WestFest is usually the last weekend in June, which just happens to correspond with my birthday. There have been numerous years that the annual fireworks show happened on my birthday night! I loved this when I was little...I would tell everyone that the fireworks were in honor of my birth!
Each year I look forward to the weekend of activities...and this year was no exception. I was so excited to share this tradition with my darling little girl. I hope that they continue to have the WestFest for many years to come because I would love to celebrate WestFest with Elizabeth. Last year she was only about three months old when she enjoyed her first WestFest. It is hard to believe that she is now almost 15 months, enjoying her second. I loved how this year she could express how she felt when she saw everything that was going on! She would point, clap, wave, and babble. It was so fun!
As part of the activites, they have a parade. We are so lucky because the parade passes right in front of my parent's house. We usually sit in the nice air-conditioned house until we hear the bands and the people clapping, then we head outside to enjoy. This year we decided that we would set up some chairs on the sidewalk so that Elizabeth could get a better look.
Here is Elizabeth with MeMe, Grandma, and Papa.
Elizabeth could not get enough of all of the excitement. She loved the people, the music, and the floats. She just sat there and waved, and babbled, and laughed. It was so cute to see her enjoying something that I have enjoyed for years. I loved the looks of amazement and pure joy that she had on her face. She allowed me to see the parade in a new way.
In the evening...Matt, Elizabeth and I went to walk around at the WestFest carnival. We looked at all of the booths, had some food, and ended the night watching the huge fireworks display. It was great because we met up with my parents, my uncle Bill, Matt's brother's family, and Matt's parents. We sat on blankets in the grass and enjoyed the show from way up close. We were about 50ft away from where the fireworks were being lit. We were so close that burnt pieces of firework shells were falling all around us. My father-in-law says that it is the only way to experience a fireworks show.
