happy birthday America!

The 4th of July is Mark's favorite holiday, it didn't use to be mine because I didn't get any presents but it has started to become one of my favorites. I love feeling so festive and loyal and patriotic. I use to be embarrassed when my mom would make me wear a read t-shirt, I felt so lame and cliche, but now that I'm older and more secure with myself, I love it!
I love the family bbq's, sparklers,  fireworks, parades, and warm weather! The Danville parade will always be my favorite, I love standing out on the curb of downtown dville, feeling my shoulders turn a crispy red that I know will fade into a beautiful tan, catching candy off the wonderful floats, seeing everyone in Danville all in the same place being patriotic. I guess that sounds like any other parade but there's something special about the Danville parade...I miss home. (Yeah Danville is the city on Mrs. Doubtfire where they go to Bridges Restaurant, I love my hometown!)
Anyways, I have some wonderful memories of the 4th of July, like hiking to the Y in Provo with my family and my cute grandma, going to Sundance, going to the Stadium of Fire with Miley Cyrus and the Blue Man Group performing, and the firework show in Idaho Falls, which is the largest firework display west of the Mississippi!
This year Mark's parents are coming to visit for the 4th! After work today we are heading down to Utah to meet them and Mark's brother David and sister-in-law Lauren and their 3 little girls. Tomorrow we are going to the Stadium of Fire!!! Yeah, be jealous! I loveeee Brad Paisley, and David Archuleta (he has the best christmas cd)

Then we will come back up to Idaho on Sunday for the Rexburg parade monday morning and the Melaleuca firework show Monday night. Rexburg is probably one of the cutest places on the 4th of July. The small town feel is wonderful on this holiday. The fire trucks go to the park and raise their ladders as high as they will go, hoist their hoses to the top and spray high into the air. The little kids run around the grass under the hoses. How cute is that?
We got old navy flag shirts for the 4th of July. ok they aren't actually the old navy shirts, they were out of all sizes except for xxl...not gonna work! so we got the same shirts at walmart!

I think we are all set to make this a wonderful, memorable, patriotic 4th of July! And we are gonna watch The Patriot of course!

Happy birthday America! Thanks to all those who fight to protect this nation and all it stands for.