We celebrated Independence Day in Belton, Texas this weekend. We drove down after church on Sunday, and Monday morning we went to the famous Belton 4th of July Parade! People come from all over for the celebrations here. The town only has 15,000 people in it, yet over 30,000 pack it out on the 4th! The parade had a great small hometown feel to it. Very patriotic, and lots of pride. Many of the soldiers and families from Fort Hood were there, which made the day extra special.
Keith and the kids joined us, and they seemed to have a great time. Don "deputized" Joshua and Emily with sheriff's badges before we left. They were cute as he read them the "oath of office." At the parade, they especially liked the "Mater" float (from the movie "Cars,") and the Shriner bikes. Joshua of course loved the horses. Families have participated in the parade for generations - the cutest was the Long family. Dr. Long was the community doctor before he passed away last year. Every year at the parade he pulled his children and grandchildren on little red wagons attached to his tractor. This year, they were all there, and it was neat to see the act in person! Another great float was the "Memories of WWII" float. Some of the High School students reenacted "The First Kiss" at V-J Day. I missed getting a picture of the kiss, but it was really neat. The kids all posed and it really did look like the picture!
After the parade, Kenneth and Patty met us for a great lunch that Judy prepared, and then we enjoyed visiting for the afternoon. About 6pm we went to the community carnival, where the kids (and adults!) enjoyed the rides. Erin was Emily's riding buddy for the day, and Jason revisited his childhood by riding on the Sizzler!
Happy 4th of July!
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