunities and freedoms I do.

Like I said. "Work Brings Freedom" and boy am I lucky to have both!