July 4

(Read in the middle about the float trip if you want a good laugh, and reason to mock our stupidity!)

Before photo of our shirts,  made on July 3rd. I forgot to take an after photo!

I love the Fourth of July! Every year we make shirts to wear for the parade and in celebration of the day. This is the 4th year we have done it, and the 4th way we have done it. This year we bought colored shirts and sprayed them with bleach to great petterns. (Except Madelyn, she decorated shoes instead. They turned out so well, and were so much fun, until Carter got bleach in his eye.

 We went to the parade in Provo, and for the first time I went to see the hot air balloons. We love watching them fly by, but we've never seen them compete before. Mads and Sam were the only ones who would go with me, but we sure had fun!

 I love parades, even with the crowns and having to sit in the street. And don't the kids' shirts look great!

 I did not love this woman and her son who came and sat on out blanket and ate applesauce. Actually, I found it hilarious. They just sat down like they belonged and made themselves at home on the front corner of our blanket. We had plenty of room, so I didn't make a big deal about it, but it was super weird!

 The highlight of the day was running into Lisa Lara and her beautiful family. She is a very close friend from our Provo Student Ward, and since they now live in Colorado, we rarely see one another. We happened to see them after the parade and it made me so happy! Good friends are irreplaceable.

The adventure of the day!! We decided to float the Provo River since the day was so hot. Like the beofre picture?

Before

The survivors

 Only My parents and Gabe made it to the end. Our raft flipped about 30 seconds into the float and Carter and Sam were totally freaked out. We had assured them that this year wouldn't be like last year and that they would make it through safe and sound. A word to the wise: don't make promises you can't keep. Also, don't get in above the bridge at the top. You're only putting your lives at risk unnecessarily.

Since we were near the car, and they weren't going anywhere, and the paddles were gone, I put them in the car and drove down the river a ways to see how everyone else was doing. (In the middle of all this I also fell down a VERY steep hilll while holding Sam. We both got all bloodied. It didn't help.) I was near the end and I was so glad to see the canoe come around the bend in the river. After the picture my mom yells, "Mckay and Madelyn are back there somewhere. Their boat popped."

I drove up to find them, but could only find their life jackets, a ruined inflatable raft, and one paddle." I loaded it in the car and drove to the end, hoping they would be there. They were. They had caught a ride with someone so that Mads didn't have to walk barefoot any more (her shoes were lost during the first incident).

I have promised my little boys that we won't go back for 5 years, and my big kids that we'll try again this year, but with better equipment and better prepared. I can't wait to see what happens next!

We ended the day with a BBQ, fireworks, and sleeping on the trampoline. We were up partying until midnight, even though it was only my little family. I love it when we can have that much fun together. What a fabulous day, even with the mishap in the middle!