Katriel will be in the Fountain Inn First Baptist Church’s production of, “We Like Sheep,” in a few weeks. And today they sang a song from their show for the congregation. I am so grateful for these opportunities, and I love helping out Mrs. Jessi, and Mrs. Carrie as an assistant.
productions
Winter Jam 2023
Tab sat with some friends, and Katriel stayed home with Nan.
We barely got there in time, and yet we got there at the perfect moment. It was JUST as they opened the doors for the HIS Radio More Than Music Partners (monthly donors) to go in just five minutes before the main opening. We slid right in the door and grabbed seats we liked. About 25 minutes later friends found us and joined us. Kevin and Shannon moved here about a year before we did, but they live about 40 minutes west of us. I haven’t seen Shannon since LAST Winter Jam.
AND – remarkably enough. In a venue of THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS, our friend Jeff was in the section directly behind us. So cool.
Many artists. It was a wonderful night of worship.
CCHA Fall Project Night
Wouldn’t you know, our American Heritage Girls Operation Christmas Child box backing party AND Tab’s CCHA Fall Project Night fell on the same date.
Daddy went with the other girls and I went with Tab.
Tab’s drama class shared a short play about the Ballerina of Auschwitz.
She now has a 6 week break from co-op!
MUSIC MAN!–one year later!
It was over a year ago Johanna found out she was cast as Eulalie Shinn for the Home School Christian Theater Club production of the Music Man.
Then – blah – blah – blah – Zoom – Mask – toilet paper – time to go back.
Or something like that.
We had fun with the 1920’s hair.
She had fun being the campy mayor’s wife.
We LOVED being around our friends. Our people. Our like-minded peers.
(whom we are moving away from? – ouch.)
SO SPECIAL.
She had to wear a mask, but these kids were more than able to emote.
There was MUCH less parental involvement this time, and that kind of worked at this stage of life.
We also had a FANTASTABULOUS time at the after show party Sunday.
And we cried all the way home.
Frozen Jr.
Johanna had the opportunity to participate in a stage production of Frozen Jr.
Now, when I first saw the email in March with the big kids in the Finney show, FCWC on the horizon, and my responsibilities for standardized testing looming over me, my finger went directly into “Swipe that Email Away” mode and just as I started the swipe that would have eliminated One More Thing on my calendar, I hesitated, imagining how much Johanna would enjoy doing a show.
And here we are. It’s showtime.
The practices were just just once a week. It was a long 2.5 hours each Thursday up to Webster and back, but manageable as only a 11-week commitment.
She ended up with a handful of small roles that allowed her lots of songs and choreography and costumes.
Townsperson one
Townsperson boy
Summer chorus
Hidden folk
She owned every minute and we all rejoiced in seeing her on stage.
A mountain top weekend.
Some seasons, we find ourselves in the valleys of life; we walk through hard places and experience painful refining.
Other times we are wholly on top of the mountain, just basking in all that is good and joy-filled and life-giving.
On Friday afternoon, it suddenly dawned on me as I dropped off my boys at the Charles Finney School that I was having a mountain-top weekend.
For starters, Marie, Tabitha and Johanna were performing in the church’s production, “Who Can He Be?” This is the same production our church did in 2012 and 2013. I was able to participate in 2012, and John participated in 2013. Marie and Tabitha were also in both of those shows, albeit as markedly younger performers. This time around, both are part of the adult ensemble and had much larger roles.
The boys and I were able to go to the dress rehearsal on Wednesday, March 21st, and I was able to watch a second time on Thursday, March 22nd.
I was blown away by the musical. Though I had been in it in 2012, I had never watched the entire production from start to finish. My sister, Kelly, also played the woman at the well.
My joy would have been complete if that was where it ended.
Oh boy – that’s only half the story.
Since December, Stewart and Nigel have been practicing at the Charles Finney School to be part of their production, “Acts – A City Rising,” a modern retelling of the book of Acts.
Stewart was cast as Saul of Tarsus/Paul, and Nigel was cast as Isaac, a zealous defender of God and persecutor of Christians.
As I dropped them off for their cast call on Friday and hurried home to get the girls ready for their performance and over to the church it dawned on me how this is the kind of joy-filled weekend I had to hang on to. Remembering just how abundantly we were blessed for this weekend should constantly remind me of how God loves us. My kids – my HOMESCHOOLED kids – get to be part of fabulous, Godly stage productions. How cool is that?
I could blow up the internet with images of the boys’ production. They put in almost 100 hours of rehearsal. Stewart met with Mr. Carl Wager many, many times as Mr. Wager helped him advance his singing abilities. I had no idea the treat I was in for as my son sang triumphantly as he conveyed Saul/Paul’s life.
As the boys and I left the production Friday evening, they asked if I had cried at the end. I confessed I had not and they were disappointed. Truth-be-told, I think I was in shock. I believe it wasn’t until after the third production that I truly grasped the full story; until that point I think I was just absorbing, “Those are my handsome boys! There are my handsome boys!”
I feel like I know the apostles so much better after this show. And I am in awe even more of how much God loves us and how He grew the church. I can barely express how moved I was by this musical. What is more, I can barely express how generous God is.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
There was co-op.
A lot of driving.
To and from Toto.
Kids to and from buildings.
A video camera for Economics class.
Piano lessons. Chocolate brownies. Ibuprofen.
And – I want to remember every moment of it, because it was one of the happiest days of my life.
The day I lived in my car
or something like that.
We had a tremendous wind storm in the area last week. Power was out for days for many people (we never lost it ourselves). Schools were cancelled. The kids missed two rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz.
By Monday life was ready to be all back on track.
Or was it?
Monday morning as John and I were trying to hammer out the schedules and comings and goings of the kids for the upcoming week, Stewart innocently asked about how I got involved in some things. I outlined how moms and dads end up almost as involved as their kids in many of the kids’ activities.
I had no idea.
Within an hour of that conversation I received a facebook message asking if since I lived close to the mall, could I head down there in the morning to get some adverting down. I said I could after I took Stewart down to FLCC.
As Stewart drove to FLCC I received this text.
This was the beginning of a oft-repeated trip to help transport “Toto” and her owner to and from rehearsal. (Was an honor to drive BOTH of them.)
After going back to FLCC to pick up Stewart and somehow get through a bunch of school, I picked up “Toto,”
dropped the girls off at Nan’s, and got the other kids over to Finney for rehearsal. It was my day to help watch some of the younger actors. But I did have to meet John in Henrietta to drop off the “new” red car for some warranty work.
I happened to overhear the musical director say they needed someone to pick up the sound equipment in Henrietta.
It ended up being 0.1 miles from the car dealership.
I grabbed the equipment and grabbed a soda.
(Never order a large!!)
John met me to drop off the red car, and then we headed back to Finney to drop off the sound equipment. We then went to get the two little girls from Nan’s and get them home. I headed back to Finney to help more and then we took Toto and her owner home.
Lots more rehearsals to come this week…
SO blessed to be a part of this musical opportunity!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
It was nothing short of God’s great love for us that Stewart, Nigel, and Marie got to be part of this fantastic production.
Friday night John, Tabitha, and Johanna went to the show.
Saturday afternoon, after Tabitha, Johanna and Katriel had their last swim lesson, Tabitha and I went to see the production. I then ran Tabitha over to the church where John was taking a class and I went back to get the performers for a pizza lunch at Cam’s. It was excellent! And yes, the kids DID wear their make-up to the restaurant!
Then on Sunday John, Tabitha, Johanna, and I went to see it again. I was so sad that it was our final opportunity to see this amazing show.
Part of the beautiful supporting cast. These girls logged in countless hours riding in the car back and forth to Finney.
Hanny wanted to meet the characters!
I was a planner/helper for the cast party. It was such a great time.
The whole entire thing was a blessing from start to finish. To God be the glory!
Dayspring Disciples 