Fourth Festivities

We can always count on the 4th of July as being a sticky, sweaty day!  We were all really looking forward to the Carmel parade, but it gets a little difficult sitting there as the sweat just pours down your back!

Our seat for the parade was on the curb right next to these flowers.  Clara appreciated their lovely scent!

Biggest highlight of the parade is the candy thrown to the kids!

Clara took it upon herself to be the official "fanner."

 Westfield puts on a huge event at Grand Park on the 4th.  But we've gone to it once and it was not to my liking with HUGE crowds and lines.  I noticed online that a neighboring town had a festival at their city park (where we've gone swimming) and I thought it sounded perfect!  I was right!  We parked our car at a specified location and then a trolley came and picked us up. The kids LOVED that!  It drove us to the park, a few minutes away.

Everything except food at the festival was free!  And almost zero waiting in lines!  Bounce houses, carnival games, balloons, face painting, playground, etc. Perfect!

Eli tried the bounce houses for the older kids/teens.  This one was interactive.  The beam in front of him moved and he was supposed to jump over it.  He was enjoying himself til he got knocked down...

These jugglers were pretty impressive on their stilts!

We grabbed a bite to eat at the festival and headed home for bedtime.  I wasn't planning on Clara watching fireworks, but she was all worked up that night and very upset not to go with David and Eli.  Finally when they were out the door I called them home to come back for her.  She went off in her pajamas and bedtime head, but she was ecstatic for her first fireworks show!  They went back to Grand Park to watch them, since it's closer to our house.  This picture of Eli and Clara cracks me up!

Love this fun holiday!