Fireworks and Family

On the 3rd of July, we decided to join about 15,000 other people at La Mirada Regional Park for a fourth of July celebration, complete with fireworks. We got there after dinner, about 7, walked around the park and lake for a little while and then settled down to watch the fireworks. The ducks were the favorite of the kids and some people even gave them some food to feed the ducks with. I just had to keep pulling Tyler back from seeing his reflection in the lake. I could just see the clumsy habit causing him to be "pulled in" by the lure of the water.
While daddy and Mikayla checked out the bounce houses, I stayed back with Tyler, listening to the band play. Here's my lounger in his own park chair.

Here's a shot, not only of me and the kids, but of the thousands of others that chose to partake in the festivities.

Will and Mikayla right before we saw the Dayneko clan. Of all the people at the park, it was a miracle that we would run into anyone we knew but, right after we found a place on the grass, Robin, Jacob, his parents and sister and her husband almost walked right into us. It was so fun to be able to share the fireworks with them and be with friends.

While we were all enjoying the fireworks, my son decided they were not for him. He screamed "no, no" for a few seconds and then settled to a place behind my jacket where he couldn't see the explosions in the air. The sound was fine for him but he couldn't understand why the sky was bright and colorful. Yes, he sat exactly like this for about 10 minutes straight.

For the real fourth of July, we went to my parent's house to see my Uncle Rich and Aunt Elise. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of them because my batteries died in the middle of the festivities but I did get a shot of the kid's table. This is the beginning of many years of kid's tables to come.

My dad and Mikayla. We went and bought some sparklers and some cheap fireworks to do in front of their driveway. Tyler actually liked these and kept jumping and yelling, "yay" whenever one would finish. I think it was because there were only a few sparks and they were on the ground. The sparklers were the favorite part of the evening.