July Fourth or Why We Live in the Best Neighborhood Ever

I have figured out why I love the fourth of July.  It has the best part of every holiday: food, family, celebrations, fun.  And none of the stress: gift-giving, which in-laws to go to, travel, church guilt (not that that is bad, but there is always that stress of finding the balance between santa and the birth of christ, etc.,).  You celebrate where you are and with whomever is nearby.  It's great. 

This year it was 85 degrees with cloud cover this year, which was perfect.  To make it even more perfect, we never had to get in our car and battle crowds or deal with parking.  Everything was within walking distance.  Again, I love my neighborhood.  Oh so much.

The schedule:
Wake up and decorate bikes for the neighborhood bike parade (we really did decorate bikes, I just didn't take pictures of it):

 

Next up, neighborhood pancake breakfast, writing letters to soldiers, hangin with dad

"Dear Hero, I'm in a parade. Thank you."

Finally, the main event.  Bike parade.  

At the end of the exhausting 20 minute parade: cotton candy, snow cones, and the fire truck

Annie had no pockets, so she stored her candy in her boots.  Naturally.

Turns out boot storage is not a great idea.

After the morning fun there were a lot of naps, trips to the gym and yard work.  To cap off the day we had a front-yard barbecue with my parents, Landon's sister Alicia's family and my adopted brothers Doug and Brady. 

And for dessert: fireworks at Sugarhouse park