Fourth of July

Our 4th of July weekend was a good one this year. It had just the right balance of fun, relaxation, time with family, and time at church.

We began the fun on Friday night with dinner at Red Robin and dessert at McDonald's with our BOGO coupon for iced drinks. It was nice enough to sit outside and enjoy some of the illegal fireworks being shot off down the road.

On Saturday, we relaxed and did our grocery shopping before heading to church for the Saturday evening service. Our special guest at church was a former Marine who's written a book about his experiences fighting in the latest war. He was the most humble man! I was very inspired by his story and look forward to reading his book.

After church, Dave and I tried a new kabob restaurant. We didn't get kabobs, but we really enjoyed our gyro plates. Look at all that food! It was delicious.

Dinner was followed by a movie at our local drive-in theater. We learned that you need to apply bug spray when attending a drive-in movie. Our legs and arms will never be the same, thanks to all the mosquitoes that feasted on us during the film. Ick!

Sunday was filled with teaching Sunday school in the morning, talking to Dave's parents and napping in the afternoon, and spending some time at the pool in the evening. It was another gorgeous day.

We woke up early for a holiday so we could attend a parade near my aunt and uncle's house in a nearby town. The parade was only 45 minutes long, but it was fun.

We always sit at the beginning of the parade route, but this year it was the staging area for all the emergency personnel and their trucks. Talk about loud!

I remember seeing this junior high marching band in parades when I was a child and thinking they were so grown up. Now they look tiny! This band always impresses me. They have a talented group of students.

My dentist (who played at our wedding) was a part of the parade this year.

After the parade, we went to a local breakfast joint for brunch. This photo is especially for my dad, who Dave calls, "Pop."

Considering our experience with mosquitoes earlier in the weekend, Dave and I wanted to make sure we kept them at bay when we went to our town's fireworks display. These bug bands seemed to help.

It was very difficult to get up this morning to go to work! Fortunately, I don't have to wait much longer for some more time off to enjoy the summer.