Our Fabulous 4th!

So, Jenny signed us up for the 4th of July 5K here in Las Vegas-- we didn't take any pictures during the race, but we did get this one of the four of us just before the race started. We did pretty well as a family-- Jenny said that she was just out having fun and didn't push herself too hard. She finished the race in 28:52 and came back to find me with the boys-- I finished in 37:50 with lots of people cheering me on. I guess that since I was the ONLY person out of 400 or so to push a stroller in the race, coupled with the fact that I was a favorite to die of a heart attack somewhere along the route people got really stoked when I actually finished. Either that or the cheering throngs were just the race organizers celebrating the fact that they can still advertise the Las Vegas Running Team as "fatality-free!"
Actually, I had a great time-- I would like to be in better shape than I am, and I think that it would not take very much to build up my endurance to the point where I could run the whole 3 miles (I ran just over half) and that would improve my time markedly. As it is, my time was good enough that, had I been entered in them, I could have taken 2nd in a couple of the categories. (editor's note: those categories would be 69-74 year-old women and 8-10 year-old boys.)

We hung around for the raffles and stuff after the race (and, strangely, for the barbecue... at 8:00 in the morning) and then headed about five miles southwest to a parade in Summerlin. We arrived just as the first float was starting off and managed to park just down the street from the staging area-- our seats weren't exactly premium, but we did have a good view of all of the floats and balloons. Several of the other families around us seemed to recognize the octopus as a character of some sort... I have no idea. Ian got a kick out of watching the handlers try to keep the balloons away from the traffic lights.

I have never been to a parade before with an entire platoon of Storm Troopers, led by Darth Vader himself. It was funny to see how into it people got-- there was a (very pudgy) Luke Skywalker, Jango Fett, Boba Fett, Chewbacca, the aforementioned Storm Troopers, a couple of Imperial Officers and the official troop transport of "Vader's Fist, the 501st Troop Legion" (the painted up Suburban you see there in the back). If you look at the blowup of that picture, you can see that it has stuff like "caution, nearsighted and oblivious stormtroopers on board" emblazoned all over it. These guys were obviously having too much fun.

I thought that this one was a pretty original entry-- I have never seen Curious George in a parade except for the big balloon. Ian knew who he was looking at right away.

Jenny was worried at first that we had spent too much money on the new stroller; I was a little worried about the size, but when you 'e got two cute monkeys to cart around, there's not much you can do about that. We love how solid and smooth our stroller is and the boys really like it. They seem comfortable when we run and they were perfectly happy to sit in it and watch the parade together. We got a lot of compliments on the stroller and on the quality of our brood. I'm sure that all the grandparents will join us in saying that we are pretty sure that they have above-average genetic material. :-P
The new stroller is so comfy that Mommy decided to give it a try. She is so skinny that weight is not a problem, but the seats are designed for two-year-old bottoms!
Some guy had converted an old truck to look like Mater. It was a worthy effort, and Ian knew who he was, but I'd say that he has quite a ways to go before he catches up with Eddie Paul.
After the parade we went home and had some much-needed showers. (We don't perspire, we sweat). Some of us took naps, and one of us conked out for like five hours. I won't name names, but I am looking in Jenny's direction (to see if she is pointing at me). We decided to head out to Henderson to see what was going on at their carnival shindig and watch the fireworks. We got there late enough that all of the little rides and activities were going to close down within about an hour, so we told Ian that he could either get a ride wristband ($10) or this little sword that he wanted ($6). He took the sword and was remarkably restrained in the magnitude of low-level terrorism which ensued.

Mom offered to hold his sword... we decided to let him keep it for a while after getting a (ahem) stern talking-to. (Jenny asked him for this pose.)
This is pretty much just a cute picture of Cooper for the purpose of posting a cute picture of Cooper. I was worried for a while that I would not be as attached to him as I am to Ian because I got to spend so much more time with Ian as an infant. This worry has pretty much gone by the wayside as he has become such a kick to have around. It is fun to see what a wonderful, playful, thoughtful personality he has and it is even more fun to see his little sense of humor developing. (He has picked up on peek-a-boo and loves to hide behind Mommy and then pop out and make Daddy laugh!)
Shiny things and a water bottle that crackles. Heaven!
It was fun to watch Ian with his sword and the glow-necklaces that we got from some parochial school's booth. We sat on the lawn on the south side of the Henderson City Hall and watched the fireworks that they shot off from the roof of the building. Right about the time that they started shooting off the fireworks, the wind shifted toward us and we got hailed on with stray pieces of the artillery shells-- there was not a square foot of ground within 150 feet of us without some piece of smoldering cardboard on it. We watched the last half of the fireworks from under cover of a local tree.

The fireworks were an impressive display, especially for a relatively small city; they ran for between 16 and 17 minutes nonstop, and there were never fewer than 6 shells in the air at any one time, and sometimes upwards of (my estimate) 60 or 70 in quick succession. Ian was a little freaked out when they started, but as long as he was on my lap or in my arms, he was having a great time.

I was really glad to watch Ian play with the other kids around where we were seated for the fireworks; he seems to be doing much better than I ever did at integrating with other kids and playing as part of a group. I worry a lot as I watch him because I want him to understand much better-- and much earlier-- than I did what it means to be able to join in with others without feeling so self conscious. It has taken me a long time to be able to assume that other people want me there with them and I hope that he is less suspicious of the motives of other kids than I was. He is a good kid and we are lucky to have him and Cooper!

Happy Independence Day to all of you. We are so grateful for the blessings of living in a country founded on principles which allow us to pursue our vocations and dreams; to be able to live our faith and give our children hope that their futures will be limited only by their tenacity and persistence. We pray that those who seek leadership roles in this country will be mindful of their duty to put the needs of the nation before their personal gain and aware of the responsibilities that they assume toward their nation, their countrymen and their God. God Bless America!