What Else am I Supposed to Do?

So, what do you do when you wake up an hour earlier than you're supposed to on the last day before Christmas break? You blog, of course. Sorry it's been so long in updating, but it's also been very busy. Here's the rundown since Thanksgiving:

Christmas at the Park:
Went very well. Kayla's parents brought Brenna's cousins Tanner and Avery down to come to this event that's held every year in the city park, where the band (who used to march in a parade) plays Christmas carols, there are local vendors to sell things like bead necklaces and crafts, and Santa rides in on...wait for it...the city firetruck! You've got to admit, it's pretty fun for the kids to see all the flashing lights and the loud horns and everything, but that's pretty redneck! Anyway, it was right in the middle of the kids naptime, so Kayla and her mom came to support me and the band, then went back to get the little ones so they could have their pictures taken with Santa Claus, which of course included Kayla's mom because who wants to sit on an old man's lap with a beard down to his belt by themselves?! The day was a success.

Christmas Concert:
This went off better than expected especially when you consider some of the behaviors of the students the Friday before which was our last rehearsal, combined with a brand new sound system, and the fact that all the members of my jazz band hadn't played together until they got out on the stage! When we listened back the next day, there was very little to pick on, the kids really stepped up to the plate and did an amazing job. The only weird thing was that I (the assistant band director) conducted three quarters of the concert. The only group that I was not responsible for was the high school band. Kind of strange, but it turned out alright.

Concession Stand #1:
So the next day, I didn't get a chance to have a well-earned rest from a job well-done, instead I got to help support our band some more by helping with the concession stand as a fundraiser for the band. It actually wasn't that bad, other than it was a fourteen hour day. The alternative was worse, however. This day was also the day for Region Band, which for some unknown reason was like four hours away from the school, so I actually got it a little better than my co-worker who got back into town around 12:45 in the morning.

Concession Stand #2:
So not only was it bad enough having to run a concession stand once in a week, I had the priviledge of doing it twice, because for some reason I am a sixth grade sponsor and they had the concession stand that Friday. That one was a little bit longer because we went from right after school until after 9pm because it was a tournament. I survived just in time for:

Veterans Program:
The high school band the next morning (last Saturday) attended a wreath laying ceremony at a veterans memorial that I wasn't even aware KC had. We played three songs and then were free to leave. This was actually a very nice thing to attend. It always amazes me to see the veterans of all the wars represented. There was even a gentleman there who had served not only in WWII, but also in Vietnam. I can only imagine the horrors that man has seen and I wanted to thank him for protecting my freedoms, but I didn't see him after the ceremony was over. After the program finished I finally got to spend some time with my girls for the first time since Thanksgiving. We went to the park and had a great time with a dog that was one of the sweetest I have seen since my dog Dolly was alive. This dog let Brenna hang all over her and played with her and didn't seem to have a care in the world about the two year old terror that was following her around. I contemplated taking the dog home, but we didn't know if she really belonged to someone and there was no real way to find out. We had a blast, though. So the next day was:

Christmas Cantata:
I'm a little torn when I report on this one, because the choir at church has some great potential to be a fantastic little choir, but there is not someone in the church with the formal training to work them into shape other than me. I'm still praying to make sure that God wants me to take over the Music minister job at the church and add that onto my already full plate. However, they sang alright with their troubled vowels and everything. The cantata basically consisted of several specials strung together and some carols from the hymnal, but I did get a chance to do a solo, which apparently affected a lot of people. I sang "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns, and found out that people were still talking about my performance two days ago. It makes me a little wary, because I know that God has gifted me with amazing musical abilities, but at the same time I know that I'm not even the best singer in my family! I know that I have to watch out or I will be quite prone to having an over-inflated view of my talents which God gave me anyway. I did have fun singing the song and explaining the story behind it. If you do not know it, check out Casting Crowns website here and find out the story behind the song.

So now we are finally into the last day of the last week before the long break which seems is long over-due. I am glad all our concerts are done, I am glad to see some family this next week and I am glad to be able to get out of town for a week. And one heck of a Christmas present is on its way to me and it'll be here by the end of next week: My parents and older brother BJ are coming to visit us here in the great KC and staying through New Years Day, so I can finally watch a UGA game with some people that actually want to watch it (Thanks sweetheart, I know that you try and like the Dawgs as much as you can, but it's not the same as when you have a vested interest!). Anyway, thanks for bearing with me through the blog drought of '08 and I will try and "talk" to you guys again through the rest of this break! Merry Christmas!