Parade Float!

Where we live, The Dalles, does a Starlight Parade every year the day after Thanksgiving.  We have always loved watching the Parade, but have been getting a wee bit frustrated that there is rarely ever a mention of why we're celebrating "the holidays" the "seasons greetings" the "santa claus" etc. 

In fact the last two years we didn't even see a "Merry Christmas". 

So... it has been our hope all year long to be able to do a Nativity Float for the parade.

Paul headed it up.  One of our AB members lent us his trailer and warehouse.  And another gentlemen built the (huge!) stable.  The local music store lent us their sound system.  It was a LOT of work,  especially on the tail end of the Thanksgiving Dinner and in the beginning of all our Christmas activities.

All I can say now though is...

It was

F-U-N!

Naturally, we recruited our family to work on it .

They were eager to help and be a part of it.  

Among many other things,

David and Elijah strung the lights.

Just when we were quite aware that it was serious crunch time, the carpentar, *M*, who built the stable, showed up at the last minute to help Paul drill our figures to slabs of stabilizing wood.  Thank God!  I swear God must've whispered to him to get over to the warehouse and help the Chouinards. 

Ann helped Momma hang up our banners. 

We had the local sign shop make them, saying "The First Christmas".

Hannah took sister for many walks in the warehouse and outside through the puddles too.

There's my hunk of burnin' love. (Carrying a wiseman ;)

Momma measuring and cutting.

We ran out of little kid jobs,

so the girls played in the van and pretended to pick up kettles and church kids! LOL!

Here we are! Bright and shiny faces!

Two others from the Corps (church) joined in on the 3 mile parade march.

 I was glad to have an adult on both sides of the float. 

Paul drove. 

Mary and Hannah rode in the van and waved, well Hannah did. 

Mary slept all through it (she had a busy day).

 Ann and I walked (and ran too!) along one side of the float.  Ann got pooped after halfway, so she rode in the front seat waving and shouting "Merry Christmas".

David, Elijah, *C* and *O* walked/ran on the other side. 

We gave out SA lollipops, War Crys (magazines), and Brass Band Christmas CD's.

It was such a blast!

And now, I leave you with a qoute I have loved for many years...

"Be the change you want to see."

Merry CHRISTmas!