Smalltown 4th of July

4th of July is filled with tradition. The dinky town of Corbett, OR has a down-home parade every year that starts right in front of my parents' driveway. Friends and neighbors come from all around and we stake our claim to a big area of roadside, set up our big umbrellas and camping chairs and then watch the festivities go by. It's the quintessential Smalltown USA experience...little kids on decorated bikes, riders on horseback, tons of old fancy cars, homemade signs and floats, tractors and 4-wheelers and TONS of candy being thrown to the spectators. No kidding, the kids bring their bags and collect more candy than on Halloween!

This fixed-up VW Van & the mini replica were so cool!

Evelyn & Naomi, my best friend Alli's nieces

Their sister Miriam, who's about Maddie's age...poor girl!!

Here's something you just don't see every day...jumping rope WHILE bouncing on a pogo stick!

Our friend Cheryl & her daughter Lucy

My best friend Alli's daughter, Ava...and her lovely new obsession! :-)

This year was special because Maddie and Papa were in the parade, riding the tractor. It was stinkin' hot outside, the parade seemed forever-long this year and they were at the very end of it! They had planned to just go about 1/2 a mile and then turn around, but apparently Maddie was really into it and they did the whole parade route...from 10am until 1:30pm!! We were all getting worried about how long they'd been gone, but Maddie held up like a trooper.



We invited about 25 people up to my parents' house for a BBQ afterwards while the kids played on the swing and in the wading pool. In spite of the heat (which I *hate*), it was a wonderful day. Then Nana & Papa (who'd just gotten home from a vacation in Utah the night before) offered to take Maddie up to the Knopf's pool and then keep her overnight...our ears immediately perked up at that! You don't have to tell us twice! :-)

(Should we feel guilty at how nice it was last night/this morning to have such a calm and peaceful house all to ourselves?? I told Keith, "Oh, now I remember what it was like before we had kids!")

P.S.--For the BBQ, I made Barefoot Contessa's coconut cupcakes and they are to die for!!