Seussical!

Ruth's play Seussical has been wildly successful bringing in crowds of 300+ per night.  Rightly so, because it's an excellent show, the best that the middle school has ever put on.

The set was made from these three sided rolling panels. Each side opened up, and they could line them up to create a backdrop.  The entire cast fits in that fabric hat, and the had rises and they all run out.

There was a cool black light number with fish.

Ruth singing in the chorus. She ended up standing right in front of us on opening night.

This is the best, in focus, shot I got of Ruth when she was Yertle the Turtle behind her podium.

This is the final scene that you see in the video below.

I've inserted a short video of Ruth's lines in the show. If you get my blog by email you'll need to visit it on the internet to view the video.  There was no video taking allowed so i had to hide my camera while shooting, and then shrink it down super small to fit on the blog, so sorry about the focus and quality.

Thank you to everyone who has come to the show. It means a lot to us that you'd take the time to come and support Ruth.

Coming Up

We have a busy week ahead. Ruth has one more performance of Seussical on Monday,  I'm going to BYU Women's Conference on Thursday and Friday, Saturday morning we moving Kaitlin back home from college, and then at 5pm on Friday is Ruth' rock band concert/recital.

Ups and Downs

Up and Down: Seussical! 

Ruth's play, Seussical opens this week.  It runs Wed-Fri, and then the next Mon, starting at 6pm.  Ruth has been after school at rehearsals every night past 6pm.  They performed for the school last week, and she said that it went okay.  Ruth has struggled a bit with the play because she doesn't really enjoy the play itself.  She'll be glad when it's over.   In addition to being Yertle the Turtle, she also sings in the jungle choir, that requires her to make her hair look like it does in this picture.  Ruth's Rock Band concert is coming up on May 2nd at 5pm.

Down: Snow

Maybe this might be an up for some people, but it's a down for me.  On Wednesday we got over 8 inches of the white stuff.  It crushed all my daffodils and stripped my magnolia of flowers.  On the up side, I was flexable enough that I could cancel all my errands and just stay home and by the next day it was gone.

Up: Shooting Eggs

Jared had a good time shooting all the uneaten Easter eggs with a BB gun.

Down: Rejection

Chuck got several rejections last week and some of them were pretty tough.  He has another interview tomorrow, so he just keeps plugging along.  Something is bound to come through eventually.

Up:  People Love Us

I had a surprise visit from some church friends this week, just because they have been thinking about me and love me.  Chuck and I also had a great experience at the temple this week, where some people reached out to help us that ended up being pretty cool.

Up: 10 Fingers

While I was working on my bandsaw this week, the blade broke. I had the guard up because I was cutting on an angle, and the blade came exploding out of the machine like razor blade lighting. Even though my hands were right under the blade at the time, I didn't get a scratch. 

Up and Down and Run-Around: Missionary Paperwork

Kaitlin was able to get her FBI paperwork in this week but hasn't gotten the passport done yet.  There are so many hoops to jump through and each one is a hassle and each one costs money.  Kaitlin is trying to do this on top of final projects, papers and finals coming up.  She finishes at college in two weeks and then will be moving back home until she leaves in August.

Moving Right Along

Ruth's musical starts next week, so she has been at practice until late every day this week. She's having fun but is ready for the show to be over.  For my part, they haven't asked me to help in any way, so this will be the first of Ruth's shows where I haven't painted, sewn, or directed something.

Jared is off track for the next few weeks. It's warm enough that he's been out on the trampoline a lot, and he also plays computer games online with friends. He went to scout camp this last weekend and seems to have had a good time.  When I ask him about it he just says it was "fine".

Chuck had a second interview with Coca-cola, and he has a third interview with Overstock next week.  He just keeps applying and interviewing; eventually something is going to pan out. He also cleaned up his little red truck and put it up for sale, but not before we hauled one last big truck full of mulch for the garden.

My contract is up in June and I am looking for a new job at a school that is on the traditional schedule.  I'm glad I've had the experience I've had with my job this year. I've learned a lot about myself and my strengths and weaknesses.

We've gotten started on Kaitlin's visa paperwork and passport.  There are a lot of steps and hoops to go through and every one costs money.  We've also started to make an accounting of all the things we'll need to buy to get her ready. The list is quite long and a bit overwhelming.

Finally, we've finished our big wave of doctor visits. You'll be happy to hear that no one in our family has cancer or other major illnesses. We also don't have cavities.  

Summer has gotten to get out and stretch her paws quite a bit since it has warmed up. You can see how much she loves this weeping cherry tree. She's eaten all the branches up to the same level. She also ate all my new pea plants. Bad bunny!

Paraguay Asuncion North

Kaitlin has wanted to serve a mission for our church for ages, but it has only been in the last month or so that she has totally committed to the idea.  There is a lot of paperwork required, including long questionnaires, doctor and dentist visits, and interviews with two levels of ecclesiastical leaders.  She submitted her paperwork a little over two weeks ago, and then on Thursday her mission assignment/call came. The church could ask her to go anywhere in the world, to learn any language, and she would go eagerly,  though we all thought she would probably be assigned somewhere in the U.S..

Kaitlin came home from college on Friday to open her call. She invited some friends and we all gathered to hear the news.  She had been dancing around with anticipation for two days and now the moment to open the envelope had come.  With shaking hands she opened it and read that she had been assigned to serve in Paraguay, speaking Spanish.  I think there were a few beats of disbelief for all of us and then Kaitlin exclaimed "Oh, my heck!"

We've spent the last few days processing this news, Kaitlin especially. I think the first few hours she was in shock. After 24 hours we were starting to wrap our minds around it.  While nervous, Kaitlin is really excited for this next adventure.  She won't leave until August so that gives us a few months to get a passport and visa, buy clothes, boots, raincoat, luggage, and everything she will need.  It will also allow Kaitlin to go to Nauvoo with us, which she didn't think would happen.  She has a month left at school and then she will come home and try to find a job for two months.

Easter

Easter has kind of taken a back seat to the mission call stuff. This weekend is also our church's general conference, so we've focused on watching that. Also, our family is getting older and the kids just aren't as excited. This was the first time we've ever had left over eggs that no one wanted to dye. I did talk the kids into an egg hunt by agreeing that they could hide the eggs and Chuck and I would do the hunting. Now I'm talented at a lot of things but egg hunting must not be one; Chuck got 19 eggs to my 6.  I have a turkey breast in the crock pot and in a couple hours we'll sit down to a nice dinner.


Musing: Safety Nets

This has been a stressful time of upheaval in our family as you can imagine, Chuck has born the brunt of it with his job hunt and all the responsibilities that fall on him, but Kaitlin too has been through the ringer with this mission decision, school, and then the stress of knowing that we are out of work.  While I too, have felt the stress of it all, there has also been a strong feeling of calm, that all will happen in God's way and in his time. It's caused me to reflect on safety nets. I think I can sum up my thoughts into three categories.

Debt Free Living Net: For many years our church leaders have urged us to live frugally and debt free and Chuck and I have headed that advice to the best of our ability.  We are so grateful that we don't have loan payments, credit card payments, or car payments.  It is so refreshing to know that we don't have to pay a cable bill, a phone bill (just the internet bill), or phone contracts.  Our only large obligation is the mortgage, and we've built up enough savings that we can pay that one for awhile longer. What an amazing safety net to know that we can go many more months unemployed and we will be just fine.

Gospel Net: We continue to be amazed at the support we have gotten from the members of our church.  All the church members are networked together to help its members find employment. Almost all of Chuck's interviews have come from leads given him by church members. Many members have gone out of their way to talk to their employers to recommend Chuck.  It is just so amazing for him to walk into an interview knowing that someone has already talked to and recomended Chuck to the employer.  In addition, our church friends have been amazingly suportive. They have done little acts of service like dropping off treats, offering hugs and emotional support, or just inquiring after us to make sure we are ok.  I even had a couple friends take me out or out to lunch just to be there for me.  At times it's been hard to take all this service, but when I want to protest the spirit wipers to me that I need to give others the opportunity to serve.   Lastly, we have felt the power of prayers for us.  Chuck has been going to the temple every week as well and has felt that a higher  power is watching over us.

No Longer Strangers Net: This one is more related to Kaitlin's mission call than our unemployment.  We had no idea how connected we were to Paraguay.  Within 24 hours of our putting Kaitlin's call on the internet many people have reached out to us.  I discovered a young woman I taught years ago, and with whom I'm facebook friends, lives in that area and contacted me.  Kaitlin's dad has a friend that used to live there and they have already contacted friends in the area to look out for Kaitlin's arrival.  Kaitlin found another sister who had just been called to the same mission and they have become facebook friends.  I joined a group of Paraguay missionary mom's and was immediately contacted with messages and hands of friendship. One woman went as far as to email me a packing list and words of advice that she has learned from having her son living in Paraguay.  It's really been amazing how many people are willing to reach out and support us.These nets of wonderful people have given a new meaning to the scripture about bearing one another's burdens, that they may be light.

Quiet Week

Cousins at Mary's play.

This week, for the most part, was a quiet week. Kaitlin came home for spring break, so that was nice. She submitted her mission papers last week so she is on pins and needles waiting for her call.  I put in a few extra hours at work.  Chuck didn't have any interviews, but he has two for this coming week.  I got my eyes checked and I tried out a new dentist. I also had book club, and went out to a movie with some friends, which was a rare treat.  Ruth is working hard at play practice. On Saturday we went and had a nice lunch at my brother's house and went to see my niece in her school play.  It was a good show and we had a good time visiting with family. 

Singing by the Choir

Yesterday I conducted our ward choir for our Stake Conference Saturday meeting. We had twice the numbers we usually do and the choir sang very well.  Afterwards something amazing happened.  As I stayed after to collect choir folders our visiting authority, Elder Doxey came down from the stand and sought me out.  There have only been a few times when I have spoken to presiding authorities of the church, and never has one sought me, to talk to me. He shook my hand firmly and was very generous with his praise of our choir. He told me that I had a "great talent."   Bazanga!

 Medical Fun!

Hospital fun!

Because of our severance package we still have a few more months of medical insurance. To best take advantage of this, a few weeks ago I made every medial appointment that I had procrastinated, dentist, doctor, orthodontist, and optometrist.   This week the kids visited the dentist (no cavities), I visited the orthodontist, and I also had the super exciting experience of having a colonoscopy.  Thanks to my brother's colon cancer my doctor has been on my case to get a colonoscopy for a couple years.  It was not a pleasant experience, but I'm happy to announce that my colon is healthy and great!  I can even show you pictures if you want to see.  And I lost 2 1/2 lbs of water weight in 2 days. That's something too.

Ruth's Got Talent

Ruth did a great job singing at our city talent show this week.  Her school performed the opening number, a song from Sussical that they have been practicing.  For only having rehearsed a few weeks it was really good.  It made me so excited for her show next month.   Ruth then played her song and did a great job. She got a good reaction from the audience as well.  You can watch Ruth singing on Youtube: https://youtu.be/bnPqx6IhPEw

After the talent show we took Ruth right over to the church dance, where she danced the night away with friends. She came home smiling and laughing and declared that it had been a "good day."

Spring Clean Out

For years now Saturday has been "Clean the Room Day" at our house.   The standards are not high, just general picking up and wiping down of the bathroom, but this week Jared decided that he didn't need a lot of the things in his room.   I told him to put whatever he didn't want out in the hallway, and when that became a fire hazard then we moved it all into the front room.  This is a kid that really doesn't get attached to material things.  I, on the other hand, have always agonized over "things".  If it weren't for Chuck, I'd be one of those hoarders on TV.   So now what to do with all the stuff? Some of it is obviously charity donations, but how about his favorite plush dog that he slept with for years and years, or his 1st grade scrap book, or that lego set that might be worth money? Not so easy now, is it?