fourth of july '11

One of the good things about a death in a family is that it brings families together.

For us it brought us together for the best Nate and Paige fourth of july to date.

Our day started with a small town parade, as any good Fourth of July should.

Melba's small town parade to be exact. 

It was fantastic.

 Loads of candy, one truck even threw out hot dogs?

I don't know... but the kids were into it.

we hung out on grass while the older kids braved the streets for candy catching.

we got great seats on a church lawn and kinda just hung around after the parade while everyone cleared out.

This happens to be the closest town to the original Zeyer (who brig's named after) homestead.

There was a Zeyer family float and loads of Coleen's family around. 

This is her sitting with her 'kissing cousin' .

She really has this Grammie thing down...

smarties? Brig will sit with you for ages.

After the parade we head over to the little fair that was going on. 

There were loads of fair-food vendors, little dinky shops, rides, and games. 

Coleen knows how to give her kids a good time.  She gave all the couples $40 and each kid $10 and said "go get some tacos" we all blew through that cash happily.

until...

Grandpa had to rescue Brig

because his mom thought it would be loads of fun and an incredible photo-op to have Brig sitting in front of his cousins in the green can?

well I was wrong.

but Grammie knew how to make it all better.

 yup. 

She just handed over her fully loaded coke.

needless to say he took it for a joy ride.

After the fair we tried to drive by the Zeyer homstead... with no luck

then Brig napped the whole drive home.

........

then the fireworks :)

we all headed to Mike and Sis's for dinner and fireworks.

It was perfect. 

Ordered-in food, fenced in backyard, upper 80's, 20 some odd kids, and

a firework show :)

It's very nice having 10ish year olds to direct the fireworks.

Leave it to me to get John Philip Sousa orchestrating the show and the kids marching.

what? I'm my fathers daugher :)

the kids were in heaven with popsicles aplenty.

And we walked away with only poor Cleo burning her hand on a sparkler.

We all thought it was pretty good odds considering.

But the poor little tuna :( she and her blistered fingers had to go home early.

please... 

Savanna banana was a perfect host to the Nate Clark family btw.

This is brig's headshot for Huggie's new diaper collection.

whew

THAT

Was our Fourth of July.

AND

God Bless America.