The 5th of July

Well, today is the 5th of July, which is to say that it's nothing special.  No offense to the 5th of July. On the contrary, I would like to thank July 5th for being an average, everyday day.  We needed one.  The 4th of July was spectacular, so full of vim and vigor (I just wanted to use that phrase).  It was John Phillip Souza'd and barbeque'd and bunted to the hilt, and topped with fireworks!

Yes, it was glorious.

The 5th of July takes its role as a down day very seriously.  It has blanketed itself with muggy clouds that say, "Sleep in, then grab a steaming mug of cocoa and put your feet up on the back deck.  Enjoy the mountains and reminisce.  So that's just what we'll do...

 The 3rd of July got all uppity and thought it had to be something special, too.  And it was:  Golda's (late) birthday party.  20 kids in full holiday mode, eating, drinking caffeinated beverages (oooohh..) and being merry.  I love these kids.

 And there were cupcakes.  Oh, there were cupcakes!

So the 4th of July had a lot to prove after July 3rd tried to upstage it.  It began with an impromptu alternative to the city Chuckwagon Breakfast, aptly entitled The Doppwagon Breakfast.  To make it a party, we had to reel in some of our closest neighbors, Ryan 'n' Jennie and Coco 'n' Bill. Scott had walked with the kids to the cemetery before breakfast and he walked to the parade after.  So whatever quiche and cinnamon rolls he ate was definitely burned off!

At the Kaysville Parade, eating Kaysville Theater popcorn.  Aah, how that sentence warms my heart.

Tziporah's first parade.  Another heart-warming sentence.  And it was warm.  Not too hot, though.  We did research on spots and we were in the shade.  Kaysvillites put down blankets, chairs and awnings the day before the parade.  I drove through town the eve of the fourth and passed thousands of dollars worth of outdoor equipment, neatly lining the streets.  I love my town.

I took quite a few pictures of the esteemed Davis High Band, but I'm not sure if you can see Golda in any of them.  There are 340 kids in the band and they were all wearing matching outfits.  (I think they call them uniforms...)  This was the band's second parade of the day.  At Golda's party the night before, all the band kids were drinking tons of water, trying to hydrate for over five miles of marching in the hot sun.  It's good practice for the Rose Parade, which is over seven miles long!

Needless to say, the morning was more heart-scorching than heart-warming for Golda.  She chugged two water bottles after.  She had to walk all the way over from Davis after she marched because our car was trapped by the parade route.  No biggie.  It's not like she had been marching around all day with a hot, sweaty flute in her hands.  Lexie was also in the parade, as a cheerleader.  I got a picture of her, but it's too risque for the blog.  She was mid-cartwheel.  Need I say more?

Surprise!  Sarah, Roland, Alex, Lincoln, Tricia and Jim came by!  They are here from Miami.  Don't they all look fab?  It was their first time meeting Tziporah, the baby that Alex knew was coming.  Have I ever told you that story?  When we had six kids and "knew" we would never have another, Alex kept telling his grandma Tricia, "Scott and Circe have seven kids.  There is going to be another one."  Spooky!...in a good way!  If this kid were Tibetan, he could be the next Dalai Lama.  He and Lincoln are very extraordinary.

Our godsons, Alex and Lincoln.  We love these boys!

We spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house, grilling and watching the kids in the kiddie pool and cooled-down hot tub.  The adults talked about vacations and trips, with comments from the peanut gallery (Scott) about how lame each option was.  Scott's brother Jeff had texted him after seeing pictures of our Kingston trip, "Dude, how did you get out of THAT?"  I'm still chuckling.  After being married to a guy with such a large capacity for gripiness (not a real word), I have learned that if we both do whatever we want with the option for the other person to opt in or out, it all works out for the best.  I mean, who wants to go to Yellowstone with a guy that won't stop to take pictures of a deer just because we see them in our own yard daily?  Scott's opinions sure keep things lively!

Anyway, my friend Michelle called to tell us that our regular fireworks spot had sprinklers on!  Oh, the horror!  It was one of those "Who moved my cheese?!" moments.  Thankfully, Michelle and William found an even BETTER spot and we joined them.  Although we did wonder if the sprinklers would turn on mid-fireworks, and we did wonder where ALL of the other people were going as they carted their blankets and coolers past us, we felt in the end like we had hit it just right.  As dusk settled in and the sprinklers went on not too far from us, Michelle said, "I hope this doesn't turn out to be the year that the Fitzgeralds ruined your fireworks!"  Au contraire, Michelle.  Same time, same place next year?

The "Wardies."  Have I mentioned how awesome these kids are?

Bill showing off his custom-made Nike jacket.  Josh's friend works for Nike and had it made to commemorate Bill's 50 years.  His initials are on the back.  In case you don't like the name Felshaw or the nickname Bill, you can call him by one of his other monikers, Harvey or William.

Scott took Freestone to see the new Spiderman movie Tuesday, which apparently was the inspiration for a whole photo shoot with his Spiderman pj's and glow stick as the subjects.  I'll spare you the other 20 photos.

Tziporah was terrified when she woke up in her carseat in an unfamiliar field.  Last she knew, she was rolling around on the floor at Grandma's house!  She did enjoy the fireworks show, though, and so did I.  It really is the only time during the year that I get to lie on the grass with my sweetheart and listen to his heartbeat.  We should do it more often, I know, but it's not the same without fireworks lighting up the sky and booming in our chests.  That's what makes the 4th of July its own unique self, and it can't be recreated.  You just have to soak it up when it rolls around.  Because the 5th is not the 4th.