Happy 4th

Not that I'm not thankful for our nation's independence and all, but I've never been a huge fan of the 4th of July. I think that the teen years full of plans with friends or dates that always seemed to fall apart had something to do with it. Things have improved over the years, but the 4th got really good once we moved up here. The 4th is a big deal in these parts.
We live around the corner from a huge park where the day starts with a breakfast and a fun run, then a parade followed by ball games, a children's carnival and a concert, and the day is capped off with a fabulous fireworks production.
Last year we hit the parade and the fireworks. This year the parade was smack dab in the middle of Wes's nap (and we didn't think he would really be into it at this age anyway.) My brother and his girlfriend came up later in the day and we all walked around the carnival and got some lunch. It was fun, but HOT! Apparently Wes didn't think much of the whole thing-- he fell asleep.
Some of my family came up for a BBQ and to see the fireworks at night. One of the coolest things about living so close to the action is being able to reserve our fireworks-viewing-spot really early in the day, and then go back home where there is air conditioning!
We were a little worried how Wes would react to the loud, bright fireworks. He didn't seem to like it all much. He got a little fussy, and when I picked him up, he fell fast asleep!
Here are some pics from our fantastic 4th: