Well last night was our first 4th of July in our new home and our new neighborhood. I have to admit there were parts I missed about the old neighborhood like sitting in the hot tub and watching the people behind us setting off fireworks which was great fun…then there was the idiots that would set off fireworks in the street shooting sparks and flaming cardboard all over the roofs of neighbors. That part I did not miss a bit! In the new neighborhood we all have 1 acre lots so our neighbors are not close enough to really harm our homes with fireworks so it was much more relaxed. They did however throw down some cash on fireworks! For some reason they started setting them off before it was even dark which to me kind of misses the point or fireworks. In hind sight they probably did this to start early enough to finish setting them all off before midnight! We had a constant show for about 3 hours provided by the neighbors to the west and north of us meaning we could sit on the back patio and enjoy the show! Thanks neighbors!

The day was kicked off my an impromptu parade put on by the kids in the neighborhood. This was one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time. Kids from the ages of 5 to 15 decorated their bikes and even some riding lawn mowers to parade around the neighborhood throwing candy to those neighbors that had gathered in lawn chairs in their drive ways. This really seemed like a throw back to me…or at least how I imagine neighborhoods in the 60s and 70s as kids would play together no matter what ages they were. Our old neighborhood seemed like a junior high subculture with cliques and groups that would not even talk to one another. This is refreshing to see all of these kids enjoying one another OUTSIDE and getting some exercise. Strangely the kids in this neighborhood are also a lot thinner than those in the other one…interesting huh?