Started Celebrating on Sunday

The older I get the more I like the Fourth of July. I think it's because we get to sit in our 'parade chairs' for a few hours and just people watch. No responsibilities, no checking the clock... just sitting and relaxing. And there's always people walking by that you know so you're giving hugs and catching up. I think we should do that every weekend. 😄

The girls all had things to do on Monday afternoon so we started our celebrating on Sunday. Sharaya gave Diana a box of things she had been collecting for the last couple of years. She had filled it with baby clothes and books and shoes and toys. She bought a small stuffed dog for their baby, exactly like one Ally had (still has) when she was a baby! It was fun to see everything and "Oooh" and "Awwe" over baby stuff!

 

We played some Mexican Train and stopped in the middle to have our traditional jello and whipped cream. This is something we started doing when the girls were little and it's still a favorite!

 We had to cut the game short so we could go get our spot down on the parade route. Do you do that too? We can't put our chairs out before 6PM so people begin arriving around 5:30 and we hang out until just after 6:00, then we all head home. It was raining most of the day Sunday but thankfully the sun came out on Monday.

 We were all together this year, the first time in a while. The parade lasted about an hour and had more small town groups this year. A girl scout troupe, a baseball league... but there were a lot of regulars too! I teared up when the motorcycle group came by, thinking of my sister. Beth held up her Star Wars travel mug when the characters walked passed. And the Mariner Moose was there! He's our Seattle MLB mascot - Go Mariners!!

This group is from our church. We have a Discipleship Home for men - and now women! - who are coming out of addiction. They walk in the parade every year! These two ladies work in the office though.

The civic field is being worked on so we didn't have a firework show this year. After the parade Sharaya and Ally went to watch fireworks with some friends and the rest of us went to Dairy Queen before heading home. Poppy had been freaking out with the random fireworks earlier in the week so they knew they needed to be home with her on the Fourth. At about 9:30 Diana sent us this picture ~