Sing, Swim, Sadies, Sayonara.

Mar has been keeping herself busy the past month, so I thought I would do a quick update lest I forget what she's been up to.

On January 27, one of the choirs Mauri participates in {Mirinesse} performed at the CMEA (Colorado Music Educators Association) Conference at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. I'm new here (haha), but I've been told that this is a great honor, as only 8 (I think) choirs are invited to perform each year, and you can only be invited every three years. This particular year, two of CV's choirs were selected: Mirinesse (the lowest level audition women's choir at the school, made up primarily of sophomores and juniors), and Voices of the Pride (a mixed choir, and highest level of audition choir at CV).

Bill and I could only stay for Mirinesse's performance, but they were seriously
A.MAZ.ING.

(These were my sneaky pictures because I don't think we were supposed to take any haha. Bill and I had actually acquired the front row seats by stratagem, only to have CV's other choir director ask us to move so he, his daughter, and the principal could sit there. Dang. We could have had the front seats on the other side of the aisle and NOT have been asked to move. With all our strategizing, we did not see that coming.)

Mirinesse did sign language to their final song (above pic).

I loved the variety of songs they performed.

Here's the whole program:

Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe 

(East African Kenya Worship Song - Celebration of Life)

And Nature Smiled

Ouvres tes yeux bleus 

Libertango

The Blessing

Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down

There was (of course) absolutely NO RECORDING of the performance, so Bill and I purchased a DVD ($$$), and I am excited to watch it again once we get it.

We also had the opportunity to purchase pictures... but I think the ones Bill and I snapped are perfectly sufficient (I was so glad we were "allowed" to take our own haha).

This has been my favorite choir this year (no bias!... I think) and I am so glad Mauri had the opportunity to participate in the whole CMEA experience. On our drive home, Bill and I discussed how we've observed, through our many many years of supporting children in their varied activities in high school, what a difference a director... a teacher... a coach makes. The success of the whole seems to be in direct relation to the expectations, efforts, and quality of the leader. Just saying.


On February 2nd, Mar had her final swim meet, not only of the season, but most likely of her life.
She got to swim in the A League meet, and swam the 100Free and in three relays.
She did awesome.

I'm proud of her sticking with it, and we have hopes of her possibly lettering, although I've been informed that such things are not necessarily as prominent in today's BYU application (there's been some changes, I hear, since our last application process 4 - or was it 5? - years ago). Whatever the end result, it was a good learning experience, and growth is necessary for progression, right? I can say that I won't miss sitting endless hours on hard cement benches (or tiny metal bleachers) in a crowded, steamy room smelling of chlorine. On a quick side note, her swim coach ("Profe") was named the 5A Coach of the Year, and her County Co-op team placed 10th overall at state. Impressive!


Sadies was coming up, so Mar set to work on asking her favorite boy to the dance.
Themed around The Office (which, sadly... or not, I know little about. I've watched a few episodes, I may have laughed a couple of times, but I've just never been able to get into it).

Mar tried to explain it to me... it just went over my head haha.
I was impressed with her Cricut-cutting hot-glue-gunning skills, though.

Those letters are on a stapler, btw. It's hard to see through all that green.

The next day she had arranged with Gavin's mom to stop by while he was out running an errand, and she presented herself (as Dwight), the poster, and the jello to him upon his return.

After a lot of confusing coordination going on about the actual plans for the dance, it was finally decided that we would host dinner at our house.

Fast forward to February 3rd and the dance.

(Nicki, Mar, Ashley)

This time Bill and I did not plan to go with the group as they took pictures.
Because we live in Castle Rock, now, and apparently that isn't what Castle Rock parents do.

Once they were finished with dinner they headed to the dance, and Bill and I cleaned up.

After the dance, they went ice-blocking, then came back to our house to have hot chocolate and "start" a movie. By this time it was past midnight, and there were only three of the initial group of six left standing. Around 1:30, after texting Mar a few times with no result, I sent Bill down to send everyone home. We had Stake Conference the following day, and had to be up much earlier for church than our usual 1pm time.
May I interject, parenting is EXHAUSTING.

Overall, I think it was a success.
But that's just coming from the person that cooked, cleaned up, set up, cleaned up {again}, and stayed up.


The weeks following Sadies have been a bit of a roller coaster.
After several discussions, it is the consensus at our house to say SAYONARA to boyfriending.

We do, however, still "friend." Haha.

Separating the two has been tricky, but, according to one of my favorite prophets {Gordon B. Hinckley}, "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is... It will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future."

Mar had a Walmart Scavenger Hunt double date on Saturday, and in her efforts to wrangle up a date for her friend that night, got herself another date for Valentines Day.
At least she's not lonely.