-Jarel-Amy-Makena-Kali-Tyler-Hailey-Braxton-: Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th, just as much as we did. We live in a great country and are so blessed. We started the holiday at the Riverton parade on the 3rd. My family has been going to this parade for about 17 years or so. In order to get a good seat...you have to put up chars 3-4 days before the parade begins. Thanks to a great mom who will go save our spots so we can have a front row seat. The parade is about 2 hours long and so much fun to go to. Makena loves the "pretty princesses" on the floats and Kali loves getting the candy that is thrown to her. It is just fun to be there and to be with family. After the parade we went to my parent's house for ice-cream floats and fireworks. I didn't know how the kids would do this year with fireworks because last year, both Makena and Kali hated them. When the fireworks got started, Makena just laid by Grandma and covered her ears. She also wasn't feeling well. Kali hated them...they were too noisy for her. She kept telling me that she wanted to go inside and go night night. I took her in and got her pajamas on and took her back outside with a blanket and she fell right to sleep. Tyler loved the fireworks. Jumping up and down and having a great time.

Kali at the Riverton Parade loving the sucker she got.

Makena trying to get a better look at the princesses on the floats.

Tyler watching the fireworks.

Kali playing baseball with Dad.

Grandma and Makena watching fireworks.

Cute Molly watching fireworks.

We started the 4th with a ward breakfast. It was good and the kids got to play some water games. Kali started to not feel good and throwing up. She had been sick the previous week, but we started on round 2 for her. Tyler was sick a couple of days ago and still recovering. So with all 3 kids sick for the 4th, we weren't sure what we were going to do. Just stay home and take it easy. We had plans to go to Jarel's parent's house, but we didn't want to get them sick. After Kali took her nap, we decided that since she wasn't throwing up anymore, we would try and go to the Riverton park and let the girls play some games. They played a water game and then got to do a haystack dive for prizes and candy. Makena was so cute with the haystack dive. She got the one toy she really wanted, and then was going for laffy taffy. She walked from one side all the way to the other and came back with a laffy taffy, ring (she was really proud and excited that she got a ring) and a tootsie roll. It was cute. Makena had a great time. You could tell Kali still wasn't feeling all the way well because she didn't even want to go for the candy. It was a fun little outing.

Makena

Kali

Tyler

Makena was so proud to get this clapper toy, she had to show Tyler.

Makena looking for surprises in the haystack dive.

Kali looking for surprises in the haystack dive.

Makena sporting Grandma's sunglasses and Dad's Dallas Cowboy hat.

Kali and Makena doing the sponge/water race.

We decided to stay home and just do some fireworks with the kids. About 6:00, Makena wanted to call Grandpa Hathaway. This is what I heard on the phone "Grandpa, we are going to do fireworks, but we need someone to come and watch them with me. We have cupcakes too. The cupcakes have rings on them." She then turns and says, "Mom, Grandpa and Grandma are coming." It put a smile on her face. It was a nice surprise to have them come over. It meant a lot. We had cupcakes and ice-cream and lit fireworks. As Jarel's fireworks show went on, his audience was dropping like flies. Kali fell asleep first while hiding under a blanket from the fireworks. Next, Makena fell asleep. She laid down under the blanket. I asked, "are you falling asleep?" Her reply, "no, I am waiting to go inside and get my milk." She was out within seconds of that conversation. Next was Tyler's turn. He was hungry, I fed him, and he was out. If the show were to have gone on 10 more minutes...we might have been picking Grandpa off the ground. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for coming over.