4th a BOOM

Remember how I always say the Moxee fireworks can't get any better. I am a super liar because this year was OFF. THE. HOOK. Let me back up.

We started off the festivities on the 3rd, meeting up with the Jim Kitchen, Dave Kitchen, Washburn and Kitchen Grandparent families at a swimming pool. Clark may have gotten thrown in 3 or 4 times by his loving mother. Char just sat on the steps with Nat and splashed happily and cutely.

We did Grove of the Patriarchs and Ohanapecosh the morning of the 4th. Saw a lot of cool trees. Chatted up the neices and nephews. Ate some pizza. Hiked mostly downhill. My kind of hiking:)
Clark ended up with a monster blister on his toe (seriously, even Dana the nurse was like WHOA DUDE) but he didn't even complain. Other than one tired baby, success all around. We returned for Fiesta Foods tacos at the church, which would have been perfection if we'd gotten our pico de gallo and if Dana hadn't spilled chicken all down his beautiful blue shorts. Still, yummy tacos. The other Gailans, Sonny, and Brooks and Shannon joined us for dinner and fireworks.

Then it was time for the show. Every time we bring new people to fireworks I get a little nervous that I've oversold them. Yeah, that was a dumb worry. They were flippin' awesome! Justin Rumsey and Jorge Barrientos lighted off this insane 10PM finale that had us all jumping and screaming. We walked the perimeter of the neighborhood a few times to get up close to the ridiculousness. A few nephews got burns and one almost got hit by a stray rocket but they seriously thought it was the coolest and now have awesome war stories.
(As a side: Char slept like a rock from 7PM all through the night. Bless you amazing baby. And Matt loaned Clark a pair of noise cancelling headphones that changed his whole life!)

Clark, Anderson, Stella and "the red kid" AKA Spencer were fast buddies and loved the pop its.

Oh yes, this gem. Fred's boss (for some reason) gave him a full American flag onesie. So he wore it. I really miss them:(

Didn't get it in this picture but Dave was so wiped from the hike/life that he laid on that blue blanket and slept through about half of the fireworks. So Grandpa Pat's sleep genes have safely been passed on to the next generation.

Thank you, America for having a birthday. And for deciding fireworks are the way to celebrate. I'm not sure next year can top it but I'd love to be proven wrong!