Canada Day 2013

The Connolley's wore their red and white and headed down to the annual Canada Day parade in Airdrie.  We set out early to get a curb side spot (this is very important to me!) on foot, as parking can be a huge nightmare.  Turns out Canada Day was going to be a scorcher this year and we were a sweaty mess... a happy sweaty mess but still very sweaty!
It has also become sort of a tradition to spend this wonderful day celebrating with our dear friends the Gordays.  What's better than kids, BBQs, friends and fun... nothing!  

Our favorite parade spot is just down the curb from the Farrell family's favourite parade spot.  Sam with two of his buddies!

Spencer climbing up Shaun to get a better view of the street.  Happy first Canada Day Spencey! 

A couple of our favourite Canadians!

Beautiful boy, happy momma!

There was tons of fun to see at the parade.  It's actually a really great one with bands (though my fav local teenage band wasn't in it this year... WTH!) and horses and rodeo princesses and dogs and candy and tractors... allllll the good stuff.  Oh, and don't forget the shiners!  They had crazy little airplanes this year.  Sam waved and said Happy Canada Day to every single float/group that passed!

This puppy looped back around and snagged Sam and Logan from the crowd of kids for a hug.  He knows some cool kids when he sees them!

Our walk home took MUCH longer than we expected and our little man couldn't hold out.   Hot day and too much fun is definitely tiring!  It was ok to have a nap today since we had a fabulous play with the Gordays including some sprinkler under the trampoline fun.

Look at these two faces... am I the luckiest girl in the world or what!!!  We are patiently waiting for the fireworks to start.  Sam had a bunch of hilarious one liners while we waited... "I see some birds.  Maybe the fireworks will shoot out of their mouths."  "Look an airplane.  I think it's going to Banff."  He also had a couple glow in the dark bracelets that he was using to tell time.  Firework time that is.  Seems silly, but it was brilliant.

Beautiful.  Such a great show.  One of my very favourite things about Canada Day.

Just watching and loving it.  He told us it was "awesome".

Though I want to see many other places in this huge world of ours, I'm so glad that I call Canada home.  I feel blessed to live in a country of freedom and opportunity and that my child will never have to fight to attend school or struggle to get medical care.  A land of beautiful landscapes, sunshine and snow, Tim Hortons, peace and dreams.  Our true north strong and free...

Canada Day Parade

A little family tradition is to take in the Airdrie Rodeo parade that happens on Canada Day.  It's so nice to see Sam understanding it more and more each year.  He is also much more aware of the free candy and that his waving affects how much candy he will receive.  

I realize this photo is over edited, but it was such a cool moment on our walk to the parade.  Sam was busy pointing out fountains and butterflies and bridges.  We were almost to our spot when we saw this beautiful rainbow in the sky.  It hadn't rained this morning, so it was a little random and absolutely necessary to get a family photo with.  The original shot doesn't show the rainbow very well so I adjusted colours until it was easier to see.

Our favorite spot to watch the parade is also right beside the Farrell's favorite spot.  This year was no different.  Sam's good friends Payton and Avery joined us curb side to take in the action.

This year we were extra lucky because Auntie Lindsay and Logan came to sit with us.  Lindsay plopped Logan down beside Sam on the curb and the next thing we knew, he was giving her a little snuggle.  This went on for sort of a long time (maybe a couple minutes).  SOOOOO cute!  They definitely love love love each other.

And Logan then decide to return the love and cuddle Sammy back.  This took no prompting or pleading, this was 100% them.  I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes!

It was a great parade... lots of tractors, horses, cowboys, floats, RCMP and so much more.

It is quite a long parade, especially for two particularly cute kiddos who scored big on the candy.  Soon enough their attention was averted from the parade to the mound a treats on their blanket.  This is a little mini meeting about which candy belongs to who.  Soooo cute!

We also had a BBQ and a long play with our friends.  As we were getting ready to go to the fireworks a CRAZY rain storm hit.  It was like something out of a movie!  We thought for sure the fireworks would be canceled so we let our overtired boy head up to bed.  Just as Shaun was coming back down from saying good night, we heard the popping of fireworks in the distance.  DANG!  I guess we'll just have to find some different ones to see this summer.
Happy birthday Canada... I'm soooo grateful for the country I live in and all that it gives me and my family.