The 4th

Growing up the fourth of July was always a really exciting holiday.  I spent every summer in Utah with my Uncle Brucie, Aunt Patty and their three girls.  Every fourth Aunt Patty would buy us matching outfits and we would head out to the main street in town for the "big" parade.  Okay, so maybe it wasn't that big considering the town itself is so small they don't have a single stop light.  That being said we still had to get there early enough to find the perfect viewing spot in the midst of the crowds.  There were even a few years that we participated in the parade, either with a patriotic decorated bike or riding behind a cousin on a horse.  I remember the shaved ice and the carnival that always followed with the silly homemade games of throwing darts or fishing behind a bed sheet.  Of course the best part came at night when everyone gathered around the Reservoir for a spectacular fireworks  display over the water. 

Its been over ten years since I last enjoyed the fourth of July in the small town of Blanding, Utah.  While I've missed it terribly this year with Josh around it seemed to affect me the most.  So I decided we were definitely going to a parade to start his new 4th tradition.  We headed out with his Aunt Jen and cousin Owen to The Woodlands.  We stayed for around two hours and while there was no shaved ice or carnival games there were plenty of decorated bikes and cars putting by displaying their red, white, and blue.  Josh really loved watching all the people and I enjoyed eating all the candy people gave him that he is obviously too young to eat!  They even handed him money to put in his first savings account.  When I noticed it was the new Dollar Coin, I promptly gave it back. (The new coins do not say "In God We Trust", so I'm protesting).  That night Josh did not stay awake for the fireworks but Kevin and I had a great view from our bathroom window as we soaked in the tub.  While all the pows and booms scared Maggie into the closet corner for the night they never once woke our precious boy.  

Look at those cheeks!