Quickly approaching...

The 4th is quickly approaching, which means the impending chaos is about to erupt.   A massive 4th of July party is a family is a longstanding family tradition.  My neighborhood has a wonderful parade (and has done so for 98 years...99 if you count this year).  This makes for a perfect excuse to invite over the whole family.  My mom is 1 of 13 so even with out all of the out of town relatives present, you can imagine how hoppin' things can get around here.  The party is always wonderful, but the chaos of cleaning, cooking, and setting up is not something I look forward to.  I am not looking forward to the 4th as much as I usually do;my brother is in the Air Force and had originally been planning to take leave during this time, but that is no longer happening--it kind of puts a damper on the day.  I should really make an effort to go visit him as soon as I can afford to.