4th of July, Coeur d'Alene style

We decided somewhat last minute to spend the 4th of July up in Coeur d'Alene, ID, visiting Bart, Cheryl and Farel.  It was a blast!  Apparently, Coeur d'Alene goes all out for the 4th, and it did not fail to impress.  The scenery up there is absolutely gorgeous--it makes one kind of want to live there!  It was also so fun spending time with family and celebrating our great nation.  Oh, and did I mention I have never had a 4th of July with such great weather.  It was a beautifully sunny sky with a high of 72 degrees.  We didn't even break a sweat all day! (FYI, Ryan's shirt collar was up to shield his neck from the sun, not because he secretly wants to be on the cast of Miami Vice.)

 

 We started the day by watching the parade downtown.  The boys were so excited for the 4th of July parade, because last year we went to their first parade in Ohio in which they both came home with a bag full of candy.  They have since associated parades with people throwing free candy at you and had been not-so-patiently waiting for the next parade/free candy event.  Unfortunately for the boys (but fortunately for their teeth), there was no candy at this parade.

Thank goodness for superheros.  What the parade was missing in sugary treats it made up for in men wearing tights.  This picture was actually a blessing because Tate and Grant both saw Spiderman close up during the parade but missed the other heroes.  For some reason (maybe from the disappointment of no candy), Tate was pretty upset about not seeing Captain America and cried for a minute.  After the parade ended and we started walking back to the car, who did we come across? None other than Spidey and Capt. America!  When the heroes walked through the park after the parade, they were mobbed by children who ran up to high-five them and say hello. We convinced them to squat down for one more picture and fulfill a little boy's wish for the day.  They were actually great sports even though I'm sure they wanted to escape the crowd of picture-seeking little boys.

 After the parade we enjoyed lunch in the crowded, but shaded, park and the boys played on the massive wooden castle playground.  After lunch we went back to Bart and Cheryl's for a much needed nap.  In true Cheryl fashion, Cheryl was kind enough to keep Grant entertained while the rest of us took a nap. 

Then Farel and two of Bart's brothers came over with their families and we had a delicious BBQ at a park near Bart and Cheryl's.  Afterward, we went back to their place for s'mores and cake.  It's not the 4th of July without fireworks so we headed back downtown to watch them from the balcony of the resort where Bart's brothers had a room.  Coeur d'Alene had raised around $30,000 for their firework show, so it was pretty much awesome!  It was a wonderful way to celebrate the 4th and I think we might just have to make it a tradition.