A new summer tradition...

Every year the kids and I (and sometimes Mario and my parents) will go to a few local carnivals and parades. It usually includes American Fork, Highland and Pleasant Grove (for the pure, unadulterated pleasure of PG's amazing strawberries and cream...Mmmmmm). I'll admit to being a band geek in high school (hey, I was actually really talented) and to top it all off, I was in the marching band at AFHS for two years. So, I have a thing for going to parades, even though back in the day I was sure parades would be the death of me. My kids love to go to the parades and carnivals, too. They are scary little daredevils, to tell the truth, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they want to ride the "scary" rides I loved growing up. So I decided to create a new tradition to fully enjoy our summer and get involved in the communities that surround us. The plan is to take them to each of the local city celebrations this summer, even if it's just a day at the carnival, a movie in the park, or a parade. I'm keeping it pretty close to home, and we'll try to go to the State and County Fairs this year, too. Watch for blog posts...I'm writing about our first adventure to Eagle Mountain Pony Express Days later today.