4th of July in the mountains

This past weekend, we headed up north to my parents' cabin in the mountains. Our friends Scott and Kelly and their daughter Quinci met us up there Thursday, and we had a fun 4th of July weekend. Quinci and Brynn played together so nicely, and Collin had fun trying to keep up with the girls. Here's Brynn taking a turn at Salon Kelly...

Friday morning, we went to a 4th of July parade. I haven't been to a parade in forever, but this one definitely had a small town feel. The "floats" consisted of alot of local politicians (or those hoping to be voted into various local positions), many tractors and horses, and even a few interruptions when the crowd had to move so an ambulance or fire truck could get to an emergency. Brynn and Quinci were hoping to get some of the candy that was being thrown to the crowd, but unfortunately when you are in the back, that doesn't happen. However, Brynn was optimistic that she might get a stray candy from someone with a good throw.
Brynn and Quinci enjoying the parade (note that Brynn has still not given up the idea of getting candy):

Collin had a good time as well:
That evening, we went to the local high school to watch the fireworks. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much, but since we don't usually go see fireworks, I thought it would be fun any way. I was really impressed. There were several types of fireworks I've never seen before, and the show went on for quite awhile. There were even bouncy houses, a concert, and things to do while we waited for the fireworks to start. Here's the gang waiting for the fireworks to start:
Quinci and Brynn got these stretchy hedgehog-looking toys that lit up. They actually kept the kids quite entertained while we waited for the fireworks. I'm sure those around us weren't as thrilled with them, since a couple people got hit with them. Oops!
On Saturday, we went to the aquatic center, and the kids had a blast! Brynn and Quinci were excited that they got to practice more of their new swimming skills. Collin, who is usually terrified of the pool, loved crawling in circles around me in the shallow end. Then, they both took turns going down the waterslide with Dave.
These next pictures were a few snapshots of the girls before we had to go home. They loved being able to run around outside, and they were proud of the little flowers (weeds) they picked.
Despite the long drive back home, the kids kept themselves pretty entertained. One of my favorite things that Collin and Brynn do is hold hands in the car. It is so cute to see Collin or Brynn reach their hand out and have the other one grab onto it. They really are great little friends. It was a nice ending to a fun weekend!