I love small town life.
Going home for Atomic Days makes me remember that.
The boys love the Atomic Days parade! They get tons of loot, but their favorite part is when a small plane flies above Main Street and drops a load of ping pong balls for them to run into the road and grab! Then they can take the balls to the Sheriff's Office to trade for a 50-cent piece! It really is a super cool idea.
That's the thing about small towns it seems like... there are unique ideas and generous people that make them actually happen. There's just enough people to make efforts worthwhile and few enough to make it fun and successful, instead of just madness. There's also tradition that still matters in the mix of it all. Like the Lost River Drive-In that still has car hops, and the baseball tournaments going on and the booths in the park and the numbers painted on Number Hill. So often when we go out to the Lost River valley, my heart just so badly wishes we could be raising our family there ourselves, that there was some way. But at least we are closer now :)
This year my next youngest sister celebrated her 10-year class reunion and got (rather easily, I might add) talked into jumping on her class float as they turned on to Main. This was one of probably four class reunion floats- lots of years back had reunions going on and there were only more people involved as the time passed!
Then after the parade, the boys played with their cousin Quincy in the yard back at Mom and Dad's!
Another highlight of our trip home was taking the boat up to the Mackay Reservoir Friday night. We had a hot dog roast on the beach, then swam and skied both- even I skied! I have only had the chance to do it at Redfish for the last several years, so this bonus run was fun! I don't belong in my Mom or my brother's gear, but otherwise it was great! ;) I will never tire of watching me Dad and brother water ski- they are awesome!
Meanwhile, Stephen got in his element in his float tube up the bank and brought Cooper back this sweet fish. The next morning the two of them went fishing just up the creek from Mom and Dad's and caught four more nice ones- they all tasted amazing! I love real fish like that :)
Headed back just before dark-
good times in these small towns that I'll forever call home :)
