{simple things sunday}: love found at the parade

3/10/12  the love shared between a boy and his daddy

I've created this mental bucket list titled, "Things to do in NEPA", before we leave for internship.  I probably should write it down {on this here blog} so that I will be sure to do all things we want to do before PA becomes a memory **sniff, sniff**.

This Saturday, was one of those things.  The Scranton St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Apparently, it's one of the largest St. Patty's Parades in the entire U S of A.  Crazy!  To think that we live here!  And that one of the largest parades tromps right through our little ole downtown square!  

The reason it's considered the largest?  It takes approximately 4 hours (FOUR HOURS!?!?) for the parade to run it's course.  Insanity?  I think so.

But it's SO MUCH FUN.  (regardless of the intense amount of drunkards who make their way from all over the country to attend such a spectacular shindig.)  The Irish/Italian and all other drunks didn't even bother me.  It was the giddy junior-high girls and the 7 year old boys.  I'm dead serious.  

The girls were holding balloons, squealing and running toward me while I was walking, and near knocked JD's head off as I held him.  And the boys near kicked me in the shins each time I ran to get a tootsie roll, for Annaleigh, as they were thrown from the floats.  So who cares about the mindless and mild drunks?  I wanted to punch those kids in the face!  

Besides the suppressed, un-Christian-like, aggression towards the kids, it was a blast!  I thoroughly enjoy family time, in any form.  Don't you? 

Annaleigh's favorite parts were the fire engines {it was her favorite fire-fighter book come to life!} and the "horsies".  The girl is obsessed with horses, these days.  So sweet.

JD slept most of the time.  When he wasn't sleeping, he was being kissed on by his family {evidenced in that sweet, sweet picture up there at the top...melt. my. heart.}.  So I'd say he enjoyed himself, too! 

Mike and I enjoyed watching Annaleigh's joy, most of all.  Isn't that the greatest?  To see your kiddos enjoy life??  At least it is for us.  We don't stop smiling and laughing with them as they find happiness in the small things of life.  And isn't that what this post is all about?  The simple things??  It's true.  Our joy is a result of their joy.  The smiles.  The coos.  The light in their eyes.  There's nothing on earth that can compare.

Heaven is probably like that, I have no doubts.  Joy in the seemingly insignificant.  Seeing it all as a part of a bigger plan.  To glorify God.

Here's a picture collaboration of our {heavenly} joy on Saturday.
Won't you smile along with me as I reminisce in the simple things of our Saturday?
These make me smile all over again....

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