4th of July Weekend Part IV Fireworks

So after our afternoon in Galena. We headed home to have Our Own Firework Show. There were alot of people doing the Illegal Fireworks. Wisconsin is like the Wyoming of Utah! And since we are only 5-10 minutes... Im sure the police had there hands full tonight.

We actually didn't have to buy any new fireworks this year. We still have lots of leftovers from last year in Utah. :)


Dad lighting the getting ready...

Savannah wasn't feeling so good. So Brenton went into the house, & came outside with his Cars Camping Chair for his sister to sit on. I am always so taken back by how thoughtful and sweet Brenton is.


The Kids LOVED the Fireworks.
They were so memorized...

We also had fun with Sparklers...

Here is a Recap of Our past 2 days...



We Hope Everyone had a Great 4th of July!!!

4th of July Weekend
Part III

Historic Galena

We all loaded up in the car...

This time we went over the IL Bridge aka Mississippi River...

We decided to spend Our Afternoon in Historic Galena, IL. (15 Min drive) It is a Quaint, Picturesque town in the middle of no where. Home to President Grant. And also Voted the Top 10 Most Charming Small Towns in 2011!!!! Think New England meets Midwest! Antique Shops, Stores, Ice Cream Parlors, & 4-5 Star Restaurants! Alan calls it a "Tiffy Town" aka everything is so stinkin' cute it could be in a postcard!! :)

We window shopped for a few hours.
And stopped to get a Ice Cream to cool off... Yes Savannah made me feed her Ice Cream to her, so she wouldn't get Dirty!
What can I say.. they take after there Mother!! ;)


On the West Coast you may see Pioneers.
And on the East Coast you may see Revolutionary Soldiers.
However in the Midwest you see Civil War Soldiers!
I just love Rich Texture Backdrop!! :)

Time to get home for Our Own Firework Show...

4th of July Weekend
Part II

The Morning of the 4th we enjoyed Our Backyard...

Savannah wanted Pigtail Braids with Red Ribbons.
Here is a Somber Savannah... which is not a common Site..
Brenton was Running around NON-Stop pretending to be a Car!! (A very common thing for him to pretend) This is the only photo I got of him!!

Brenton begged to have My Photo taken as well...(Thanks Brent!)

Getting Ready to Go...

4th of July Weekend

Part I

Dubuque Air & Fireworks Show


If you ever want to experience a Midwest 4th of July...
Head over to Dubuque, Iowa!!!

WOW!!!

I think this was the BEST 4th of July Weekend, I have EVER had!!!! Which says alot. I have done the BOSTON scene before.. which up to this point, I thought was a pretty amazing 4th. But this hands down beats it out!!

So what makes it so AMAZING??! It is a different kind of Patriotic. Life is SLOW here. People really value there Family time. There is so much Respect and Gratitude toward the people serving Our Country. People are out Celebrating, & Enjoying every moment. Iowa is & has by far the NICEST people you will ever meet!!

Okay back to Day 1...

We enjoyed a nice Big Brunch as a Family. Around Noon we hurried & got ready for the rest of the day, as well as preparing a Picnic for Dinner. At 2:45 we headed out to find the Perfect Spot for the Annual Dubuque Airshow & Fireworks.

At first we quickly parked across from one of the Casinos, at a Park. Turned On & Turned Up, Our Radio! The show is broadcasted with Patriotic Music and commentary about the planes that fly overhead. We got out & sat on the hood of our Jeep. We watched the first B2 Stelph Bomber blast through. He went up and down the Mississippi for a few runs & then was headed to Mt. Rushmore for their 4th of July Celebrations!

Next we got to watch Parachuter's jump out of a Military Plane. It was so fun to watch them! Especially with the Red Smoke for dramatic affect!
We decided to head over to one of our Favorite Spots. We went over the Wisconsin Bridge, aka over the Mississippi River to the banks on the other side. This is where we set up for the Evening. Can you blame us for wanting to watch with views & a backdrop like this?!
We put out our Picnic Blanket, & just looked up at the sky with hundreds of others on that bank.
Naturally in between the planes, we took some more pictures of the kids....
Skipped Rocks on the Mississippi River....
We waved to the Local Fire Department driving by....
And then watched some more...

After a few hours we had Our Picnic Dinner. Which consisted of Hot Dogs on Buns, Deviled Eggs, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fresh Strawberry's, Fruit Snacks, Italian Ice for Mom & Dad, & Ice Cream for the kids.
The Sun began to set on the Mississippi, creating the most stunning views. I remember once again why this is one of our favorite spots. If you cant have the Ocean close by this with def do!!
The Kids wanted to have their turn at taking some Photos too!! Here is Brenton's Photography....
And Savannah's...

We got out Our Glowsticks as the sun went down...
The Final Sunset was Breathtaking!!! I think we have fallen head over heels in LOVE, with the Mississippi River!!

Sadly my camera died right before the Fireworks began... :( Overall it was a AMAZING day!!! We will post a Video of Our 2 Days on the next post... ;)