4th of July!

Better late than never... Independence Day was filled with traditions from my childhood. In the morning, we headed over to Monmouth for their annual parade. It was Ty's first parade (Disneyland doesn't count)and I don't think I have EVER seen or heard him more excited. He would NOT stop talking until the parade started! It lived up to its small town charm once again - cute, corny, simple, and silly. Ty made out like a bandit with a huge bag full of candy, a t-shirt, frisbee, beach ball, a poster, stickers and did I mention candy? He was ecstatic. Here's a picture of us on the curb waiting for the parade to start (minus mom who took the picture)...

Concert in the park...and you simply cannot go to a parade on a hot day and NOT get a Hawaiian Shaved Ice afterward...delicious.

Later that evening, we went over to my mom's house for a BBQ dinner and fireworks in her cult-de-sac. Here's Ty doing what Ty does best: arm flailing, hip thrust-like "dancing." He wanted to make sure he got in the light of the firework for dramatic effect. {Uncle} Paul did all of the lighting of the fireworks, so Ty was his shadow the entire evening. He thinks Paul "is awesome"...hehe...so cute! It may have had something to do with Paul showing Ty how to hold a lit smoke bomb. It was epic :)