A great day!

Yesterday was July 4. The day of independence. For some reason year after year we still feel pulled to the hot, sticky long ordeal we fondly call "the parade". My children have yet to indulge in the fine times of decorating bikes or a riding lawn mower just to make their way down the streets packed with hordes of people waving and shouting approval at others not smart enough to stay home in the air conditioning and out of the blazing heat. Once again we also joined the group arriving early to secure the spot we've called our own for the past 10 years. Every year we swear we won't ever do this again and yet there we are. We mumble and grumble a bit but end up agreeing that this year was "a pretty good parade" and quietly comment to mostly no one that we're glad we made the effort. We always set up at the start of the entorage so we get everyone fresh out of the gate and have a quick get away as soon as the last horse and carriage is pulled past the line. No waiting for the pooper scoopers we're in the vehicles before they even put their shovels to the pavement.

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Following is the food. This varies from year to year but somehow ended up grilling at our house this year and eating way too much. My sister recently moved from Arizona to Utah a couple of weeks ago. Her family visiting kept things hopping so that naps were not an option. They didn't mind the heat and so we sat and visited on the porch all afternoon while watching the kids take turns try and kill themselves on our go-cart. They got pretty good at going just fast enough around the corners to skid several feet while turning the wheel just right and continuing on to the roundabout where tearing around the circle kicked up just the right amount of driveway to look really cool and then making it to the side yard to finish up with cookies in a cloud of dust and finally resting a the starting point ready for the next driver. My sisters kids almost have their parents convinced to let them use their pooled money of $267.58 to have Todd buy parts and work with them to build their own go-cart so they can work on killing themselves in the comfort of their own property. Trips are being planned even as we speak to meet in Pocatello at the parts stores and junk yards to start this new adventure.

Later we drove out to the thriving metroplis of Menan, Idaho. Home of possibly 1,ooo people that quadruples close to sunset every year on the 4th of July as the Volunteer Fire Department puts on a truely spectacular firework show in the center of town. We meet friends there every year and set up with blankets and camp chairs in the middle of the park while the kids run wild until the siren wailes and lets us know that the show is about to begin. This is my favorite part. By this time is has cooled off, the kids are tired enough and entertained enough to actually sit in one spot and the fireworks soar high above in amazing color of red, white and blue. By the time we arrive home and carry sleeping kids in from the car it is way past our bed time. We drag ourselves to bed and drift off to sleep. As we are lulled into slumber by the fireworks of neighbors still going off in the distance we hear ourselves saying "Now that was a great day!"