Fireworks & Fireflies

Once we got more settled into our home, we were able to better enjoy my family's visit. Of course, with it being mostly girls, we did do a lot of shopping! :) But, we also did some sightseeing and made plans for the Fourth of July. Lauren had never seen an actual firework show before and with her being so scared of loud noises, we weren't quite sure how it was going to go. But, we talked it up to her all day and by the time she woke up from her nap, she decided that she was excited to do it...that, and the fact that Ryan promised to bring the earplugs for her.

So, we left the house around 6:00 to have dinner at The Cracker Barrel and afterwards planned to go to Davidson, a small town nearby, for their fireworks show. We didn’t really know where we were going, but it was a beautiful drive and there were the neatest old houses lining the streets of this old-fashioned town. We parked by Davidson College and followed the crowds through downtown to find a spot for the show. On the way, we got to see (Lauren and I for the first time) fireflies. It was so cool! Lauren kept reminding us not to eat them (from the Curious George movie) because they taste bitter. As we kept walking through the campus of Davidson College, we were basically attacked by cockroaches. There was this one part on the brick walkway where there was a ton of them and you could hardly walk without stepping on one. We screamed and ran as fast as we could to get away. Ryan, of course, was laughing at us.

After walking for what seemed like forever, we made it with about 5 minutes to spare before the show started. The place where everyone was setting up their blankets and chairs was actually a cemetery. So, we decided to sit on Jerry & Marie Caldwell…they seemed like a nice couple. :) When the first firework went off, Lauren was not so sure about it. She kept saying she wanted to go home, she wanted the earplugs and she was afraid the fireworks were going to get her. But, soon, she saw other little kids around her enjoying them and she finally warmed up to it. By the end, she was picking out her favorite colors and clapping. We made the long walk back to the car and headed home very late – around 11:00. It was definitely a memorable 4th of July!!