The Days of '47 Children's Parade

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the way the Days of '47 work, "they" assign stakes to be in both the children's parade and the big parade. Our stake was assigned to be in the children's parade, and I was doing my best to get out of it, but then the kids heard about it in primary, and I realized it really was a chance in a lifetime, so I put my sunscreen and comfy shoes on, and joined our stake primary in the parade. It was the Saturday before Pioneer Day. It was awfully warm, but the kids didn't seem to notice. There was a giant "party" at the city/county building afterward for all the kids in the parade. And a party it was. The kids loved all of it, and Mel and I survived it. Soph slept through it at Aunt Steph's--thanks again, Steph!

Anna and Thys with our float. Our theme was "Every Member a Missionary" and the kids dressed up like the kids on the float: missionaries, gardners, athletes, boarders, dancers. Anna was a missionary and Thys was a gardner. I was a mom.

The stake primary with the float.
Anna and the clowns.
Home Depot had a booth at the "party" that was awesome. Every kid got a Home Depot apron, then got help building a "project." After the project was done, the kids could go back and get a pin to put on their aprons. Thys build a helicopter (below), Anna build a butterfly house, and Pops wore the apron.

Anna always need a face painting job, even if the line is 20 minutes long. Here she is all done up as a tiger.