A Soloist.

My time is so precious {and so limited} these days, it's hard to find a moment to post, but I had to give a quick shout out to my dearest running-my-feet-off-keeping-me-hopping youngest child because I am so proud of her.

She's already had two (2) choir concerts this year - the first was right before Fall Break. Mar is in the "non-audition" choir (reminder about how I love that phrase here). 

LHS has their choir concerts at a great and spacious large church in our community. It has all the bells and whistles for a rockin'-out good show. It's pretty darn cool. The choirs also sing a whole lot 'o Christian songs, for which I am so so happy, thanks to a devoutly Christian choir director. I'm impressed that in this day and age of anti-religion and the you-can't-leave-anyone-out mindset, our school still manages to allow it.

Because I'm new {again} to this choir business, I wasn't sure where the best place to sit would be. I asked Mar what side she was standing on, she told me the left, so we sat left. 

Things I've learned (that I forgot I had already learned): if your child is standing on the left, you want to sit on the right so as to actually see her face (vs the side of her head). There are cameramen in contraptions that move around to get different angles and shots of the choir to concurrently display on the dual jumbo-trons, but left was also the least filmed side. Live and learn.

We started a tradition last year in middle school of going to Kneaders with the Hawleys for a treat after each concert. Mar and Christina, of course, wanted to continue the tradition.


Mar's second concert was this past Monday. The choir director doesn't like to hold them in the middle of the holidays, so the Wintersong concert is always at the beginning of November.
Mar tried out for one of the three solo spots and got one! She had tried out for a solo for the first concert and hadn't made it, but she had such a great attitude. She told me she was going to keep trying out, even if she never got a solo, just so Mr. Stroman would get to know her and her voice better (for those try-out choirs coming up next year). When trying out, you have to sing in front of the whole class, so it's not necessarily an easy thing.

I volunteered to be a ticket taker, which also allowed me to save a couple of seats for Bill and I. And for this concert, I knew where to sit.

Nice job, Mar!

This week Mar also started swim practices (Mon-Fri), is gearing up for a piano duet recital in less than two weeks, and starting drivers ed classes this month. I'm telling you, taxiing her around will be the death of me.

I'd better run - Britt and Scarlett are coming on Saturday (YAY!) and I have a lot o' work to get done.

Post post: Taylor was offered an internship this summer here in Denver!!!! He and Lynnea will be living with us from April to August. After graduation, Lex and Jason may be heading out this way, too! All my wildest dreams ARE coming true!

A Quick Halloween Recap.

Just wanted to quickly recap our Halloween festivities around these parts.

Mar dressed up as a zombie for LHS's trick-or-treat activity on Thursday.
The swim team decorated a room and their theme was.... Zombies, of course.

The shirt Mar is wearing is the same shirt Taylor wore for his 5th grade zombie program at Fox Hills Elementary, saved for such a time as this haha.

... a little blood... and ratted hair... completed the effect.

Friday night was our ward's Fall Festival, and Mar dressed up as Flo from Progressive. Funny enough, another couple in our ward came as Flo and Jake from State Farm.

Mar invited her friend Lauren to come... Bill couldn't resist a few photo bomb ops.

I did not dress up. Bill wore his Captain America shirt. It's the best we could muster this year {wink}.

The ward party was a smashing success, and the costumes were awesome, as usual. 

Here are just a few of the participants:

For Halloween night, Mar and some of her friends had decided to do a group costume.

Let me tell you, there is a whole lot o' texting required in a group of six (6) to agree on exactly WHAT that group costume should be. Finally it was decided to go the "Chick Magnet" route. The girls made their tutus and shopped for boas and shirts online. Lauren and Mar hunted down some orange lipstick for their little pouty chick beaks. They all turned out supa cute.

The "magnet" pic:

The whole purpose of a creative group costume is, of course, for posting to social media.

Thus everyone can like and comment on how wonderfully creative and awesome you all are.

As we were snapping pics, I couldn't resist getting one of the beautiful skyscape that evening... blue and orange, Bill noted... predicting a good outcome for the Broncos on Sunday (we are, as you know, a HUGE Broncos fam!). 

Bill quickly donned a wig (we didn't think the shirt would qualify as a "costume"), and took this bunch of chicks and their magnet to Chipotle for $3 burritos. The workers there took pics and said it was the best costume(s) they'd seen all day. Afterwards they went trick-or-treating to nearby homes, then headed to Cass's house for a movie (which didn't end up happening due to technical difficulties) and to chillax. Since the Sisters have commandeered our basement, we are currently unable to supply the party house.

Thanks to that social media flood, I can also share a few pics of my other chidlets enjoying the holiday:

Read about Lolo's first European Halloween here.

Today I am tearing down the Halloween and gearing up for THANKSGIVING. Before I do, however, I had to snap quick pics of my masked picture wall. I've done this once before a few years back, and LOVE it! As you walk by the pictures, it's almost like the eyes move. Such a cheap and easy ("easy" could be subjective, here - those tiny masks are pretty tricky to measure, cut, and tape!) decoration that always make me smile :-)

Halloween 2015... historified.