Happy Independence Day

For the fourth of July, we met Joe's parents, Steve, Shelly, and the Allred cousins in Kaysville for their city parade.  It was so fun and the perfect day for a parade.  The weather was overcast and just the right temperature.  We got a front-row seat at the beginning of the parade and the kids couldn't wait to catch the candy being thrown from the parade.  They gathered handfuls of taffy, shoved them in their grocery bags and waited patiently for more. 

 

I love small-town parades.  It brings back so many memories of when I was a child excited and ready for Alpine Days every year.   Getting up early to set out your blanket on the curb to save your spot and feeling the anticipation of a fun day ahead was the best.  The day consisted of the parade with ward members, city officials, and friends walking by and waving and then all the concession stands and small carnival rides in the city's park afterwards.  Those were great times and Kaysville's was no different.

After the walking parade, they did a water one where the fire trucks would drive down the streets squirting everyone down with their big water hoses.  We headed over to the jumping inflatables and concessions.  The kids jumped on the inflatables and got cotton candy and sno-cones.  The girls got bracelets from Grandma and the boys and Alyssa went rock climbing.  

Then we drove up to Brigham for some boating, a barbecue, and fireworks.  Joe bought some fireworks at the Indian reservation in Nevada so we had some great ones that we lit ourselves and then we watched the city's fireworks from Grandma and Grandpa's backyard.  They were great and we could even hear the music playing from the park.  

Sunday we enjoyed going to church and visiting with Marci, Justin, their boys, and Carrie and Megan.  

Monday morning we got up early and had a reservation to see the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house.  The kids loved learning about the temple as Joe and I explained the rooms and their purposes.  Clark kept saying that he was sitting on a holy couch or chair and Carlee exclaimed, "Mom, there's a swimming pool!" and "Look at all those pigs! (oxen)"  She was a little tougher to control as she was "hopping" on one foot through the halls but most of the guides smiled politely because she was still quiet, just a little bouncy.  She did enjoy the pictures of Jesus and talking about the temple non-stop.

We then grabbed some lunch at Chick-fil-A (Yummm!) with Kyle and Jenn and started the drive home.  We stopped in St. George for dinner with Jim and Steph at Mongolian BBQ, hit some of "my stores" there, slurped ice cream at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor, and continued on our way home.  Early bedtime and quick unpacking for school tomorrow! 

It was a wonderful weekend.  I have to say that I am so grateful for the United States of America.  Being a military wife and having a husband that served in Afghanistan for a few months has made me more appreciative of the freedoms that we enjoy and take for granted. Obviously, there will always be political issues and differences but I am truly grateful for the rights that we enjoy in this country.  I am touched by the military men and women that fight for those rights every day, sacrificing their own lives and families to do so.  Tears always come to my eyes when I see our flag raised, our national anthem sung, and our military heroes brought to their feet or coming home from deployment.  I am grateful for a husband that believes in this country and thinks it is worth fighting for.  Although he doesn't fight in combat with a weapon, he does fight for the lives of those soldiers who do and stands by their unselfish service.

Happy Independence Day, America!