Another Fourth in the Books

The scene:  Plainfield, IN--just up the hill from Hummel Park.
The date:    July 4th, 2016.
The circumstances:  Grandchildren visiting from Seattle, awaiting the arrival of IL family.
The players:
Robin and Ryan Heffelman (my grandchildren).
Grandma Judy and Grandpa Phil Heffelman, the paternal grandparents/my friends who live a mere mile from me.
Nathan and Kendra Heffelman, the grandchildren's father and stepmother.
Wednesday Cotton, the grandchildren's stepsister.

The synopsis:  
My grandchildren moved to the Seattle, WA, area in late December.  They flew to northern IL for a three-week visit with their father and stepmother on the 18th of June (the same day I departed Seattle for home in Indy).  Give or take a couple of days, the whole family was camped out at the Hendricks County (IN) Fairgrounds for an SCA event.  (Don't ask me to explain SCA!  It is a convo of people who experience history through personas and a living situation--dates anywhere from the 700s to the 1700s.  I'll have to look that up to be sure.)  It was hot that week and weather threatened a time or two.  During that week the family came to Plainfield--about 15-20 miles east of the fairgrounds--to take advantage of Judy and Phil's air conditioning, washing machines, and food.  One night, with weather threatening, they stayed overnight here because I am the only one who has facilities to sleep them all.  Still, they had a good time.  Before they left to go back to the fairgrounds, Ryan informed me that he was "out of money"...so...since I had some cash in my wallet, I gave all three kids $10.  It was probably just a drop in the bucket, but it made me feel good to do it!

The following week--June 26th to July 4th--Robin and Ryan were left here for both sets of grandparents to take care of, while Nathan, Kendra, and Wednesday headed back to the Chicago area.  (Actually, Wednesday went to her Grandma Mary's in Muncie, IN, while N and K went home to work.)  Judy and Phil had a plan which included a trip to southern Indiana to visit home-state memorials (Lincoln's Boyhood Home and the memorial to George Rogers Clark, etc.)...and then on to Santa Claus, IN, to do the Holiday World and Splashin' Safari amusement park.  It was an overnight trip for them all.  The kids had already been to Sky Zone (the trampoline place), etc.  By the time they all got home on that Wednesday, everyone silently was begging for a day off.  So much to do; so little time!  For the next day or two, we didn't do squat...and no one complained!!  Judy and Phil no doubt spent a ton of money on that trip, but the kids learned a lot and had fun things to do!

I got a call from Nathan--my former son-in-law--telling me that they would be overnight in Muncie on their way here for the Fourth, and would be here overnight on the Fourth before they all returned to the Chicago area.  Much of this was already planned.  What wasn't planned was how my back would handle the preparatory work.  Thank God this is "family".  The house was  FAR from clean!

Since I live closest to the park that has all of the Fourth activities, I usually host a picnic-style meal at my house before departure for the park.  Judy, once again, decided to provide a real picnic lunch for us for the park:  sandwiches, chips, grapes, cookies, and bottled water.   My original plan for a cold-cut lunch seemed like too much "picnic"....so I decided on KFC!  I ordered a 16-pc. buckets, a half-gallon of cole slaw, and had them throw in 18 biscuits at the last minute.  The bill came to about $52, but it was the best money I ever spent!  Phil made potato salad and a cake, and brought cubed watermelon.  Nathan and crew brought a veggie tray and melons.  No one left hungry!

Robin got tired of waiting for the old people, so she got permission to walk down to the park without us, early.  Judy and Phil came to pick me up so we could do the handicapped thing for parking, etc.  The rest of the family...Kendra, Nathan, Ryan, and Wednesday walked down to the park.  Although it was a hot, muggy day, I encouraged everyone to take a hooded sweatshirt.  We had enough bag-chairs for everyone, thank goodness...but I also threw in a hoodie for Robin (who had already left), an umbrella, an ancient stadium blanket, and an extra garbage bag.  Nathan said he had a sweatshirt (but didn't take it) and Kendra borrowed one of Wednesday's.  I was using my rollator to get around in the park.  It also comes in handy to carry stuff.

Every summer in Indy, there are weekend events called Symphony on the Prairie. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra plays in a bandshell at the Conner Prairie State Park.  For several years, I took Meg and the boyfriend-du-jour to it for the Fourth of July.  It was a somewhat snooty event.  People from all over brought shrimp cocktail and mixed drinks to share on their lovely lawn chairs and expensive coolers.  We just did all we could to survive the heat!  When the sun went down, everything was delightful...from Patriotic Pops music to wonderful fireworks.  The last time we went, the discounted tix at Marsh Supermarket were $28 apiece.  At Hummel Park, just down the road from me, we get the exact same experience for free.  The only difference is that we have the Hendricks County Symphony Orchestra instead of the Indianapolis one.  It's a delightful trade!

The children, of course, get bored with symphony music.  They departed to the playground during the first--and again--on the second set of music.  I told the kiddos that I wanted them back with us before the fireworks started.  Meanwhile, during the second set, the mist started.  It came and went...but then it started for real.  It wasn't a lot of rain...mostly just drizzly-mist, but it became relentless.  People who had them put up umbrellas.  I gave my umbrella to Judy and Phil to share.  I put on my hoodie and gave Robin hers.  Wednesday and Kendra had theirs.  Gave the stadium blanket to Ryan, who was grateful to have it.  Nathan was the only one who was totally unprotected.  The misty rain wasn't enough to make us completely wet.  Just enough to make us damp and chilled.  Still, the "band played on" and we stayed.

When the orchestra started the fireworks portion of their program, they started with the 1812 Overture.  I kept telling Ryan that the fireworks would start about the same time that the cannon-fire in the overture would happen.  He wasn't sure what I meant...and then it happened.  BOOM!  POW!  We moved our seats because the "works" were happening behind trees...but...in spite of the rain and the fact that many people with young children had already left, the fireworks happened...and the orchestra kept playing.  And it was glorious!  Happy Birthday, America!

The fireworks ended before the symphony did. I feel bad about that.  They were playing the second-to-last selection on their program when the fireworks finale happened.  I'm sure the lack of syncronization was weather-related...but I have to tell you, I have never seen a more fantastic fireworks exhibit!  The finale totally lit up the sky in a way I hadn't viewed before.  Ryan captured it on his ipod and sent it to his mother.  Honest to God...I cried!  It was that beautiful!

As quickly as it ended, we needed to head home.  Everyone was damp.  I knew I had a dry spot in the Heffelman truck, but suggested that we could drive Nathan home so he could go back with his truck to pick the rest of the family up...but no.  They ALL, including Ryan, said they would walk back to the house.  Judy, Phil, and I were dry in the truck, but the walking family beat us home by many minutes!  Kendra already had several loads of damp clothes in the dryer.

July 5th, everyone was up for the trip back to northern IL.  I was on call for breakfast but didn't have many takers.

Today, the grandchildren flew from Milwaukee to Seattle on their own.  They are back home now.  Nervous grandma that I am, I can relax knowing they are safely in the arms of the family again!  Who knows if I will see another Fourth of July?  Still, I'm happy with the way things went.  I did what I could.  I hope the children enjoyed themselves.  They are teens and tweens.  Who knows???