independence day

Red, white and blue...

Best holiday of the year.

2 years ago, my roommates of Park Place #11 camped out for the Freedom Days parade.

It was great stayin up eatin creamies and playing cards. 

our tent 2012

Our friends live in a house right on Center Street and they invited us over to spend the night and to save a place for the parade the next morning. I had remembered enjoying it and thought Tanner should experience it as well. Little did I know, this will not be a family tradition.

The night started off great. 

We ate some pizza, strolled around the bazaars, lit a bunch of sparklers and laid down under the stars.

Only problem was we didn't actually lay down for bed until around 1am .

(mistake #1 - going to bed waaay past your usual bedtime)

You'd figure people would quiet down and get some rest...well they didn't.

(mistake #2 - thinking we'd actually get a couple hours of sleep)

4am rolls around and the squatters come out. People were hovering over any empty piece of grass ready to claim as much space as possible to ensure a good seat for the parade. 

(mistake #3 - you couldn't actually save any spots until 5am so we had to be ready to pounce on a spot, thus getting up for an hour)

6am some lady with a microphone and large speakers thought it was a good idea to blast some music and have an air guitar competition.

(mistake #3 - tried to get a little bit more of sleep in before the parade started)

By that point it was no use trying to get some sleep. Instead tried to be positive about not getting ANY sleep. Took a couple pictures of people trying to sleep.

squirly eyes

enjoyed watching the hot air balloons

Was it fun making memories? Yes of course. I would just prefer getting actual sleep. Next year if we are in Provo, we can just run the 5k instead.

After a bbq at my in-laws, we enjoyed a win for RSL.

Topped the night off with an after game firework show in the stadium.

The fun didn't stop on the 5th of July. 

My sister invited us over to watch their neighborhood "Cul de Sac of Fire."

I can't think of a better title for this event because it literally speaks for itself.

Before the show they had a dunk tank, chalk art competition, and a bike parade (this little guy got his training wheels off just this week so he could ride in the parade).

Okay can you all please just take a second to appreciate this plate. I couldn't help but sneak a picture of this kid's plate of nothing but dessert. A kids dream.

Of course they shot off a bunch of plastic parachuters. This little guy tried so hard to catch one...

I always try to take pictures of the fireworks and then just end up deleting all of them because they never look as good as they do in person. Sometimes you just got to put your phone away and enjoy. 

the aftermath

Through out the show, you'd get pegged by the debree from the fireworks.

It sounded like it was raining with all the ash and chunks that flew down.

Chunks bigger than quarters were flyin. Yikes! Luckily no injuries to report. Just a bunch of ash in my hair.

Happy Independence Day America!

"The Declaration of Independence to which these great men affixed their signatures is much more than a political document. It constitutes a spiritual manifesto—revelation, if you will—declaring not for this nation only, but for all nations, the source of man’s rights." 

–Ezra Taft Benson