Unfortunately, I knew this was going to happen. As soon as a group of politicians decide to get involved and 'fix' something, it usually spells disaster. Unfortunately, that's true once again.
As I'm sitting here today, I feel a bit as though I'm in mourning. I'm mourning the passing of the EPP (gifted ed) program in Worthington. It's hard to even take in that this has happened in the community of schools we live in. I have a unique perspective, having four children spread out over 18 years. I've seen my oldest two completely through the gifted program in our district and been extremely pleased with the benefits they have received by being able to more fully utilize their gifts by virtue of the program. My just-turned-25 year old would not have almost completed his PhD were it not for the strong Language Arts skills he developed through the EPP program. Now, I sit here devestated that the Language Arts component of the program is being eliminated. To not write this would be a disservice to the numerous teachers of the years who gave so much of themselves teaching my children, providing them with a vast array of literature and writing experiences they never could have experienced within a 'normal' classroom. I am so sad for my school district. There was a time this never would have happened. There was a time we had an administration that fully and completely supported the gifted services department. There was a time we had an administration that understood how vital it is that our brightest and best students be allowed and encouraged (and pushed and nudged) to fully develop their potential so that in the future they could truly be our leaders. There was a time in this district when SWEPP was such a powerful organization of parents supporting gifted education that no administration would have even thought about not supporting gifted ed. Obviously, those times have passed us by. I wonder how many people even care?
I care. I have seen the benefits of gifted education, and I am worried about the fall-out of eliminating the Language Arts program. I've heard the arguments, and honestly? I don't care. I don't care about the money, it could have been found somewhere. With different priorities it would have been. I've heard that the classroom teacher can be in charge of enrichment. I've even talked with our building principal, and while I have a lot of confidence in him that he will work very hard to try and make sure our kids needs are meant, I know it is not possible for it to ever be the same, or even close to what they had. Classroom teachers are supposed to be in charge of enrichment now during the quarters our children are not in Language Arts EPP. In the many, many years I've had children in elementary school, this has rarely happened. Okay, honestly? This is my blog after all, it's NEVER happened. Ever. I know much of the blame for the change lies with the Ohio Legislature, and I am upset with them as well. A group of politicians decides to get involved and 'fix' something, without thinking through the potential consequences. Still, when push comes to shove, this was a local decision, with local consequences, so the bulk of my anger lies with our local administration.
Language Arts development is extremely important. The curriculum that was used in the LA EPP program was very beneficial. I'm frustrated that we do not seem to see a benefit in allowing our brightest and our best to reach their full potential. Being exposed to a broad range of literature, being encouraged to write in many different formats, the skills that were developed are immeasureable. The thinking skills that were developed stay with those kids forever. I'm frustrated that we seem to be spiraling ever downward into a system where only the most struggling students seem to be deemed worthy of resources. So many children, high achieving as well as middle achieving seem to be lost as the bar sinks ever lower. We wring our hands, or choose to ignore the fact that other countries are flying by us regarding the educations of their children, yet we do nothing. Worse, we're actually eroding the education we do offer.
It truly is a sad, sad day in Worthington.
I have 1 husband and 4 kids, 27, 19, 11 and 9...I'll be doing the mom thing forever, hence 4evermom.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Memorial Day PSF
We live in a suburb of a fairly large city. I love that we have every convenience you could want, a wonderful zoo, some good museums, minor league baseball, major league soccer, anything and everything, yet our community retains it's small town feel.
Monday, Rebekah marched in her last Memorial Day parade. Our Memorial Day parade is the largest in Ohio, yet it retains that perfect small town feel.
(These pictures are really out of order, in the interest in not being on the computer forever all the time anymore, I decided not to spend lots of time 'fixing' it.)
This man, who happened to be deaf, walked up to me before the parade began and wanted his picture taken...easy enough. Good thing I took it too, then he wanted to see it. :-)
The OSU Alumni band--they're awesome!
The Shriners brought their clowns, Julianna was completely awestruck.
The Blue Angels flew over. They were fast, this was as good a picture as I could get.
Getting a good viewing spot means getting there EARLY. Uno helped to pass the time.
It's almost time!
The crowds are amazing.
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Monday, Rebekah marched in her last Memorial Day parade. Our Memorial Day parade is the largest in Ohio, yet it retains that perfect small town feel.
(These pictures are really out of order, in the interest in not being on the computer forever all the time anymore, I decided not to spend lots of time 'fixing' it.)
This man, who happened to be deaf, walked up to me before the parade began and wanted his picture taken...easy enough. Good thing I took it too, then he wanted to see it. :-)
The OSU Alumni band--they're awesome!
The Shriners brought their clowns, Julianna was completely awestruck.
The Blue Angels flew over. They were fast, this was as good a picture as I could get.
Getting a good viewing spot means getting there EARLY. Uno helped to pass the time.
It's almost time!
The crowds are amazing.
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
What I wish I could say
I know you will be joining us for a very special day soon. I'm glad that you will, it's very important to the person we're celebrating. In the past however, you came to a very special event for our family. You behaved poorly and ruined the day for all of us. Your behavior was unacceptable. You have never acknowledged that or apologized for it. Again, I will stress, we would like to have you there. Our enthusiasm for that is tempered by the memories of your poor behavior however. We don't want to risk another ruined important family day. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of thing we talk about. Right now it's the elephant in the room. If you're sensing tension, this is why.
Please take a moment to process this. Please hear what I am saying to you. We want you there. We want you to be a part of that special day. It is important to all of us. However, we also want wonderful memories of this day. Please remember who this day is about. Help us build some special memories of this day, help erase the bad memories.
Please take a moment to process this. Please hear what I am saying to you. We want you there. We want you to be a part of that special day. It is important to all of us. However, we also want wonderful memories of this day. Please remember who this day is about. Help us build some special memories of this day, help erase the bad memories.
You Capture--Family
The alternative title for this post should be Why I Love My Husband. Recently, it was one of those weekends where we both had a multitude of things on our to-do lists that just had to get done. Jacob and Julianna were suffering from a serious case of neglect. They wanted some attention, and it was going to be ugly if they didn't get it. I was knee deep in a project and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Mark was just about to start a project that had been nagging him for quite a while and I knew he'd really been looking forward to getting it done.
Instead? He went outside and romped around for a while. Excellent choice! It reminded me so much of why I love my husband. We may not have the neatest yard in the neighborhood all the time. We may not have every project on the honey-do list crossed off (or even started). There are too many things we let slide that perhaps we shouldn't. But, I have to feel in the bigger picture, it matters more that my children will grow up remembering that they had a daddy that put them before to-do lists. That's Why I Love My Husband.
Yes, he does still have a bad back.
Instead? He went outside and romped around for a while. Excellent choice! It reminded me so much of why I love my husband. We may not have the neatest yard in the neighborhood all the time. We may not have every project on the honey-do list crossed off (or even started). There are too many things we let slide that perhaps we shouldn't. But, I have to feel in the bigger picture, it matters more that my children will grow up remembering that they had a daddy that put them before to-do lists. That's Why I Love My Husband.
Yes, he does still have a bad back.Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Who I Want to Be...
All right internets, I'm about ready to raise the white flag. I have finally figured out who I want to be--that's the good news. The bad news? It's not who I am.
I want to be the woman whose house is always straightened, and more likely to be clean, really clean, than not.
I want to be the woman whose gorgeous wood floors are indeed always gorgeous; not the woman whose gorgeous wood floors are most likely covered in dust and fur balls and don't even think about glancing under the piano or other furniture. *shudder*
I want to be the woman who does not have laundry always all over her bedroom--in various states, clean and dirty, sorted and unsorted, folded but not put away. I want to be the woman whose laundry is always caught up, whose hampers never overflow.
I want to be the woman whose bedroom is a sanctuary--neat and tidy, dusted, stuff not piled up all over the dressers, occasional vase of flowers on my nightstand, candle occasionally burning as I relax.
I want to be the woman whose bathrooms are always neat and tidy--no stray hairs all over the counter, no signs a little boy lives there *ahem*, no icky toothbrush or sink slime. What? You don't know toothbrush or sink slime? Count your blessings.
I want to be the woman whose closets are neat and organized not overflowing with items that won't be worn. I want to not buy more than we can store (we have very small closets around here), and to truly embrace the less is more philosophy.
I want my laundry room neatly organized. One whose only counter is not covered in crud we have nowhere else to store--probably a great deal which should just be pitched.
I want to be capable of sorting out and getting rid of toys my kids have outgrown--that's tricky. My kids hate to part with anything. Then, throw in the very real desire to keep some things for Matt & Lily to play with when they're here along with any other grand kids we'll have down the road, plus needing to keep toys for the periods of time I do home childcare, and it is genuinely hard to get rid of things; yet we have a very small house and it's also hard to keep, let alone store, everything.
I want to be the woman who always has cookies in her cookie jar, but has no compulsion to eat them.
I want to be the woman who can find an hour four or five times a week to exercise, who makes it a priority, fits it in, yet can still accomplish all of the above.
That pretty much sums it up. I know who I want to be, the problem is, I have no idea how to get there. Any advice? Commiserators?
I want to be the woman whose house is always straightened, and more likely to be clean, really clean, than not.
I want to be the woman whose gorgeous wood floors are indeed always gorgeous; not the woman whose gorgeous wood floors are most likely covered in dust and fur balls and don't even think about glancing under the piano or other furniture. *shudder*
I want to be the woman who does not have laundry always all over her bedroom--in various states, clean and dirty, sorted and unsorted, folded but not put away. I want to be the woman whose laundry is always caught up, whose hampers never overflow.
I want to be the woman whose bedroom is a sanctuary--neat and tidy, dusted, stuff not piled up all over the dressers, occasional vase of flowers on my nightstand, candle occasionally burning as I relax.
I want to be the woman whose bathrooms are always neat and tidy--no stray hairs all over the counter, no signs a little boy lives there *ahem*, no icky toothbrush or sink slime. What? You don't know toothbrush or sink slime? Count your blessings.
I want to be the woman whose closets are neat and organized not overflowing with items that won't be worn. I want to not buy more than we can store (we have very small closets around here), and to truly embrace the less is more philosophy.
I want my laundry room neatly organized. One whose only counter is not covered in crud we have nowhere else to store--probably a great deal which should just be pitched.
I want to be capable of sorting out and getting rid of toys my kids have outgrown--that's tricky. My kids hate to part with anything. Then, throw in the very real desire to keep some things for Matt & Lily to play with when they're here along with any other grand kids we'll have down the road, plus needing to keep toys for the periods of time I do home childcare, and it is genuinely hard to get rid of things; yet we have a very small house and it's also hard to keep, let alone store, everything.
I want to be the woman who always has cookies in her cookie jar, but has no compulsion to eat them.
I want to be the woman who can find an hour four or five times a week to exercise, who makes it a priority, fits it in, yet can still accomplish all of the above.
That pretty much sums it up. I know who I want to be, the problem is, I have no idea how to get there. Any advice? Commiserators?
Friday, May 22, 2009
Happy Birthday
My baby turns 25 today. Wow. I'm not sure how that happened. I know I'm not 25 years older. :-)
I hope he had a really nice day. I'm looking forward to spending time with him next week. Twenty five. Wow.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Prom PhotoStory Friday
Rebekah recently went to prom. She went with a friend from school, she found a dress that she liked a lot, and she had a really good time. Unfortunately, I was not at the top of my photography game, and the pictures didn't come out the best. I would have liked to have gotten a better one in her dress, a better one of her and Matt together, the flowers, etc. Still, this is what I got, memory captured. :-)
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Please pray
My friend will be having a partial hysterectomy tomorrow. She's discovered she has a breast cancer gene, so she's at higher risk for ovarian cancer. Since that is largely a symptomless disease, she'll be taking the precaution of having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Two weeks later she'll have a preventative mastectomy on her other side. Sometime in the fall she'll have reconstruction. Today, my friend found out her father has pancreatic cancer. As is so often the case with that cancer, it's not looking good. Please pray for my friend, for her father, for her mother, for her husband and for her children. I'll be praying for healing, for peace, for strength. I am so sorry that she has to go through all of this. It's definitely not fair, not right. But, that's how life tends to be. So, I'll be praying for her, and doing whatever I can that might make life just a bit easier. I know she'd appreciate all the prayers she can get.
Eight Things...
I've been tagged! The lovely and talented Tiaras & Tantrums tagged me for the 8 Things Meme. Yeah! I love bright shiny distractions, especially now.
8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Summer! No schedules, no rushing, just relaxing. Okay, it won't quite be like that, but still. :-)
2. Mom's night out tomorrow night with my friends.
3. Meeting a friend an hour away Wednesday for a LONG (2-3 hour!) breakfast.
4. Rebekah getting her driver's license. No, I have no idea when this will happen.
5. Not working next week.
6. Watching Rebekah march in her last Memorial Day parade Monday--okay, I have mixed feelings about this one. I always cry at the Memorial Day parade, (ours is the biggest one in Ohio), this year I'll have another reason for the waterworks--the first of many 'lasts'.
7. Learning to use my camera. (Nikon D80--I'm always up for tips)
8. Picking red, ripe tomatoes off my very own tomato plants. Yum!
Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Learned a new game--Qwirkle--It's awesome!
2. Tried 2 new recipes--Gourmet's Chicken Gyro and Bobby Flay's Chinese Chicken Salad
3. Went to a band concert, on our Village Green to hear Rebekah play.
4. Wrote a blog post for the first time in 2 weeks.
5. Made Jacob a pair of shorts out of awesome Pokemon fabric I bought on Ebay.
6. Had Dairy Queen after the concert.
7. Pulled my last baby's first loose tooth. *sigh*
8. Enjoyed my family.
Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Lose 35 lbs.
2. Enjoy Exercising
3. Stop worrying
4. Win the Lottery!!!
5. Stop spending more than we have
6. Be organized
7. Be one of those people who always has a clean house.
8. Hire someone to clean my house.
Eight Shows I Watch On TV:
1. Property Virgins
2. Income Property
3. Brothers & Sisters
4. Samantha Who
5. The New Adventures of the Old Christine
6. What I Like About You
7. Ultimate Recipe Showdown
8. Next Food Network Star
Okay, I'm supposed to tag 8 people to do this meme. I've never completely left middle school behind (Will they still like me if I tag them? Do I know them well enough to tag them? Is it presumptuous to tag them? Issues people!), so I don't feel comfortable tagging anyone. Yes, this is a bizarre paradox, because I love it when someone tags me (She really likes me!!!) So, if this interests you, consider yourself tagged. Just leave me a comment that you're doing it, so I make sure to check it out.
8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Summer! No schedules, no rushing, just relaxing. Okay, it won't quite be like that, but still. :-)
2. Mom's night out tomorrow night with my friends.
3. Meeting a friend an hour away Wednesday for a LONG (2-3 hour!) breakfast.
4. Rebekah getting her driver's license. No, I have no idea when this will happen.
5. Not working next week.
6. Watching Rebekah march in her last Memorial Day parade Monday--okay, I have mixed feelings about this one. I always cry at the Memorial Day parade, (ours is the biggest one in Ohio), this year I'll have another reason for the waterworks--the first of many 'lasts'.
7. Learning to use my camera. (Nikon D80--I'm always up for tips)
8. Picking red, ripe tomatoes off my very own tomato plants. Yum!
Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Learned a new game--Qwirkle--It's awesome!
2. Tried 2 new recipes--Gourmet's Chicken Gyro and Bobby Flay's Chinese Chicken Salad
3. Went to a band concert, on our Village Green to hear Rebekah play.
4. Wrote a blog post for the first time in 2 weeks.
5. Made Jacob a pair of shorts out of awesome Pokemon fabric I bought on Ebay.
6. Had Dairy Queen after the concert.
7. Pulled my last baby's first loose tooth. *sigh*
8. Enjoyed my family.
Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Lose 35 lbs.
2. Enjoy Exercising
3. Stop worrying
4. Win the Lottery!!!
5. Stop spending more than we have
6. Be organized
7. Be one of those people who always has a clean house.
8. Hire someone to clean my house.
Eight Shows I Watch On TV:
1. Property Virgins
2. Income Property
3. Brothers & Sisters
4. Samantha Who
5. The New Adventures of the Old Christine
6. What I Like About You
7. Ultimate Recipe Showdown
8. Next Food Network Star
Okay, I'm supposed to tag 8 people to do this meme. I've never completely left middle school behind (Will they still like me if I tag them? Do I know them well enough to tag them? Is it presumptuous to tag them? Issues people!), so I don't feel comfortable tagging anyone. Yes, this is a bizarre paradox, because I love it when someone tags me (She really likes me!!!) So, if this interests you, consider yourself tagged. Just leave me a comment that you're doing it, so I make sure to check it out.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Meal Plan
Baby Steps.I figure as I find my way back here, I'd start with my meal plan.
I tried something new today, Bobby Flay's Chinese Chicken Salad. Really, really good. We all enjoyed it very much, which was a surprise to me. I wasn't sure if Mark and I would like it or not, and I definitely didn't expect the kids to enjoy it. It's so nice when something works out like that. :-) Two changes I would recommend: 1. Don't use rotisserie chicken, to us, it was just wrong in the recipe, next time I'll definitely grill chicken breasts instead. 2. I added fried wontons on top. Mmmm. Although next time, I might use chow mein noodles to make the prep that much easier. The dressing was very good, very flavorful and just a hint of a kick.
Monday: Marmalade-Glazed Spareribs, Fried Rice, Pea Pods
Tuesday: Eggs, hash, toast, fruit (Mom's night out)
Wednesday: Chicken Gyros, corn on the cob, watermelon
Thursday: Brats, veggies, chips
Friday: Homemade pizza
Hope things are good with all of you.
Check out more meal plans at Organizing Junkies.
Sorry
I know, it's been a while. Thank you so much for your kind comments and emails checking on me. There isn't a "big" reason why I've been gone, I've just been...paralyzed. All of a sudden, it's become difficult for me to write, knowing that my blog is read by people I know, people that can be affected by what I write. It's made it much harder for me to write whatever I may happen to be feeling, and when I sit down to update my blog, knowing I can't write about whatever might be rattling around in my brain, all of a sudden there's nothing there that I feel as though I can articulate. Make sense? No? Yes? Maybe? Anyway, that's why I haven't been writing. Not a great reason, but there it is. When I'm worried or concerned about something, it becomes all-encompassing, and I can think of little else until I feel like it's resolved. That's where I've been. Sorry. Hopefully this will be the beginning of doing better.
I'll be back soon. I'm working on it.
I'll be back soon. I'm working on it.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Meal Plan
Aack! I've lost my meal planning mojo! Send help.Seriously, doesn't it get so tiring making meal plans? Sometimes I just get sick and tired of trying to decide what we're going to eat. I don't even mind the shopping and the cooking so much, it's just the deciding what to make. Oh well. :-)
Sunday lunch--Gyros, corn on the cob, watermelon
Sunday dinner--Sirloin Tip, Baked Potatoes, Mushrooms & Onions
Monday--Southwestern Chicken Salads
Tuesday--Cinco de Maya Grilled Navajo Tacos, corn on cob, watermelon
Wednesday--BBQ ribs, potato planks, cut up carrots, cauliflower, peppers
Thursday--Grilled Shrimp/Chicken, Giada's Lemon Spaghetti, Green BeansAsparagus
Friday--I'll figure out next week. lol.
Have a great week.
Recap
It's been a lovely few days around here, and I wanted to capture some moments.
Wednesday evening, Rebekah had a jazz band concert. The concert was in tandem with the Central Ohio Theater Organ Society. It was a fundraiser for both groups. It was funny, in the audience you could see a great many jazz band parents and and equally great number of people in their 70's there to enjoy the theater organ. The groups brought in a professional theater organ player and it was one of the few times in history there's been a concert combining the two genre's of music, jazz and theater organ. It was a lot of fun.
Thursday evening we had the district-level awards ceremony for the Reflections competition. You might remember, back in November, we went to an awards ceremony for the elementary school's winners. Well, because Jacob and Julianna did so well, they went on to the District level competition. Julianna won an Honorable Mention. It was absolutely amazing to see the number of kids at the awards ceremony and the amazing talent they represented. It was the first year our district has had entries in all six Reflections categories: Dance, Film, Literature, Music, Photography, and Visual Arts. If you have a PTA in your school I really urge you to get your children involved in the Reflections program. I think it's so good for them to develop their creative side. I know my kids had a lot of fun being involved and are already excited about next year's program and the categories they want to enter. One of Jacob's best buds took first place in Photography for the state of Ohio and goes on to the National competition. Way to go Tommy!
Friday evening, we went to see our high school's production of the show Sing Ho For A Prince. Our theater program is amazing. They do 9-10 shows a year, and in the spring they always do a children's show. They put on 12 performances during the school day for all the local elementary students as well as two evening performances. Because of all the class time that is missed, there are two casts that perform. (I really think our theater teacher, Mrs. Hopton, deserves a medal of valor, she is incredible.) Rebekah was in one of the casts this year, and had a role as one of the elves. She was terrific. It was so much fun to go and watch. She was really, really good. (I know I just said that, but it's my blog. :-)) Julianna got a little frightened, the 'bad' fairy was performed by a girl who was also really, really good. We are truly lucky to have such a hard working team in Mrs. Hopton and her husband who put their heart and soul into our program. What a blessing in these kids lives.
Yesterday, Mark and I attended the wedding of my best friend's daughter. It was truly a beautiful wedding. I'm not sure I have the words to describe it. Alison and Joe both work for Campus Crusade for Christ, and their devotion to Jesus was evident in everything about their
wedding. They truly wanted Jesus to be front and center at the wedding and worked hard towards that goal. Their love and service to God was evident in every touch of the service.
Their love and devotion to each other was also evident. They're a beautiful couple, inside and out, and I hope their love for each other and their love for God can sustain and nurture them all the days of their marriage.
Alison was breath-takingly beautiful in her gown. It was strapless, had a full skirt and gorgeous beading all over. She truly was radient. She and Joe had taken a pledge to wait to be with each other until their wedding day, I think probably a rarity in a couple in their mid-twenties, and their joy and excitement of joining their lives together was palpable.
The bridesmaid's dresses were a solid blue, short, beautiful. The piece de resistance was the shoes. Oh my goodness, gorgeous shoes. They were peep-toed, high heeled (high!) floral pumps. I wish Rebekah could walk in a shoe like that, I'd be them in a heart-beat to go with her prom dress. Truly fun, fabulous shoes.
The reception was beautiful. The staff did a wonderful job of keeping the hors d'oeuvres fresh and plentiful, the DJ was fun and good at his job, the dinner was delicious, not your typical wedding rubber chicken. I was so happy to be sharing such an incredible day, and so happy for my friend that everything went off perfectly. My friend Suzanne looked amazing and I know how very proud and happy for her daughter she was, rightly so.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, enough looking backward, another busy week ahead. Rebekah as another band concert this week, Prom is Saturday, Mother's Day Sunday. Hope you all have a good week ahead of you too.
Wednesday evening, Rebekah had a jazz band concert. The concert was in tandem with the Central Ohio Theater Organ Society. It was a fundraiser for both groups. It was funny, in the audience you could see a great many jazz band parents and and equally great number of people in their 70's there to enjoy the theater organ. The groups brought in a professional theater organ player and it was one of the few times in history there's been a concert combining the two genre's of music, jazz and theater organ. It was a lot of fun.
Thursday evening we had the district-level awards ceremony for the Reflections competition. You might remember, back in November, we went to an awards ceremony for the elementary school's winners. Well, because Jacob and Julianna did so well, they went on to the District level competition. Julianna won an Honorable Mention. It was absolutely amazing to see the number of kids at the awards ceremony and the amazing talent they represented. It was the first year our district has had entries in all six Reflections categories: Dance, Film, Literature, Music, Photography, and Visual Arts. If you have a PTA in your school I really urge you to get your children involved in the Reflections program. I think it's so good for them to develop their creative side. I know my kids had a lot of fun being involved and are already excited about next year's program and the categories they want to enter. One of Jacob's best buds took first place in Photography for the state of Ohio and goes on to the National competition. Way to go Tommy!
Friday evening, we went to see our high school's production of the show Sing Ho For A Prince. Our theater program is amazing. They do 9-10 shows a year, and in the spring they always do a children's show. They put on 12 performances during the school day for all the local elementary students as well as two evening performances. Because of all the class time that is missed, there are two casts that perform. (I really think our theater teacher, Mrs. Hopton, deserves a medal of valor, she is incredible.) Rebekah was in one of the casts this year, and had a role as one of the elves. She was terrific. It was so much fun to go and watch. She was really, really good. (I know I just said that, but it's my blog. :-)) Julianna got a little frightened, the 'bad' fairy was performed by a girl who was also really, really good. We are truly lucky to have such a hard working team in Mrs. Hopton and her husband who put their heart and soul into our program. What a blessing in these kids lives.
Yesterday, Mark and I attended the wedding of my best friend's daughter. It was truly a beautiful wedding. I'm not sure I have the words to describe it. Alison and Joe both work for Campus Crusade for Christ, and their devotion to Jesus was evident in everything about their
wedding. They truly wanted Jesus to be front and center at the wedding and worked hard towards that goal. Their love and service to God was evident in every touch of the service.Their love and devotion to each other was also evident. They're a beautiful couple, inside and out, and I hope their love for each other and their love for God can sustain and nurture them all the days of their marriage.
Alison was breath-takingly beautiful in her gown. It was strapless, had a full skirt and gorgeous beading all over. She truly was radient. She and Joe had taken a pledge to wait to be with each other until their wedding day, I think probably a rarity in a couple in their mid-twenties, and their joy and excitement of joining their lives together was palpable.
The bridesmaid's dresses were a solid blue, short, beautiful. The piece de resistance was the shoes. Oh my goodness, gorgeous shoes. They were peep-toed, high heeled (high!) floral pumps. I wish Rebekah could walk in a shoe like that, I'd be them in a heart-beat to go with her prom dress. Truly fun, fabulous shoes.
The reception was beautiful. The staff did a wonderful job of keeping the hors d'oeuvres fresh and plentiful, the DJ was fun and good at his job, the dinner was delicious, not your typical wedding rubber chicken. I was so happy to be sharing such an incredible day, and so happy for my friend that everything went off perfectly. My friend Suzanne looked amazing and I know how very proud and happy for her daughter she was, rightly so.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, enough looking backward, another busy week ahead. Rebekah as another band concert this week, Prom is Saturday, Mother's Day Sunday. Hope you all have a good week ahead of you too.
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