Veterans Day

I remember when Allyson was in the first grade. Emily, Sam and I went to the school to join her in watching the annual Veterans Day Parade at her school.

It was amazing. The fourth graders were allowed to invite veterans to march with them and decorate wagons to pull in the parade.

I made a note on my mental calendar, that I could not wait until Allyson's fourth grade veterans day parade.

It was yesterday. How on earth could time have passed so quickly?

Both of Allyson's grandpas are veterans. But Dan's dad, having the whole 'living' advantage, was Allyson's special guest. And he was sure a proud grandpa. (insert picture of papaw looking proud in the parade)

And Allyson spent days decorating our family wagon and transforming it into a beautiful parade float. (insert picture of beautiful parade float)

And my big bad fourth grader looked so grown pulling that float during the parade. (insert picture of grown allyson pulling wagon float)

Mamaw, Sam and I joined Emily's class to watch the parade. That little group of kindergartners have got to be the sweetest little group of people. (insert picture of emily and her classmates neatly lining the school hallways- joined by Sam of course, who amazingly enough had his hands folded in his lap- ha! Looks like preschool is paying off!)

The highschool band played in the parade, that was cool. (insert picture of highschool band tuba players crouching down so their horns won't scrape the ceiling)

After the parade, we all gathered in the gym to hear selected students read their veterans day reports (insert picture of allyson not reading her report because she purposely threw the audition by reading fast because she didn't want to read in front of all those people). Then the entire school, who were gathered in the bleachers (insert picture of entire school on the bleachers) sang patriotic songs to their group of veteran guests.

Among the veterans were grandpas, uncles, moms, dads, and many other individuals who chose in their life to serve our country. It was really beautiful. (insert picture of group of veterans, with Mom and Dad in their fatigues in the front row- took the afternoon off from their Army jobs to be there).

And then it was over, and we gathered up our 'float' and loaded it back into the van. (insert picture of Sam riding in Allyson's float).

And that was that, the fourth grade veterans day parade had come and gone. And my big bad fourth grader went back to her class. I'm really having a hard time embracing the fact that this is her last year in the elementary school. How could that be possible.

Guess who forgot her camera. Again.

I never cease to amaze myself by how stupid I can be. What an idiot. But at least I got to be there. I snapped the pictures with my heart. (insert picture of me dang near passing out during the program, broken out in a cold sweat begging my mother in law to not let me fall onto the floor in the middle of the presentation "Hold me in this chair if I pass out" I told her. After last friday's surgery, this was my first true day back in the game and I may have over done it a bit.)

For some reason, I kept trying to picture my dad in that gathering of Veterans. It would have been cool for Allyson to have both her grandpa's there. But, although I miss my Dad, I was so very grateful for Dan's Dad to have made the journey over today to be with Allyson and join in the celebration.

Happy Veterans Day (insert picture of Allyson's 'Thank You Veterans' sign).