Independence Day: In pictures...

...because I don't have energy for much else after multiple late nights, multiple BBQs, multiple fireworks both professional and amateur, multiple marching bands, multiple tantrums, multiple drops of sweat, and multiple bottles of vanilla cream soda.

Proof that sometimes I do get ambitious, when it really matters. Desserts for example.

Less than stellar view of the fireworks from our house, but it was adequate. You may recall last year we travelled five miles to see the fireworks in our town and spent two hours in the car to get home, which was five miles away remember? With a crying baby in the car . . . Well the Husband may have uttered the words in no particular order "if" "I" "went" "to" "hell" "this" "would" "be" "it" "my" "own" "personal" "hell." I hate to admit it, but the fireworks would have been way more impressive if we had revisited the Husband's own personal hell. But I was nice and gave him a year's respite from such fiery torture.

Storm Troopers ARE real and know when to show patriotic pride; it's in a Fourth of July parade surrounded by people who are for the most part crazy, me included.

Bosco liked the horses and the marching bands. He did not like the gunfire, the kids who threw poppers at us as we were walking, the people next to us with fireworks, the loud sirens, and the cannon. So pretty much 85% of his surroundings made him cry.

And Bubba enjoyed all of it, except for the parts where I had to keep him from sitting on strangers. But really who lays down and sleeps at a parade and leaves themselves open to being sat upon by toddlers?

MAYBE we'll see you next year Sammy. Really depends on the crowds, everyone's moods, the noise level, if I can find red striped pants, how much sleep we'll lose, and if I decide to be ambitious again.