Halloween Rehearsal

Today was Halloween.  

Today was Annah's 18th birthday.  

This week is Tech Week.

This week, Jeremy is working crazy long hours to try to wrap up a job he's been in for years before starting a new job next Monday.  

This week, Caeden has come home and spent 6-7 hours alone every night. He didn't get to go trick-or-treating tonight, or even welcome trick-or-treaters at our door because no one was there with him.  I feel bad, even though he says he wouldn't want to go trick-or-treating. 

We try to talk to the kids about how we set our priorities and make sacrifices, and I think they understand even if they don't always like it.  Sometimes we grown-ups don't either.  

Directing a high school play is not something I ever desired to do or imagined I would do, so it is sometimes difficult for me to say I enjoy it or want to do it.  However, I do put all my thoughts and energy into whatever I do.  Sheesh, I don't know how I would work a full-time career-type job after all these years! I make myself crazy with all my different responsibilities, but I don't know if I could focus my brain on one job if I had to.  Haha!

Anyway, rehearsal went well tonight, and we even left school before 9pm!

Last night, we worked out the very end of the show where we change the blocks from saying "SIXTEEN" to "SEVENTEEN" and bring the entire cast on stage.  Tonight, it went really well when we practiced it!

Before you know it

All those annoying clichés young parents are told are true...  

 "Before you know it..."

"Don't blink!"   

 "They grow up so fast!"  

"She'll be walking before you know it!" 

"She'll be talking before you know it!" 

"She'll be off to kindergarten before you know it!" 

"...before you know it!" 

 "...before you know it!" 

"...before you know it!" 

"...before you know it!" 

 "She'll be in middle school before you know it!"

 "...before you know it!" 

  "She'll be a teenager before you know it!" 

"She'll be in high school before you know it!" 

"...before you know it!" 

"She'll be driving before you know it!" 

"She'll be a senior before you know it!"

"She'll be all grown up before you know it!" 

 Today is the day...

She's technically "all grown up" and legally an adult.  While I have a hard time accepting how right it is that it happens SO incredibly quickly, I promise I didn't blink.  I did pay attention, and I watched and experienced her growing up.  I cherished the moments, both incredible and simple, and I treasure them all.  I do still see the baby I met 18 years ago today when I look at her, and also the toddler, the kindergartener, the tween, and the amazing young woman she is today.  

Annah Christine, being your mom is the one of the very biggest privileges I've ever been allowed in my life.  When you were born, you taught me what love really means.  You have made the bittersweet  feeling of watching you grow up so quickly much more sweet than bitter because you have done it so well.  I am constantly in awe of what God is doing in and through your life, and I am so proud and blessed that I get to be part of it. I love you more than I ever know how to express.  As always, I promise, I will always love you, no matter what you think or feel or say or do.  

Happy birthday, sweet girl. 

1st Tech Rehearsals

Yesterday I hung all of our stage maps on the wall backstage.

First 6 acts (plays)

Last 4 acts (plays)

We did makeup last, and the girls stayed after school to get an early start on theirs so they could help others who are new to stage makeup.  The girls were running a scene they're both in together when I arrived in the study hall.

Mr. Wyant came last night to show the sound crew how to get the sound system set up.  I asked Mr. Metz to help/learn too, because I am completely clueless about this type of stuff, and he has experience with it.

This was our first tech rehearsal of tech week, and it went really well.  

Our cast shirts are going to be the main part of our "costumes" as well.  They were finished, but one student's name was left off.  They are reordering and reprinting them all, and we will have them later this week. So, we just tried to find backup costume pieces that work with our red/purple/gold color scheme.

I didn't have much of a chance to take pictures, but tried snapping a few with my phone.

I was alone in running rehearsal tonight, which was a bit stressful for me to think about (being the only one in the building and responsible for 30 teenagers!), but the kids were great and rehearsal went pretty well.  It is a good bunch of students.

Annah played keys and sang on the worship team again today.  She loves it, and I love watching use her talents to worship Jesus!

I also love watching the rest of the teens sit up front and have so much fun worshipping together!

Celebrating Annah

Earlier this week, we decided to take Annah out to a fancy dinner for her birthday, including the 5 of us and Ryan.  Today proved to be such a full and stressful day, that mid-way through, I asked Annah if she would rather go out somewhere nice or stay home and have me cook her favorite meal. She decided she would actually prefer to stay home, so that's what we did.

 I made chicken farfalle alfredo with caesar salad, broccoli, and garlic cheese bread. And she chose her favorite angel food cake with fresh strawberries. 

While I finished up making supper, everyone else critiqued Caeden while he played Fortnite.

After we ate, it was time for Annah to open presents!

A Wii game?

Oh that's funny!

She loves HSM and singing, so it was only fitting!

Sylvia told Annah she would feel super grown up and mature wearing the gift she got her...

Llama onesie pajamas!!!

Thanks again, Google photos!

Jeremy had hidden one present in the guest room because it was too big to wrap.  He went out of the room and told Annah to close her eyes, and for some reason, he also told her to open her mouth. I guess he wanted to throw her off or confuse her, and it worked!  We were all confused, actually!  

"Why did you tell me to open my mouth?!?!"

Can I open it?!

Jeremy moved it to the window bench so she could test it out.

Ryan gave Annah 2 packs of Pokemon cards. 

She didn't know anything about them, so he explained the right way to open them and how to know if she got any cards that were worth anything.

It seems Ryan is an expert at Pokemon cards and the rest of us know exactly nothing.  (Well, Caeden knows a little.)

Time for cake!

It looks like our singing was funny.

Make a wish!

VIDEO: Just a few clips of Annah's celebration.

At the end of the day, she hugged and thanked her daddy.  

I know the world says she is a grown-up at 18, but she will always be our baby, no matter how old she gets. Wow, we are so blessed. We love you, Annah.