Billy Bowlegs Parade

As you may recall, my daughter made the Dazzlers dance team. Her first public performance as a Dazzler was last night in the Billy Bowlegs parade. The annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival (watch this video and try to not judge their use of – gasp! – the papyrus font) is held in Fort Walton Beach, and it was quite an honor for her dance team to perform in the parade.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a lot of testosterone in my family. And there’s more on the way…

18 weeks pregnant. I guess I’m starting to show? Frankly, I feel like I’ve looked about this pregnant for the past 3+ years.

Am I just being biased, or is Noah James so cute? You don’t have to answer that.

We picked up Five Guys for dinner. Jonah was “bouty bout” the grilled cheese sandwich he swiped from Noah.

Yes, I let my kids play on the highway all the time. Why do you ask? Just kidding. They had already blocked off traffic and the parade had not yet begun. What kind of mother do you think I am? You don’t have to answer that, either.

Getting Nathan to pose and smile naturally these days is like trying to catch the wind. Good luck with that.

Noah started his own dance party, and my heart immediately melted out of my chest and into a puddle on the sidewalk.

And then Jonah was given beads by one of the first floats to pass by and I fell in love with him all over again.

Andy’s sister Sarah joined us and helped with the kids, which is good, because we have like eleventeen of them.

Contrary to what this picture would have you believe, Andy had not been drinking alcohol.

The Dazzlers were #35 in the line-up. I was a proud mama and got a lump in my throat.

Their dance routine re-started almost immediately, so getting pictures was like… well, like trying to catch the wind. That happens a lot, no?

Our friends/neighbors Lisa and Marty were hanging out with us. Good times! Their daughter Lauren is sitting with Noah in the street in that photo back yonder, and their daughter Sydney was dancing with the Dazzlers. I won’t tell you what Lisa did to get all those beads.

My church had a pirate ship float, which totally pumped me up!

They were promoting our new Fort Walton Beach campus, which will officially launch in September.

They tossed out these frisbees as part of the promotion. (Frisbees are almost as cool as coozies, which they passed out July 4th last year.)

After the girls were done dancing, they met up with us. They were no longer “in action” and I was able to get better pictures. This is Taylor with Lexye and Sydney.

‘Twas a fun night, y’all!