The Bagdad 4th of July experience--- small town parades are the BEST!!

Here is one example of our "Team Courage" hats! Beautiful!

I was honored this 4th of July to be invited to be a Grand Marsal in the Bagdad 4th of July parade! The theme for the Bagdad 4th activities was "Courage, America" and so myself, (stage 3 cancer), Jazzlyn Urrenda (an 11-year-old with leukemia), and Tranise Trout (lymphoma cancer) were the lead in the parade. My sister Becky helped by making some "Team Courage" hats that were sooo stinkin' cute!!! We decorated the float the day before and the kids were sooo excited to get to sit on the float and throw candy. Sarah and Cassidy even decorated bikes that they rode beside the float.

The pictures aren't exactly in order...but life is just that way...

You know your at a small town parade when you see the Volunteer Fire Dept. come rolling along!

Lund is hanging out with his buddies----William Webster, Israel Loveall, and Dax Leone.

Here is everyone hanging out in the float after the parade waiting to ride back up the street. Can you see that the Scouts were hitching rides back up the street instead of walking back?

This is Will after the parade, he looked down and said, "Wow, throwing candy in the parade made me soooo tired!" Poor child, we work him sooo hard!

Here is Sarah at the completion of the parade, she rode the whole time like a champ.

And an exhausted Cassidy after the parade was over!

Here we are before the parade started. Jazzlyn couldn't make it because she was at Phoenix Children's hospital for a while. her blood counts are too low. Morgan got to be the driver and Tranise and I stayed in the shade so we wouldn't get sunburned.

here is the exuberant Cassidy before the parade began. She wanted to throw candy too, so she rigged a bag to her handlebars.

Here are the proud riders in the Grand Marshal float. Karen Anderson who organized the whole parade and her daughter, Ashley. Also, my kids and Lund's friend Dax, who was staying with us for the day. Thanks guys for helping out!

Sarah getting ready to ride triumphantly down Main street.

Will was sooo funny. He saw William Webster, one of Lund's buddies, getting ready to ride his quad in the parade, and he wanted one sooo badly! He kept going over to see the quad.

Some memorable 4th of July moments: Cassidy and Lund found out that they were giving prizes for the 4k (2.5 miles) in the morning. They woke up early and Morgan took them over to the race. They were the only kids in the race along with Lund's friend Dax, who they brought with them. They had to run the whole time and got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Lund got 1st place and received a 25.00 gift card at Walmart, Dax finished 2nd winning a 15.00 gift card and our awesome Cassidy won 3rd place winning a 10.00 gift card. She ran the whole race in flip flops.... can you believe it!!!!!!! What a determined chica!!! Also, Cassidy spent her whole allowance buying decorations for her bike so she could try to win a prize in the parade as well. She and her sister ended up winning the "decorated bike" category and they got to split a 50.00 gift card. So, as you can see, my kids made out like bandits!!! Pretty awesome!!!

What a memorable 4th!