Fireworks, Parade, and Family...Fourth of July Fun

We had a lot of fun over the fourth of July. Peyton has really enjoyed everything he has done this year with all of the holidays. This is such a fun age. He wanted to stop at the fireworks stand and we bought those silly little fireworks that cost an arm and a leg and don't really do much...but he loved them. I must admit that this big sparkler is pretty cool.

We then broke out the small sparklers and luckily made it through no little boy burning another one.
Peyts decided he needed to be tricky and did two at a time.

My family always does a family show on the third of July with Jake and my dad displaying their stash of not quite legal fireworks that they have acquired either on the Indian reservation or in another state. I believe this year it was another state. I don't know why Idaho is so stiff about it, they are actually pretty fun. So these next pictures are out on my uncle's lawn because of the location where we shoot them off. I don't know if I can mention, where but it is quite a show. I told everyone we needed to charge to come to the pre-show of what will happen the next day.

Andy is fooling around with some fireworks and he shot some photos of me too, but they are all blurry. That is why I never have any pictures of me on here!

This is the whole crew playing around with fireworks. We have quite a crowd!


This is the master pyrotechnician himself. What would we do without Jake's love of blowing things up and fire. This career of fireworks started very young and very illegally...when Jake stole an M-80 from Bruv and attempted to blow not only himself up, but my grandpa's field! Then his life of crime continued when he attempted to throw a salute on his teacher's lawn...it is a good thing it died, for it could have really done some damage. He was shot at on this attempt...Luckily the teacher missed! Now he his registered to do this kind of stuff and the only real illegal thing he does is buy fireworks that he shouldn't shoot off in Idaho! Thanks for the nice pre-show!

Pam has always been Jake's sidekick at this family fireworks shows. She is helping Peyts get his sparkler going.

Peyts loved the sparklers this year. He did have a hard time not putting them in people's faces and around their hair. He also liked dropping them on the ground and stomping on them!

This is a photo that Peyts took of Andy and I. How nice that he can actually take pictures of us! He did a pretty good job especially when you see some of the othes he took. We had a lot of leg pictures!

Andy is quite a creative dude and I had the bright idea for Peyts to drive a tank this year and wear his army clothes that he just purchashed (yes against my better judgement!) I usually just have to dream up some idea and Andy can make it happen. This year he just happened to create a tank out of Peyton's little gator that my dad bought him three years ago. This little thing has been turned into a fire engine, too! We don't know what we are going to do next year, but it turned out awesome. Andy gets all of the credit for this one!

Let's just say that some little boy thought he was a real soldier. I wrote this little poem on the back of it that he is standing by, but he drove it too fast through the parade for anyone to read.

I’m a tough COWBOY,
a brave FIREMAN,
a courageous COP.
I’m SUPERMAN,

BATMAN,
and ROBIN.
I’m a smart DOCTOR,
a clever SCIENTIST,
a wise TEACHER
I’m a valiant SOLDIER,
an obedient SERVICEMAN,
a decorated GENERAL
I am a little BOY,
the bright FUTURE,

the SPIRIT OF AMERICA!

Looking at this picture you can see that the above poem rings true. He really feels that he is all of these things. He thought he was so cool in his tank. It was rather funny watching him in the parade scoot around in that little box. He thought he was pretty big!
The only way into this thing was through the hole in the top. I guess that makes it more realistic.

This is the crew at the parade. We have a specific spot that we park at all of the time. This year it was a little invaded by people. I wasn't that happy, but it worked out all the same. The parade seemed to zoom by really fast this year. I got Peyton on video driving around and it was rather quick so I don't have photos of him. Holly also made a float with the kids on it. It was historical figures from the past and some modern day soldiers. It actually won the grand prize. Peyton won most creative and got 20 dollars for his prize. That was pretty fun!

Every year after the parade we go back to Mom's house and eat. We always have a bunch of great food, but the highlight is surely the scones and dutch oven chicken. I believe my parents are getting sick of it, but we sure enjoy it. After we gab and eat, we go over and watch the fireworks at the school.

I attempted to film the show but only got a little bit. I also had my camera turned the way that I thought would capture it best and forgot that if I turn my camera this way and film, that everything is sideways. I figured you can still enjoy the fireworks this way and Jake wanted to see them, so just remember it is sideways. It was quite a show this year and I know that everyone enjoyed it. It lasted over 20 minutes and only had a few short ones that made us all a little nervous! Good job pyrotechnics crew! I tried to upload the long one, but it won't let me...so I guess you get the really, really short one! :-) (Okay so I've tried three times to upload the footage and it won't let me...so I guess no footage! sorry!)