Mallory's graduation!

 Our daughter Mallory graduated from the local high school a few weeks ago. She attended public high school for her final year as she had been home schooled and attended a charter school the other years of high school. She did very well, made some new friends and got really good grades! She enjoyed her teachers and classes. She even graduated Magna Cum Laude! 

We are so proud of her and all that she has overcome in the past few years. She has dealt with some physical and mental illnesses, and had a spiritual crisis at one point. But she came back to God and has been feeling really well. I'm so thankful for her life, her fun personality and her beauty inside & out.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mallory with me and my husband at Baccalaureate 

Showing off her cap with a quote from "Fine, Fine Life" by For King and Country

Pretty dress and shoes

Mallory with her Nana

Mallory with her Auntie

Me, Mallory and Joshua

Me, Mallory, Joshua and Bethany before the ceremony

Being silly with her cousin after the ceremony

Photo by the school district of Mallory signing "I love you," which we were signing to her!

Mallory and a young friend from youth group

Mallory and two friends from school

Mallory and her band teacher

Grandma (my mom), me, Joshua, Mallory, Bethany, Savannah (Caleb's girlfriend) and Caleb after the ceremony. Her Nana and Auntie were there too.

It was a wonderful (but windy) evening, and we enjoyed celebrating our girl with a party a few days before. There was also a graduation Sunday at our church when we celebrated even more! She had a table set up there with memorabilia from her high school years and from younger years too.

Congratulations, Mallory!

Her favorite verse:
Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Marching band fall 2021

 Our 9th-grade daughter Mallory decided to participate in Marching Band this fall. We had always enjoyed it when our son had been involved in the marching band. They began practice at the end of July and did so until school began. It was a lot of driving her to the high school each day, but she enjoyed it so, so much. She made new friends, rekindled old friendships, worked hard, and learned a LOT!

They performed in the half-time show of the football games several times. These photos are of them warming up before the first game.

She colored her hair blue for the fall, and it made it easier to find her with her shako hat on!

The band at a local performance...

We loved their PVC box props!

They performed in the local homecoming parade/ fall festival parade...

A pretty sunset while marching during football halftime...

At another football game, I think...

It got so cold that night in the stands, we were glad we had an umbrella when it began to rain!

At our regional competition to qualify for state finals...

I love seeing their moves and pauses...

We made it to the state finals... this was the morning before their performance, practicing at another high school in the same town as the finals competition. (below)

Performing at 2:00 for the first time in semi-finals... they did great!

They performed again later that evening under the lights...

I think that is our girl in front of the pruple box...

We loved getting to have family come and cheer on our girl!

Mallory came over and said hi to the family, and enjoyed seeing her cousin-friends that came to see her performance. Love those smiles!

I'm glad that she enjoyed her first year of marching band. There will be one more football game (pep band only) and a few more parades to march in, but no more performances. She will join the high school swim team soon!

Have you ever had a child in marching band? Did you enjoy your experience?

Numbers 10:28
This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

Deuteronomy 20:10
When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.

Joshua 6:3-4
March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.

Mallory's 15th birthday!

 We had a great birthday party at our home recently, to celebrate our daughter Mallory turning 15! She decided to have a "Psych" (tv show) theme. We printed some cards from the internet and Pinterest for decorations. Her grandpa gave her a Psych themed blanket, so we hung that for decorations. We got pineapples for decorations and for the cupcakes. It was fun to have family and friends join us for the evening.

Our chips/ buffet table with the blanket hanging up...not shown are the delicious tacos that we ate!

Our cupcakes with pineapples on top...

Opening gifts... she got a Psych mug...

Opening another gift...

Ooh, a comfy sweathshirt from her sister...

A pretty LuLaRoe dress from Mom and Dad...

A pile of giggly girls... friends from marching band...

Happy birthday to you, dear Mallory... hip, hip, hooray!

Sure love this girl! She is growing up... already taking driver's education... oh my!

Leviticus 23:6
On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.

Isaiah 38:5
“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

"Concert season"

We joke in our family about having "seasons" of different things. In the fall, there are a large number of birthdays in our family and my husband's family, so we call it "birthday season." Since we have had a group of concerts lately between our four kids, we've been calling it, "Concert Season." 

My son had a "jazz jam" concert with his high school band, and other jazz bands in nearby schools. If you look VERY carefully, he's the tall drummer in the back.

My daughter sang at her boyfriend's oboe recital. It was lovely!

Our daughter sang in an opera of "Little Red Riding Hood." We liked the rhyming lyrics and the fun story line.

Our audience at the opera... what a great crew!

Our family after the opera performance...

One of our daughter's final vocal perfomances... she finally was able to direct a choir piece! Also, a violin

professor that was injured played again. We loved it!

This was a very cool outdoor performance, called "Prism." It included all of the music department, the choir, violinists, soloists, small ensembles, large groups, choirs, bands, the smaller marching band, orchestra, etc., They all did a great job performing and we got to sit in the middle! At the end, they did a big finale all together~ WOW!!

Below is the choir singing in the finale...

The very next evening, our son had a jazz band concert, and then our daughter had a jazz ensemble concert that she sang in... both very fun to listen to!

Our daughter Mallory had an 8th grade band concert too!

Our oldest daughter had her college senior recital and it was so wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I relaxed and I was very impressed how far she has come in her singing abilities. She sang several songs in foreign languages, had to prepare weeks ahead of time, she had to prepare the program, advertise, encourage people to buy (free) tickets, etc., Her pianist was excellent, her boyfriend played oboe with her again, and her dear friend sang a fun piece with her from "City of Angels."

It was a godly performance, and the highlights for me were the last two songs. One was "I shall not want," by Audrey Assad, which I was not familiar with. The next one was "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman. She did a beautiful job singing each song. I was so happy and excited for her that it went well.

I am so glad that we are able to be there to listen and celebrate each of these wonderful kids and their performances. I know that they have worked hard to learn the music and performing is so good for them. We are looking forward to a few more concerts in May, including our youngest daughter's 6th grade band concert. So glad we can applaud each one. We are thankful for their teachers and professors who have guided and worked with them.

1 Chronicles 6:31
The Temple Musicians: These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there.

Ezra 7:7
Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

Nehemiah 11:23
The musicians were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.