4th of July Present

The day started out like any other holiday around here…the girls getting up and already asking the “how many hours?” question. The parade is what they were counting down to and the parade is the highlight of any 4th of July. This year DID not disappoint. You never know how many people live in our little suburb until you have been to a 4th of July parade. This year I thought would be fabulous because Carter would join his sisters with his own bucket in tow and collect, grab, and reach for as much candy as his big toddler hands could get and be waving and shrieking with the rest of the girls in our group. Not so much. Remember the whole Santa debacle this past Christmas trying to get his picture…well it wasn’t that bad but he pretty much clung to me and anytime a vehicle would honk his grip tightened and my neck had marks in it but he did loosen it long enough to eat an otter pop.

This 4th of July started out extra FABULOUS because the Thursday before a very special Nonie had come into town to join our Fourth Celebration weekend. I always tell anyone who wants to visit and who can handle Houston in July to come for 4th of July...it's such a fun place to be and so much to celebrate...a definite advantage to living in a smaller town. We kept ourselves busy counting down to the parade though...check it out:

I have to say I do not know what went wrong with my camera this day but besides blaming the operator something was up with my lenses but nonetheless these are the pics we got and these are the pictures we will remember with!

Kennedy, Ella, Brynn, Jill & Brooklyn anxiously awaiting the first sight of the parade!

No one tells her to wear the head gear she just does because that's how she rolls :)

I think we see the start mom!

This was by far the funniest sight. When there was a break of parade action, he did scootch off my lap long enough to wait for B to be distracted and then stealthly reach into her bucket, pick the piece he wanted, check to make sure she was still distracted and came scurrying back to me with the biggest grin on his face ever!

We were spoiled this year with decent weather and lots of shade and more water being sprayed and shot from floats than ever before. And being married to my husband means not one person is sparred from being doused with his encouragement to the participants and points of who to get. You are seriously not safe at a parade with him but it is fun!

The rest of the day we spent making homemade ice cream - strawberry- a 4th of July tradition!

Finding ways to keep cool - these squirters were perfect thanks to Poppy & Judy for sending the goodies this way for the kids to enjoy this summer.

We were on year #7 celebrating with our good friends the McGraths. I was able to put almost all the pictures together in a collage of our first six celebrations and seeing the kids grow & change was certainly nostalgic. I love that we have these memories and the pictures to back the memories up...they are definitely ones to hold onto.

Las,t but certainly not least after quickly cleaning up a few things and watching the clock we realized we needed to get on our way to see fireworks. This was the 1st year I have ever left the house to see fireworks! When we lived in our old house they were always legal in our neighborhood and we had the best neighbors that would put off their own private fireworks show. And the last two years Car and me opted to stay home so he could sleep but this year we threw everyone in the car and made our way to...well let's just say it's a good thing my husband's truck can jump the curb the way it does. I don't think my mom will ever have another adventure getting to and from fireworks like she did for her 2011 4th of July. Lots of laughs and funny times just in the car is all I can say.

Goodnight moon...and Happy 4th of July 2011!