Independance Day

Emptying boxes is a real pain. And I have discovered I have too much stuff. I think I might pack things up again and store it again. That way I can worry about it later.

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In the meantime...

We are going to Benson for the Fourth of July.

There is nothing quite like a small town celebration of Independance Day.

They start off with a parade. This is tedious work. They have to find EVERY tractor in the county, dress it up and get it ready. My kids (and my dentist too) love the tractors best because they throw candy!

Then there are the horses, which are beautiful, except when they walk close by and deposit a mound of who knows what near your nose. That kinda spoils the moment, but hey, it is a parade!

And there are a bunch of people who I do not know but I think they are important because they are in the parade. We just wave and cheer them on.

Then there is a least one, sometimes two floats that the kids watch and gawk over. Then the best part-

The Barney Auto Sales car comes into view and everyone goes crazy waving and screaming (after all, what else are you going to when your family is in a parade?) Oh, yeah. One more thing. The clown bike. A big three wheeler with a clown throwing candy. My kids love the candy but avoid the clown.

Enough said.

After the wonderful (if a bit boring) parade is done, everyone heads down to the park for the barrel contest. With their water hoses and a barrel on a wire high above the crowd, the firefighters have a tug of war contest to see who can spray the barrel to the opposite side. Not only is it a great competition, but rather wet and refreshing if you are watching below. And in 110* weather, it is the best part of the day.

The day ends with a firework celebration that is my favorite! Families get their blankets and sit at the park enjoying the fireworks. They are simple but beautiful and the music is loud and fun! The best part is it only takes 15 minutes to get home, unlike Mesa where it is a good 45 minutes to go 5 miles home.

I love the small town atmosphere.

And we are dropping Ashley off again so she can watch Deb's kids while Deb goes to Girls Camp.

I will miss Ashley. And she will miss my phone.

Anyway, Happy Fourth of July!

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And Happy Birthday, Tami. I would light a sparkler for you if they were legal!

(Now, you go rest those old bones of yours! It's all down hill from here. Maybe you should invest in a walker:))

Okay, should I be worried when my seven year old has declared love for an older woman and says she is hot? (The older woman is 18)