Parades

Gosh this week seems to be flying by, I can't believe it's already semi-wordless Wednesday!  Well, I guess that just means that I had a wonderful time at the beach for the 4th of July.  Anyway, in trying to get back to writing about one thing that makes me happy every day I decided to focus todays post on parades.

I love love love parades!  As I've mentioned, as a child we used to have a float in the 4th of July parade.  Growing up I always got up early to make sure I was able to watch the WHOLE Macy's Day parade and whenever I can, I love going to a parade.  I don't know why I love them so much, I guess everyone just seems so happy at parades, smiling and laughing, throwing candy, entertaining.  Parades are also always on holidays, and boy do I love any type of holiday.

This year the parade in Bethany was pretty good (although every year we say we could beat everyone if we did a float).  Enjoy a few pictures from the event:

The adorable start of the parade

Hysterical couple

Old time organ

Old time police car

Family float, pretty cute

Hanging out watching the parade in our favorite spot

Mimi lovin' the parade with her lobby hat!

After the parade we stopped by the pie eating contest and witnessed the children's pie eating contest, take a look at this little guy, he had no idea what was going on and just stuck his whole head in the pie, so cute!

Overall, it was a great parade and a wonderful weekend (15 people sleeping in a 4 bedroom house, WOW).  Great family time and lots of funny memories!  How was your 4th, do you go to a parade every year?  Does it bring back lots of memories? 

In keeping with the weekend theme

First of all, thank you to all of you who commented and followed me yesterday, I really appreciate it!  If you're not following my blog I'd love to have you join!

I'm off to the beach this morning so don't have a whole lot of time to write a long post but wanted to share this youtube in case you haven't seen it.  In keeping with the 4th of July theme and riding bikes (which to me is a big part of the 4th and the parades) check out this little boy after he accomplishes riding a bike for the first time, it will be sure to make you smile :)

Do you remember the first time you successfully rode a bike?  Wasn't it the greatest feeling in the world?  

4th of July, oh so soon!

So I'm starting to get EVER so excited about 4th of July and I thought I'd spend this semi-wordless Wednesday talking about it in pictures!




So, here it goes...
My whole life (minus the summers I was at summer camp and in England) I have spent 4th of July in Bethany Beach, DE.  As a child we used to dress up and ride our bikes in the parade and as we got older we had family floats in the parade:

Each year we would have a different "theme", the picture above the theme was Yes "surrey" cruisin' right into the 21st century. 

Since graduating college and being back in the mid-atlantic I have made it a priority to go to the beach for the 4th:

Cousin Jess and I watching the parade

Our floats were so much better

Watching the fireworks on the beach

Last summer my cousin Lexi who was living down with my grandmother decided to go all out and pull out some of the old 4th of July decorations and thus our theme last year was...

Last year the parade was not on 4th of July so we had our own parade around my grandmother's neighborhood...

decorating bikes

preparing for the parade

My grandmother informed me last night that this years throwback theme was wacky tacky family vacation...back in about 1996 we had this same theme and our float was one of the old cars which we called the "bomber" and all over it we threw toys and junk, we even put a kayak on top and had a child sit in it...wish I had some pics of that!  All that said, we won 1st place that year and the float was in the paper!  

Anyway, really looking forward to one of my favorite holidays and spending it with family.  The only thing we'll be missing is 2 of my siblings who I will miss terribly...

What traditions do you celebrate for the 4th?  Have any great plans?  Would love to hear what your up to!