We had the best 4th this year! 

You may remember seeing on Instagram that we were in Wisconsin for a dear friend's wedding on Saturday. And Chris had to work on Monday. So we really just celebrated on Tuesday and it was all I could have hoped for.

We decided to take Olivia to her first Independence Day parade in Highland Park; which is where Chris grew up. We met some of our closest friends and Chris' parents and had such a great time. Of course some of Olivia's favorite parts were twirling to the music and the free candy :) After lunch, we headed to their "4th Fest" and she had the best time. I couldn't believe how many things there were to do. She rode her first pony and loved it! She was smiling so big and kept waving at daddy. I will never forget it. She also couldn't get enough of the bounce house. I'm so amazed by her bravery these days. She had a blast jumping around and asked for another turn as soon as she came out.

She saw a gigantic bouncy slide and asked to go on. I couldn't believe it! I initially didn't think it was a good idea. Most of the other kids going looked like they were closer to 8 or 9! Not 2! But she said she wanted to, so away she went while I anxiously waited! She climbed all the way up on her own, which in itself sort of impressed me! I was too nervous to take pics! She got to the top and was yelling for me to hold her hand! I thought for a second we were in trouble, but we yelled back that she could do it and we were reaching for her at the bottom. And just like that, down she went! We felt so proud of her! She is tiny, but mighty. Our little firecracker. 

She also played some carnival games and was thrilled to pick out fish toys that reminded her of Dory! :) Melting watermelon popsicles and sticky hands while we played at the park was the perfect way to end the day. When we got home she was telling all of her friends (aka stuffed animals and figurines) about the "parade and the party." "A parade is when there are people walking and a pony and music and candy and you just sit there and watch." Ha! It was so sweet. And then she said, "I can't believe they had ponies to ride!" My heart was just so happy seeing her recount how much fun she had. She was so wiped at bedtime. When she was all tucked in she asked, "mama, can we go back there again?" 

Summertime fun is some of my favorite, and I'm sure you've come to know by now that I love making memories and creating traditions. I think it's safe to say this will be a new one for us! In the meantime, I'm going to have to get creative. This morning she asked if we could have our own parade and party at the park! I can hardly wait!

Hope your holiday was fabulous, too! xo