Red, White, Blue, & 5 Boys too!

So Happy 4th of July to you all!! I love this holiday. I love the parades, I love the snowcones, the flags, the fireworks and the way it makes me feel. I love, and am proud to be an American! (Hey, don't forget to see the pictures that (finally) uploaded of the boys washing the Harley's)

So for this leg of our trip we went up to Roy to see the Hunsakers. We were going to go up to Idaho, but last minute plans changed. Fine with me, that's just less driving. So instead I took the boys... (5 of them, 3 of mine, 2 of theirs) to the Hooper Parade. Jen and Adam went for a bike ride because they are training for the Spudman Triathlon.

Now 5 boys... "Wow" you say, but really these boys are actually EASIER when they are all together! There is James (born Dec. 2003), Davy (Dec. 2004) Tommy (March 2005) Tim (Sept. 2006) and Jon (Jan. 2007). So really they are one right after the other. This time around I think Jon was totally loven' it. Tim was put in his room for bed, and I think both boys enjoyed waking up with some one who understood there language. They would sit for an hour in the morning just talking to each other. It was fun to hear them babble back and forth.

Ok, so on to the parade...

Here is James, Davy, and Tommy.

This was the only one of all 5 of them that were looking at the camera... Ok so kinda being in the direction of the camera. In a nut shell, the best phrase that describes them is..."Brothers from another mother" The crazy thing is that really we don't stop here... Ideally we would have all the "brother" together... adding in the Kemper's 2 1/2 and the Taylor twins, but alas that will have to be another time.

The parade came and went and the boys totally made out with the loot that they threw out. We made sure to sit close to the beginning of the parade to get the best stuff and not the left overs. James was excited that he saw the Montana state flag. Why was it here in Utah? That's anybody's guess, but hey, it was in Hooper, so pretty much anything goes. This next picture is a shout out to Davy.....

What would a red-neck parade be with out the "General" in all it's glory?!

So after the parade we went to the little park to see what was going on. They had little games and booths set up so I thought it would be fun. But first things first... we had to get there and then all the boys needed some thing to drink. I know I looked ridicules as I'm pushing Tim in the stroller, I have Jon on my shoulders, and the other three boys are walking behind me. Finally we make it to the park and we get out much needed water (which by the way was a reasonable 50 cents a bottle instead of the 1.50 most places like to charge!)

Do you see all that red hair on Jon? Jen says it came from grandmas on both sides... you just keep telling your self that.... :)

Davy and James did the bouncy slide, which they loved. I'm sure they would have played in there forever if I let them. But alas... I had tired boys on my hand and had to get them home to nap... remember, we still have fire works to do...

So this time walking back to the car, I had Jon and Tim in the stroller (see picture) and the three boys tagged along behind. Being encouraged every step of the way to make it back to the car before they all collapse.
Tim didn't make it.

So after this adventure I want to share a couple things that I learned... Do NOT dress you kids in red, white and blue when every other person is wearing those colors. It's much easier to find a lost Tim... I mean child... when he is wearing bright yellow. And second. Thowing otter pops at people at the parade may seem like a good idea, but it isn't. When they hit the street and come skidding toward you they get holes in it, and holes in an otter pop when a toddler is holding it is just a mess!!!!

We got back to the Hunsakers house, had lunch and then everyone napped.... except James.
So after we were all well rested, and ready to go, we headed over to the Clearfield Park. We had a great time. This time I had back up with Jen and Adam there. So Adam too all the boys to play on the bounce houses that they had set up, while Jen and I did our "girl thing" as Adam would like to call it. Then every one came back to eat while we waited (and waited, and waited....) for it to get dark. The boys played with snaps, an ever popular thing. And tried not to get lost in the mix of people coming into the park.

Here's just some fun pictures of that night...

So I was really happy at how these next pictures turned out. I got some really good ones of the fireworks. Now as you look at these, take a moment to think about what these fireworks represent. Not all the pretty colors, and sparkle that we see now... The first "fireworks" were cannons going off and guns being shot. People were dieing. They were fighting for our freedom and to echo what Francis Scott Key wrote, as he look out over the harbor, hoping with all he had that our flag would still be flying.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation; Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.