Floats and Bands and Babies (Oh My!)

This past week was Pony Express Days here in our little town.

Activities galour...softball tournament, carnival, movie in the park, helicopter rides, cute-baby contest, a parade that went on for 2 hours (which had 6 different bag-pipe bands), concerts, just to name a few.

Saturday night we had a neighborhood BBQ, which was just out in front of my friend A'Donna's house. The BBQ was awkward for me, fun for my kids. There are some 'rifts' in the neighborhood, so some people, instead of grilling on the long row of BBQs, went off to someone's driveway and had a mini-party of their own.

I was bugged. Really bugged. So much that I lost sleep over it, but that's another can of worms.

BUT! The evening took an unexpected turn after the clique-ee BBQ.

As darkness fell, we gravitated to A'Donna's backyard around the fire pit.

There is something magical about a (backyard) campfire.

Marshmallows were burned, dropped and eaten.

We listened to the concert at the park.

As if there wasn't enough magic, through the darkness and across the fire, a neighbor recognized a long, lost navy buddy he had served with 18 years ago.

It was chilly. Isaac was miserable (as he was the night before when we laid under a pile of blankets to watch Horton Here's a Who in the park). I couldn't keep him warm enough curled up on my lap, and walked him home, but quickly returned.

Then, the proper cap to the evening: fireworks.

Sometimes it seems that no one gets it right in this young town of Eagle Mountain. But they outdid themselves with a great fireworks display. Isaac was able to watch from the couch in the piano room; Maddie in a sleeping bag next to the fire in A'Donna's backyard with me.

Like always, I was feeling crummy on Saturday and wouldn't have even left the house if A'Donna hadn't called and begged. What else have I been missing out on?