4th of July

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For the first time ever and I’m not sure what spurred it, Derek bought some fireworks.  So the day before the 4^th of July all the neighborhood kids joined us for sparklers and a measly little fireworks show.  

We seem to have this running tradition of spending the 4^th of July morning (not at the Provo parade like everyone else but) hiking.  This year we decided to hike to Timp Falls—the first waterfall on the Timpanogos trail on the Aspen Grove side.  

Everyone else who decided to hike that morning seemed to decide to hike Stewart Falls, so there were loads of cars up there, but not too many people on the Timpanogos Trail.  It’s gorgeous up there and the kids did great.

  It was a hard, hot, steep hike.  Unbeknownst to me or Derek Carter hiked down all by his lonesome for a majority of the hike.  I thought he was with him up ahead with our speedily little Liv loo.  He thought he was with me trailing behind with Camden.  But really he was all alone, and I’m just glad he didn’t get lost.  He earned himself a good little lecture at the end of the hike about hiking safety and never hiking alone.  Then, we went home and got all cleaned up.  The kids were excited to put on the patriotic outfits Babi had bought them the week before.  

Actually to be honest Liv couldn’t wait for the 4^th of July to wear her new dress and had debuted it a few days before requiring me to wash it so it would be clean again for the 4^th of July.  

The boys had spent the week learning how to ride Liv’s old teeny princess bike with no training wheels and begged their Dad to take the training wheels off their bikes that day, so he did and they excitedly displayed their new skill to everyone they came across and explained to them how they were just 4 but could ride without training wheels.  We had Derek’s parents over for a BBQ at our place that afternoon followed by the boys showing off their two wheel bike skills.  Then, that evening we walked down to the legendary Jeff Gardner’s house for his impressive fireworks display.  We sat amongst all the neighbors on the lawns in front of his street.  Someone had brought red, white, and blue popsicles for all the kids and glow necklaces and bracelets.  The kids loved sitting amongst all the neighborhood kids with popsicles and glowsticks and fireworks cascading down around us.  It all felt very 4^th of July, and I loved the way we spent the day this year.