Independance Day

It's been quite a while since we've really done anything for the 4th of July.  The holiday is special to us, in the sense of the meaning behind it.  But life is busy & my hubby doesn't get the day off, it's typically a big sale event in his line of work, so it's easy to put the celebrations on hold. 

I should add that it can easily not seem so important to see fireworks when you don't have children.  Most of the time my stepson was with his mother for the holiday & my stepdaughter was already an adult, off celebrating it on her own.

I can remember going to a park to see fireworks with my stepdaughter once.  My guess would be that it was in 2006.  So for 2007 & 2008 we didn't go anywhere to celebrate. 

In 2009, 2010, & 2011 it was too difficult with Lil J.  He was typically already asleep by the time it's dark out.  Plus the loud noise of the fireworks would certainly have startled him.

But this year he's 3.  And he's able to stay up late on occasion.  And he now actually knows what fireworks are.  Well, he's seen them on TV & he is able to recognize them on TV & tell me what they are. 

So this year I really wanted him to see fireworks in person.  I didn't want to go to a big fair or anything like that.  Just some simple fireworks.  I told hubby I didn't even care if we just watched from the car. 

But we ended up going back to the same park we went to in 2006.  By the time hubby got off work it was tough to get parking.  We actually ended up moving someone's trash cans (we did move them back when we left) & parked there & still had quite a hike to the park.  The event just had a few tents up, selling kettle corn, funnel cakes, a couple of businesses promoting themselves, & a smoothie stand.  We brought our beach chairs & Lil J's umbrella stroller & we took our dinner to go with us (I made hot dogs).   There was  a live band playing & lots of kids playing with balls & running around.  It was very nice.  At 8:45 the tents/booths shut down & at 9:00 they began a 20 minute procession of fireworks while the live band played patriotic music (a live rendition of the star spangled banner & then well known recordings of other patriotic songs). 

Hubby video'd the fireworks, but my phone is broken right now so I didn't get to take any still photos.  By the time 9:00 rolled around Lil J was quite sleepy.  When they first started he was trying to sleep through it on hubby's shoulder.  But the loud noise of it all forced him to wake up & look.  Then he started getting into it & even counting all the loud booms from the fireworks.  And then before it was over he was just too sleepy & went back to sleep on hubby's shoulder. 

So all in all we had a great 4th of July together.  My stepson is now an adult & even though he lives with us full time he was off with his friends just as my stepdaughter has been all these years.