4th of July Festivities

I LOVE the 4th of July! I love the sound and smell of fireworks and I love the traditions that my family and I had growing up as well as the new ones that I have been enjoying out here in Idaho. I also love that I got to grow up so close to Washington D.C. I'm lucky that I got to take field trips and stuff there all throughout school and I have really grown to appreciate American History (also thanks to my awesome parents that raised me right.) I LOVE America! If I was home for the 4th my day would have been as follows....waking up to early to go to Olney Park to the annual McLean 1st ward pancake breakfast that had been going on every year as long as I can remember. The little kids with their decorated bikes and scooters would parade around the park, we would all join in singing a couple patriotic songs, and after some more socializing I would watch all the Johnson's dominate the softball games. Then that afternoon I would head out to Stephen Matthew's house with the rest of the stake youth pretty much for a pool party. We would enjoy a little cook out, play a little hoop, and see how many people we could fit in their hot tub and take a picture. The I would head back to my house for another cookout. My mom would have some fun games that all the little kids would play and they would run around crazy on the trampoline etc. (typical) Our family would take a picture in front of the HUGE american flag hanging from our porch and there would definitely be some bball going on in the backyard with the adults. That night we would probably go with the Crumps to watch the D.C. fireworks from Vicki's office building rooftop. (or I might go watch them on the mall).

But sadly I was in Idaho this year when all of these events happened this year and last year (I'm positive they still happened exactly as described even without me though haha). Happily I got to spend the last 2 of these holidays with my favorite Idahoans and Neiders Christine, Donevan and family. I even got to watch the "Melaluca Freedom Celebration" fireworks from a rooftop! (thanks to Chrissy's awesome friend Andrea). These fireworks are AWESOME! they drop some serious bank on them, and the radio plays music to go along with it so its quite a production. I hear they are like the 4th best in the country or something...anyways Me and my roomate Morgan crashed at the Neider's for the weekend. We enjoyed the neighborhood fireworks party, the Idaho Falls parade in the morning, a bar-b-q at their place in the afternoon, and the sweet fireworks at night on the rooftop! So basically I still hit all the same awesome events just a bit differently here in Idaho. I am soooo extremely lucky to have Chrissy and her family so close when I am here at school. They take such good care of me and I LOVE hanging out with them! It was a great weekend.