A Great 4th

Yesterday we celebrated our nation's beginning, and the many who have given their lives for the every day freedoms we enjoy.  We started the day at a flag raising ceremony in a neighboring town.  The kids were not quite as excited about it until they saw free donuts.

Later, we went to our local Independence Day parade.  We found ourselves sandwiched between a lot of family members who came from far and near to watch their relation be the parade's Grand Marshal.  We thought it was just a shady spot on the parade route.  Ryan's principal and his family thought the same thing.  A grandma aged lady in the group assumed we were part of her group, and took all of our pictures.

After dinner, our ward rented out the city pool (like every year) after the pool officially closes to the public.  The water was perhaps less "refreshing" and more "chilly" than it might have been two hours earlier.  Ryan and the girls had a ball, and I was the fuddy duddy refusing to get my hair wet.  Once my hair is wet, then I'm too cold and I am done.  As it was, I got out at 8:45 shivering, and sat on the sidelines wrapped in my towel until the rest were out at about 9 pm.

Then it was home for pjs, and back out to the high school to watch the fireworks display.  We sit just outside the baseball field, instead of in the bleachers in the football field with everyone else.  It's not a popular place to sit, and we like it that way.

 James and Tiffany brought glow sticks.  While we were waiting for the fireworks to begin, James would throw all of the glow sticks backwards in the grass, and then the kids would race to grab one.

 Then we watched the fireworks show.