Weekend Birthday Get-Away!

Today we are hitting the road for our little vacation. We've reserved tickets for candlelight tour of the Lewis and Clark Caverns. It is 19 miles west of Three Forks...the town where the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson join to make the headwaters of the Missouri River.


In the mountainside, there is a cavern a mile or so into the ground. Lewis and CLark didn't discover it, it was found by the railroad workers. The State, however, made it into a park and tours go through it. The natural formations from the stallactites and stallactmites (however you spell them) are super duper cool.

At Christmas and New Years, you get to carry a little candle and in the center, we'll blow them all out and experience pitch black. They are cool, not scary and it stays about 60 degrees all year long. We've been there before, and looking forward to going back!

After that, we are meeting Ellen and Derek to soak in the natural outdoor hot springs called
We'll enjoy the nice hot springs. You can see the wildlife, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. There is usually some live music...it makes a very relaxing evening.
Afterwards, we will stay in Gardner, then head to Yellowstone Park before light in the morning...to see if we can hear and/or spot a wolf...
Hope to have some interesting news when we get back!

Winter Holiday...a season for giving...music!

7th grade choir...Sang Joy to the World, Music of the Sea, La Loo La Low, March/Pat a pan, Do You Hear What I Hear ....


And the TWELVE GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!

We enjoyed a Christmas Tree and the fire place decorations...


Kelly sang a beautiful rendition of OH HOLY NIGHT.

4 lovely voices singing JOLLY JAZZY CHRISTMAS....

because Santa and his helper still had to decorate the tree and deliver some packages and wanted to listen to a little jazz!


4 more lovely voices singing LET LOVE COME DOWN by Point of Grace.

The select 25 voices sang PERFECT CHRISTMAS NIGHT, a great Do Wop version...

Here's the 110 8th graders...They sang Windy Nights, Sleigh Ride, a great jazz verison of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, a gorgeous piece called Bell Carol of the Kings...combines We 3 Kings with Ukraniun Bell Carol...

and Yule be Swingin' which is a great jazz/swing piece that has a medley of HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS, LET IT SNOW, AND ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

A little dancing...and prancing...and so much fun!

I told the audience that this concert was dedicated to my mother. It's my first concert without her. But it was sure nice having Scott and Michelle and Megan and Dick and Carol and Kirby and Janie sitting out there! All the kids had a wonderful concert. Now, I think I'll try to get some sleeps.

Love you all!

Not much sleep lately...

Concerts used to be a horrible stressor on me. After 14 years of directing kids...I don't get that bad (except during festival) unless I'm in a NEW place and it's the FIRST concert I've given there...all the logistics, 160 independent variables (7th and 8th grade) and I don't know what else. I know...it will be okay, but it's the FIRST time in a NEW school. It will be okay. I am going to go do the cat box, for now.

................................

Ahhhh.......

Just a little Christmas memory lane...
I think Ed is 5, the girls are probably then, 2, sitting in the living room at their Great Gramma Rubye's house. Ed has that cute angel halo on his head.

This next shot is Christmas in Rapid City at their gramma's house with their cousin Travis.

Here is a shot of Christmas in Belle Fourche when I was single and going to college. We sure loved decorating for Christmas!


Here's the first tree I had in the trailor in Hulett. Probably the girls' first Christmas which makes Ed almost 4. I vaguely remember that tree skirt. I got it at the Salvation army, it had a burn mark on it. I wished I still had it! Funny how things seem like junk then and treasures now...
The next 2 shots are from Christmas in 1988 in Eyota, Minnesota, with Sonja's mom (grandmother on their father's side).
Look at Megan's face back there, looking at her new dolly. Doesn't that just make you want to cry? It does me!
My friend, Sylvia and I stood in line for 45 minutes, watching every kid that sat on Santa's lap start screaming and bawling...including hers. But when Ed, (11 mo. old) saw him, he smiled and laughed and googled to him. I love this shot.

Nostalgic are these...yet so heart warming.


This is our tree, this year. The skirt is new, the tree is new, lots of presents, lots of things...everything I wished I could have done for my kids when they were little. I've really had to look back and say and BELIEVE that I did the best I could for what I had. I wished I could go back in time, sometimes. There are floods of memories, floods of "if only I would have..." and floods of unresolved emotions from during those times. Maybe I am feeling so nostalgic because I am just missing my mother so much right now. I remember her saying that she always thought she didn't get us very good things, and yet I remember us always having a good Christmas. She's with us in spirit and just like Lolly says, "She's our Christmas Miracle." It's not how fancy the Christmas skirt is or if it's bought at the Salvation army because that's all you could afford. It's the love behind every single gesture you put forth, whether it is realized or not. It's knowing that you did your best with what you had...and truly believing it...and continuing to do so.