We went to Gulf Shores. Each of the kids took a friend, so there were 8 of us all the way there and back in our new-to-us car.
It was a great trip. Here is a photo album in a format that is new to me. You may have to click or select something...or just try waiting a few minutes for the photos to load?
This morning, all 5 of us woke up at home. Annah drove all 3 kids to the Benton's house for breakfast, then Sylvia and Caeden went to school. Annah and Allison then went back to the church in Bloomington to join the choir for the rest of their tour. They spent part of the day in Springfield, visited some historic Lincoln sites, went to the mall and Annah got 2 more piercings in one ear, they ate lunch and got back on the bus to head back to GU campus for the night. Tomorrow they were scheduled to sing in the beautiful basilica in St. Louis, then have their end-of-tour concert back on campus Sunday before starting classes back up on Monday.
When the choir bus was about an hour from campus, the students received an email from the school that their spring break would be extended another week and classes would be going online for the rest of the semester. Their situation was a little different, since they were bound for campus already, but other students were told not to come back to campus until after April 6 to get their things.
Annah FaceTimed us (Jeremy was working from home, as it was announced yesterday afternoon he will be doing for at least the next few weeks) and we could hear Doc answering questions for the students after having just talked with campus administrators. Although, Annah was in tears last night about not wanting to return to campus to finish the rest of the semester, she now said she was in a bit of shock to learn she wouldn't be.
Jeremy grabbed some trash bags and a couple suitcases and went down to meet Annah on campus right away. The choir was met by campus security and debriefed. They checked to see if any of them had any symptoms of the virus--none did. They allowed them to ask any questions they had, and took the students' advice to make a video for the rest of the student body answering these questions. The choir was able to come together and cry through The Lord Bless You and Keep You before saying goodbye as their minds whirled with the thoughts of all the moments they've shared and those they are now sacrificing. They were blessed to have hugs and tears together today.
Annah FaceTimed me again as she and Jeremy packed up her things from her dorm room.
She said she was overwhelmed by so many emotions, as anyone would expect. She was so fortunate to have her daddy there for a little comic relief and a strong arm to carry almost all her things down the 3 flights of stairs to the Prius. They couldn't fit everything, so at some point we will have to go back to campus.
Over the course of the day, Disney World has closed, so Sylvia and Caeden will not be going on their band/choir trip to perform there over spring break. More places are closing and more sporting events and concerts and performances and gatherings of large groups of people are being canceled by the minute today. Sylvia is dreading the musical being canceled. But everyone is beginning to sacrifice and stay home in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Jeremy and Annah stopped to eat and to get gas in Greenville before heading home, and were home by 9:30--less than 15 hours from when Annah left home this morning. That is a lot to change and emotion to fit into one day, and a lot of stuff to fit in a Prius!
I know it will be challenging in many ways to have all 5 of us at home and working through emotions of all that is lost in these days. However, I will choose to be grateful to have my family together!
I am so thankful we have Jesus to walk us through the challenges of life!
It is very interesting to write this blog post, more than a week after this event took place, looking back through the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic. Awareness of the virus was beginning to spread while the GU choir was on tour, visiting public places, churches, and staying in homes around Illinois, and Indiana, including Chicago and Indianapolis, but we didn't know that this concert in Bloomington would be the last of their tour, the last of their school year, and Annah's last ever with the choir. So grateful for these moments and this evening!!!
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The GU choir's concert was at the Benton family's church in Bloomington this evening, and Joyce planned their dinner. She invited our whole family, but Caeden and Sylvia had musical rehearsal, and Jeremy was throwing a pizza party for the junior high wrestling team in place of their last practice before IESA State, which was canceled yesterday by the hosting university because of the pandemic. I really enjoyed visiting with Annah, Ryan, Allison, Ashley, Bree, JiWon, and Abi during supper. There was a lot of love and laughter being shared.
I loved the choir's song to thank the host church for their dinner.
After eating, the choir changed into their concert attire and did a little rehearsing in the sanctuary. The Cornerstone Christian High School Concert Choir joined them for a few pieces.
Lexie, the GU Choir president, conducting Holy, Holy, Holy
Professor Park is not only the choir's accompanist, but teaches class piano, and this semester is Annah's Music Theory/Aural Skills 2 professor. She is very sweet and funny.
As the choir gathered in singing, their love for one another was so beautiful.
At times this school year, with the difficulties of the Music Education degree program being cut, Annah has wondered if she chose the wrong school. These people and relationships are why God put her at Greenville this year. They have encouraged and supported her and undoubtedly will be lifelong friends!
These songs and shared moments of making music are forming a beautiful part of Annah's life experience.
Bree was Annah's R.A. first semester, and the first person we met on move-in day last August.
Andrea lives on the same hall as Annah, and they have been such good emotional support for one another!
We met Marissa and her family in November of 2018 when she and Annah happened to be auditioning at GU on the same day. We visited with them at Olivet when the girls both sang in the district 3 ILMEA choir that same November, and February of 2019 when the girls were competing and interviewing for the President's Day Scholarship. Marissa is in most of Annah's classes and has become such a dear friend to her.
Annah has LOVED getting to share college and more music experiences with Allison!
After rehearsing, the choir had a short break before the concert.
Annah sat on Ryan's lap for a moment, and Allison and Ashley thought it was a great idea!
I tried to record much of the concert, but didn't want to be too distracting with my camera and tripod. Some trouble focusing at times, but hopefully the sound comes across. It was a beautiful concert, and so special for Allison and Annah to sing at home.
We were so blessed by friends who came to the concert to see and hear Annah's choir. Grandma Sandi was there, Tracie and Tom with the girls and Miles, Ridgeview friends Tyler and Adam, and the girls' first violin teacher that we haven't seen in years--Ruthie and 3 of her kids!
It was a beautiful evening, and such a moving concert. The choir really poured out the love of Jesus all over everyone in the audience. Everyone was moved. So, SO blessed.
The Greenville University Choir visited Ridgeview High School today and had a really cool choral exchange!
As the HS choir came into the gym for their regular class time Dr. Wilson, warmed up both choirs and the GU choir demonstrated physical movements that go along with their warmups.
(Mr. Marchese brought his study hall in to observe and took this cool picture of both choirs from up in the top of the bleachers.) A few other teachers and administrators came to observe, and Jeremy and I were happy to be there to watch as well.
Ridgeview choir sang 3 of the pieces they're working on for the GU choir.
Then Midnight Blues sang a song:
Then the Greenville Choir sang.
It was neat to see Ridgeview alumni featured in some of these. In the second song, Arise My Soul, Annah played her violin.
In the third song, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, (which is the GU Chamber Singers), Annah is the soloist at the beginning and end.
Allison sang the solo on God So Loved so beautifully, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.
Here is the playlist of some of the GU choir songs:
To end their time singing, the choirs combined to sing The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
The GU Choir stayed to eat lunch at Ridgeview, and both choirs crammed in the choir room with their lunches and visited! It was a pretty cool exchange!
Annah is on tour with the Greenville University Choir during her entire spring break. They started with a concert Friday night in Edwardsville, then did 3 in Indiana, back to Illinois, including a day in Chicago, concerts in Geneva and Rockford, then they headed our way.
I love this photo of Annah singing with the choir that they used on their social media this week.
When the choir was in Geneva, they were napping in a church in the afternoon, and all of a sudden Annah found Addie waking her and Allison up! What a nice surprise! Addie had musical rehearsal in Aurora that evening, so couldn't attend their concert, but she came to visit them and watch their rehearsal in the afternoon. They were so thrilled to get to see her!
The choir has been staying with host families from the churches they're singing at, other than the night they stayed in a hotel in Indianapolis. They are working hard to stay healthy, and are enjoying their time traveling and singing!
What a wonderful sermon at church this morning; the whole series has been so good so far.
We all really needed it.
Pastor Lisa had candy conversation hearts handed out to each person in a baggy. Then we could go forward and smash our hard heart with a hammer and leave it there and pick up a soft [gummy] heart to leave with. It was pretty therapeutic and really meaningful.
After church, Kamoni came with us, and we stopped for lunch at Culver's. The kids were singing the national anthem with Midnight Blues in Peoria at the Rivermen hockey game, and we got there quite early. It was nice outside, so we walked around Peoria for an hour.
We went down to the riverfront, but didn't have enough time to go into the museum and check it out. Caeden and Kamoni found this lookout point and decided to "emulate" the scene from the Titanic movie.
They don't look much like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett, but they are funny.
We came upon the giant American Gothic sculpture and they decided to do "heart hands." Oh boys.
They need their own suitcase and pitchfork, I think.
We came upon the Holocaust Memorial and were stunned.
We had noticed this sculpture on our way past the Civic Center at the beginning of our walk, and the boys stopped to read about it on our way back in. It is called "Knockin' on Freedom's Door" by artist Preston Jackson, and it honors Peoria's role in the Underground Railroad.
We went into the Civic Center to wait for the rest of the Midnight Blues crew, and the boys just had to ride the escalator up and down. I love that they enjoy the little things in life.
I enjoy watching the zamboni!
The Rivermen were playing the Evansville Thunderbolts today.
Midnight Blues and some Rivermen folks "backstage" before singing the anthem...
They did an excellent job singing!
Fun in the stands...
It was a really good game!
There were at least 6 intense fights, and the last one was pretty gruesome...One Peoria player had his head repeatedly bashed into the ice until it started bleeding profusely. The Evansville player who did this was ejected from the game, and it took about 10 minutes to try to get the blood off/out of the ice. It was intense, and we hope the guy is ok--definitely concussed at minimum! Yikes!
Peoria won the game, and we went back to Bloomington-Normal. We were going to have supper at Avanti's but it was super busy, so we hit up Monical's instead--no disappointment to me! Yum!
Kamoni was a little tired of having his picture taken, but he should be proud to have survived a whole day with us! We loved having him around!
