Though he lives overseas, Nyan Thomas was indeed born in the USA, and this was the first year that we were actually in the US on July 4. So of course we had to celebrate.

Nyan got the day started by dressing in red white and blue, and then by turning a paper grocery bag into a knight’s costume. As you do on Independence Day, of course.

The highlight of the day, though, was a trip to downtown Iowa City with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, for an evening of fireworks over the Old Capitol, the classic building at the heart of downtown that was once the capitol building for Iowa but is now part of the university. It was an absolutely lovely and warm summer’s evening, and we managed a good seat even though the crowds were out.

As dusk settled in, the fireworks started. Nyan had never seen fireworks in person before, and when the first (extremely loud) barrage started, he was a little startled and got momentarily upset. But, as you can see by these videos, he pretty quickly settled in and very much enjoyed the show.

Here are some still photos of Nyan and Daddy enjoying the fireworks:

Finally, please enjoy these shots of the fireworks. It was a pretty impressive show, and a great way to end the day.