The morning of the 4th started with the parade through downtown Clear Lake. It was super hot, and we got there about an hour early to get a spot so we were basically melting by the time it got started! All the shady spots were already taken!
Andrew had fun with his flag while we waited. But he also got tired, I think because he was so hot.
Luckily he got a little love from daddy and rested while we waited.
I didn't get too many pictures of the actual parade, but I had to snap this one quick! Andrew went crazy over the Lightning McQueen! The car was decorated to look like McQueen, it was pretty cool!
The funny thing about the parade this year was, Andrew finally figured out how to run out and get the candy!
In past years, he would just sit there and maybe pick up one piece, but then he'd open it and try to eat it, rather than getting any more. He didn't quite get it! But this year, I explained that he could get more if he put it in his bag and ran out with the other kids, and he did!
He would come back with fistfuls of it! He sure held his own, I didn't have to help him at all! He also figured if he just stood there, looked cute and waved at the people with the candy, they'd throw a big pile of it right at him! Ha! It was so funny.
Since we were so hot, after the parade we decided to make it a day on the lake! It is always cooler on the water!
We parked the boat at the beach so Andrew could walk onto shore. He loved playing in the sand and throwing rocks into the water.
He had the best time figuring out that his life jacket would hold him up. He wants to swim independently so badly, and he loved that he could go out where he couldn't touch bottom and still kick his legs and swim!
He was way over his head here, but look how excited he was! We were all clapping and cheering him on!
He got so tired after our day of boating and swimming, that he crashed on the boat ride back! Napping on the boat is just the best!
And it's a good thing he napped, because we had to stay up late for this amazing fireworks display!
Clear Lake has the best fireworks ever- the pictures just don't do it justice. But it was about 35 minutes of entertainment, with no breaks in between! They just kept going and going! Usually there is a big space between shooting them off, but not here! And the best part... how they reflect on the water. It is so fun to watch all the boats out on the water, too. Some years we take our boat out, but it is so busy and sometimes stressful, so we decided to stick to the shore this year. And we completed the evening with delicious homemade ice cream afterwards! Mmmm!
Just another wonderful weekend at the lake!
