When the workshop finished, we crashed for a day at home. Saturday, Ben and Emily came with us to the splash pad at Fort Union, and Kelsey brought her little Anderson to play too! It was so fun to see and be with these loved ones. I have missed them so much!
I took the girls to church and then up to Kaysville for Sunday dinner with BJ and Martha! They made us the best salmon I’ve ever had in my life! I’ve definitely noticed a difference in the food. I guess we started eating healthier in the UK, so I literally can’t eat frozen dinners or junk food any more. My body just craves fruits and veggies! This is so new for me… I must be getting old.
Anyway, we had a 6 AM flight to Vegas and on to St. Louis, and it was delightful to travel with so many core cast members. Everyone took turns helping with babies, holding things, carrying bags, etc. I have felt deeply grateful for and filled with love for this particular group of core cast members. They are incredible people! And when I see them love my children, it makes me love THEM even more.
We met up with Becky Mace, Rachael Pratt, and a few others in St. Louis! Hurray! Rachael brought a beautiful English quilt she made for us! I love it! "There's a little bit of England in everybody!" We stopped to eat some lunch on our way to Nauvoo, and made a brilliant little canopy for Alice to nap in. When we got close to Nauvoo, we started singing the hymns of Zion, and it was so wonderful to see the temple on the hill as we came around the bend into the city. Oh how I love this little bend of the Mississippi!
Mom and Caleb met us at the condos with a car full of toys, books, blankets, and crates of food! Mom couldn’t help herself-she stopped at a garage sale on the way up to get more toys and fun things for the girls. She has fed us well for every meal, planned out fun activities for the girls, taken them swimming, fed and dressed them, bathed them, changed nappies, cleaned the house, done all the dishes, done all the shopping, folded the laundry, and continues to support us in all we are doing. I never knew what an amazing mother I had! I’m SO grateful for her and all the time and effort she has put in to making this summer possible. I couldn’t do it without her! She even decorated the walls of the condo with pictures of our ancestors so we can read and think about them. I love that she understands dance and can help give me feedback on the choreography, and she loves this work! I think she is enjoying it as well. She was supposed to leave yesterday to go to a family reunion, but she decided to stay here to help us. She’s one good woman!
Caleb is playing David Ashton in the British Pageant and running the set/props on and off for the Nauvoo Pageant. He has been AMAZING. First of all, I didn’t really know he could act. He’s brilliant! And secondly, he is a good uncle and takes good care of these little angels of mine. He is so good at getting them in and out of the car, playing with them, changing nappies, and lifting all of our spirits. I’m so grateful I get to share this experience with him. And I love that he is gets to work with all of these friends of mine! He spends more time with them than I do!
We started with a week of rehearsals as a core cast, and in addition to the pageants, we put together “Our Story Goes On” and a little presentation for the welcome dinner. I LOVE seeing all of these wonderful friends from over the years, and it’s great to make new ones too! The welcome dinner was so lovely-to honor all of these people who have sacrificed everything to make this pageant possible. It’s been so nice to have this new building to rehearse in, and it’s just around the corner from where we are staying!
Mom and I took the girls to see the BYU Ballroom Dancers one night. Just a typical girls night out:
Sunday evening, after the Orientation Presentation, we were able to perform “Our Story Goes On” in the Pageant Headquarters. Usually, I love that opportunity, but I was struggling with a few physical and emotional challenges. After receiving a priesthood blessing and counseling with some leaders, I was reminded that the adversary works hardest to confuse and confound us when we are close to doing something with the potential for a lot of good. I realized I had a responsibility and opportunity to share my testimony of God’s plan for families and for his children. I decided to try anyway, and I went out to greet the audience. Just in getting out of myself and talking with them, I began to feel so much peace. And as I “performed” that night, I felt I was able to share so much more of me-my feelings and faith-than I’d ever been able to. I truly felt the spirit working through me, and I didn’t worry about how I looked or sounded or the billion things in my mind and heart-just sharing the message.
Jonathan, Aurora, and I started teaching the YPMs (Young Performing Missionaries) their choreography, and it has been delightful! We started with a little meeting the night before to discuss their experiences so far, get to know each other, and teach them a little about the pageant and what they’ll be doing. They were so excited, the sisters showed up 10 minutes early to our 7 AM rehearsal the next day! They’re a very loving group, and I am so grateful I get to work so closely with them. We’ve had fun creating new movement for some of the British Pageant dances and refining some of the movement for the Nauvoo Pageant.
Working with Jonathan and Aurora has been a delight. We’ve only had the family cast for three days, but we spent COUNTLESS hours together and working individually to develop these dances. I have literally been praying, brainstorming, and dancing around the clock! We like to think of ourselves as a little Presidency. We have very unique skills and insights to bring to these pieces, and together-with a lot of heavenly help-we are creating some wonderful things. There are several moments of these dances where we have felt inspired to use certain shapes and steps which tell the story and teach the gospel with more clarity. We’ve felt so much love for the family cast as we’ve assigned them places in the dances and tried our best to teach them with love. In three days, the family cast learned THE ENTIRE BRITISH PAGEANT-including the dances! We taught the dance with the most difficult steps and shapes yesterday (in two hours) and then put it on stage that night without any spacing rehearsals, and it was stunning! I was so amazed with how well they worked together to navigate through the dances and the entire run through. What an incredible group of people!
The BEST news: Last Saturday (the 27th) at 3:50 PM, after THREE WEEKS of being apart, we were reunited as a family at the little Burlington Airport. After being a single mom for those three weeks (even with the help of family), I have a firm testimony of the importance of having a husband and father in the home. It has completely changed everything having Paul here to help. As we were leaving for rehearsal the other day, he picked up Alice and the nappy bag, and Rachel followed him to the car. I got a little choked up just watching the three of them walking together. My little family is my greatest joy!
Paul was awake for over 30 hours as he travelled here, then immediately went into a back to back run through of “Our Story Goes On”, the British Pageant, and the Nauvoo Pageant! He was incredible! He just jumped in and met us where we were. I was so impressed, honestly. There’s still work to do, but what a way to start! Also, he worked on the King Follett Discourse and discovered that in order for Joseph to teach the estimated 20,000 people in attendance, Joseph would have had to project and speak rather slowly. In presenting it this way, Paul demonstrated for the family cast how much love and energy and vulnerability is required to meet the needs of a large audience. We are grateful for his vocal training from BSA (his school) which has helped him find a healthy way of projecting. And I am grateful for the years of testimony building that allows him to fill each line with his personal faith and conviction. Both are required for it to work!
We start in on the Nauvoo Pageant today, and it’s only a matter of days until the Blue Cast gets here. Some of them have already arrived! These days are just flying by!!! I want it all to slow down! I’m having too much fun!
All About Alice:
• She is a tank! She is getting bigger! How??? She’s making Mom’s hip and back hurt, but luckily, so many people are here to help trade her around.
• She can crawl now! And she loves to push up or pull herself up to standing. I’m amazed! It’s honestly a miracle. She has to be so strong to move around that chubby body! (I love the chub)
• Eats lots of solids-three times a day
• Takes great naps
• Really needs mom these days. She doesn’t even let me pass her to Paul most times. She really just likes me. But she’ll usually try to grab someone else with sunglasses or a good nose to play with. Haha!
• Lots of people love to hold her and play with her because she’s such a happy baby!
Rachel’s Corner:
• Having the time of her life playing with Sariah and Nancy!
• Loves her Daddy. Can’t wait for him to come off stage and play.
• She’s learned to sleep on the mattress on the floor in our room. I fell asleep snuggling her last night, and her little hand was under my chin when Paul came home and found us.
• Loves to dance to the pageant music, and she knows most of the words to “The Gallant Ship” already
• Having a hard time whenever we are around. She cries a lot because she wants our attention, and she’s getting inconsistent parenting from being with so many different people, but she’s a strong, brave little soldier. I love her little sunshine spirit!
THANK HEAVEN for the Christensen's and their crew of family support volunteers!
No comments:
Post a Comment