Celebrating Our Independence With Cupcakes and Explosives

For the Fourth of July, we got a special invite to attend a party hosted by one of the owners at Steven's work. Turns out, owning part of a successful company can get you approximately 11,000 square feet of gorgeous real estate:



Not to mention the thirty-or-so acres of farmland surrounding it.



About an hour before we left, I decided that it would only be fitting to bring some festive cupcakes. Steven thought it was a great idea, too, until he found out that I was making two batches, which made us about an hour late.

When we (finally) arrived and saw the array of blueberry-and-strawberry-adorned desserts, it became apparent that we probably could have done without the cupcakes.



I maintain that they were still entirely worth the wait. (Also, they were the most-eaten dessert of them all. Even with the strawberries sliding off the icing. So there.)



We were given a full tour of the house (which was massive and decadent, and as God is my witness, I will live in a house like this someday), but my favorite part was definitely the kitchen. It was enormous, with a six-burner gas stove and two granite countertop islands.



I told Steven to take notes. (He did.)



He also took a few pictures of the other rooms, still somewhat empty-looking, since the owner just moved in and hasn't ordered all of his furniture yet. Here's the view from standing in the dining room:



And my dream living room -- I love both the ceiling detail and the amazing view.



After our house-tour, I gave a knitting lesson. It would have gone over much better if I hadn't dropped two of my sock needles out of the sock prior to the lesson. (I spent most of the lesson just putting stitches back on the needle. I am some teacher.)



After we filled up on grilled chicken, baked beans, and plenty of cupcakes, it was time for the main event. (Steven was too excited to wait till it got dark...) Having now experienced our first true fireworks display, we are pleased to present the Steele Family's Brief Guide to Firework Safety:

Step One: Befriend someone with a 30-acre farm in the middle of Nowhere, Virginia. (Cornfields are an added bonus.)



Step Two: Procure a long-stick lighter, and put your fireworks out on the driveway.



Step Three: Light 'em up.



Step Four: Run for it!



Step Five: Admire from a distance.



Step Six: Discuss and rate fireworks amongst yourselves, and decide that next year, we're going to get more of the really big ones. Yeah.



And that's how we celebrate our independence, people. Plenty of sugar and flammable materials.



I think our forefathers would be proud.



Happy 4th!