Birthday Parade

October 1, 1983 was the day that I turned three years old.  It was also the day that I had my first birthday parade.  The parade took place in the beautiful town of Spring Hope, North Carolina-where my Great Aunt Margaret lived.  We went to my parade and then went back to Aunt Margaret's for some birthday cake.  Every year we would go back for my birthday parade.  Leading up to the big day, I would ask my dad if various people would be in the parade and he would "call" the head parade dude and would either say, "yes, the backwards clown will be there" or, "no, he won't be able to make it this year".  Whatever my dad said was actually what happened...it was miraculous!  During the parade, my dad would go up to every band and remind them that it was my birthday and they would play "Happy Birthday" for me....every time!

Fast forward to October 1, 2005 when I realized that it wasn't really my birthday parade by in actuality, it was the Annual Spring Hope Pumpkin Festival (now called the Spring Hope National Pumpkin Festival--I guess they didn't hear Dave was going to be there...then it would be the International Pumpkin Festival) which just so happens to be held the first weekend in October every year.  The revelation of this news was quite a crushing blow to me, but I eventually got over it.  As my birthday season started to come around this year, I decided that I wanted to go back and let Jack experience my birthday parade.  It wasn't quite how I remembered it, but it was still just as magical! 

so...this picture isn't great of Dave (he wasn't ready) but I look better in this one that I do the re-take and I'm writing the blog so I pick the pictures :)

Jack passed out before the parade started

He woke up and we jumped in the parade

Checking out the large man driving the tiny truck

Jack and I jumped back into the parade to see the clowns...unfortunately my crazy hair and clowns crazy hair covered up Jack

Clown driving the bus

Giant shopping trolley

Hooptie car in the parade (there was a lot of cars where the rims appeared to have cost more than the cars in the parade)

I guess anyone can be in the parade...this was a family reunion that had two trucks of people.  Next year...I'm in!

more tiny trucks driven by not-so-tiny men

local animal hospital had dogs walking in the parade

These guys said that Jack was a hillbilly in training because he was wearing overalls

even more tiny cars driven my grown men

First family picture at the Pumpkin Birthday Festival

Lots of the floats parade participants threw candy...but one of the hoopties with fancy rims threw out wadded up dollar bills.  I'm fairly certain that they were fake, but I was unable to get one because of the swarms of little kids grabbing them up.

Thanks to everyone for the text messages, Facebook posts and international singing phone calls.  A special thanks to Spring Hope for putting on another great birthday parade!  I had a great day and I loved spending it with my little boy (and husband and mom and cousins and uncle).