The 4th of July is by far my favorite holiday. There is nothing better than celebrating our independence with friends, sun, food, drink and a whole lot of relaxation.

For the past seven years the husband and I have spent the 4th at a very good friend's home on Rocky Bay near Gig Harbor. In my opinion it's a little bit of paradise not too far from home. Speaking of which, here's what our home away from home looked like this year: