Parade results & what's NEXT

The parade was a SUCCESS!

As always, finishing up this year's parade float was a RACE to the finish! Even the paint was still wet (Brock found out the hard way) as we pulled everything from our house to the parade staging area - and I saved ALL the patriotic decorating work until we were lined up and waiting for our turn to start walking!

Lucky for us, we had an amazing team of local friends who helped us with all the finishing touches and it turned out perfect for marching down Main Street!

Every year I get SO nervous in the final days before the parade, but every year, once we start marching, there's just so much going on and so many flyers to pass out that I don't have time to worry. It's GO time!

Amazingly, this year may have been our most successful parade ever! I guess I use the term "successful" pretty subjectively, but there were a lot of things we did well at this year and I was blown away by the public response! Here are some big wins/key takeaways from the parade:

The QR codes on the train was a BIG win!

One of you in a message or comment on Instagram noted that in past parades, the QR code sign was only on our car and not on the float itself, so it was hard as an audience member to connect the two as one parade entry. Or, an audience member could be so drawn to the float that they don't see the car, and then the only hope of them learning our story is potentially receiving a flyer. This person suggested to have the QR code posted on every part of the train in addition to the car - which we did - and wow, that made SUCH a noticeable difference! I saw a huge uptick in people pulling out their phones to scan the train and people asking us to stop so they could scan the code while we passed. I also had a large number of people asking me for a flyer as we went, which has never happened before! I totally chalk that up to having the QR code posters plastered over everything. It was immediately clear to everyone who saw our train why we were there!

People know who we are!

You may have already seen the parade broadcast footage we posted online, but if you haven't, check out what the parade hosts said about our entry!

Is it any wonder why we love our community?? I'm convinced some of the greatest people live in Santa Clarita Valley!

But beyond the hosts of SCVTV, I was amazed how many people along the parade route shouted out that they've been to our house for Damian's Not-So-Haunted House or to see Damian's Christmas Village! Some of you shouted out that you follow us online (HI!!!) and some had heard about us from friends and neighbors - I just can't tell you how encouraging it was to hear all of that!!

People were excited to have us there

I mentioned in my last blog post the trickiness of bringing up a heavy topic on a holiday where everyone is just trying to have fun with their families. But once again, people were SO encouraging along the route, and a handful of people even shouted out how they look forward to our float every year and were so excited to see Damian!

There were a few people that actually came out to me in the street to quickly tell me their stories: that they also had a child with a rare condition, or their child also had a feeding tube, or they knew to some degree what it means to advocate for your child. I was honored that people would take the effort to share their experiences with me - and it reminded me (as I'm often reminded) that while Damian's disease may be rare, many parents have an atypical parenting experience. A few people told me that it was actually encouraging for them to see me on the parade route because it made them feel like they could do - something - too. Those interactions were so meaningful to me!

The train is a hit!

My goodness, the train!! I'd been hearing for the last few weeks from Brock that I "should've started this project months ago" and as oh-so-helpful as his feedback was, I have to say I'm pleased with how quickly I was able to make the not-at-all finished train to parade-ready overnight by taping on a bunch of tablecloths, bows, and flags!

And if the verbal approval of many a child along the parade route wasn't enough(!), when we finished the parade we rested for a bit on the sidewalk and a few families came up to us just to get pictures with the train! Ding ding ding!! That's EXACTLY what I was going for!

Our train isn't fully complete, but if it can be a crowd pleaser in this state, I can't wait to see people's reactions at Halloween!

Speaking of Halloween...

The next major holiday is right around the corner, and we are going to be starting preparations in August! I've got too many things on my to do list per usual, but I'm going to be making as many improvements and additions to Damian's Not-So-Haunted House as I can!

In the meantime, I am trying to catch up on a bunch of things that I had put on hold while I was working on our train. Earlier this week I finally finished a vlog of Damian's birthday:

By the way, there's a big clue in this video at something coming later this week to our online shop!

Along with that exciting announcement, I'm also at the tail end of editing a series of workout videos that I will be starting - and you're invited to join me! (Details coming!)

So much (that I give myself) to do as always, but I can't thank you enough for your encouragement and support all along the way. This last parade was our most lucrative yet, with some folks even giving us cash they had on hand as we walked! I'm so grateful for all of you who continue to stick with us on this journey!! It's going to be a great Fall, I already know it!

<3