Our 4th of July in the City

We started our 4th of July celebrations  early over the weekend by spending some time at the lake. Tony had four days off from work and the first two days we were too tired to go out and party. I took advantage of that and made some delicious Brazilian snacks and I am considering myself now a master chef on Empadas and Esfihas.

Monday was an amazing day, we were too late to go to the lake and decided to take Marie to the carnival where I was able to fulfill a childhood dream along with my daughter. Hard to believe I had never ridden on a carousel before but, it’s true and it was everything I thought it would be. Of course, it was a little hard to hold Marie up on the horse but, we did good.

We took a moment to enjoy the park right beside the Carnival event and Marie simply love it.  Daddy and baby had an amazing time together, which filled my heart with happiness.

Tuesday, I made the decision to take Marie to see the parade and believe or not it was my first time going there, as well. July in Utah is always boiling hot and I’ve been told by my husband that I’d hate going to a parade under the sun. Seven years has passed since I first came to U.S. and only this year I had the courage to try it out. Surprisingly, it was great! We had a blast finding the perfect spot and we could watch the parade covered by the refreshing shadow of a shade tree.

One of the most magical moments of that was when I had the opportunity to pet a horse and of course I had to let my baby do the same. Marie was hesitant, considering she’d never seen a horse and is accustomed to two small dogs and cats. I am from an animal lover family, which we pride ourselves on caring for animals in need. I hope I can convey the same passion and respect we have to my daughter.

After seeing the marching bands, fireman’s trucks, etc. we headed off to the lake at the Deer Creek Valley, where the Aqua Island Park is located. There are so many things I don’t know how to do and swimming is one of them. The Aqua island Park seemed so inviting, even the price. But, I decided to stay at the shore, while enjoying my picnic with my family. I brought my sister along and we all had a great time under our giant sunshade, eating the snacks I made.

The Deer Creek Island Resort has a good infrastructure with bathrooms, restaurant and parking lot, with an entrance fee of $15 per car. Across the street you can risk parking your car for free but if you are carrying lots of stuff for your barbecue party, you’re better off parking within the paid parking lot, as the free spots are a bit of a walk, and you have to cross the highway, which is dangerous.

It was seriously the greatest to spend some time with my family there and I am tempted to organize another picnic at the lake before the summer is gone. The water was cold, but I guess I am expected to say that. As a Brazilian everything below 70ºF is cold. However, I was “encouraged” or challenged by my husband to get into the water and I left that to the end of the event. Yes, it was freezing cold but, it was also refreshing and I loved it. I should have tried it sooner.