Greatest show on earth!

I have to admit that I have been to far better firework shows. A couple summers spent in Idaho Falls, and even Mesa puts on more impressive shows then the one we got to watch in Taylor Arizona on the fifth of July. But, try and tell my kids that! They were absolutely enthralled. In previous years I have had at least one of my kids crying scared through the entire show, but not this year. Not even Jay!

Nathan, Uncle Andrew, Aubrey, Emily, Grandpa Peterson holding Betsy, and Jay

The 4th of July Celebration in Taylor always falls on the Saturday after the 4th. It happened to be on the 5th this year. It starts out with a BANG..... literally. Early in the morning (5am, I think), there is a flag raising, a band playing and little production called, "the firing of the anvil". This all takes place in the town of Taylor, which is a good two to three miles away from our house, and yet, it wakes me up every year. They take two anvils, put a fuse between them, and light it. Man, its LOUD! And pretty neat too. The group travels through the town and lights these anvils at least 10 times and every time it goes off, I jump, even from my own kitchen!

For the benefit of the crowd who were too lazy to get out of bed at 5 am (like me), the Town of Taylor fires that anvil a few times, later that night at the annual 4th of July Rodeo. What a great time! I truly enjoy watching rodeo. It's in my blood (my Grandpa Higginson was quite the rodeo star and cowboy in his day). The ironic thing is, I had never attended a rodeo, or rode a horse (except for once) until I married into the Peterson family. What a great sport, and a daring one at that! We talk randomly about Aubrey becoming a barrel racer. It takes someone with an adventurous, fearless spirit, like Aubrey's; she gets it from her great-grandpa.

The month of July is filled with lots of activities and productions, and we enjoyed quite a few of them! Not to mention, a trip to Rocky Point, Mexico, and lest we forget, an Alaskan cruise! It was a busy month! Lots more on those later!