4th of July

Bend has a great 4th of July tradition of the Pet Parade. Anyone can participate with any animal (except cats and rabbits that provoke the hunting dogs!). We learned last year that the parade has been happening since the 1930s. For our family, the parade has been happening since 2007, when we were one day away from meeting baby Owen.

Our dog doesn't make the cut, so Grandma and Grandpa joined us as spectators. This year, the weather was again hot, hot hot, so the parade (of 1000+ dogs, a handful of horses, and a slew of stuffed animals) moved really quickly and we were off the pavement and on to the family festival in the park.

We met up with Nana and Papa to lounge in the grass and watch the silly games - sack races, three-legged race, balloon toss, etc. Bend may not be little anymore, but the community really embraces stuff like this that celebrates our small town heritage. I love it! Happy Birthday USA!

We also had a BBQ with all the grandparents and stood at the edge of our cul-de-sac to watch the fireworks off the Butte. It was a great holiday weekend.