My favorite parade ever

Today was the day! I cannot explain the excitement we felt as we walked down Colorado Blvd. to our seats. We had a great view of the parade - especially our band. We had programs so we knew the order of the parade. My job was to announce to those around me which float was which and how many floats until our band performed. And when they did, the sea of red around me screamed! I teared up; I just couldn't contain the emotion.

And then they performed for the television cameras. We could see them pretty well and thought they were great. We've read a lot of Facebook comments and texts, but I think my favorite came from one of the announcers: "Can you believe this is a high school band?"

Our hearts are full; the kids are tired, and we are ready to go home. We hope to be in our house by 3:00 a.m. This has definitely been the trip of a lifetime, but we miss our homes, and I really miss the Big Man and T. Willy. So, here are pictures, the best I could do on my phone.

Also, something funny: we were frequently teased or cheered for by Oregon and Wisconsin fans, because there was red everywhere we went, and people thought we were Wisconsin fans. We'd just say, "Go, Badgers," and move along.