Faith's Fun-Filled 4th of July

Faith and I had the best 4th of July ever! We started the day bright and early to go to the parade in Mandan. We haven't been there for many years, so I was surprised that she wanted to go. I think maybe it was because she heard everyone at her day program talking about it and making their own plans. 

Faith's grandpa went along with us, as well as her auntie Dawn (my youngest sister). Thanks to Dawn's connections with people who live in Mandan, we were able to park the van at her friend's house and then he drove us down to Main Street. Then, thanks to another friend of hers, we were able to enjoy the parade underneath a canopy right in the front row. I could not be more grateful to her friends for making it such so convenient for us!

One reason I was glad not to go to the parade in the past, was all the planning, parking, and walking it takes, not to mention sitting in the sun for almost 3 hours! Someone might wonder why it takes all that just to go to a parade. 

Mandan has been hosting this parade for 144 years and between 20,000 and 25,000 people come to it. Because of the crowds, parking is a major issue and gets a little trickier for accessible vehicles because you can't just put the ramp down anywhere! But thankfully, Dawn had it all planned out and everything went very smoothly. In the end, Faith had a great time, and of course she and Grandpa made friends with those sitting around us. 

After waiting for over an hour, the parade finally gets to us on Main Street! 

One of my favorite parts was seeing all the horses!

It was a fun time with Grandpa and Auntie Dawn! 

After getting home, Faith needed a feeding and a bit of rest before going to our next event, a barbecue at Grandma and Grandpa's. There were hot dogs, burgers, chips, pasta salads, and of course plenty of desserts! My niece and her family were there as well and had fun lighting off little fireworks. Not even the rain could deter them. 

Enjoying the cooler weather on the front porch at Grandma and Grandpa's. 

Weatherwise, it was an unusual 4th of July because it was so cool outside. I was thankful for this, as a couple of years ago it was 107 degrees in July. However, it was actually a little too cool, especially for sitting outside on the Capital grounds to watch a concert and fireworks. 

At our previous apartment, I would wheel Faith out to the sidewalk where we could watch the fireworks from a distance. However, in our new place, it wasn't really possible to do that. So, I asked if she wanted to just go to the Capital instead. Not only was there a fireworks display, but there was also a free concert put on by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra (BMSO). This was the main reason Faith was so excited to go, because one of our friends from church played in the symphony. 

After going back home for her final feeding of the day, we got ready to go to the fireworks event. I opened the closet and debated what to bring along. I grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and fuzzy blankets. I would soon find out I wished I had grabbed our winter gear instead! Not only was it barely 60 degrees, but the wind was blowing a bit, too. Plus, the clouds were hiding the sun. But at least there were no mosquitoes! 

My sister came along with us again and we were glad to find an accessible parking spot fairly quickly. After running into some old friends of ours and finding a place to park Faith's chair and our lawn chairs, we hunkered down to enjoy the concert. Everyone around us was bundled up (except for some of the kids, who the cold didn't seem to bother at all!) Faith didn't seem bothered by it either, but she did have the warmest fuzzy blanket! 

Getting ready for the concert to start! 

The Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra gets ready to perform.

The sun peaked out for just a little bit!

Despite being chilly, it was a really nice event. The symphony was fantastic and together with a few singers, performed some really cool music, such as Purple Rain and Let's Go Crazy by Prince, a few songs by the Eagles, and Islands in the Stream. There were also a few songs that celebrated North Dakota and many patriotic numbers as well. 

The symphony also played a United States Armed Forces medley and had members of the audience stand when they heard their official service song. I thought that was really neat!  When the military members stood during their song, the rest of the audience applauded them. A few of my favorite songs the symphony played were Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless the USA. 

Finally, it got dark (which doesn't happen until about 10:15 in North Dakota during the summer) and they were able to do the fireworks display. It really was a wonderful event, and I look forward to going again next year. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer, though! 

Faith was so happy to see the fireworks! 

All in all, it was a wonderful day to celebrate our country's birthday and remember how blessed we are to enjoy the freedoms that we have!