4th Festivities

Our 4th of July started with a trip to church in the morning. It was a wonderful mass which concluded with everyone's singing God Bless America. After church, I was able to get a few shots of the boys out front decked out in their red, white, and blue outfits. L was being a tad bit more cooperative than B. The red chairs made for a perfect 4th picture setting!

Please don't mistake this for brotherly love. L is licking B's ear. Gotta love it!
For the fireworks, we walked up the hill and watched the fireworks display in Kaneohe from the base. We were able to see everything and didn't have to contend with traffic going out in town. I played around with my camera settings and was able to capture a few cool images. I think this particular one looks like a weeping willow tree.
To me, this one looks like an angel or a bird of some sort. Too bad fireworks happen only once a year, because you sure don't get too many chances to get it right!

During the day, we tried to take things pretty easy because we wanted the boys to be able to make it to the fireworks without a meltdown. We went to the beach for a bit and made sure they got a nap. Other than that, we took the day easy and relaxed around the house. As you can see here, my plan did not prevent an after-fireworks display (and yes, they have on Buzz Lightyear and Woody pajamas).

The next day we went to the annual Kailua 4th of July parade. This was the first parade the boys had been to. Initially, B was more interested in what food I had brought for them to eat. However, once he realized the parade people were handing out candy, he thought the parade was a little more interesting.

At the start of the parade, we had a group of horses standing in front of us for a good 15 to 20 minutes. They were beautiful and decked out with holiday leis. I will admit, however, that I had read earlier in the day about some parade folk who were trampled by horses, and I was glad when they went on their way.
L loved waving the flags the many politicians handed out. He planted himself there on the side of the road and waved his flag proudly at everyone who came by.
I'm not sure what group this little guy was with, but he sure was cute. And by golly, he marched his three-legged self down the street with pride. This vehicle was pretty cool all dressed up in Hawaii country finest. It belonged to one of the many political groups marching in the parade. Their group is "Keep the Country Country," which refers to their protest against the development of the North Shore. Basically, they are against hotels coming their way.
B's favorite part of the day had to be the balloons. He had more fun playing with those silly balloons than he did watching the parade.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Between going to Waimea Falls, fireworks, and the parade, we had a great few days packed full of family time.