July 3rd/4th. - The Festivities Begin...

This is why we go up to Provo every year!  It is so fun to celebrate the 4th of July with all the festivities, starting with the Stadium of Fire on July 3rd.

My brother Archie and sissy Andrea came with us to the SOF.  They were great company!

Maddie just about downed a whole big bag of kettle corn! And Archie just didn't want another picture of him.

Stadium of Fire dancers

This year's entertainer was Carrie Underwood - her voice is awesome, and she didn't disappoint. 

My favorite part is when the jets fly over the stadium, that never ceases to make me feel proud of our country, especially when the jet fighter pilots come through the video feed, and talked to the whole stadium.  There is nothing like it!  There were so many eagle scouts in the Stadium since this year they inducted a whole slew of Eagle Scouts as part of the show (the largest Court of Honor yet), and all these young boys held American flags as they marched through the field, and all the Eagle Scouts in the audience stood up to welcome them.  Amazing sight!
And to top it all off, some great fireworks.  I love America!

After the show, we walked back to our house and hung out until the traffic died down.  It was a great way to kick off the July 4th celebrations.  

Sunday July 4th

Sunday, July 4th, we visited our old ward, Edgemont 3rd.  It was great to see people we knew.  Since it was fast and testimony Sunday, Allie got up to bear her testimony and persuaded her friend Alyssa to do the same.  It was great to hear her coaching her friend, and after they got back to their seats, it was even greater to hear them talk about how good they felt inside.  Allie was so happy to see her Provo bff!  

We drove around Provo (well, the parade route, really) and tried to save a spot on the parade route, but of course, University Avenue had just about every blanket and family out on the street, with all possible "save-able" spots taken, and University Ave. hadn't even been officially closed for the parade.  We spent the rest of the day making dinner at home with Archie and Andrea, and then spending a quiet night at the hotel.