Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words. – Plautus

Well, we didn’t exactly start off our Fourth of July celebration with wine, but this mimosa was a delicious alternative. Plus, there was plenty of sweet words between sweet friends during a sweet, sunshine-filled weekend to make up for it.

This past weekend was the perfect way to kick-off my second month in California and just spend time with friends, both old and new. I’ve said it before – the best thing about a holiday is when those around you get in the spirit, get festive, and have a good time. It’s in those times of celebration, no matter what the holiday, that you realize how good life is and how grateful you are for the people in yours.

It was definitely three days of fun, hugs, pictures, cheers, and friends telling friends, “I love you, man.”

My roommates and I woke up very early on the Fourth of July and, feeling patriotic, got the house ready for the occasion.

Stars in the window.

Red, white, and blue frosted sugar cookies.

Build-your-own-umbrella station.

Patriotic garnishes.

Okay, time to start celebrating.

The roomies and I shared the first “Cheers!” of the day.

Then, our other friends showed up with reinforcements.

And breakfast.

My fellow New Yorker and close friend from high school popped some more bubbly.

We spent the beginning of the day just hanging on our front porch, laughing and listening to music. A bunch of our neighbors were out and about as well, so they popped on over for some cocktails and sugar cookies.

Finally, it was time to head out! We had a pretty fierce bike brigade.

We rode down the hill to the Peninsula, and were met with hundreds of festive celebrators.

Very festive.

Our crew joined the fun and hung out in the sun for a bit. It was a hot one.

Eventually, we made our way into a bar and cooled off with some cold drinks.

Like I said earlier, LOTS of pictures.

“I love you, man.”

Back at the house, night fell and it was time for the Fourth’s main event – fireworks.

My roommate captured this great shot! It was an awesome way to end an awesome day.

The summer-like vibe continued on Saturday. It was another gorgeous day, so we headed to the beach!

Boats were out and the water was delightful.

Everyone had the same idea. It was people and umbrellas as far as the eye could see.

A successful beach day required a cold beer and a yummy lunch.

Late afternoon arrived, and my roommates and I decided to take the bikes out again. This time, we rode for an hour or two, exploring new neighborhoods and chatting along the way.

Needless to say, it was very relaxing and the views were amazing.

In a word – grateful.

The Sixth of July came, but that didn’t mean the celebrating was over.

One of my roommates and I joined some of her friends for a birthday bar crawl.

Sunday Funday, and a patriotic spirit for everyone!

It was another “Cheers!” moment, this time to the sweet memories of a sweet holiday.

If you celebrated, I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend!