4th of July Parade

OK, so this past weekend, as you all know, was the 4th of July. Now we as a family are not really into all of the parades and the all day park activities. We just don't really get into it, our family is usually up in the mountains camping, fishing, and hiking. But this year was different. tailEnd, our youngest, had to march in the parade with the Cedar Middle School Marching Band. One last opportunity for a good picture of him playing his Sousaphone for the last time.

This is the best one that I could get, pretty sad when you realize he will not be playing it ever again. At least not in the next year or two unless he decides to start playing it again. But between the heat and all of the other people wanting pictures and the fact that he was a moving target, I will just have to be happy with what I got.

Now the parade itself was not to bad, it just really seemed to be a great big section of the advertisement page in the newspaper. It was pretty awesome seeing all of the Veterans and to see all of us showing our love for our country but there really wasn't much else to see because of all of the people standing in our way. It was really funny. Here we are sitting there, midMan and I have our chairs, we are ready with water, and we are at what we thought would be a great spot. Then the crowds descended.

At first we were a little taken aback with all of the people standing around us, remember we are not parade people, but then we decided to just laugh it off. I even managed to nicely hand a girl back her balloon, which she was holding, which was bopping me about the head and face, I tell you I almost didn't survive the beating. And security was no help, they were only interested in getting free food from the Quizno's cup.

Then there was the family just to the right of us. Here they came with their 8 chairs and all their other stuff. The husband didn't want to block traffic from the cross walk but his wife insisted that it would be just fine. She then proceeded to leave, along with everyone else except the husband and one kid, left sitting there with 8 chairs to watch over. When another gentleman and his children went to walk through the crosswalk, Familyman decided to inform the gentleman that 'there was going to be kids sitting there, they could not stop there!!!' We though a fist fight was in the making. But the gentleman gave way and proceeded across the street to the other side, what Familyman didn't realize is that the gentleman was only using the cross walk not taking over his spot. When Familyman's wife finally returned with their 3 year old, no one else ever did return, she proceeded to stand in front of us for the entire time we were there and the chairs ended up just taking up space.

After tailEnd was done marching, and acquiring heat stroke along the way. We chose to go home halfway through the parade, which we couldn't see anyways, so that tailEnd could feel better for Fireworks later that night with Jordyn, his friend who just happens to be a girl. tailEnd even managed to throw up on the ride home, yum....... HASHBROWNS! Eeeewwwww!!!

Life was grand at this years 4th of July Parade. And one of the cutest things I saw was this little clown.


Love to All,


midRae

A Study In Frustration.

For three years our youngest, tailEnd, has played in his middle school band. We have watched him go from the Trumpet, to the Baritone, and finally to the Tuba. We have enjoyed watching him learn to play each instrument and to excel on them all. Through all of these changes we have managed to be to everyone of his band concerts. And have been so proud to call tailEnd our son.

Now you may be asking yourself, "What is so frustrating about that?". Well let me explain. Throughout the last three years we have never managed to take a camera with us. Either we had no camera, we just forgot the camera, or we figured out that our camera needed a lot of help, as in lets just bury it. We always thought, "Oh well, next time." After all this time I finally talked midMan into buying a new camera in January, a Nikon D60. I am still learning how to use it but I love that we have a great camera with so much potential. Now if only I would reach the same potential.

Now the really frustrating part. About two months ago we went to tailEnds last band concert. I forgot that I had a camera and left it at home. We were so sad at the thought that we would not get any pictures and didn't have enough time to run home and get the camera. You see, tailEnd has decided not to continue his career in band and wants to learn to play the guitar, and this, we thought, would be our last chance for pictures.

Then God smiled down on us and the band had one last concert a week before school let out. I was so excited. I was going to get some pictures of tailEnd playing the Tuba. And he has always been placed in the best position. As we would sit and face the band he has always been on our right side, on the last row, at the very end. Perfect picture position! Yeah!!!

Frustration has arisen. For this last concert the leaders decided to change things up and put the JV band on our right side and the Varsity band, which he is in, on our left. This placed tailEnd in the very back. As far from the camera as you could get. I wanted to scream. The one and only time I have a camera and they put him in the back. AAAHHHHHHH!!!

And then to top it all off, every time I would get him in my sights one of the kids in front of him would move in front of him, as you can see from the great blur in the middle of the picture above. I finally just had to give up. I think I ended up taking about thirty pictures and the ones your see are the best I could come up with.

Good thing he had that big curly head so that I could at least find him in the bunch.

Love Always,

midRae

Things To Remember.......................You all may not know this but back in my youth, 7th grade, I was given the opportunity to learn an instrument. I choose the flute and have loved the sound ever since. It's music just speaks to me and I love to sit and listen and to pick out the sound of the flute. It's music can be so sweet and sorrowful at the same time. It can make you see and feel joy and happiness and then just as easily make you see and feel the haunting sound of loneliness and sorrow. I was unable to continue playing the flute but I am so thankful that I did get the opportunity. I don't think I would have appreciated it's sound if I had never gotten the chance.