We had a fun, busy Pioneer Day celebration this year! It actually started the weekend before! We went to the Bountiful Parade on Friday, July 29th and saw one of the most amazing things! On top of the normal parade entries, there was a special one-time-only entry from several surrounding stakes. 2000+ young men dressed up like the stripling warriors and marched in the parade. It was VERY impressive - and I don't just mean from a logistic standpoint (although that was amazing - coordinating the whole thing, from costumes to rehearsals to pick-up and drop-off points, was a huge undertaking, I'm sure!)
 |
| The pictures can't really do it justice. It took more than 15 minutes or so for this one parade entry to walk by! |
 |
| They just kept coming and coming! |
I surprised myself by getting a little emotional as they walked by. I just kept thinking about the real army and how some of the boys may have been as young as some of the young men I was seeing. I thought about how many people fought and died in those battles - Helaman's army was a SMALL army! I was very glad that our family was able to see this in person - I think it helps the kids (and all of us) visualize the scripture story a little better. It wasn't easy fighting traffic and finding a place to sit for the parade, but it was definitely worth it! We had a really great night. After the parade, Dave drove us around some of the neighborhoods where his patients live - beautiful! Then, we stopped at a grocery store and got some drinks before heading home.
This video is actually 2 separate videos combined - taken about 5 or 10 minutes apart.
The next morning, our kids had a special Primary activity. They had a Pioneer Day parade!! Nicki and Josh were so excited to be in a parade! Alison wasn't interested. She just wanted to watch. Grandma and Grandpa Smith WALKED over to our house so they could watch too. They live pretty far away! I was impressed. They said it was no big deal and that they usually walk farther than that on a Saturday! I was sure glad they came because there were only about a dozen spectators - including us - as far as I could see. I guess there were a few more clumps of people on other streets too. Our kids didn't mind the small crowds. They LOVED IT!!!
 |
| The cheering section. |
 |
| Josh and Nicki both got to hold the sign! |
After the parade, the kids got treats and some people in our ward let them ride their horses. What kid in this world wouldn't LOVE that!?!?! It was a fun morning.
In the evening, the girls and I went to another movie-in-the-park. This time, we watched "The Sandlot." I just love those movie-in-the-park things! Everything about them is fun to me - the crowds of other families, the warm nights, the treats we pack with us, reading together before the show starts, cuddling under blankets while the show plays, staying up late and bonding with my girls - I just about got teary eyed watching them during the show. I can't wait until the boys get a little older and we can go as a whole family.
No comments:
Post a Comment