Rain, Woo Woos, and Blue

Our much-anticipated red, white, and blue day didn't turn out exactly as planned.  We got off to a great start this morning and all got up at the same time.  Ned fixed pancakes and eggs and it was a treat to have breakfast together.  We all enjoyed a leisurely morning at home.

Mid-morning we started getting ready for a community cook-out.  It's done by an older couple in our church, and I think the sign said it was their 43rd one.  It started at noon, which is way too close to nap time for comfort, but as I'm trying to do better, I took one for the team.  We fed Avery an early lunch and headed over with Mimi.  We didn't know if we would make it to lunch at the cook-out, but Ned really wanted Avery to ride on the firetruck.  At noon, three big red trucks pulled up.  My rule was that Avery could only ride inside with Ned instead of up on top.  I was still unsure if she would actually get in.  Ned stood for awhile and talked to his fire buddies, and Avery kept reaching for me.

When the time came, though, she was ready to get in that woo woo.  She may have started off a little apprehensive.

But determination soon kicked in.

I didn't even make her ride in her car seat!  I did wait patiently with Mimi at the street and listened as the sirens crept around town.  I was relieved to see 2 big smiles through the windshield as they pulled back up.  Avery was so proud she had riden in the fire truck, and Ned was too.  She wanted horns blowing, lights flashing, and she also tried hard to talk on the radio.  Maybe next year I'll think about letting her ride up top. 

I saw one little girl with a bike helmet on, and I thought that was a fantastic idea.  Ned assured me that she had simply ridden her bike and more than likely did not wear in on the firetruck.  Lots of firemen participate and ride up top and on the back to make sure this is a safe event.  Sometimes we fuss about lack of entertainment or the distance to the mall, but I don't know if you can find this fun in a big city.

We skipped out on lunch because we were melting and nap time was calling.  The clouds started rolling in during nap time, but once Avery was up, we headed to Lolli and Poppa's for the big parade.  We knew the rain was coming but thought the parade would be safe.  However, storms popped up, and everything was rained out.  I was so, so disappointed.  Many people would scoff at our little parade, but it's just another example of how wonderful small-town life is.  Where else can you see things like this?

My daddy is Sammy Vick, and he was not providing ice cream that year!  Who knows what we would have seen this year.  I do know Avery would have seen tractors and firetrucks and would have loved every minute of it.  Luckily, she didn't know what she was missing as I know many kids did.

Lolli had stocked up on food so we still had traditional 4th of July hamburgers and hot dogs.  And, there's always the Avery show to watch.

Avery stayed with Lolli and Poppa, and Ned and I returned home to more rain.  I took a break from the computer to walk Dixie with Ned when it stopped raining, and we were just in time for the fireworks here.  We think we even found a new favorite spot as we watched with Mimi and Vincent.  We returned home to find a nervous Sammy and Felix under the couch.  Sammy has been known to hide in the bathtub during fireworks and then find himself trapped.

Even though the rain put a damper on things, it was still a great day full of memories.  We are so thankful to be able to celebrate living in a free country and are ready to do it all again next year.