4th of July...4 days later

Okay, so I admit, I've been a bit of a slacker this week. I *meant* to get my 4th of July post up on Sunday, but we've been running non-stop since then, and by the time the kids are in bed, I'm too tired to stay up late.

We had a great (but very busy) 4th of July. We celebrate Independence Day the same way every year. Or at least, the same way every year I've been with Grant.

The kids and I woke up early, and headed out to my hometown's 4th of July parade. We were a bit late getting there, due to a garage door malfunction (still not working...grrrr!), but ended up with the best seat on the street! Right on the curb, in the shade of a tree! We met my dad, my sister, two of my BIL's, and 3 of my nephews at the parade, and had fun watching all 90 minutes of it. The best part was the freezer pops they handed out to the kids!

After the parade, we stopped by the stable to see our horse. The highlight of the visit, was the snake that the kids saw. Yuck. Dylan decided that he wanted a quick ride.

While I groomed Cherokee, the kids sat on buckets, under the skylight, and snacked on organic dried apples (which we shared with our horse).

We stopped home to pick up Grant, and went to Grant's family's annual 4th of July picnic. Great food! I ate 4 plates worth...mostly dessert! After dinner, half of the guests disappeared so they could be in the Mars parade. Yes, Mars. It is, indeed, a town.
My father in law happens to be the mayor of said town.

Grant gets conned into driving one of the Camaros in the parade every year. He usually gets to drive the mayor-mobile, but this year, he just drove Nannie's brand new Camaro. (Crappy picture of him driving it in the parade follows.)

My mother in law bought mini flags for the kids to wave around.

We left the parade with bags of candy, bracelets, pencils, and erasers. The kids got more loot than they did on Halloween!

When Grant got back to the picnic, after showing the new Camaro to my nephew, and driving at a speed I shall not mention, Dylan gave it a whirl.

What can I say, Camaro blood runs in the family.

The men started up a fire, and the kids got to roast the world's biggest marshmallows. Really. They were huge!
I missed the picnic with my family, so three of my sisters and their families stopped by Grant's family's picnic for a bit, and then we all went to watch the town's fireworks. It was so nice to watch them with my family this year, as well! Yes, we watch them in the cemetary every year...it's the best spot! And, yes, Grant's friend is asleep against a gravestone.
We had a lot of fun, and after the fireworks were over, we headed back to the picnic. Grant and his brother set off a ton of fireworks that they bought. Most were illegal, but obviously it didn't matter, considering a cop stopped by just as they were lighting a big one.

After the excitement, Dylan and Lexie quickly fell asleep.
Lexie was so tired, that she fell off the couch she was sleeping on, and didn't even wake up.
Now that's a sign of a successful day!

Happy 4th of July!!!