The cast party

 First things first -
 My Mom and Dad leave for India tomorrow. Dad goes every year, so sending him off, while still a prayer request because it is a long journey, isn't quite so traumatic. But Mom, Mom doesn't go as often. Now that she has been struggling with so much pain, and balance and has her cane - traveling across the world is a little more stressful.
 But, Dad has hope in a therapy there in India. Along with his usual support of the ministry he has always been involved with, visiting the people they love and bringing supplies that are needed, he is bringing Mom to see a specialist for a bit of homeopathic medicine.
 Please, pray for safety while traveling. Pray for comfort in the plane, since Mom hurts all the time anyway - I can promise you that sitting in a plane for 13  hours isn't the best thought! Most of all, pray that a different doctor looking at her MRI will see something new, and let God work through his therapy to heal her completely.
 Thanks~

 Now, on to a recap of a very fun afternoon.
 The cast party for Anne of Green Gables. Act 1 is made up of youth, mostly 12-20. Younger siblings are often invited to participate, and some of the older students who have "graduated" still come back and make a guest appearance. But the majority of the cast are usually teens. Ah, teenagers.
 Pizza -

 Loud music -

I purposely took a picture of the proud mom taking a picture of her son.
Someday, that will probably be me. 

 Dancing -

What more could you want? 

 The musicians were actually playing their first "gig". Adam, the guitarist, was in the play. 

He was jamming, and the kids were playing around. Canaan was joining in, very enthusiastically. 

 Flips, Sliding across the floor on his knees (no wonder I can't keep a pair of jeans without holes!) playing the air guitar. 

Canaan and his friend True were having a blast!

For the closing song they played the theme song to Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Canaan came up to me, his heart pounding, his eyes tearing up. 

I thought he must have sprained his ankle doing some crazy dance move - 

Instead, I hear, "Mom, this is just the coolest thing EVER!!!". 

Cool enough to bring him to tears. 

And he is only 7 (and a half, as I am often reminded).

I don't want to think about how much he is going to love music when he is 15.

 Or how loud he is going to play it. 

 At least I have Andy to prepare me now!              Blessings,

Anne of Green Gables

Just a peek back stage, where I have been the last few days....

 Stage crew, prepping the sets. 

Last minute fixing of a curtain before it complemented the stage. 

 Posing for their picture in the paper - 

"Rachel Lynde" and "Marilla Cuthburt"

(and, I've been "published" - the picture I took was in the paper! 

How exciting is that? hehe)

 Anne's hair, 

braided hair

and yet more hair "fixin".

Think we have a theme here? 

What a mess! 

 Are those not the most adorable crooked socks you have ever seen? 

I wish I could dress Canaan like that all the time! 

Old fashioned clothing. Still 21st Century toys. 

Thank goodness for Gameboy DS between scenes! 

My son, admiring  himself in the mirror? No, surely not!

Aren't they a good looking cast?

 Beautiful members of the audience 

It wouldn't be a show without them! 

Blessings, 

Looking back, and forward too

I have so many things I want to share, but I just don't have time! So, this will have to be a "recap" post of the last week. (and a bit of an excuse making for why I have been MIA from blogland lately)

 Wed-Fri last week my friend Amanda came over and spent some time with us. Her hubby is National Guard and is deployed right now, but comes home on R&R  in just a few weeks now She is looking for things to do to keep her from losing her mind in these last days. The countdown is always so frustrating! I certainly don't mind helping her find things to do - Spend time with me!!

 Here are our youngins at the Bass Pro Shop

 She drove me up to N. GA and dropped me at my parents.

I went to a performance of Act 1 Theatre's "Hi Tops" on Friday night.

We attended a family wedding on Sat.

Canaan and Isa were the Bible carrier and flower girl at Kelsey and Travis' wedding two years ago.

Look how they have grown!

(Isa is Travis' neice, and the groom at Saturday's wedding was Travis' brother)

On Sunday I was sick with a slight fever, and sore throat. I actually took a nap while my mom took my boys to the cast party for Act 1. Wasn't that good timing? I love being "home" when I am sick.

 Monday we spent with several misc. friends, and somehow I manged to take ZERO pictures. Failure!

 But Tuesday, Tuesday was an adventure, and I was a picture taking maniac then.We went to the Chattanooga Aquarium, and it was a blast!

Have you ever seen a sea dragon? A starfish that big?

Inside a fishtank with Uncle Travis.

Canaan loved the turtles. I loved his reflection in the glass, looking back at him.

Zion and his Aunt Kelsey were mostly inseperable.

They got to pet a stingray - although he was a little afraid of it at first, she finally talked him into it.

I think he was a little shocked!

Canaan even got to feed one - but I had taken Zion to wash his hands (the little germaphobe) and missed that picture!

In the butterfly room I got one to sit on my finger almost right away.

Canaan really wanted to catch one too, so he patiently stood there, finger outstretched - just waiting.

I showed him how to help the process along, and he finally had some success!

We saw Penguins... the real kind too.

And after it was all over, we got to play in the beautiful, free water fountains outside.

What a week!

Mom brought us back to Daddy late Tuesday night, took us shopping on Wednesday, we recovered on Thursday and today we cleaned all day because.... our good friends we were stationed with in CA have come to visit. Nicole, Quentin and their SIX children are here to visit for the weekend.

 Whew, we have a full house. Pictures will be coming!

Miracle on 34th St.

It is official - my oldest is now a theater geek. Canaan proudly had his first ever speaking part in a theater production. On Friday and Sat. night Act 1 productions put on "Miracle on 34th Street", and he played "Jake", who sits on Santa's lap and asks for a fire truck. My dad has a video of it, but it isn't very clear. I may post it later, if I can clean it up a little.
Act 1 is sort of my Mom's "baby". My younger sisters got involved in theater, after I was already grown and gone, and Mom was a very involved parent. By the time they finished growing up, Mom was hooked. She is the producer, costume mistress and general "whatever needs done" lady, and has now managed to rope in her best friend, Eva Jo, and her two younger kids (who were the flower girl and ring bearer at my wedding!) into it too.
But, that wasn't enough. She needed a family member. Since Mary and Kelsey are too old, it was time to recruit the next generation. So, Canaan has crossed over to the dark side - or turned to the light - depending on who you talk to! HE LOVES IT! He has been here (at Mom's house) all week for tech week, and has gotten slightly spoiled. He has gotten to hang out with teenagers. I have discovered multiple pictures of him on Facebook, hanging out backstage with cute girls. Let me tell you, that is slightly disconcerting ~ to discover pictures of your five year old, with comments to go along with them, all over Facebook. Luckily, so far the manners I have "raised" him with seem to be proving themselves, and the stories I am hearing are mostly good, and all innocent. The only thing bad I have heard so far is that he drooled when he laughed, which with his allergies and the old building they had the play in, is not at all surprising!

Canaan especially loved the idea that he gets gifts after a show. We decided he probably wouldn't care for flowers, so he got matchbox cars, a Curious George book, and candy after his shows. I was definitely afraid he was going to be spoiled rotten!
However, he proved me wrong. Today was the last day to deliver the "Operation Christmas Child" shoeboxes, so we were wrapping them, and putting the finishing touches in them. I noticed that one of them still had some extra room, so I asked Canaan if he could share one of his extra toys. I suggested that he share the Lego I had gotten him when I went out of town last week, since he hadn't opened it yet. He had to think it over for a few minutes, and I didn't push, but in the end, he cheerfully shared.
So, I was super proud of how clearly he said his lines on Fri. and Sat. night. And I was thrilled that he cooperated nicely backstage with the older kids. But more importantly, I was just blessed by the fact that even after spending a week eating icecream every night and getting a toy out of the machine every time they went to the grocery ("It only costs two quarters!!" he cheerfully quoted) (and my Mom made sure to stop by at least every other day, just for him!) Canaan still has a spirit of generosity. That gives me joy.

Be Thankful. Be Blessed, Bethany