Our Independence Day started off with our neighborhood breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon, with plenty of watermelon to go around. After everyone had eaten, all the kids got their bikes for a little parade. I brought Jones' bike, but after deciding it was "too slow" he ran to keep up with the big kids and biffed it hard on the cement. Instead of joining in the fun, he made me walk while he hid his head into my legs from behind. Nothing like walking in a parade with your kid basically in your butt. Once he calmed down and one of our older neighbors gave him a bandaid he was back at it! Jones hitched a ride on the back of his buddy's trike and they made up for Jones' first attempt at the parade. Once the morning festivities were over we headed home and helped our neighbors prep for the fireworks later that night. Danny took Jones and met up with some of our neighborhood kids for some nerf at the church while I stayed home and fed Fields and put him down for a nap. When nerf was over we loaded up the car to get some snow cones! Later that evening we joined my family at my aunts house for a BBQ and tank wars. A rain and wind storm forced our BBQ inside and we had to wait out the rain. Luckily it didn't take long and tank wars was about to begin. Every year we have a competition to see who can melt their army guy the best. Everyone is given a tank, army guy (this year it was a unicorn) and an assortment of fillers like smoke bombs, flowers, etc. You tape all your fireworks together and we battle it out on the streets. This year Brooke won for most melted unicorn! In celebration of the tank war, we passed out confetti canons that Danny had picked up. We lined up and began firing them across the driveway at each other. The kids loved it! My aunts' neighbors... not so much! Ha! But don't worry, we cleaned up all the confetti with push brooms and shop vacs. We aren't monsters! (Even though it was giving me major anxiety that we were killing the earth! Luckily if we missed any, they are just tissue paper.) Once our confetti party was cleaned up, we rushed home to our neighborhood fireworks. Our neighbors across the street put on a huge show every year! We pulled in and I went inside to feed Fields and watch from the front room with my anxious dogs. The show was a perfect end to our fourth of July. I'm so thankful to live in this country and for all the freedoms we are allowed! Happy fourth!