Happy 4th of July!

To start off, I would like to also say Happy Canada Day!  Although there aren't many festivities happening around here on the first of July (and thus not much to blog about), it is always a special day for me.  

That said, we celebrated extra on the 4th of July.  We started off the day by driving out to Round Rock, just to the north of Austin, for the parade.  Before hitting the parade, though, David had a Man vs. Food restaurant to check off the list.  Round Rock is famous for their donuts, including their "Texas-Sized Round Rock Donut", the center of which makes up a regular sized donut.  Of course, we got one, and jump-started our 4th of July with a sugary boost

The famous Texas-Sized Round Rock Donut.  I think Paisley was planning on eating the whole thing!

The parade was lots of fun, even in spite of the heat.  I have to say, however, that parades is one things Utah does bigger than Texas - at least from what we've seen.  With their elaborate floats and lively marching bands, they set a high standard.

Paisley enjoying the parade.

Our favorite part of the parade - a long line of decked out Minis!

 After the parade and a much needed nap for all of us, we went for dinner at Rudy's Barbeque.  Having never been, I was surprised to find that this famous restaurant was at a gas station!  But it only added to the experience.  The line was long, the place was packed, and the food made it more than worth it all!  It was delicious.  I think Paisley ate 1/2lb. of meat all on her own!

 That evening we went to Auditorium Shores, just along the river South of downtown.  There we waited as the place filled with people, to watch the Austin Symphony and the 4th of July fireworks.  We ran into some friends and the time passed quickly.  The symphony was awesome, and the fireworks impressive.

Paisley, trying to figure out what to make of the fireworks.  At first
 she was a little bewildered, then she stairted chiming along with little 'ooh's
and 'wow's, and by the end, every time it got really loud and bright,
she would exclaim "cool!" and  "pretty!"

Stole this from the internet again.  It was a pretty sight.

Our night ended perfectly, except for the 1.5 hour wait to get out of the underground lot we parked in.   After waiting an hour and a half to move 20 feet, we decided to be rebellious and drive out the entrance!  What a rush! Haha. The good news is, Paisley was exhausted enough by the time she got to bed that she slept in the 10:30 the next morning!