parade season

Last 4th of July, we were on our East Coast Adventure Tour.  This year though, we were back to old reliable: a West Point 4th.  Always a hit.  We started with the 5K - yes, we all did the 5K!  Usually, I do the 2 mile walk with my parents and Richard does the run.  But this year my mom was committed (after completing the Ogden half-marathon) to run-walking the actual 5K.  Apparently my dad didn't know this until the gun went off that morning, but he did it anyway.  Richard and I arrived late, as usual, and booked it to catch up with everyone.  Had Richard started on time (and had we actually registered for the race), he would have finished 1st in his age group!  I gave him a pat on the back.  No medal needed.

After the run, we had breakfast in the park, of course.  And then we walked our grungy-looking selves down to my dad's truck that had been saving our parade spot since the night before.  Gotta love tradition.

Marty had just entered a stage of jumping off anything and everything, fearlessly.  Notice that Richard is holding onto his hand, and not the other way around.

Jeremy, Michaela, and the twins joined us for the big show.  It was fun to watch the kids experiencing it all together.

We were a little nervous about them running into the street after the candy, but Richard did a great job of keeping our boy safe.  The fact that the kids next to us grabbed most of it before Marty's little legs could get him around helped, too.

We left for home long before the big firework show.  We were all exhausted, and sleep felt more important than fighting traffic.  Our neighbors had some decent ones going when we got home, though, so we didn't miss out completely.

Pioneer Day was another opportunity for candy and floats.  Jackie and Maddie came over early that morning, and we all walked down to Washington Blvd.  We got a place in the shade, which was great because it was a much longer parade than what we're used to in WP.  That meant more tractors, which is only a good thing in this boy's mind.

These two kill me.  I love that they have so much fun together because it means that I get to hang out with Jackie and not have it be about me.  Even though I'm getting the sweet end of the deal, too.

He wasn't one for snuggling that morning, but I promise, we did have fun together.  We love summer and candy and hanging out with family and friends.  We love parade season.