Family Fun this Week

It has been a couple of crazy weeks with the comings and going at the Boyack house.

There was Valentine’s day.  My friends gave me this cool mug and a gift certificate for a massage.  John gave me a potted plant and a nice card.  I got him some recorded books, but I lost them in my room.  I guess I will have to “surprise” him later.

I gave Lilli a necklace.  She misses Hannah and I wanted her to have a good day.  Her choir was “hired” (for a donation to the program) to sing to someone.

We had a “snow day.”  Okay… there was A LOT of hype, but nothing came of it. It was suppose to snow all night.  This is all we got.  Everyone was so disappointed they had to go to school any way.

One day I bought Lilli some doughnut holes and a hot chocolate.  She thought it was so funny that she was being like a stereotypical policeman that she took a picture and sent it to Hannah.

The grand kids are doing great!  Ben is making it through the long winter days of kindergarten.  School isn’t his favorite.  He loves learning.  He just doesn’t like “school.”  Freya misses him  She is a little bored without him.  She is anxiously waiting the birth of her baby brother, Holland (the real urgency behind getting Lion King ready because he may make his entrance during the show and I need it to be a smooth show before I walk away).  At the Maxey house, the big news is that Leneyah got moved downstairs and now has her own room.  She needed to move to get ready for the adoption of Caiden.

Chad is doing well in Logan, Utah.  He is working good hours at his job.  His shoulder is healing slowly.  He gets to see Lanae a little bit each week.  He seems to be happy and getting used to post-missionary life.

Lilli was eating bread this week and a bracket on her back tooth fell off and she swallowed it.  John had to cut the wire that was hanging out.  Yesterday we went to the orthodontist to fix it.  She had to get them tightened.  I wanted to get a picture of the event to send to Hannah, but Lilli was reluctant.  Kids…

Most of our time is spent getting ready for Lion King.  It opens in 4 days.  So much work to do!  I still have a 2 page list of little things to get done.  This means that I stay after rehearsal for several hour, not getting home until midnight, or after on some days.  In the past week I have a little bit of help and we have succeeded in creaing a “jungle” and the rising sun.  I’ve set light cues and written all of the sound cues.  I’ve gotten my “call” book updated and have tried my best to get as much done as possible so that if needed, I could leave and the show would continue smoothly.

Next on my list paint the floor.  Lilli and Leah stayed last night and we got started.  I decided to use a feather duster this time. It looks cool.  It just takes a really long time.  I will be up most of tonight finishing all the things on my list before our Marathon Day tomorrow!  After that, two dress rehearsals and mini performance for the elementary schools before we open.  AHHHH!  Thus, the all nighter tonight.

While I am working on set, lights, sound, and directing, my friend, Jeff, is working on organizing and creating the 190 costume pieces and head dresses.  They are coming together so nicely!  Tomorrow is our first costume day.  I can’t wait!

But check out these pictures of rehearsal!  It’s worth it.  The show is coming along so nicely!

I love how the colors of the set and the lighting pop!  I can’t wait to see the 190 costumes all over that set!  The Kids are doing an amazing job!  Scar is super scary, just like I wanted him.  The hyenas are perfect.  Pumba and Timon are hilarious.  I can’t wait to see how audience like it.  I am trying hard to go for that “wow” factor.  Hope I get there!

Lilli is doing a great just as Nala.  Linda, the choreographer, has given her some fun dances to do.  We don’t often get to have real “skilled” dances in the high school production.  However, Lilli’s dances lesson have paid off!  The dancing is fantastic!  I am also impressed that even with helping me, working as a dance teacher, attending classes and rehearsals, Lilli is keeping her grades up.  When her report card came for 1 semester, it said he was 1 out of 220ish freshmen!  That is saying something.

Best of all… she is having fun.  I love that I have one more chance to share creativity with one more kid.

Meanwhile, Hannah said goodbye to the MTC.  She loved her time there.  She loved going to the temple regularly.  She loved her companions. She loved teaching an investigator while at the MTC.  She loved what she learned while she was there.

I missed her call from the airport!  I was SO SAD!  But nature calls louder and I was in the bathroom.  I tried to call her back, but it was too late.

She is now in a super small town in Arkansas, just a few miles from Branson, Missouri.  She didn’t write much on this last P-day, but she seems to be settling in.  We sure miss this kid!

So… there it is… the past two weeks reduced to a nut shell.