Freedom Days Parade/Activites

So last year, Madi and Joe were living at the Raynes house in Provo, and the parade going was get up early and find the family owned property and stake a spot. This year, they are living in Draper, a good 30 minutes away. You do the math, thats way too early !!!

SOOO, I decided to get a hotel room for the night and then we would just have to find a spot on the route and call it good. WELL, the Travelodge was one block up from where we found a spot!! No lie!! It was the best!! We staked out a spot shortly after we got there( u can do that after 500 and leave it out all night. . people camp out in their spots even), we put up the chairs and a blanket, and then had a swim to cool off, it was pretty dang warm!

Out hotel

Steven holding down the spot while we go get the chairs and blankets!

Heres madi and Lily having a swim. . Ella and Joe too

The family. . Steven had to get out sooner than he wanted, but he was scooting along the bottem and scraped his nose and it was bleeding all over. . what a goof ball!

After our swim, we got ready and ate dinner right next door to the hotel at a great Mexican place, the food was good and not really spendy and we had a good time. . then we headed off to see the sights and sounds of Freedom Days at night!!

They had a few of these large blow up things that Ella LOVES. .

Part of the crowd friday night along the parade route and in the park
There were tons of people, children everywhere. . .it was free and everyone was pleasant and happy . . the sun was done enought to be warm, not HOT. . ha. . .good times!

Lily enjoys the stroller straps

I enjoyed the village things, a lot like what the Hartys

do. . only a different time in history. .

Help, help. . .

me too!

A man and his gun. . well, ok his cannon!

Freedom village.. like civil war groups. .

candles

Tabernacle at dusk!

Jericho Road. . they still have it!

We went back to the hotel and called it a night. . .

The next day the adventure continues. .

So if you see lots of green grass downtown along the city blocks, would you think about how they keep it green?? Me neither! Its called SPRINKLERS..yep, you called it! They went off at night and all our stuff got soaked! And then it rained! The campers got pretty wet. . but they had fun anyway. .

So we sat in wet chairs and by the time the parade was over, that wet butt felt pretty good!

It was HOT!!

The parade started at 900 and we were in our spot by 800ish. . it got really warm really fast. . dang!! Then it rained like crazy. . then it really got hot!!

Ella giving the girls a high something!

Lots of military things loved them. . . Madi made them b/w

Minutemen

Missionaries from the Provo Mission. . thats a bunch of Elders!

Minutemen

Ella made friends with these girls when we set

up last night, so it was old friends time today.

Lily won 3rd place in the Cutie Contest for her costume and COULD have walked in the parade. but this was easier!! ha Theres Lily and there's her parade spot! And it was a whole lot less work.

Ella was getting too hot, so Joe and she

went back to the room for a swim!

Steve and Lily