Let the Christmas Festivities Begin!

Yesterday we all got dressed up and headed out for some Christmas fun.

It was a great day with unusually warm weather for the Mount Juliet Christmas parade.

We found a good spot along the parade route and got busy waiting.

While we waited we had hot chocolate  provided to the crowds by several churches and my friend Kenzie got this great hat from one of the enterprising street vendors who had all sorts of things on their rolling carts.

She did not get to wear the hat very long because Brynn really liked the strings and ask to borrow it!  So, being the great older cousin that she is, Kenzie let Brynn wear the hat during the parade which caused many of the people in the parade to yell, "Look at that baby with the hat.  We thought she was a stuffed animal."
The Grand Marshall was country music star, Grethen Wilson.

"Hi, Grethen Wilson, we'll all here for the party!"

Many of the parade entries were throwing candy and Parker was ready to collect it.  (As a side note, my mom once got hit in the eye by candy being thrown in the Byrdstown Christmas Parade.  The mayor hit her, so we all know it can be dangerous when candy is flying around in a parade!)

Jay and Brooks helped out with the gathering when it required going very far into the street.
Brooks really liked the fire trucks old and new--the louder the better.  He starts jumping up and down and his arms and legs start flying when he sees them.

Every child along the parade route got a stuffed animal from one of the churches.

There were dogs in festive outfits.

There were snow fairies sprinkling snow and floats making a snow storm.

There were cute little gingerbread kids. (I hope that coffee doesn't keep them up.)

There were crazy girl scouts.  (Look at their sign.)

Brynn had all she could stand!

The Christian Bikers group roared by. (Please ignore the construction in the background of my photos.  It's hard to find a spot on Mt. Juliet Road that is not under construction in some way.  That building is going to be Parker's doctor's new office.)

The Chick-fil-a Cow had his own car.

Our old friend Snowbird was there.  We love snowbird!

Santa arrived in a wagon being pulled by a John Deere Tractor. Notice his relatives are traveling with him.  See that baby in a stroller, I wonder if that is Santa's great, great, great grand child!

"Wake up Brynn, Santa is here.  I think this might be important.  I'm staying up the whole time.  I don't want to miss anything in this parade!"

The horses are always at the end of the parade and these horses all had on cute Christmas socks.

Perfect weather for a great parade!  What fun we had, but now its time to go decorate the tree!