Happy Pioneer Day!
One thing that is cool about moving into a large LDS community (bigger than Portland, smaller than Utah) is being able to attend a big ol' parade and party for Pioneer Day. Actually, the parade wasn't big. It was small, but it was something!
While most of my friends back in Oregon were playing the role of Ma & Pa over families of 12-18 year old youth on a 4 day Pioneer Trek -- dressing like pioneers, pulling/pushing wooden handcarts, camping, dutch-oven cooking, leaving all technology & cell phones behind -- we celebrated Pioneer Day with water guns!
The kids got to ride on our ward's Primary "float".
More like, water-gun assault vehicle. I happily played the part of target practice. It was hot out there.
A few parade highlights
TOP: Pioner children sang as they walked // Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam // Mormon Battalion
MIDDLE: The Hustle performed by a High Priest group // firetruck featuring a "The spirit of God like a fire is burning" banner
BOTTOM: Missionaries! // the cutest Primary float entry (and it's the ward we'll be moving into). They all wore matching red capes and sang primary songs // Romney for President!
(One awesome thing about the parade . . . . they coned off just one lane of the road for the parade. Which meant there was still traffic passing on the other 3 lanes. You can just imagine all the cars slowing down, drivers with puzzled stares, wondering what the heck those Mormons are up to! Hehe.)
Then it was on to the activities . . . . pancake breafast, face painting, snow cones, panning for gold, giant slide & bounce house, dunk tank, cotton candy, raingutter regatta, jump rope, water balloon toss, and a whole lot more.
It was a really well done activity. All for free. I think this is their 11th year putting it on (a tri-stake endeavor). I'm glad we have something to look forward to next year!
Watch the Pioneer Day Concert - with featured guest performer, Katherine Jenkins, from Dancing with the Stars
