Maria's Fourth of July Party 2016

Above, Fred's Tiki Bar was a popular area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, my cousin Maria and her husband Fred held their annual Fourth of July party at their home in Wildomar, California (near Lake Elsinore).

I decided to go in The Beast and stay over Saturday night. I got home about an hour or so ago. Traffic wasn't too bad.

It was nice to see many family members, some of which I haven't seen for a while, and others that I last saw at my Aunt Rose's funeral in January. It is nice to have a big family gathering at a party instead during sad occasions. Kudos to Maria and her husband Fred for putting on the shindig, I think this was the best one yet!

I was given a lot of hugs and words of encouragement from my family because of the recent turmoil with Denise Santos (ironically, Denise and Aiden were personally invited to this by Maria when we briefly stopped by while heading home from San Diego in February). They understood everything I went through and lifted my spirits.

The party began with a welcome speech by Maria with her husband Fred standing by her. They set up a vinyl white tarp for everyone to sign. They also had a live band, who played throughout the party until ten o'clock that night.

It was well-attended. There must have been at least 100 family members and friends. There were lots of kids, who made good use of the swimming pool throughout the day. The temperatures were in the 90s. Lots of food and drinks were available.

Here's some photos of the party:

Above, cousin Annette with her new grandson. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the gathering at Fred's Tiki Bar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the yard was well-suited for a party.. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Fred's Tiki Bar sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, my Aunt Gloria. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, daughter Amber and boyfriend Neil. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly and Amber.

Above, Fred and Maria's welcome. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, cousin Steven Guistina. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, second cousin Brian Correa and his new twins. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, 3rd cousin Gunnar gives his thumb's up. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the band. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, cousins Steven Guistina and Jeanette Coutee in The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, great weather, live music and fun. What more can one ask for? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly clowning with Amber. 

Above, my contribution to the tarp. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Below, is a YouTube video of the party I uploaded: