Cherry Fest '10

If you've never been to the Cherry Festival, you should pen it on your bucket list. And just do it, man. This'll be quick, because I'm tired and I was a slacker spending quality time with my children and husband and dad and stepmom and didn't take many pictures last weekend.

But here's the gist of the parade, anyway.

Someone had a funky Sparty car. They rocked it, hardcore.

Funny little story, for some reason the parade organizers placed many of the colleges together. And put them in front of MSU and their band. And positioned MSU and the band that demanded they preview all of the floats as they pass by...so, along walks U of M and Ferris, and members of the MSU band lined up along the street and belted out their fight song as they passed.

Oh, good natured fun.

Back to the floats.

Mackinaw City rocked it.

Grand Rapids, "Where GRAND things happen"... the city of GR should pay them to use their slogan. Really, there's more to GR than the Meijer Gardens, but I guess bars and movie theaters aren't quite appropriate for a kids float?

Adalynn really wanted to see the girls' pretty dresses.

And subsequently grew very, very shy.

This was so dog-gone cute, I wanted to take a drink.

(no, not part of the parade. just sitting cutely along the route)

What is a parade without Ruthie? NOT A PARADE!

So I'm wondering, maybe someone can enlighten me, is Ruthie a Michigan parade icon? Or does she span international oil slicks waters?

This is cool. Feel free to take these next 2 pictures, become fans of Facebook and Twitter, and post them up there.

We're not members of the exclusive Facebook and Twitter, or I would.

The first picture is describing why the cement truck is covered in pink. Yes, it has to do with cancer. For each time you mention where you saw the Pink Team Elmers truck, they will donate money towards a new cancer unit at Munson (the TC hospital). You can do this in 2 ways:

1. Post to Facebook or Twitter when and where you saw the Team Elmers truck and they will donate $1. Include a picture? They'll donate $2!

2. Become a new Facebook or Twitter fan/follower this summer, and they will donate an additional $5! facebook.com/teamelmers or twitter.com/teamelmers

Really, that's cool.

Here's another pic just for kicks.

I'm pretty sure we wore the kids out. After a while they stared absentmindedly into space, and after she ate her fill of the book, Keely fell asleep face first down the side of the bike trailer. What a way to go.