Happy 4th of July...

"It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism."
~J. Horace McFarland

Be prepared for the mother lode of pictures!!! I went a little crazy with the camera, but I just couldn't pass up some awesome photo ops!! It all started with Dakota's ensemble. Oh yes, she was little Miss America. I found the cutest patriotic dress at Kohls, some red, white and blue sandals at Old Navy, and all the 4th of July accessories at Target. So, she was definitely dressed for the occasion.

We headed into town around 10am to find a spot along the parade route. Here we are waiting for the parade to start...

We also wanted to get there a little early to watch the F16 flyover. Apparently, it was the first time they have ever done that for the 4th of July in Troy, MT. Dakota was definitely an eager little beaver. She kept pacing the sidewalk waiting for "something" to happen.

We finally got her to sit down long enough to take a quick picture with the three of us.

Sittin' with mama...

She was definitely ready for the parade to start at this point...

Finally, the parade got underway. It started with the emergency vehicles passing by with their lights and sirens blaring. You can get a good look at the red, white and blue hairbands in the next picture. I got the idea to do that to her hair from Natalie's mama, Jamie. Thanks for the idea J!! =D

Waving at the firetrucks...

I think Dakota got the biggest kick out of the candy they kept throwing at her feet. It didn't take her more than a minute or so to figure out the snatch-n-run technique. By the end of the parade, we had a paper bag full of candies. Thank you Dakota!!! hehe.

A few more super cute pictures of the candy frenzy...

The next best thing to the candy, were the necklaces that the red hat ladies threw out to us. Dakota's outfit was now complete!!! HAHA...

After the parade we headed on over to the park, which is where all the post-parade 4th of July festivities take place. There were old classic cars on display, music playing, craft booths, face painting, bounce houses, and TONS of food booths. There was also a water fountain area for the little kids to play in. Good thing I brought Dakota's bathing suit just in case. But boy was that water cold. I put my feet in there and I swear my toes instantly went numb. Dakota never seemed to mind....

Eventually it was time for lunch. I got a delicious pulled-pork sandwich and Dakota gotta beef & veggie kabob. We also loaded up on a kettle korn and a donut. We're so bad!!

Mmmmm, Kettle Korn....

Dakota was so sweet to share with mama and Grandpa...

Before we left, we had to make our way down to the Kootenai river, since Dakota had her little eyes on it all afternoon. Well, she wasn't too fond of the extremely cold water and absolutely HATED the mud, so it was a short visit. LOL. Oh well...