The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays...and it would not be Independence Day without a Parade! I love parades (I always have), and for 7 years Chris has suffered through them (he's not really 'in' to parades...let's be honest...he doesn't like them at all) but this year he went above and beyond...he slept outside with my dad to save our 'parade spot'!
By 5pm friday there was not a spot of grass available on University Ave...for a parade that started in 16 hours! Luckily, my uncle owns the old BYU women's gym (to the left, behind Dean--where he has the
greatest boutique), he taped off a little section for us Friday afternoon and had someone sit out there until 11pm when Chris and my dad took over! I felt REALLY guilty for asking Chris to do this when it started POURING RAIN at 1:30am!
It was worth it! We had front row seats! I owe Chris BIG time...I'm going to have to let him ride his bike as much as he wants this month! This is the best picture I got of Nat & Tyler (see below--profile... and above--leg & arm), but we are so happy they came...It would not be the same without them!
Bobpa, Dean and Nana enjoying the shade.
Dean Christopher, Christopher Dean and Dean...three generations! We were so lucky that Amanda came to EFY this week and Dean came as her escort, we don't get to spend enough holidays with them...we sure missed Grandma Inger!
Brielle and her favorite little Aunt Amanda!
We saw Brielle's "best friend" Ella at the parade and invited her family to sit with us. The funniest thing about her "best friend" is that she moved to SLC a year and a half ago and they still call each other their best friend!
We spent the rest of the day running around like crazy! We had a big BBQ at my parents house, then ran to SLC to a reunion with Chris' extended family...we finished ioff the day watching the Stadium of Fire fireworks! I didn't take any pictures at my parents house but I do have this one from the Rueckert reunion.
We had more visitors in July...this time it was one of Chris' best friends. Chris & Phil are friends from their LDS mission to the Canary Islands--when Chris came home he spent most of his time with Phil and Meiken. He was a 3rd wheel during their dating, engagement & early marriage! They all 3 cried when Phil & Meiken left for Law School! I thought Chris was obsessed with them when we first met...he even had their engagement picture framed in his apartment! I met them at our wedding, yet I felt like I'd known them forever...because Chris talked about them so much! We've seen them a handful of times over the last 7 years, but we both got pregnant at the same, so Meiken and I became 'email buddies'...emailing atleast once a day about the gripes of pregnancy & husbands! It had been too long since we'd seen them--we've missed them! We had such a GREAT TIME and we think they should forget about California and move to Utah, so we can play the marble game & rook every night!
Margaux, Brielle, Dean & Beatrix
The kids had a great time! Brielle and Margaux were born a couple of weeks apart...however they both inherited their fathers' size! Brielle cried when they left and has been asking for weeks when we can go visit Margaux.
We even got to celebrate Grandpa Dean's birthday with him!
Dinner with Dean's Sister (left) & her husband and his brother (right) and his wife. 
We may not have gotten a lot of time with Aunt Amanda...but Brielle made good use of the time they did have! (*notice Amanda is wearing a crown, Tinkerbell skirt & holding a wand!)
Nat & Brielle on the Balboa Island Pier. We took a little ferry boat over to the Island and my kids thought it was the best thing ever! 
Tyler & Brielle walked all the way to the end...they were so 'deep in conversation' they did not realize they'd lost us!
I really like this dance group because it is more 'song & dance' which gives it more of a 'broadway musical' feel...it is SO adorable to watch Brielle dance while singing these songs...here she is ready for 'Jig Jag' from Thoroughly Modern Milly (I thought of you every time Sara!)
'Mr Piano Man, Please' (ragtime song, sung by Disney Mouseketeer Annette Funicello--whom I love)
'Munchkin Land' from 'Wizard of Oz'
'Shirley Temple's trademark song 'On the Good Ship Lollipop'
Unfortunately I did not get pictures of her in all her costumes...'76 Trombones' from 'Music Man' - 'Hello Dolly' - 'Thank Heavens for Little Girls' - 'It's Time to Raise the Curtain'...but they were all adorable! If you need to know the lyrics to ANY of these 8 songs...feel free to ask us...we all know them by heart...Chris can even show you most of the dance moves!
Dean did not get to come...but he wanted to be in the pictures that we took before we left. Can you believe how long Brielle's eyelashes are with mascara on them?! They are amazing! She was so funny, she kept saying...'Whoa, I look scary with all this makeup on!'
