Tuesday, June 20. Macey and I flew to Salt Lake City so sister could attend the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras tour. Grandma and Grandpa Black drove up from Tucson to join in the fun and to be our chauffeurs!
Wednesday: Day one of singing!
Sarita, Julianne, me and Jenn. We are the leaders for Children's Chorus volunteers in Dallas. Jenn is over all the youth and Julianne sings with the Grand Chorus. Sarita and I split duties backstage concert nights. (I am wearing a dress since I'm about to go to the temple!)
Yay!! Me and Stephanie. My running buddy!
Oakley, Ellie and Macers.
Mace and Lilly. The entire choir practiced in the assembly hall Wed morning. It was awesome to stand outside and listen!
While sister practiced, June and I went to do baptisms and other temple work in the Salt Lake Temple. It was so fun to have this time in the temple with her! Bob met up with us for lunch at City Creek food court.
We stayed with Bob's uncle in Cedar Hills, UT. He had a lovely view from his back deck. And delicious cherries from his own tree!
Thursday: Gathering for recording session. Makayla, Ellie and Macey.
Here are the children from 3 MCO locals singing together. The music was incredible in this room. The adults and teenagers were singing with them too.
Macey and I were dropped off in Salt Lake in the morning and wouldn't be picked up until 10pm. We walked and rode TRAXX to get around to the different venues.
Stephanie and I split duties taking care of these cuties in between sessions.
Macey and Makayla are the same height, so they got to stay together the whole week.
Practicing lining up in the Tabernacle.
Waiting in the Tabernacle.
To kill some time between practice and performance we toured Temple Square...
...and the Church History museum.
Macey before the first concert in front of the Tabernacle. It is celebrating its 150th year!
Concert time for sister!
(And a sneak peak of Kristina and me. We met to hand off tickets, but I didn't spend time with her until Saturday.)
I skipped the first concert and spent the time with my friend Liz. We were Arizona buddies. She moved to Salt Lake area when we moved to Texas. It was so great catching up with her!
Friday: First thing in the morning, June and I went to finish up her family file baptisms. 17 names in all for the week. They were her Italian relatives. This adventure was at the Mt Timpanogas temple. The rest of the morning was spent touring Provo and shopping.
Macey and I arrived on Temple Square at 3pm for 2 concerts. I helped backstage for the 5pm concert. I won't lie, it was a very difficult volunteering stint. I left sister in the Assembly Hall when we first arrived, and by the time I was suited up with walkie-talkie headset and shown the ins and outs, someone brought her too me in the Tabernacle! Poor sweet thing felt abandoned. I promised her that next concert I'll just sit with her row and NOT be in charge. Here are a few of the 120 kids I was responsible to get up on stage on time. They were very good backstage!
Stephanie and me again.
For the 8:00 concert, I met up with Bob, June, Lindsey and Aunt Tootsie. The tabernacle isn't air conditioned and this was an unseasonably warm week. It was a toasty performance, but the music was phenomenal. Of course I was streaming tears. And to see sister sing in the Tabernacle, so fantastic!
Saturday: We met Julianne on Temple Square for baptism pictures of Macey. I will only share this one picture and save the rest for when she turns 8, but the photos are awesome! So glad that this worked out! The rest of Saturday was spent with my visiting teacher from when I was a newlywed in Arkansas. I was also her visiting teacher while she was a newlywed in Arkansas. (A fluke of too many new women moving in at the same time!) It was so great to spend time with her and her family. Macey was NOT excited about this; but she made new friends quickly and was having fun in no time!
Sunday: Macey and I went to watch the Live recording of Music and the Spoken Word. This Was Awesome! More tears flowing. I am so glad that this worked for the day's schedule.
Later in the day we had church, dinner with the missionaries, and backyard fun with the Bennetts.
These kids know the best trampoline games.
What time is it Mr Fox?
Lunch time!
Monday: A trip to Lagoon amusement park. Alexis, Macey, and Abby.
Kristina and me!
Birdseed the chicken.
We spent most of our time at Lagoon A Beach water park inside the regular amusement park.
But for the price of admission, I made sure we rode enough rides to make it count! The kids are in line for another ride.
Girls in the Ferris Wheel gondola.
Alexis!
The other gondola.
And because Kristina is thoughtful and cool, she bought me a birthday cake to celebrate a week early.
Tuesday #2: Our last day in Utah. Macey spent the morning learning to ride a hover board. She was pretty good by the time we left.
A trip to the mall meant a new stuffie. I was not going to cave in since grandma had just bought her two new beanie boos just days before, but Kristina felt bad for my deprived munchkin and bought it for her anyway! I ask you, who really needs an octopus named Hank!
We finally arrived home Tuesday night exhausted from a LONG trip. I am so thankful to everyone who made our vacation possible. Especially to Dan for working from home and taking care of the boys. I am blessed to have a great family and it was nice to have us all in the house together again. For 10 hours. When Dan then went to the airport...
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