4th of July

To be honest, I am not really writing this on the 4th of July. And since we are on vacation, we have packed in a million things and so they are all starting to blend in together. So in this entry I will recap both the 4th of July and the day after.

On the 4th Grampy was in the Westerville parade. So lucky for daddy, he got to attend yet another of his favorite events. It was in downtown Westerville. I love the feel of the old time main streets here in the Midwest. I love the cobblestone streets and the gorgeous flowers that are hanging from the light posts and the quaint little shops that somehow still survive in our modern world. It just has a wonderful feel about it.

The parade was kind of different, there weren't any floats. But they still threw candy and there was a lot to see so the kids enjoyed it.

Later in the day Uncle Andy and his family came over as well as Aunt Del and her boyfriend George. We spent the rest of the day getting reacquainted. Brianna hit it off with Elizabeth and they were practically inseparable. Ryan and Thomas had unlimited access to the Wii and loved every minute of it.

We introduced Elizabeth to Geocaching and went on some nice hikes through woods to find the treasures. We just love going into the trees here.

George and Del really like to play games. We played Catch Phrase and Skipbo together. Playing games is such a great way to bond and get to know one another better. There was a lot of laughing and a plethora of good spirited competition.





Of course, a celebration just isn't complete without good food. True to Grammy's style we have been eating well. Some of of the delectables we have enjoyed are sausage biscuits and gravy, bbq steaks, sweet potatoe casserole, funeral potatoes, ham, blueberry pancakes, chicken and homemade noodle, chocolate eclair dessert, peach pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and much more. If I don't gain 5 pounds on this trip I will be surprised. But it has all been worth it.

Later in the evening we lit off sparklers or "sparkly sticks" as Brianna liked to call them. It was a little mellow compared to our 4th and 24th celebrations back in Utah but we enjoyed making cool shapes in the air and capturing them on camera. Del and George made the heart (insert AHHH here).

We were able to enjoy the Westerville fireworks from Grammy's backyard. It doesn't get much better than that. We had a great couple of days with cousins, family, good food and fun.

Red, White and Boom

Our family and 650,000 of our closest friends decided to attend the annual Red, White and Boom here in Columbus. It is the city's big firework production. It is right along the river front in the downtown area. It is sponsored by one of the local radio stations and news stations. It is a "big" deal.

Surprisingly my in-laws have never attended this event in person. They usually watch it on the evening news. Well they got more than they bargained for when I came to visit. I love the fireworks. I love to be so close that my whole body vibrates and you could feel the boom in your chest. So I really wanted to go and wonderfully they obliged. Even Roger went with only a minor amount of grumbling.

It was an absolute madhouse once we got downtown. There were so many people that you could barely walk. Roger said that it brought out all the white trash of Ohio. My kids received more of a "wordly" education just standing in line for the bathrooms than they have their whole life. Alyssa didn't like the atmosphere at all and Ryan kept pointing out things you rarely see in Utah. Nonetheless, we persevered.

The fireworks were pretty amazing. They were set to the music that the radio station was playing. I felt the boom. Brianna and Ryan loved it. Alyssa hates loud noises but she tolerated it for me. I am glad we went although I am not sure I would do it again. I was happy to return to the quiet safe haven of Grammy's house when it was all over.