Highlight of the Year!

Ever since I was little we have been going to the Fairview Pioneer Day Parade and Demolition Derby. It is by far one of the greatest highlights of the entire year. The parade is the most small town, perfect, All-American parade you will ever find. This year Blakeslie participated in the children’s parade which is 30 minutes before the actual parade. She had a blast riding down the town’s main street/highway. She threw candy to the crowd (most of it not making it more than 15 inches from the bike) and loved every second of her grand procession! The parade is one of a kind. Blakeslie filled her bag full of candy, (including giant pixie sticks, water bottles, T-shirts, etc.) and she and Mayzie enjoyed many, many popsicles. She also loved squirting the fire trucks and her Dad. Erma Lee was the Grand Marshal of the parade – Well done!

Chip couldn’t resist capturing this moment and he has titled this picture
“The Golden Calf.”

A man that teaches at BYU Hawaii brought some of his students from China to the festivities – seriously how sad is the fact that their only experience in the US is a hickville, crazy parade! Anyway, they could not get enough of Mayzie. They were so cute with her. I don’t know if it was the light hair, blue eyes or what, but it was hilarious!

Now for the Derby……Don’t think less of me…..and please don’t call child services.

Yes, I dressed my girls in Camo!

As we got older and realized just how funny this entire experience is my cousins and I started to subtly mock our adventure to the Derby. We always take a trip to D.I. to find just the right apparel. This year was no different and Chip picked out Blakeslie’s Camo shirt and she insisted he cut off the sleeves. (The other shirt he bought her looked like it was a shirt for FED EX, but it said “FED up with boys.” Oh, there is always next year!) This year unfortunately, our numbers were small. None of my cousins were able to attend. (So excited Taylor, Lindsay and Jack will be here for next year!) I would like to say that we stuck out in our garb, but we don’t so much. Even Chip’s hideous facial hair, which he starts growing out weeks before, is not that strange down there.

It was an awesome day. You gotta love Pioneer Day – one of the best reasons to live in Utah! The Parade and Derby filled all of Blakeslie’s expectations with a day full of more than enough candy and popsicles, Roll-overs and fires, and of course Utah’s best firework show! (Truly the fireworks are AMAZING!)