Feeling Festive!

We love our community!  Our community knows how to have fun!  Every summer it hosts many festivals.  When we first moved here it felt like we lived in Star's Hallow (Gilmore Girls) with all the festivals, but now I am just used to it.  We were actually traveling for a couple of them this year, but we made up for it by attending festivals in neighboring communities!

These photos are from the BIG festival in our community!  There is a (no joke) 2 HOUR long parade, and then all the festival type stuff you can imagine and then fireworks at night.  The town swells to that of a small City for a day.  A sea of people invade and we get wrapped up in the excitement.  We live close enough to downtown to walk to everything which just makes for a lovely day. 


We start the day with the parade.  We always sit in the same spot.  While the parade is on Saturday our rope and chairs have to be out on Wednesday night/Thursday to get a spot.  We are a BIG group, I think this year there were 35 of us in our little area watching and cheering together.  SO FUN!!!  Ear protection is a must for M and T's dolls and "tired" (tag blanket) are a must for her.  The kids loved watching the helicopter rides and I thought we took pics from that, but we didn't.

M and L:  Let's get this parade started! 

M: If T doesn't want to look at the camera I will smile with Bobbi! 

M: Everyone wave, the firetrucks are coming!!

T and L were the first to get into character hugging! 

This Bubblemobile was AWESOME!  Kids just flocked to it and every one of them was so filled with joy and delight.  It was so heart warming to see everyone so happy!

BUBBLES!!!!

Let's catch them!!!

T: OK, back to my sucker!

M: I loved the bands!

T: Like my cool shades?

Another hug opportunity!

M: I've got music in my soul (M was getting so into some of the music)

Another dance move!  He likes an audience!

The next festival in a neighboring community.  The kids really wanted to go and Brandon wanted to get a bike ride in.  We decided that I would drive everyone to a community north of the festival and they would stop at it on their way home.  The kids really wanted to watch a dance team and they made it just in time to see them perform.  They also watched some wooden shoe carving (It was a Dutch festival) and played in an over-priced bounce house thing.  They enjoyed the day and I was able to do some shopping at an amazing Dollar Tree store and got many incredible posters for our basement walls! 

M: I am ready to ride dad!  (Note T making a little bed for her babies in the Burley Cart.)

Pretty girl, pretty flowers!

Yay!  We made it for the dancers!

My little Dutch Boy!

My little Dutch Girl!

M: Do you think we could make these Dad?

T: Can I wear them?  I NEEEEED them! (Our little shoe lover)

The bounce house course.

Climbing the bounce "train"

T: I touch car.  Mommy said fine.  (Hmmm...I  don't remember saying that)

M: See, I am not touching the car! 

Another weekend another festival.  The kids had so much fun biking to a festival that Brandon looked in the paper and found another festival with a parade on a different Saturday.  They were all excited to attend.  The parade is not as well attended as the one here so they scored BIG in the candy department.  The candy was quickly hidden when it became obvious our kids were in sugar shock!  Yes, T is wearing the same shirt.  It was a favorite this summer and I notice it appears in LOTS of photos. 

So excited for another parade!

T: Daddy, when is the parade starting?

M: Can you believe they were walking sheep in the parade?

Why yes, those are sheep!

M: Isn't this the craziest car thing you ever saw.  This guy is sitting on a motor.  It was wild!

M: Follow me in the hay maze T!

Awww I love this!

Cheese!

M: Watch me jump dad!

CANDY!!!!!!!  Looks like Halloween, just a parade.  T has about 5 open things in her hand!

One more festival... and T is indeed wearing the same outfit again.  To be fair, she has different bottoms on with it each time.   I guess it was a good Saturday outfit for her.  Too funny.  This is a local festival so we headed downtown to check out a tall ship and build our own tugboat and enjoy a beautiful day. 

T: Ta-yah do it all by self! (Look at my hand ready to pounce!)

M: I can do this mom.  Seriously I can.  (Look at my hand, ready to move back quickly... the other keeping sister away from hammer)

The break water repair barge was much more interesting to my kids than the sailing ships.

M: I am a DNR man!  The DNR brought a huge fish tank and M got to sit in the vehicle.  He loved it.