4th of July-Spokane

So, we decided to go to Spokane again this year for the 4th. We invited our friends, the Hill's, to go with us this year. We had a lot of fun! We all just wished we had 500 more dollars so we could stay in our hotel for a couple of more nights and hung out more in Spokane...ooh well!

We woke up bright and early on Saturday and went out to breakfast at Denny's. It is Alisha Hill's family tradition to go out to breakfast on the 4th and they invited us to participate in that tradition this year. Alisha's parents were planning on visiting every one of their children this summer and the weekend of the 4th was the only weekend they could come see Alisha's family..so they got to come have fun with us as well.

Here are the kids in their 4th of July outfits, all ready to go!



After breakfast, we all headed to Spokane. If we got to Riverfront Park before noon then the tickets were half off.

We got to stay in a 4 Star hotel for really cheap. We went onto priceline and they actually accepted our price for 2 rooms. We stayed at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park. It was perfect! It was the closest hotel to the park and the fireworks that night were being launched off in back of our hotel. It was only a 5 minute walk to the park so we were able to go back and forth throughout the day to rest. It was a very HOT day!

Isn't our hotel huge!




And gorgeous! This was the entryway and the lobby!



When we got to Spokane, we immediately walked to the park so we could have as much time their as possible. We started out by going on the rides...the kids loved it! I was really proud of Emma this year..she went on 3 of the rides! That is a huge improvement!

Joey and Mike and Big Emma (Emma Hill) and her grandma went on the spider while Emma, Me, Alisha, and Jaxson went on the strawberries. Emma was so cute. She really liked this ride..she kept on saying afterwards that she rode on Strawberry Shortcake.

I guess Joey didn't do so well on the spider this year. They went around twice and both Joey and Big Emma were done so the lady was nice enough to let them get off.




Then, of course, I had to go on the scrambler :) It is my all time favorite ride! Joey loves this ride as well so we went on it together along with Alisha and Big Emma.



This year they had a cute train you could ride on and boy was I relieved. Ever since we got home from Utah, Joey has been asking if we could go on another train. I promised him we could go on the tour train in Spokane but wouldn't you know it was closed on the 4th. I was so bummed when I found that out but once Joey saw this train and that he got to go in a tunnel he was fine!




Emma also went on the airplanes! She didn't even have to be with Joey...this was a great day for her!

Jaxson and Emma



Joey and Big Emma



Can't you tell how much fun Emma is having!



After the rides, we decided to walk around the park. They were doing some fun activities for the kids. The Hill's kids had their faces painted (my kids won't allow it..funny :) ) so Joey and Emma made 4th of July bracelets.



Then we of course had to go on the coolest slide ever! The radio flyer!




The slide was a little hot because of the weather so Alisha had to take her kids down :)




I was so excited, the Elephant Ear booth wasn't closed this year! I haven't been able to have one of those since like forever! We don't really have a fair up in Moscow, so I was really excited when I saw they had a booth in Spokane. So while I devoured my yummy treat, Josh, Big Emma, and Jaxson and Mike and Joey went on the farris Wheel.



I really wish I could have gotten a picture of this, but as I was taking the picture above, Emma was sitting on a bench porking out on my elephant ear. I couldn't believe how much she had eaten by the time I got back. She just sat their smiling away :)

After all that, we were pretty beat so we headed back to the hotel. Me and Mike had to go return something at Best Buy and the kids needed to eat.

Then Alisha and her parents were kind enough to watch our kids while Me, Mike, and Josh went to this:



Can I just say WOW! Nothing better than watching robots beat each other up in an Imax! I am surprised I could hear after that movie :)

After we got back from the movie, we swam and ordered pizzas




Can you just tell how much my kids love the water? We are working on this one as well! It didn't help though that the water was freezing. That loses my kids from the start. But they actually did better than I thought. (well Emma anyways) Me and her were in their for at least a 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes before she started freaking out. It was the cutest thing. This little girl came over to try to console Emma. She was asking if it was her first time in the pool. And then she was talking to her about how when she was little she hated the pool too but now she is big and loves it and so will Emma when she gets bigger. I thought that was so sweet..the world needs more little kids like that!

We then got our pizzas and headed over to see the fireworks. (It was only a one minute walk :) )



All of us waiting for the show to start




Now, I know these are weird but I had to put them in. My camera has a firework feature, so I was really excited to take good pictures of the fireworks. Well this is what it came up with...my old camera did better than this!



Now this was just weird..I took a picture of the sky but somehow there is a firework and then a background of our blanket and pizza box.




And a huge explosion for the finale :)



We had a really fun time! Sunday, we all woke up and went to Sacrament Meeting and then came back and took naps until we had to check out. It has been really fun going to the park for the 4th. This was our 2nd year and I think we should make it a tradition.