Snow / Christmas Pageant

Sunday - December 22

The snow was a bit of a disappointment.  I am ready for some serious snow.  We only got a few inches.  We had to get an early start, Annie spent the night at a friend's house, we had to go to Olathe to pick her up.  We made it to church early, the kids had Christmas pageant practice.  Jake was in the band and Annie was a kid wrangler - dressed like a donkey.  At yesterdays rehearsal a number of little ones decided they didn't want to be animals after all, so the band was enlisted as farm animals.  The pageant was adorable, but Annie's little sheep stole the show.  At one point he went to the hay bale center stage, took a seat and waved to everyone.  

 

The band...

 

Annie had her hands full with Henry.

:-)

The rest of the day was filled with shoveling and decorating the house.  I would have loved a nap but that didn't happen.  

Done.

Jake got dressed up for the occasion.

Tree skirt over his pj's...

 

Dance party

 

Awkward photo time...

they never cooperated.

Almost done.

 And a family drive to enjoy the lights.

Deanna Rose is all dressed up for Christmas

with a beautiful light show to music.

And a little video to enjoy since I couldn't get mine uploaded.
Magic Piano

xo

Yay! Christmas Break is HERE!

The kids survived finals.  All grade are in.  Everyone passed their classes.  The air feels lighter in our house.  Jake spent the afternoon with a friend... and called to ask if he could spend the night.  Annie went to lunch and then ice skating to celebrate a friends birthday.  I wrapped presents, I cleaned, I thought about baking but never got my act together.  Jack planned to come home early.  He left work 5 minutes early.  :-)  BUT he has Ginger (his replacement) trained and is officially in his new role.  Wow, that happened fast, didn't it? He plans to take all next week off, but might go in and move to his new desk.  Did I tell you he will now have a window?  He's kind of a big deal.  ;-)

Annie shared her Digital Imaging final with us.  It's a collection of some of her favorite pictures.  Here are a few:

Beautiful and so artistic!  

Addy Bea had eye surgery today.  Sarah said she did great and was so brave.  Thank you God for watching over her and the medical team.  I continue to pray for her healing.  This afternoon Sarah said she was up, eating ice cream and watching cartoons.  

My brother-in-law, Dave, had a heart attack last Sunday night and required two stents.  I took my folks over for a visit on Wednesday and they are getting along well.  Marlene was supposed to go out to Colorado for Addy's surgery, so she has some time off to spend with him and oversee his recovery.  Please keep both Dave and Addy in your prayers for health and healing.  

We are looking forward to spending the next week together... including visits with family and friends.  I hope you are, as well.  

Blessings!

xo

I'm gonna let my little light shine.

Wow!  Two days in a row.  Crazy, huh?  ;-)

Life is full of choices.  Like I said yesterday, I choose the light.  If there is but one thing I am remembered for, I want it to be a positive one.  I want people to remember me and smile.  I want to be remembered as a light source.  

Merry Christmas!    

Today, we had a chili luncheon at church.  The Seekers Sunday School class as been in charge for years.  I don't know how many year but it's been a really long time.  This year they announced several weeks before the date that it was too much.  They couldn't do it any longer.  Now, I think it's important for you to know that most of the people in this class are probably in their 80's.  I don't know what was the final straw but when it was brought to our class, I looked over the information provided and after some thought I decided I would take it over.  It didn't really need to be one person, it could have been our class, but it seemed pretty straight forward.  Many of the Seekers had already signed up to make chili or help with this or that.  Table decorations were taken care of.  To go orders than two people ready and waiting with experience.  

The first glitch was I had only two weeks to prepare.  I made my first executive decision that the date would be changed - to which some grumbled.  The date was selected because it was the Chiefs bye week.  I didn't think it would be too hard to pick a new date.  I had to check the Chiefs schedule.  Then check the church schedule to make sure the room was available.  It was just logistics really, but it was a little more times consuming that I expected.  Next, I was approached by the church pot stirrer (trouble maker) that decided with new "management" we needed to change the chili recipe.  It didn't help that Jack agreed and poked a stick of encouragement to that idea.  I dug my feet in and stifled any thought of changing the recipe.  Everyone makes the exact same recipe and all are mixed together ensuring consistency.  It's a very Methodist recipe.  Actually, I like it.  If you want it spicy we provide hot sauce, jalapenos and onions, as well as cheese, Fritos, saltines, and various other condiments so you can make it to your liking. And for dessert, pie.    

I made announcements to all the Adult Sunday School classes, sold tickets and found people to make announcements in worship - I don't do that.  I arranged with the church secretary how/when the tables would be set up.  I made reminder calls this week.  Again, just logistics.  I really am good at that stuff.  

My second executive decision was regarding dessert.  I decided any dessert was welcome.  A friend made delicious cranberry bars.  I made hot chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting.  (Annie LOVED them!  I think she had 2 1/2!)  One lady was surprised walking into the kitchen and commented "oh, any dessert?  Well, that's fun?!"  And gave me a funny look.  I sensed a bit of sarcasm but smiled, took her pie and said thank you.   She later commented that the bars were delicious!    

My final executive decision was the most well received.  As we emptied pots, pans, pie plates we washed them up and placed them on a table outside the kitchen and around the corner.  I didn't see any reason to have more people in the kitchen.  It just made sense and you would have thought I reinvented the wheel.  (wink!)  I just smiled.    

I was thanked by many and heard several people say, "why didn't we get rid of this years ago?  She makes it look easy!"  I simply said, "I couldn't have done it without your help."  And I passed out many thanks myself.  

We had more than enough people when the time came.  I passed out jobs and hoped I didn't come across bossy.  There were many hands that stayed around to help clean up.  I love it when I hear my Mom's voice saying "many hands make quick work" echoing in my head.  

Back in October I had a choice.  I could have said nothing.  We had been gone the week before when our class was approached asking for our help.  I could have let someone else step up - or not - but this luncheon is important to the Seekers.  Why not me?  I did it.  It was but a small sacrifice.  I made a difference.  I will not let the darkness win.  

---

When I got home I saw this... The Last Mile.  It's funny how many things go through your mind in situations like this.  I cried at the end.

Light wins again!

---

So, one of the things I signed up to bring to lunch was chopped onions.  I thought it said 5 lbs. of chopped onions.  So, that is what Jack did last night.  He chopped onions.  Five pounds worth.  That's a LOT of onions.  And it makes the house smelly.  There was one other lady that brought chopped onions.  Two pounds of chopped onions.  She said her house and refrigerator smelled, too.  Well, we didn't even open my large container of chopped onions.  So I brought it home.  Now the question is... what do I do with FIVE POUNDS of CHOPPED ONIONS?  My eyes are watering at the thought.  I made 1/2 cup onion popsicles.  No, I'm not going to force the kids to eat them.  I frequently use onion while cooking and I think I saw it on Pinterest once.  Either that or I made it up - who cares, it makes sense, right?

Squish onions into a muffin tin.

Freeze.

Pry them out with a spoon.

Place 6-12 in a freezer bag.

Perfect serving size for quick use!

The kids had youth group tonight.  The Christmas party was postponed until January 5th and they had a pizza, movie, study session (for those that needed or wanted to study).  Annie said she got overwhelmed with the noise, so she went into another room and knocked out a paper and started studying for finals.  I am shocked and amazed that she's related to me.  And very proud.

Tomorrow is Jack's first day.  I think he'll feel a lot better about the new job as soon as he gets Ginger trained in his old job.  Just in case you didn't hear, he's kind of a big deal.  ;-)

Two links - one to pray on and one to lift your soul;
Pray for Claire 

This little light of mine  (I apologize if there's a commercial before the song.)  I hadn't heard this version.  I love it!

Shows you what the power of love can do...

In every dark corner that I find, gonna let my little light shine!

xo

Grace and Sadness and Prayer

I started writing yesterday... 

This morning the weather is changing.  The kids left for school mad.  Mad, because we made them take the bus instead of Jake driving.  They left as the mist was falling.  By the time they got on the bus Annie said the mist was freezing on the pavement and it was very slippery getting onto the bus.  As it turned out there were many accidents at the major intersection north of the school and just a few blocks away a bus was involved in an accident, too. Thankfully, there were no injuries - though several totaled cars.  I know I am a protective Mama.  I know I will make my kids mad a few more times before they leave my nest.  And ya know what?  I'm ok with that! 

I read several other blogs.  I stumbled upon one by a Mom of four with a husband that frequently travels for business.  One day she was having a rough one and sent a text to her husband.  It went like this, "I just walked in to find his breakfast remnants still out on the counter and dried cereal in the sink. !? Why do I have to have this conversation EVERY SINGLE DAY???"  (You should know the "he" she is referring to is her 16 year old son.)  Oh, how I know the feeling.  But it was her husbands response that really made me stop and think.  "Because he is still a kid. We are still teaching him. He is still learning. He likes to learn the hard way. That has always been his issue. Go give him a hug. "  Ok, in all honesty, my very first thought 'oh that's easy for him to say, he's not home dealing with it day in and day out. But when I stopped and really thought about it, it was so absolutely true and something I really needed to hear.  

As you know, Jake has really struggled this semester.  I have heard myself say more than once in regards to a certain teacher, "I don't know why he yells, Jake doesn't respond to that."  Yet, I catch myself doing that very thing.  I struggle with grace.  I struggle with patience.  And, like most people, from time to time I reach my breaking point and I yell.  The kids run around like chickens trying to appease me.  And they tune me out.  In these moments, I need to take a deep breath, say a prayer, and give them a hug.  I was young once and my parents, siblings and the good Lord know I learned the hard way, too.  

It became official yesterday, Jack got the promotion!  There is still a bit of mystery as to which of the two jobs he will be doing.  He thought it was one, but was pulled into a meeting this morning that had a bit more to do with the other.  ??  It sounded like his morning was a lot of "ya, gotta meet Jack Diemer!"  and "Have ya met Jack Diemer?"  I think he's kind of a big deal.   :-)  Yay, Jack!  It's about time someone made a big deal about how awesome you are at work!  

I spent most of the morning running errands.  I had to get a headlight replaced, thankfully it was under warranty.  It wasn't just the bulb, it was the whole assembly and there was a defect.  I got a LOT of Christmas shopping done.  I'm not sure when or how I heard about the shooting in Colorado - honestly, time seemed to slow way down.  My errands and lists just didn't seem so important.  As soon as I got home I flipped on the tv.  I was in shock. How can this be happening again?  I know exactly where Arapahoe High School is.  I've driven past it many times.  It's very close to where Sarah and Matt use to live.  

that's where I left it...  I just didn't know what to write.  

I am still in a bit of disbelief.  I struggle to understand.  

My children will never know what it was like to go to school without Code Red and Code Red Lights Out drills.  It's as common place as a Fire or Tornado drill. !?  How sad.

Sarah said that Addy's old babysitter is a Senior at that school and on the very same debate team as the young man that killed himself.   How sad.

I saw on the news this morning that the front page of a Denver newspaper read simply "AGAIN".   How sad.

Today, I paused to remember the teachers and students that lost their lives in Newtown, CT. I can't think about it too hard or too long or I get lost in the sadness.  I read yesterday that when a reporter asked a Mother how she would spend today, she said "it's just another day without Dylan."  Ugh, so sad! 

What can I do with all this sadness?  Pray.  There is good in the world.  I know it.  The light will overtake the darkness.  I believe that in my soul.  How can I overcome it?  Be a light, don't add to the darkness.  

xo

A little more Christmas music, please.

This is amazing!

Little Drummer Boy - A Capella

xo

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

The trees are up - but not decorated.

No news to report other than that.

I saw this today.  I LOVED it and had to share.  I hope you enjoy it, too!
Angels We Have Heard on High

And this one made me laugh and think of my sweet boy, for some reason.
Rudolph - Merry Christmas

More soon, I promise!

xo

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for and so does my family...

I would have to say Suzy is thankful for belly rubs and car rides.  And an occasional squirrel to chase, dog to bark at, or a spot of sunshine to take a nap in.  She truly enjoys the simple things in life.

I am thankful that Jack isn't letting himself get stale in his job.  He had a second interview yesterday and will hear next week if he got a new job.  It's a management position which he has wanted for a while.  It's something new and different and I think he's perfect match.  He knows it won't be easy but he's ready for the challenge.  

I am thankful that Jake has a voice.  He spoke to his counselor and is rearranging his schedule and into a different Algebra II class for the Spring Semester.  He has had a hard semester and I think his current teacher not only made it worse.  BUT we can see a light at the end of the tunnel!  

I am thankful that Annie is expanding her circle of friends.  She asked a new friend over after school yesterday and she is lovely.  Annie couldn't say enough nice things about her. The plan is for Annie to go over to her house on Friday and spend the night.  

This week, I am thankful for my co-workers.  We took a trip to Table Rock Lake/Branson last weekend and it turned into a great team building experience!  Good food, lots of laughter, movies, games, throw in music and dancing and you have yourself a winner.  The only thing we could have done without is the dark, narrow, windy roads and carsickness. Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

Camp Hideaway

(we plan to go back next Summer!)

2 decks and a screened in porch.

Too bad it was cold - the high was 27 degrees.

We braved the cold and went for a walk.

(I wore my pj's under my pants for warmth.)

What a great team!

from left to right - starting in the front and going around...

Kim, Patti, Sydney, Taylor, Katie, Amy and me.

   

My cup runneth over. 

I'm full.  (And a video to make you think.  And laugh.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

xo

Thoughts for today

I had a mammogram this morning.  Just a routine thing.  For all the ladies in my life, if you haven't had one in a while, please do it.

The Blue Valley West football team will play again tonight.  Sadly, I can't tell you if this is the State Championship or the next round closer.  We have home field advantage so Jake will be playing in the Pep Band.  Jack will be working in the concession stand for a part of the game.  I hope they stay warm!

I am going out of town for the weekend with co-workers.  We rented a place on Tablerock Lake. Several girls have never been to Branson, believe it or not.  It should be a fun weekend.  We are taking enough food for a small Army.  :-)  If we were to get snowed in, we'd be good for a while.
Food, games, movies, we are set!

Annie is super excited about the new Hunger Games movie and will be going to see it with friends tomorrow night.

I got this link from a friend at school.  Made me stop and think, for sure!

Jellybeans

I hope you all are well.  More soon!

xo

Another first

Today was the first time Jake drove to school.

away they go!

I asked him to call me when he got to school.

He forgot to call.

So, I called him.

(I knew he was at school by then)

:-)

No problems, no worries.

xo

It's Fall and the band plays on! Yay!

This tree spoke to me on my way home.  I even turned around and went back to take this picture.

The sun was already starting to go down.

Hello Fall!

Tonight, Blue Valley West played football in the State Playoffs against Topeka Seaman.  The band was asked to play but it was optional.  Of course, Jake was there.  Jack and I went too, and we stayed until the beginning of the 4th quarter.  The score was 42-0 West.  I'm not sure of the final score, Jake couldn't remember when he got home but I think they scored one touchdown and missed the extra point making it 42-6.  West will play again next week against Bishop Miege, they beat us last year.

I have to say, I was going through band withdrawal.  I went down the stood behind the band for a while.  He loves it.  They play.  They dance.  They have a great time.  I loved watching him.    

Jake and his tuba.

I wonder if he named it... ?

I will have to ask.

the band playing and dancing

the students singing

Jake is on the far right

(sorry, I messed up the end)

more dancing

I was trying to get the score

42-0 West

Just in case you're interested, here is My Aunt Margaret's obituary.  

You may have already seen this since it's gone viral, but I'm going to share it anyway.  I just love to see and read about random acts of kindness!  Kindness speaks volumes

I made a quick stop at a store today.  Only one checkout lane was open and the woman at the front of the line had a cart load of stuff.  The couple behind her had a few items.  I had two.  And the man behind me had several.  A second check out lane was opened and the guy behind me jumped in front and checked out first.  I asked the couple to go ahead of me. They were older, maybe around the same age as my parents.  They both smiled sweetly and thanked me.  I admit, it took them a bit longer to check out than I had expected.  They got a couple puzzles, some cards, and a box of chocolates.  The gentleman joked that he wasn't going to get any of the chocolates.  She smiled and shrugged and admitted, "they're my favorite!"  Yes, I was in a hurry but... I got checked out quickly enough we were able to walk out together.  We quietly stood on the sidewalk waiting for cars to pass and smiled at the sunshine together.  I told them to enjoy their afternoon.  They said, "it's a nice afternoon for a drive.  Don't you think?"  I nodded, then the woman came over and hugged me.  She said, "it might not seem like a big deal to you, but thank you for asking us to go ahead of you.  It's the little things that mean so much." I hugged her back.  I agree with my whole heart.  It didn't seem like a big deal to me.  It was right and fair - they were next.  It isn't hard to show someone kindness but it sure feels like a big deal when it happens.

xo

These are my people

Today, was a day of transition at school.  We have one little friend that came to school in the morning and again in the afternoon.  He is moving to the afternoon class and we wanted a test day.  Today was early release, so it's a silly short day for the students.  This particular little friend has anxiety and we weren't sure how he'd feel.  We talked about it a lot.  We got him out of the car this afternoon and he was so excited.  I introduced him to new friends.  At the end of our crazy short day we had snack and Katie asked him which class he liked.  "Both."  Someone asked him to choose just one favorite.  "The afternoon, of course.  These are my people," he announced as he raised his hands.  Oh my goodness! It was adorable and perfect.  He will start tomorrow as an afternoon kid.

It made me think... how often do things fall perfectly into place?  How often do we go into something that could be kind of scary and realize, 'ahhh, these are my people'?  How often are we willing to put ourselves out there?  I don't know about you, but I'd say not often enough.

On Early Release Days we have more time between classes, so the Early Childhood staff has decided to have lunch together and each class will take a turn hosting.  Today, we had Mexican food provided by one of the other classes.  It was delicious!  So delicious, I'm making taco's for dinner.  I just didn't get enough.  Sitting there eating, looking around at our diverse group I thought, I really like these people.  What a blessing.  :-)

I read an article several days ago that has really stuck with me.  It's something I want to remember and share with the kids someday.  I hope you enjoy it.  Marriage isn't for you.  

And a video to make you stop and think.  I just love this!  The most successful play of all times.

xo

It's November already

Too neat not to share, even though it's a commercial (in Japan)

Bach in the forest

This made me laugh, probably because I often wonder what Suzy is thinking...

Guinea Pig's Hilarious Interview

if that doesn't work try this one... Guinea-Pig-s-Hilarious-Interview

Thank goodness it's Friday!  

The kids and I ran a couple errands tonight.  I asked Jake to drive - look up the address, plan his route, everything.  He needs a bit more experience in the planning department.  We got to our first destination without any trouble.  The first "bump" was when we arrived and Jake realized he didn't have his wallet.  (Ugh!)  So much for driving... I asked him to give me direction as if I had no idea where I was going.  (Much, much, much harder than I ever thought.)  We only had to make one turn.  I asked some clarifying questions... how far?  will we turn left or right?  what street are we looking for?  etc.  I drove right past our destination.  (the car wanted to turn but I resisted... it was oh, so, hard!)  Jake had gotten direction from the highway, not the direct route.  We needed to go past the street and turn right - when coming from the West but we were driving West!  We got there eventually.  It's all good.  It's time to relax and enjoy this crazy teenage phase!

Good night all!

xo

10.30.13

It's the eve of Halloween...

What are you doing?

Annie is busy carving her pumpkin.

I wasn't sure what it was going to look like...

but it did look like a awfully big hole.

Cool, huh?

Jake is busy studying for tests in Algebra II and Chemistry.

Jack is busy quizzing Jake.

And me?  Just taking a few minutes to blog and share some more feel good stuff...

20 pictures of people making a difference

and you may have seen this on the news but this guy has the right idea about doing Gods work.

I just prayed

and this one made me cry...

God Bless!

xo

Memories of my all time favorite roller coaster!

Saw this and it made me smile... 

Zambezi Zinger  <- click on it, Dad

I remember going to Worlds of Fun the year it opened with Marlene, Scott and... a friend of Marlene's.  I can't remember who, but I'm sure she does.  We got to the Zambezi Zinger and I cried because I wasn't 4 skulls tall.  And if my memory is correct, Scott cried because Marlene made him go on it.  Ba ha ha ha!  

Yes, the seating arrangement could be a bit uncomfortable if you didn't know the person you rode with --- I remember once in particular sitting in front of a boy and holding onto the back of the seat in front of us for dear life making sure I left plenty of room between us.  My arms hurt so much by the end of that ride.  Ha!  (Jack even commented on that part of it.)

After a bit of research by Jack, it is now called the Broca (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGt2dmDNb0c) somewhere in Columbia.

It has been fun to reminisce...  :-)

And one thing, just because it made me feel good...  Strangers... or not. ? (sorry Dad, lots of clicking tonight!)   It truly made me think about how much I'm missing.  

We are off to the band, Freshman Band and Jazz band concert.  It will be the last time we hear the band play the show music.  :-)   I am so thankful for videos and the memories they will always bring back.

xo

Batter Up!

I'm hoping to find a better video soon, but for now here is a their preliminary performance yesterday at the Shawnee Mission North Invitational.  I was told their performance in St. Louis was better and hope to get a copy of it.

As you watch - Jake starts out in the back middle.  His tuba is on second base.  As the program continues he is usually tuba on the far left.

Enjoy!

BATTER UP! Blue Valley West Red and Silver Brigade 2013 (Preliminary)

BATTER UP! SMN Invitational Finals.  (the quality isn't as good, but the crowd was REALLY fired up!  We have always been told the parents job is to make noise and the band will feed off our energy. I sure think it's true.  :-)

xo

Did ya know... ?

I'll bet you didn't know...

http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/baggage-battles

We moved to Hiawatha when I was 4 and lived there four years.

And I'll be you didn't know...

today was Jake's last band competition for this year.

They got Best Drum Majors - Best Visual Show - AND Grand Champions!  They won their division and took first place in Finals!  A perfect ending to the year.

ready to take the field.

Jake - next to his tuba

Shawnee Mission North Invitational

low brass...

tuba power

Finals 

under the lights

warming up

great form!

it was cold!

Jack was snug.

We got to see Topeka West!

I have fond memories of marching

my freshman year of high school.

(Can you believe it was over 30 years ago!?)

That's crazy!

This is Matt

His mom is a childhood friend of mine, Karla.

He's in the Topeka West pit.

:-)

Ready for awards

3 Senior Drum Majors

and 4 Seniors from the Dance Team.

What a fun, exhausting day!

xo

Friday!

The house is quiet.  The kids don't have school today, so they are sleeping in.  I sit here and listen to the quiet.  Ok, there's a dog barking outside and I hear cars driving by, but those sounds are hushed. The sun is shining bright but it's cold outside.  The tv said 29 degrees.  I need to get motivated to get some errands and chores done but this blanket is so inviting.

I went out to dinner with co-workers last night.  Our group has changed a bit this year but still lovely ladies I enjoy spending time with.  Katie survived her first round of parent teacher conferences and we all wanted to celebrate.

Jack and I got to enjoyed the craziness that is Parent Teacher Conferences a few nights ago.  I assumed (yes, assumed) we would do the divide and conquer method but soon realized Jack wanted to see and hear all the teachers.  That probably would have been the case too, if there wouldn't have been so many stinking people.  I first got in line for Jake's Chemistry teacher - and Jack headed over to Algebra II.  I was in and out in no time.  She was very positive and I got the feeling that she truly knew Jake.  :-)  It was reassuring.  Jack continued to wait.  I saw more teachers on my own - Annie's english, social studies and biology teachers.  Jack talked to Jake's english and social studies teachers then waited for Annie's Geometry teacher.  It was good to hear from most of their teachers.  Some really truly know our kids and some seemed a bit scripted.  No matter, I smiled and thanked them for their time.

(I got distracted and hours passed)

The kids are up.  The day has turned crazy.  Jake has band rehearsal this afternoon.  Annie has decided she might try using her locker at school (yay!)  So, we are going up to a) find her locker. b) decide if it's location is worthy of Annie's time and c) open it.  She doesn't want to decorate it or even put a book in it.  "I have some studying to do this weekend."  Ok, then.  :-)  I'm just happy she is considering using it. 

Here's Annie at a concert with her friend Kate

and some friends on Wednesday night.

Jack was feeling a bit under the weather and worked from home a couple days this week.  He still has a bit of a cough but went back to work yesterday.  

So many things to be grateful for today... saw this and decided it sums up my gratitude.

Share... everyday.

It's free.

;-)

xo

What happened to Autumn?

It seems like Fall gets faster and faster each year.  With marching band taking up so much of Jake's time the first nine weeks of school are a blur.  We spent this last weekend in St. Louis at the Bands of America Regional Competition.  The BVW had a Saturday morning wake up call set for 4:45 a.m., so they left school at 2:00 p.m. on Friday - which gave them time for dinner, to their hotel and settled with lights out by 9 p.m.  It was raining, so Jack and I decided to head out early too, and got Annie out of school and got on the road at 2:30.  We never saw a bus or equipment truck and arrived a little after 7, just missing Happy Hour at our hotel.   Jack and I grabbed dinner at an Italian restaurant in the hotel and brought some back for Annie.  We had a relaxing evening - I colored Annie's hair and Jack did a little exploring.  It's funny, when the kids were little we often chose a hotel with a pool.  I can't recall the last time we packed our suits for an overnight.

There were 64 amazing bands performing Friday and Saturday with rankings shared at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon.  There may be some small part of me that would like to sit and watch all the bands, but only a very small part.  After an hour or two I found myself on sensory overload.  The band performed at 9:00 a.m.  We stayed at the same hotel as our friends Brian and Lisa, so the guys got up early and joined the band at 7:15 to help unload the trucks and schlep the equipment to and from the performance.  Lisa and I had breakfast with Annie, then got Annie and Suzy settled in to spend a few hours hanging out in the hotel room.  We had to wait a bit for tickets - only because I choose the wrong line.  Lisa picked a longer line that was efficient and she got done way before me. BUT we got in with enough time to spare that we each got our boys a BOA jacket and had them put an iron on transfer of their instrument name.  

Jake's jacket.

I don't think he's taken off since he got it.

Seriously.

The band did great.  Their show is fun and cutesy.  

 

< As they prepared to take the field.

> "warm ups"

This place is huge!

from the field...

It was very cool to see band people really get their show

and stand up with their hands over their hearts as the band 

played a portion of the National Anthem.

They looked great.

Jake twisted his ankle during their performance and was exhausted.  I think their 9:00 p.m. lights out was... not followed.  And Jack's feet were hurting.  His shoes were not forgiving on the concrete. 

Not a bad view on Suzy's walk.

The park right next to our hotel was between the Arch and the Old Courthouse.

Our room with a view.

Walking back from lunch...

After a morning full of walking - and sore feet, Jack decided we needed to take the trolley.  

Brian and Jack on the "trolley"

it was just a bus,

we waited longer than we rode,

which was only about six blocks.

(still makes me giggle)

I thought it would be funny having the guys sit together...

and it was.

Unfortunately, most judges don't like fun and cutesy - I think only one did.  There were many dark topic shows - i.e., What if... (what if this or that - what if there was no music, and the entire band put down their instruments and sang.  Ok, that part was cool but...)     We ranked 30th overall.  Not bad.  We were in the top half.  Our new director did the best she could with what she was given.  It will be exciting to see what she does next year. Saturday night we had planned to go to Finals.  The band had planned to go no matter what - either to perform or just watch.  Jack was tired, still fighting foot pains and starting to show symptoms of a cold.  We hadn't gotten him a ticket, so he and Brian decided to hang back at the hotel and watch a bit of college football.  

Annie joined Lisa and I and we walked back to the dome.  The performances were AMAZING! The only bummer was the little boy sitting behind us giving us his commentary.  Play, by play, blow by blow.  He was so excited but SO terribly annoying to Annie.  And after about half a performance his enthusiasm was pushing me close to the edge.  I did my best to channel my sisters loving kindness and asked him between bands to talk very quietly when the bands were performing.  To which his Grandma said, "see, I told you so!"  We did hear a few more comments, "WOW, I get it!"  And he joyfully ran laps after several performances with his little flag flying high.  I found it cute.  Oh how I wish I would have taken his picture. We all agreed he will someday be a flag dude.  Annie never got past annoyed.  (giggle)  We sat fairly close to the band - hoping to grab the boys and avoid a walk to the buses, since they parked were several blocks away in the opposite direction than the hotel.  But no such luck.  We grabbed the boys and headed back.  We gave them the trolley option but it was quickly vetoed.  We returned to find Jack and Brian in the hotel lobby commanding the remote.  (more giggles)  It must have been a pretty darn powerful feeling sitting in a hotel lobby because both of them commented about it and smiled.     

We had breakfast together on Sunday morning before the Pfeiff's headed home.  I had promised both kids they could take some pictures before we left down so we headed to Laclede's Landing.  In one grassy area Annie found a little plastic igloo with blankets, food and kittens nestled inside.  She was so excited.  And they were adorable.

Jack took Suzy for a stroll along the Mississippi.

Then I took one more picture of the Arch before we headed home.

We had a quiet, uneventful trip home. 

We are expecting our first hard freeze tonight.  :-)  

xo