baby, it's cold outside!

Rachel and I just spent about two hours out in the freezing cold snow, in the Christmas parade with the Girl Scouts.  I haven't been in a parade since high school band, and I wasn't anticipating that it would be quite as stressful as it was.  The Girl Scouts were in front of one of the high school bands, and high schoolers march a lot faster than second graders walk (and pass out candy to on-lookers), so we were constantly being swallowed up by the band, and trying to book it to get ahead of them.  I was walking fast, and my legs are LONG--you can only imagine how the little second grade girls fared.  They were cold and tired, but most of them seemed to have fun, so I'm glad.  I don't think they'll choose to be in the parade again, though. 

Here's Rachel before the parade (they were supposed to be festive--at one point along the parade route a guy took her picture like this and asked for her name and information for the town's local newspaper, so she might be in the paper next week!):

And here's the troop and other Girl Scouts (from behind...I didn't want to show their faces....not to mention the fact that I didn't have enough time to run ahead of them to get a shot from in front!)

So tonight we get to experience standing out in the cold AGAIN because Rachel's choir from church is singing at a firefighter's event, also outside.  I'm not even bothering taking off my long johns....I'm just trying to warm up for an hour here at home and then we get to go leave again.

Brrrrr........