4th of July

This year for the 4th we headed to Dekalb, IL to help Russ' sister Renee shingle their rental home.  While the guys shingled, Renee and I kept busy baking and feeding them and the younger kids enjoyed time with cousins including picking sour cherries (and mulberries and black raspberries)...

They tasted great in cherry or a multi-berry crisp and in a multi-berry slab pie which is very similar to mom's apple bars.
Click above for a link to the recipe.

swimming in the pool...

jumping on the trampoline...

and eating lots of watermelon.

Karissa's face was so dirty we teased that she was working in a coal mine, not on a roof.

    

Josiah and Matthias drove down from Arlington Heights on the 4th to lend a hand for the day.  The guys got off the roof by 8:00, cleaned up, and then we all headed off to watch the Dekalb fireworks.

For all the shingling he has done this year, this is the first time Russ has had to leave the roof early due to heat sickness.  The rest of that afternoon the roofing was left in Caleb and Nicolas'capable hands.