Summer Bucket List: 4th of July Parade

#6: 4th of July Parade

Unlike last year, when rain and thunderstorms canceled the annual parade, the weather was absolutely perfect for a parade today!

The highlight of the parade this year, at least for O, was the train.  Just a few minutes into the parade, the "sheriff" blocked the parade vehicles to allow a train to pass.  It was going very very slow, and the parade was delayed for probably 10 minutes, but we had the perfect view of the train!  O kept saying, "choo-choo!"

The Prize Winning "Float" 

The only part of the parade that my kids dislike is when other kids on floats squirt water guns, so this year, they all hid behind their daddy when they saw water guns.

It didn't take O long to learn how to rush out into the road and grab fists full of candy!

Happy 4th of July!

Summer Bucket List: Summer Celebration

#5 Summer Celebration

One of my favorite events of the summer is Lipscomb's Summer Celebration.  I call it my own adult Vacation Bible School.  While the kids were having fun in their own classes, I attended classes on, The Hospitality of Strangers, Culture Wars, Faith in a Post-Christian World, Women of Ministry in Churches of Christ: Dynamics of Change, How to Rescue a Christian Caught up in Sin: Intervention Strategies, The First Restoration, How Much Will Your Sin Cost Me? and, The Blessings or Curses from Life's Choices.  So it was not only some much needed "me" time, but also a real educational opportunity for me.

E and O are too young to stay the entire day in the children's "camp," so during the break for lunch, we just hung out on Lipscomb's campus: Playing in the fountain, visiting the Bison, and just riding around in the stroller:

They LOVED R2D2-Bison

The highlight of the whole even though, for the kids, is the Family Fun Picnic with inflatables, food trucks, entertainment, and then fireworks on the final evening:

I am not one to usually purchase $3 cups of ice with sugar syrup, but it was over 90 degrees outside and the Kona Ice Truck made for the perfect treat

I spent all of my cash on the Kona Ice Truck, so daddy brought us dinner

 For the final session, I joined the kids in their Kingdom Kids program.

 Fireworks

Photo by Christopher Wiles

What a great time!  I'm already looking forward to next year!