Parade of Lights

We ventured out to the Parade of Lights for the first time this year. It's a huge parade here in town that attracts 50 floats and 90k + people.

We knew we'd miss bed time, but since Jana LOVES Christmas lights, we thought we'd go for it anyway.

So, Jeremy, the girls, and I met up with Suzanne and Lexi and we headed downtown. (Poor Brad couldn't join us - he had work Christmas party.) After a brief wander through the chaos that was the mall, we grabbed some sandwiches and stumbled upon my old neighbor and her family. (She's the one that watches the girls when I sub, and Jana loves her daughters and we hear about Abby for days after they're together.) We decided to join them since they had a pretty good spot to watch from.

It was cold, but we were all bundled up well. Jana loved it and made a new friend. There were two older couples in front of us (between the kids who were sitting on the curb and us). Jana quickly endeared herself to one of the ladies who quickly told me that she missed being a grandma to little ones. Jana sat with her and told her all about the yights, toot-toots, biiiig gucks (trucks), and bikes (motorcycles). She had a wonderful time and made the night of a grandma of teenagers, who got to have a toddler sit with again.


Here Jana is enjoying some sandwich for dinner before the parade started.

Suzanne and Lexi, all bundled up, after dinner and ready to face the cold.


Mama and Kara while Mama was trying to eat dinner.
Dada and Jana enjoying the parade. (Please note that Jana is in her Halloween costume - she was so excited to be a "ROOOAAAR" again - and it was warmer than anything else would could have come up with.)


The gang, all bundled up, waiting for the parade to start.


Kaitlyn, Abby, and Jana watching the parade.


Abby, Olivia, and Jana watching the parade. I just had to get this picture because Abby was so stinking cute with Jana. (Do you wonder why Jana loves her?)

A pic from the front of these three goof-balls!


Here was Jana's favorite part of the parade - both "yights" and a "doot-doot."

And this, of course got many enthusiastic squeals since it was a "biiiiig guck" with "yights!"



Here are some other pictures I found from the parade.