Marching band 2024

 In the heat and sun, my two teenage girls began marching band practice at the end of July. They just finished their season this past weekend, and it wasn't too, too cold here in Colorado! It was about 50 degrees for a low, which was lovely! It didn't snow at the state championships but it was windy. 

This year my husband and I rode the students' bus as chaperones. It was the first year that we had done so, and it was GREAT! We were pleasantly surprised at the kids' manners, the noise level was not too bad, and we were able to watch movies! We saw "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (haven't seen that one for a while!),  "Rise of the Guardians," and then on the way home we saw "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean." Our 15-year-old daughter sat behind us with a friend. 

We stayed in a different hotel than usual, and it was a good experience. We quickly learned our way around and got acclimated to it. The continental breakfast was comparable. We slept well, and it was pretty quiet even though there were 80 kids in the building!

After a practice at a local church, the marching band performed in the quarter-finals and earned 7th place, one-tenth of a point above another band from our town. The following day, they performed in the semi-finals and earned 8th place, which was high enough so that they could perform in finals that evening. Last year the finals were canceled, so they were excited to be able to perform in them this year.

That evening, our band played in the finals competition and again earned 8th place. It was a great experience for the whole band. I felt bad for one student who ended up sick with the flu. We are so proud of all of the students, and our daughters for performing well and giving their best to the team. There were many tears after the final performance of the year, especially for all of the seniors, which was about 25 kids! Our older daughter is a senior and said that she wants to perform in the marching band in college!

We missed having Joshua's mom and sister attend with us, but medical problems got in the way for them this fall. We will hopefully travel together again with them next fall. Maybe our son will come with us too.

Enjoy the pictures!

daughter (middle) with friends

two daughters together, one mellophone and one synthesizer

Love these two so, so much! I'm glad that I get to be their mom.💙💙

showing the glitter on her face

Enjoying some performances and awards together

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

Drums lined up

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

My hubby with me and our younger daughter

Lunch and water all lined up

Older daughter and friend

practicing at a church parking lot

Goodie bags all lined up

Front ensemble/pit performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

We will miss the marching band performances for the rest of this year, but there are still a few pep band nights at football games and two parades this fall.

What are your kids involved in? I'd enjoy hearing about it!

Ephesians 2:8-9 
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Numbers 10:9
When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.

Psalm 150:4-6

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the Lord.

My dad's birthday (without him)

 My Dad's birthday was last Sunday. It was the first birthday we celebrated since he passed away in early May. I had dreaded the day for a month. I made plans of ways to honor him after church. I wasn't even sure that I wanted to attend church that day, but I did. It was a nice service, but the Advent Sunday theme was joy. Deep down I had joy, but I wasn't necessarily very happy. I wanted to see my Dad, hug him, give him a gift, and eat cake together. There was no cake, only flowers that we bought for his grave.

After church, we ate lunch and rested for an hour and a half or two hours. Then we picked up my mom and drove across town to the cemetery. We placed red carnations on his grave, hugged and cried. There were more gravestones there than when we saw it last. Wreaths across America had placed wreaths on all of the grave sites before we were there. It was really pretty to see them all lined up. There was a penny on the grave marker, showing that someone had visited. I don't know who, but it warmed my heart a little. My mom cried a lot, she misses my dad so much. We all do, he left quite a hole in our lives. It has only been seven and 1/2 months of learning to live without him.

We left the cemetery and went to a church service in our town called, "Blue Christmas." It was a simple service for those who have lost loved ones. There were about 75 people there, we sang a few Christmas carols, a pastor gave a 15-minute or so message, and we lit candles. There was a slideshow of pictures (we submitted one) and we sang "Silent Night" with a guitarist in the glow of candlelight. It was just right, very comforting, slow, and gentle. We could pray with a church leader after the service if we wanted. My mom cried a lot. She prayed with the pastor after the service. Later she said that she enjoyed it.

It is very strange to buy someone a birthday gift for your whole life, and then BAM! They are gone, and all you have are memories, and pictures. I missed my Dad something fierce that day. As I've said before, I was a Daddy's girl. I could talk to him about nearly anything that I wanted. My life has less of a spark, seems a little hollow at times. I loved him so much. Sometimes I can hardly believe he is gone. I am learning to accept the fact that there is an ache in my heart that will never totally go away. I wish I could hug him one more time. 

Genesis 12:1
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

Psalm 68:5
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Jeremiah 49:11
‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.’”

Independence Day 2022 highlights*

 We had another fabulous, fun Fourth of July holiday. We kept calling it a weekend because it felt like one, but actually, it was Sunday- Tuesday. The 4th of July was on a Monday, so we left to travel an hour south on Sunday after church. We changed clothes, ate lunch, and hit the road! Caleb's girlfriend Lindsey got to come with us this year, which made us miss our oldest daughter and her husband a little less. We enjoyed cousin/ family time, the parade, water fights, ate well, listened to "A Girl Named Tom" band and saw the fireworks. It was a long day, but oh so enjoyable!

We love our annual family "porch pictures!" Silly one...

Everyone pointing...

Squishy faces...

And a nice one!

Ready for the parade to start...

Girls and their Nana...

Ready for the water fights... Bethany and I were there too! We got wetter this year!

At the parade...

The crew who went to see the water fights!

"A Girl named Tom" onstage... they were great!

Playing on the Nintendo Switch!

Problems with being tall at an old house...

Kids sleeping on the way back to Auntie's house...

Cuties!!

Ready for the fireworks to begin!

It was an extra special day to celebrate our country's independence. Lindsey was a trooper since she was still recovering from knee surgery that she had in May. She stood a lot at the parade and water fights, but she said she had a great time! We love our family!! We do a lot of chatting, catching up and laughing together. The time together is always too short.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Sparks Studios VBS

 We have our VBS this week, and we are so excited about it! Our theme this year is "Sparks Studios". The theme is all arts-related, including drawing, painting, cartoons, drama, music, dance, poetry, pottery, photography, and more. Our decorations crew did a great job planning it all out, gathering supplies, and getting it decorated in a neat way. I think our church sanctuary looks amazing!

God called me to be the co-director (with our children's pastor) again this year, and we began meeting at the end of February to start planning. We met 6 or 7 times to plan who to recruit for volunteers, the t-shirts we wanted to order, the pre-registration process, and more.

We always divide the kids into 4 groups, and this year we divided them into four sub-groups too. It has worked well so far, but the first day is always a little bit jumbled. 

I helped write out the poetry for this board, and my daughters helped put up shiny gems.

I helped with this sign by making the camera...

I helped hang up the music notes and clefs...I love the shiny paper on the sparks coming out on the top!

I found this online, traced it onto poster board, and colored it in. It turned out nicely, I think!

It is really cool to see something that you have been planning and thinking about come to fruition. It's almost like a dream! God has been good to us by blessing up with over 100 volunteers this year and over 240 kids... It's the most we have ever had. He is really showing up and showing off... it is exciting to be a part of it all!

Are you involved in helping with a VBS this year? Are your kids attending one? If so, is it Spark Studios too? I'd enjoy hearing about it!

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

Psalm 104:24
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”