SENIOR FOOTBALL: GAME 1 at Charleston

PREGAME WARM UP:

50 yarder....good!

Sheridan and Parker

RUN THROUGH - PHOTO BY SHERIDAN

SHOW TIME:

GAME ONE: CHARLESTON 28, CLARKSVILLE 7



Elvis goes to High School

I love watching Lauren march in the band on Friday nights. The halftime show is a tribute to Elvis with 4 or 5 of his most popular songs. Lauren starts a trio...with a solo on Jailhouse Rock. I'm happy for her as she earned a first chair spot during her sophomore year.

She doesn't think she'll pursue music in college, but she's definitely enjoying it now, and that's the way it should be for the hours she puts in.


Thank you very much...Grandpa and Grandma came to watch Ryan and Lauren on Friday night. The football game wasn't executed well, but halftime was!

Pregame picture...by Sheridan:

Sheridan and Parker before the game:

Sheridan, Parker and Anna Grace enjoying a Homecoming Night Funnel Cake:

All Region Band

We couldn't be prouder of Lauren. This year she made 1st band 5th chair in our region. She worked hard learning all the scales, going to after school lessons and practices, and practicing at home almost every day of the week.

The night before tryouts she told me she'd like to be 1st band, 6th chair. Wow! There were 163 trumpets who tried out...we were hoping for the best. And she earned it!

Here comes the band!

We had a nail-biter football game last night, with a last minute ending. It will get it's own post later...but this is dedicated to the band! Last night was Lauren's first time marching in her uniform with the High School Band!














Friday night High School football games have a spirit of their own! It's so fun in our small town to be surrounded by people you know, cheer for kids you know, clap for the ups, grown at the fumbles, and watch your kids enjoy their friends and activities.

I must say, being a former band student myself, that bands are notorious for their less than flattering, and always seemingly outdated uniforms. From a distance, they look GREAT! And that's the point...performance value.

Last night when Lauren came to see us after half time, Sheridan said (loudly), "Why does she have bowling shoes on?" I had to muffle my giggle, because there isn't a black pair of band shoes anywhere that is the least bit fashionable...and Sheridan innocently pointed out the obvious.

I love it that Lauren didn't care. She's found something she loves to do and is doing it with all her heart.

Lauren at Band Camp

Lauren's going into the 9th grade and this year I conceded that she could go to a camp for a week without us! Fortunately one of the best band programs in the state is 30 minutes away at a University. She had some sweet friends to go with and she had a blast! It was hard leaving her in a stark dorm room...a little bit harder for her since she's only slept in motels, if you know what I mean. But her friend made it fun and she didn't hesitate.


She made lots of new friends and learned some fun music.


Richard drove over to hear her final concert (from our conference) and was thoroughly impressed! I'm so thankful for this week for her. God has provided the instrument , and money for camp, and her ability to play, and friends to enjoy in band and I pray she gives Him all the glory with her music.

I have to include this picture. Lauren was telling me about the director who taught her Masters Class and it was Mr Maxwell, my Jr High Band teacher! He taught me how to play my flute, how to march, and gave me my first job as Drum Major my 9th grade year. Cool.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful today for this pink coat! Richard's Aunt Debbie gave it to us a couple years ago and it fits Sheridan perfectly today!

I'm so thankful Lauren made All-Region band! She will travel in January for the actual All-Region Band Weekend.

This is a pic of her on Job Shadow Day. She shadowed our friend Kyle who owns the Sonic. Of course, she pictured slushes and car hopping, but when you follow the owner you do a lot more running to the bank and other errands, like unloading boxes of styrofoam cups. I was subbing in her Career Orientation class this last month so I got to run around town and take pictures of some of my students. Of course, I caught up with her! This is just another reason I'm thankful to live in a small town, where kids can do this kind of thing with friends!

9 days until Christmas!

Play on!

This is Lauren at her 8th grade Christmas Band Concert on Thursday night. The girl just has a gift! She loves playing and has really been focused on All Region music for the last few weeks. I dropped her off at the High School this morning at 7:15 for her to travel to another school for tryouts. She has learned 2 songs and about 10 scales. When she arrives at the tryouts she will learn what scales (of the 10) she'll need to know by memory (some may be 2 octaves) and they will highlight a portion of the songs she has learned.


When it is her turn she will go into a room and play for 3 judges (they are hidden behind a sheet for the sake of anonymity, this only adds to the fear factor) . There will be a First and Second All Region band chosen from the best players. They will travel in a couple weeks to work on music for a concert to be given for parents and directors at the end of the weekend. It's a big thing for band students and I'm praying that 1) she will cast her fear aside when she goes in and 2) that she will enjoy her day with friends and be an encourager.

I can't help be reminded of the miracle it was to receive that instrument at all! The story is here.

Darbie, Lauren and Coco. Two of these girls are twins!

Band Concert

Tonight was Lauren's final band concert of her 7th grade year. She has picked up the trumpet and can play! I mean, it doesn't happen for everyone, even if they're in band for 6 years! (I know this from personal experience) Tonight she received the Beginning Brass Award. She finished her entire first year book before Spring Break and has been working on 8th grade music since then.



Getting her trumpet was a huge GOD THING and I must give Him credit: We searched a couple of cities during our vacation... I mean how hard could it be to find a trumpet in a pawn shop somewhere in Saint Louis? But...we couldn't. During the two days between our summer vacation and a trip Richard and I were taking to Chicago we stopped in Mtn Home to visit grandparents. A long time family friend came over for dinner that night to see us and visit and she asked about my kids. Well, Lauren was on my mind a lot as she was getting ready to go into junior high. I told her she was signed up for band...but so far it didn't look good as we didn't have an instrument and school started less than 3 weeks away. She looked at us and said, "We have a trumpet in the attic at our house you can have!"

Lauren was about to jump out of her skin! She looked so hysterical that our friend offered to go before dinner was served and look for it. We, the rational parents, said she could wait until after the meal my mom was preparing. OH MY, the trumpet has some wear on it's brass plating, but Lauren didn't mind. When we got home from our trip, she googled how to assemble the thing and how to blow into it. Now, she's won the brass award in beginning band! Thank you God for the gift!

Ryan's 8th grade band played as well. He plays the French horn, and the school provided the instrument! Woo hoo! He likes it and picked it up quickly as well. (Last year he won the Beginning Band Brass Award!)

He will have to make a decision as to what he will do in the future with band. The junior high football coach doesn't allow the football players to march during football games and that is what a band does during the fall semester. Ryan has already made a decision to play football and is committed to giving his time and energy to that activity.

In the spring, bands play concert music. Even if you're not musical you can appreciate being part of a group of people who together make a sound that they couldn't make alone. We certainly won't discourage him from hanging through the fall semester of participating without the chance to perform...but it will be frustrating. We would hate for him to give up music...as it is something that you can use for God's glory forever.