Fourth of July 2011

This year we celebrated the "Fourth of July" on the 2nd and the 4th!

Saturday evening we joined our neighbors (Ken, Tara, Riley, Ryan, and Reece) on our yard to light our own fireworks.  We just had the run of the mill grocery store ones - none of the newly legal in Utah aerials.

While we waited for the Adamsons we showed Ryder how to use the "Pop It" fireworks.  He didn't have enough strength behind his throw, so he would stomp on them . . .

Patrick showing Ryder the "firework".

Getting ready to stomp . . .

Success!!!

Ken lit off most of the fireworks, and Ryder was great to sit on the blanket with us to watch.  He wasn't completely afraid, but was most comfortable when Patrick or I were in reaching distance.

Sitting on my lap (with Harvick in the Moby Wrap).

Sitting with Patrick and Jarrett.

Content to watch the fireworks once lit.

Once it got a little darker, we tried out some sparklers.  Ryder was okay with it at first, but didn't like the idea of holding the sparkler himself - especially since they turned out to be duds, and required multiple lightings.

Our celebration continued on Monday with "Breakfast in the Park" in Hooper.  Ryder enjoyed the pancake breakfast, but really loved playing on the park's playset once he was finished (sorry, no pictures - it was early, and I forgot the camera).

We came home to feed Harvick and Jarrett, and then headed out to North Ogden for Cherry Days.  We made it just in time to have Grandma Martha give Ryder a train ride at the end of her "shift" as conductor!

Riding in the train (driven by Martha) with Patrick and Jarrett in the sling.

 Ryder loved having pizza for lunch, but didn't want to touch it himself - no forks were available . . . good think Patrick was there!

Taking a bite!

Finally, we ended our night with more fireworks.  We planned to go to the same place as last year (a park within walking distance from our home) to watch the Hooper ones.  To our surprise, with the aerial fireworks now being legal in Utah, it seemed as though everyone was lighting them off in our neighborhood, as well as in the surrounding ones.  We literally had fireworks going off in every direction around us.  Ryder enjoyed seeing them, but was really only interested when they were close by.  He loved sitting in his own chair (one of our Deer Valley concert ones that are low to the ground), but was pretty sure it was more fun to kneel backwards in it.

Watching the fireworks . . . not the ones we went to see, but fireworks nonetheless.

It was a fun holiday weekend (despite the stitches)!!!