I Love A Parade

Everyone but the baby and I were in the local parade this year.  (I know.  That's ridiculous to call our 3-year old "the baby".  Poor kid.  I know he's not a baby!  He keeps telling me, "I'm not a baby, I'm a big boy!"  I know it, but I still say it in the sense that he's MY baby boy, the "baby in the family", ya know what I mean?  My apologies.  I digress.)

Anyway, the 4 older kids and Len took part in the parade.  Owen and I watched from the sidelines with the grandparents.

Quite honestly, I loved having a seat on the sidelines.  I love parades.  I love watching parades, I should say.  I do not enjoy being in a parade.  (Did you ever hear about the time Len had to carry a pygmy goat in a parade?   Yes, I said carry.  Funniest thing!)  But, I totally love when the people I love are in a parade I'm watching!  So this was right down my alley (even literally)!

Len took this picture from his walking-down-the-middle-of-the-street perspective, during the parade.  He even took pictures of people on the sidelines.  Friends.  Family.  This totally cracks me up.  I've never seen someone in the parade taking pictures of people watching the parade! 

Here's an example of one.  HI! You're on candid camera!

 

Anyway, our little group of Scout men made a good parade entry.  Sam is in this picture, behind a couple of other boys, but he's there.  I tried to point him out with my little arrow here...

And here is hubby Len and Logan.  Logan's riding one of the Cub Mobiles his den made this year.  Those things were total 9-&-10-year-old-fun to the max, I tell ya.

Jacob's on the float in this next picture.  Although I don't think you can see that very well either. 

But check out this float!

Here's a better picture.  They've got a rope bridge over a river, a canoe, a tent, a campfire...

... there are even ducks and geese in the river!  I think they did an awesome job.   Oh, and notice my "son" Arthur Cub Scout, on the rope bridge.  He's the "son" that Len crafted.  You know, because 4 boys just isn't enough.  Owen named him while sitting on the couch having a conversation with this new "brother" one evening.  (This place is always good for a hearty laugh!)

I was happy for the guys that worked to make this float happen.  The float scored a Best of Show award.  It always feels good to get a pat on the back, and they deserve it!  We have a group of parents in this Cub Scout Pack that are off-the-charts-awesome.  I love those people.  I really do.

Oh!  Where's my little girl you ask?  She's in the Jeep throwing candy for the First Source Bank float.  A special job for a special little blue-eyed girly.  (Aunt Lisa wanted to make sure Caroline didn't get left out since she couldn't march with the Scouts.)  She was so honored to be asked.  She beamed.  She really did.

The boys really lucked out.  They were at the front of the parade line-up, so they high-tailed-it (with Dad's supervision of course) to our spot street-side, so they could watch the remainder of the parade. 

Because folks, you know those boys weren't going to be happy if they didn't get their hands on some parade candy.  I was prepared with a secret stash at home, just in case... but it was never necessary.

 They got candy. 
They say a Scout is always prepared... ya... prepared to receive candy.

Just look at the readiness and determination.

 

You know what I really love about Our lil Small Town Parade?  Our lil Small Town.  It's so community.  So homey.  So real-people.  Good people.  Family people!

Family.

I love this lil town.