july 5th

every year our town has it’s big july 4 celebration
on the saturday closest
so this year it was july 5th

there’s food
music
raffels
performers
contests
games
activities

lots of fun to be had

wishin’ i was bigger so i could play too

chris is not so fond of the crowds and chaos
so i go with the boys early
to participate in all the festivities
and he joins us later

i am always impressed with the care
that the older boys give the younger ones
in these situations

their ability to sacrifice their own fun
to help the little ones
warms my heart

once they’ve had their fill
(or i’ve had my fill)
we stop by the food lines
get some sustenance
and then head to our blankets
to enjoy the music
and wait for the fireworks

this is usually where the real fun begins
eating good food (like fried dough, aka funnel cakes)
rolling down grassy hills
dancing to the music
playing ball with a water bottle bat

then the clarence softball team
comes around selling light sticks
you don’t know fun
until you’ve played with four boys
and light sticks (be sure to bring your safety goggles)

then when it’s mostly all the way dark
the show begins

it starts off slowly
but before long
things are really buzzing

then it gets downright chaotic

and by the end
it could be considered overwhelming
if it wasn’t so amazingly beautiful

i love how the smoke below
reflects the color from the fireworks above

i have video of the finale
watch if you care to
but be warned
it’s sideways
someday i will remember
that i can’t rotate video

in the end
good times had by all
4 happy boys
who are mostly asleep
by the time we get home

hope your festivities were just as joyful!

and you’re welcome to join us next year