Normandy 2022! Arromanches & Utah Beach/St. Mere Eglise

     Chris picked us up around lunch time on Friday, June 3rd, to head out to Saint Lo where our hotel for the next 3 days would be.  We stayed at the same hotel as one of Chris's groups--the Honor Platoon.  These are high school/recently graduated students in their school JROTC programs.  The leaders of this group are SO MUCH FUN!  I've seriously laughed so hard at Ms. Roz and learned so much from Rusty.  Max and I went on their bus with them to see the sites they would see while Chris went and did very un-fun work stuff.  We hit Arromanches and Utah beaches.  I know I've said this before and I'll say it again--you can just leave me in the French countryside for the rest of my life and I would be a happy woman.  The summer weather and scenery are UNBEATABLE.  Seriously, some of my most favorite sites ever are right here:

Saturday, June 4th

Arromanches Beach:

ROTC Group

Max & Rusty

Utah Beach:

St. Mere Eglise:

    This is where a couple of the main events happen--the group performances and parade!  Max and I enjoyed walking around the small town square/church through the shops and museums.  

See the dummy still hanging there?
(Representing Private John Steele the Paratrooper 
who hung for several hours back in June 1944)

    We were nervous/watching the weather all day as it had been raining off and on.  Knowing that the rain was coming again soon, they decided to start the parade slightly early and it was PERFECT!  It did NOT rain on our parade!  Many answered prayers for sure.  Max and I watched the parade from the street but then joined in with Chris at the very end as he was marching at the tail end of all the groups.  It was the first real parade Max had ever seen and then to get to join in at the end just made his day😂. The people here LOVE the Americans so Max received lots of love and applause for sure:)