HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHIGAN!!! Part 1

Well, it has come and it has gone! Michigan's 125th celebration is now but a fond memory! *sigh*

We had SOO much fun! I spent Friday cleaning and preparing for company but in town, the coed softball tournament was in full swing. Jamie played on a team but they lost both games:( Then while the 800 registered alumni from Michigan high ate their $25 baked potatoes in the sweltering heat of the Tesoro station, David, Jamie, and I enjoyed our supper of grilled steaks, cole slaw, chips and dip, and the charcoal broquets formerly known as "Garlic Toast". We all rode into town together--knowing Jamie and I would be consuming a few alcoholic beverages and wanting to avoid the rumored checkpoints, David drove. He doesn't like to drink ever since the Prairie Fire incident in 1992. Anyway, the streetdance was fun, there were so many people to talk to! Dave and I quickly found our good friends Tom and Shannon, and found our "groove". I got to see some of my old classmates as well. Daves' brother John was there and later his sisters Barb and Katherine came in with their husbands Tom and Zach. Carol and Bill came in for awhile too!

Saturday morning started early at 6:30. I had to let the dogs out and decided that it was no use to go back to bed so I started breakfast for everyone! Soon after, we started to see the "Mapes to Michigan Fun Walk/Run people going by. They were on the road just south of our house. They could be dropped off at 3 different points, 6 miles, 4 miles, or 2 miles. Then it was off to town to get a spot for the parade!!!! Mom and Dad brought Grandma and Grandpa to watch and ended up with a great spot in the shade! Jamie and I however sat in the sun but had a great location to get pictures and CANDY!!!

HERE WE GO!!!The Color Guard! That's Joe Zharadka fixing his cap!

The Grand Marshall: Governer John Hoeven and his wife Mikey Hoeven.

. Beautiful Sarah my "unofficial niece" on the Nelson Cty. Pageant float. She was Miss Nelson County in 1999.

Daves' sister Janice riding in the manure spreader with Johns boys!

Smile pretty and wave John!!!

The Keystone Cops! He saw me taking the pic and posed!

Vasicheks Implement float.

Happy Birthday MICHIGAN!!!

Our friend Jo. She works with Amber and threw us LOTS of Tootsie Rolls!!! Thanks Jo!!!

The OLD Petersburg fire truck. JJ and Jeremy in the passenger seat with JJ's son Titus on top!

Kenny Shirek on the Buffalo mobile!! This is the farm that gave birth to White Cloud the albino buffalo now at Jamestown.

We were right in the intersection, the place where the Shriners and their sprint cars go crazy!!

The black car is Scott Vasicheks', a classmate of mine and the white car is Dave Blaseys', the husband of Ambers friend and coworker Kristen (Landeis) Blasey.

Snow Plow driven by Larry Landeis.

I liked their "glove" balloons!
CLASS OF '95 ROCKS!!!!!! My class float driven by Mary and Mandy!!

Aaron Mork with the Town Pump II float. Adults get beer in our neck of the woods. Casey came down and handed Jamie and I each a cup of beer. I gave mine to Gpa!!

Rainbow Lodge float. Again handing out beer!

What is a parade without a horse?! Our neighbors the Anderson family .

I have sooooo many more pics of the parade but it would take me HOURS to post them all. I am happy that we had such a beautiful weekend for the celebration!! Oh and I filled Dad's little cooler half full of candy. We knew nearly everyone in the parade so they would throw us candy. We had NO kids around us. It was just like being a little kid again, with the added bonus of being over 21!!! 280 floats and an hour and a half later, we were sad it was over!! Not bad for a town with the population of 350!!