Around here the 4th of July usually becomes a big weekend event, with fairs and activities lasting for several days, fireworks displays on multiple nights. Sunday is skipped and lots happens Saturday and Monday, this year Independence Day falling on a Monday.
This year on Saturday the 2nd, Jeremy and I got up in the wee hours of the morning to look for common poorwills which we heard again but didn't see. 
We were so tired after that, especially Jeremy who drove the kids past Balloon Glow the night before (unfortunately it was just flames because there was too much wind to inflate the balloons) because I couldn't stay awake then he spent most of the rest of the night building a balloon sculpture for a balloon delivery in the morning. I drove him to that because I got more sleep than he did. I was tired later, though. I went back and forth that whole Saturday sleeping and reading Jeremy's novel with just a little bit of fireworks watching that night. So tired.
Monday the 4th we certainly celebrated. Everyone in the family participated in celebrations one way or another that day. Some of us went to all the activities we did, some went to just some. So here's what we did:
We drove by Balloon Fest (again because of the weather/wind, the hot air balloons couldn't lift off the ground and they just had a few inflated).
We explored the Pioneer Village in Provo by North Park. I have driven by that place so many times but have never actually gone so after driving by the hot air balloons, I checked their 4th of July hours and we fit it in our schedule. 
There was a scavenger hunt the kids were able to do there and learn a bit about pioneer history. I learned things, too. I never realized that the Mormon crickets that destroyed so many of the pioneers' crops weren't actually crickets but a type of hard shelled katydid. And those things were huge. Fortunately a miracle happened and gulls came down and ate the "crickets" and saved the crops. And that's why the California gull is the state bird of Utah. I did know that part.
We were also able to play- games, music (on a hammer dulcimer), and "chores." Jet was so happy to play in the water, he kept running back there after we had moved on.
I shared a little family history with my children (besides coming from pioneer heritage and sharing one of the pioneer stories they'd already heard. This was my personal history). My grandpa did woodworking and he built stilts for us like these when we were younger. I remember walking around on them a lot. Good memories.
Later that day some of us walked to Scera Park where they had the Colonial Heritage Festival. We weren't able to stay long but we were able to learn a few things and the kids got to do some weaving.
We walked home again and some of us immediately hopped in the van again to go to the Scera Theatre to watch "Cries of Freedom," a musical put on for the Freedom Festival about different people throughout history who fought for freedom in different ways. It was nice to support some friends who worked with and were in the show and it was really neat.
We ended the night with sparklers and watching fireworks.
It was a long day but worth it.
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