***4th of July!!!***

We had a fun Fourth of July. In the morning we got up and walked down the block to wait for the parade. We had to wait about an hour and a half, and the kids were constantly asking "When's it gonna start?" Well, it finally started and it was lots of fun! They threw lots of candy and it was funny to see how polite Caroline was being. She wasn't getting any candy at all! Finally she got the hang of things and started to hold her own. Hilton was just too slow. There would be a piece of candy right at his feet and he wouldn't even see it. But he ended up with a few pieces, and his sister shared. The parade consisted of about 5 floats, lots of horses, and tons of trucks with hoochy mamma kid dancers in the back. There must be at least 6 dance studios in this town and they all dance like pole dancers! There were 3 year olds with halter tops on writhing around on the floor of the flatbed truck as only a 3 year old can. (Awkwardly!) There were cheerleaders which Caroline got a huge kick out of, and the local dairy handed out free chocolate milk. It was definitely not Mardi Gras, but it was fun, and only a small town could do it. We love it here! After the parade we went across the street to Porter Park where there were booths set up with food and treats and stuff. We had no money, so we just looked around, but it was good to know for next year! Then, later, we met Justin's sister, Jennifer, and her husband's family at Freeman park in Idaho Falls. The kids played frisbee and volleyball and the adults caught up with all the goings on in the families. We were there for several hours and then we went home to watch the fireworks in Rexburg. They were not spectacular, but they were sufficient for the kids. Justin and I were discussing 4th of July and what a redneck holiday it is. Who in the world thought that watching fire in the sky should be a part of this holiday? And how in the world were fireworks discovered anyway? They must have been discovered and not invented... A mere mistake, made into a phenomonon. I can't believe how much money people spend on those things! We saw a package at Sam's Club for $500!!!! That is for someone with more money than brains. Although the people I saw buying them looked like they were lacking both. All in all we had a great day. The kids slept in until 8 this morning! So it was okay that they stayed up until 11 last night. As long as I got some sleep! Although we didn't go to bed until well past midnight because we were watching Charlie Rose on PBS. Now that school has started for Justin though, maybe I will start getting to bed a little earlier. Doubtful...