For the second year in a row, we had our Fourth of July gathering in town! We call it “Patriotic Party on the Prairie” and while we had fun last year, this year it all felt right!
Our Merc staff was at the top of their smile game! We had booths outside with burgers, steak bites, Merc tees and cups…
And cotton candy!
We made sure this was a fun event for kids by having a mechanical bull, a climbing wall, a bunch of big, crazy inflatables, face painting, and lots of other fun.
I was *this close* to getting on that mechanical bull. But in the end, I was afraid someone would film it in slow motion and my cheeks would ebb and flow as the bull whipped me back and forth…and this was supposed to be a fun holiday, man!
So many friends and family were there! These are the Tolsons. Mike and Bev are good family friends, and their grown daughter, Abby, does social media and marketing for The Merc!
Stuart, my nephew, and Betsy, the daughter of my lifelong childhood friend, were there! (They’re just good buddies. Cute ones at that!)
Stuart’s mom Suzanne (my brother’s ex-wife, but that doesn’t matter because we love each other) was there with her husband…
And so was Suzanne’s sister, Cathy and her husband!
Life is crazy. We all grew up in the same town, Cathy and I were in ballet together, Suzanne was best friends with my lifelong friend (Betsy’s mother), but Cathy and Suzanne’s grandparents were from Pawhuska and they have always felt their roots were here. Cathy now lives in Little Rock and Suzanne lives in Dallas, but the two of them just bought a house here in Pawhuska, which they plan to renovate.
Stuart, meanwhile, has been spending a lot of time working on the ranch, so his Pawhuska roots have been reaching deeper…
As I said, life is crazy. It’s fun to watch how things unfold.
Paige and her nice “friend” Matt were there, climbing the wall and riding the mechanical bull and having fun.
So were Alex and her nice “friend” Mauricio.
I can’t say the word “boyfriend.” It just won’t come out of my mouth. It isn’t so much that I’m in denial or afraid to face the fact that my girls are growing up—it’s more of an Elaine Benes thing. Did you see the episode of Seinfeld when the girl at the party kept mentioning her “fiancé” constantly? (“My fiancé said this” and “My fiancé said that” and “Have you seen my fiancé???”) That’s how I feel about the world “boyfriend.” (“My daughter’s boyfriend said this” and “My daughter’s boyfriend said that” and “Have you seen my daughter’s boyfriend???”)
Not that I have issues or anything.
Did I mention we had corn grilling all day long?
And that we dipped it in butter to order?
And did I mention my nephew Elliot was there, too?
What a kid. Oh, and you might have noticed that both Stuart and Elliot are represented in these photos wearing different shirts. And that is because it was hot and humid, and there was a whole lot of sweatin’ goin’ on.
My sister, Betsy, after whom photographer Betsy (pictured previously with Stuart) was named (the connections just keep on coming!), invited two of her good Seattle friends, Pete and Heather, and their precious two girls to Pawhuska for the Fourth. They had a blast, and also, they’d never been so hot.
Seattle and Oklahoma? Not exactly the same weather. Ha.
My good friend Tiffany was there. She’s a chef who’s had six babies and runs a bed and breakfast with her husband in Pawhuska! She’s one of the most courageous women I know.
Israel is her sixth baby, and while he had a bit of a rough start when he was born, he is coming through like a champion! He’s an absolutely scrumptious little pookie head.
I want a baby.
Ha.
The Boarding House was all decked out for the Fourth! And here’s another connection: Marybeth, the girl in the center, is the daughter of one of my childhood best friends. We were best friends with Becky, who is photographer Betsy’s aunt, and she’s interning at The Boarding House this summer as part of her Hospitality Management degree!
I haven’t broken the news to her yet that I won’t be letting her go back to college for her senior year, and that she is going to be my intern for the rest of her life. I think she’ll be so happy, don’t you?
And finally…the fireworks! They were as fun as ever. Part of me misses seeing these over the ranch, but on the other hand, it’s really fun to take ’em to town.
Hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth!
Love,
P-Drizzle
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