Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

This year, our church group undertook quite the challenge. We had the opportunity to put on a show, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." We met in September to discuss logistics, meet the production team, and accept our assignments. Who would have thought that just six months later we'd have an amazing cast, stunning props/sets, and a fantastic crew able to pull off this show and reach an audience of more than 3000 people over 6 shows (gathering donations in excess of 1200 pounds of food for the local food bank)!

I was the Ensemble Director. I helped the Ensemble and some of the dancers learn their music. I also directed the Ensemble, and the main stage cast at several points, throughout the show. Ed was one of the main photographers for this adventure!

I am amazed by the amount of volunteer work that went into this production. The vision was stunning and the dedication was truly inspiring. I think I jumped on the bandwagon a bit late with overwhelming opportunity of this experience. By that, I mean I was happy to be the Ensemble Director, but I didn't understand the impact of the Ensemble at first, or the impact I could have in my role. I feel badly about that and now wish I would have done more. As it was, I was a little disappointed to be in a supporting role and not have the opportunity to perform. I love to sing. I'm kind of good at it! I think I held on to that disappointment for too long that I cheated myself out of a truly incredible experience. Lesson learned.

As it was, this is a fantastic show. The music is so fun, the dancing, the actors - I feel truly blessed to have been part of a production like this.

Samantha caught on to the music very quickly and was so excited to see at least four of the six shows. She loved it! She still sings along with the DVD. She dances to the music. She is hooked! It was so cute too to see her a bit star-struck following each show as she timidly asked the actors if she could have a picture with them. Here are just a few.

Samantha w/Joseph (Bryan Morrison)

Samantha w/Pharoah

                                                                                                                 (Brian Knudson)

Samantha with four of the brothers

(Andrew Ogden, Joe Johnson, Scott Watkins, Justin Owens)

 Samantha pretending to be in the show!                                      

With the guard (Rim Quist)

With one of her favorite Egyptianettes, Elisabeth Denning

Samantha and Izzy with Joseph (Bryan Morrison)

Samantha with Potiphar's Wife (Heidi Markowski)

 

Samantha, me, and Auntie Missi (Orchestra Piano)

 

Samantha and Izzy with a brother (Warren Fitch)

 

I'm very much looking forward to our next musical adventure. We've been told that maybe in 4 years we can put on a production to this scale again. I truly hope to be a part of it, in whatever capacity!

Miracles

"Do you believe in miracles?" That's what my doctor asked me when he came into the exam room to give me my test results.

Me? Pregnant? No, that's not possible. Not after 4 IVF attempts, countless IUIs, tens of thousands of dollars and several doctors from here to Georgia always with the same answer: "We don't know why it's not working." Well, now I do.

Miracles are often dismissed as chance, coincidence, or offered some other "reasonable" explanation. I'm not sure why some people don't believe in miracles. I believe in miracles. Why? Because both of my daughters are true miracles. Don't misunderstand, I believe that every child is a miracle, that giving life is indeed a miracle. My girls are just a little more miraculous than that.

Ed and I waited a long time for children. We tried a litany of things that both Western and Eastern medicine had to offer. Add to that list both looking into the state Foster-to-Adopt option and registering with private adoption agencies. Finally, on a trip down to Utah for LDS General Conference, we "met" with Denise from Heart and Soul Adoptions. When I say "met," I mean we called the office to find it closed, left a message, received a return call ten minutes later and found out that Denise happened to be grocery shopping at the Smith's down at the other end of the mini-mall where we had stopped for lunch. Coincidence, right? Hmmmm...

Less than 30 days from that meeting with Denise, she called to tell us of a possible match with Birth Mother from Missouri. Our application wasn't even totally complete at this point, but still we got the opportunity to talk with this amazing Birth Mother and later found she had selected us to be adoptive parents. Long story short, through a series of miracles (not coincidences, not chance), we have our miraculous Samantha Grace!

Samantha - Jan 28, 2015
Her "princess pose"

Fast-forward two and a half years to me and Ed and our decision to begin the adoption process again. Yep, you guessed it, cue me getting sick, taking THREE at-home pregnancy tests all returning positive results (I was just sure I was taking the tests wrong and they couldn't possibly be accurate), and finally having the pregnancy confirmed at the doctor's office.

Isabel - Jan 28, 2015
(It's my birthday today!)

I was crying when I first saw her, just a few weeks along and there she was. I had visual proof that she existed. How could this possibly be? The doctor who had literally written the book on IVF couldn't return a positive pregnancy result for us, but here she was, clear as day (well, clear as a sonogram at least). In the weeks and months following that first visit, there was a lot of uncertainty, nervousness, prayer, disbelief, and finally on January 28, 2014, a retrospective understanding and a different kind of peace. Pregnancy before Isabel couldn't work. That miracle needed to wait until Samantha was a part of our family first.

Do you believe in miracles? Yes I do! I'm looking at two of them right now.

Aren't they beautiful?

Evergreen State Fair 2013

We spent the entire day at the Evergreen State Fair today, just the three of us.  What a spectacular day!  It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too crowded, and we all had a blast together!

As soon as we entered the gates, the first thing we saw were pony rides for kids.  So of course we had to get Samantha a turn!  She loves all kinds of animals and was so excited at the prospect of riding a pony!! 

Such a natural!

What a beautiful little cowgirl!

We asked her what she wanted to do next and, no surprise, she wanted to ride the carousel.  We did take a little detour on the way over there to get our annual "Old Fashioned Frontier Photo" together as a family.  The last two years we've made the mistake of waiting too long to go do this and so Samantha looks exhausted in each of those pictures.  Not this year!  She was all smiles!



Our annual "Old Fashioned Frontier Photo."
(Sorry, it's a picture of a picture
and those just never turn out!
It really is a great picture though!)

After the photo shoot we made our way over to the kiddie rides.  Holy frijoles, rides are expensive!  We opted for the bracelet allowing Samantha access to ride any of the rides for which she was tall enough.  Hey, at 41" tall, let me tell you, she got to go on LOTS of rides!  Some either required she be accompanied by an adult or, at least it made me feel better if she had one of us with her, so we bought some ride tickets for Ed too!  (I'm not really a fair/carnival ride kinda person anymore...)

At any rate, we sure got our money's worth out of that bracelet.  Samantha must have been on 15-16 rides throughout the day and loved every minute of it!

I think the carousel is her favorite...

Riding the swings with Daddy

Happy little driver...

...and boy, she takes those turns seriously!

All aboard!  The train ride.

The only type of motorcycle she'll
EVER be allowed to ride! :)

We convinced her to take a break from the rides for a bit while we went and strolled through the animal exhibits.  We saw cows, goats, sheep, pigs, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, cats (we saw the cat exhibit three times at Samantha's request! :), horses...I think that's it!  Like I said, Samantha loves all kinds of animals.  It wouldn't surprise us a bit if she becomes a Veterinarian when she grows up!

After and in between animal exhibits, we wandered through some of the other displays, grabbed a bite to eat, and then Samantha was up for more rides!  Before that though, we found a small exhibit all about farming, so we took a break for Samantha to pick and apple, dig up a potato, find an egg, and milk a cow.

Learning how to milk a cow

Learning where all the food she picked goes and separating
it accordingly

At the chainsaw carving exhibits. 
Some of the things they make are just amazing!

On a smaller version of the swings
all by herself

Leaving on a jet plane!

Riding in the big bear.  Samantha and Daddy did NOT
like this ride...

With Daddy on her first roller coaster!

Back to the carousel - told you she loves this thing!

So excited she got the BLUE car this time!

AND the BLUE motorcycle.  She loves blue!

What a ham! :) Look at that smile!

Back on the train, this time in the caboose!

At the end of our fantastic day, we followed through with our tradition of buying a baker's dozen Fisher Scones for the road.  :)  The fair wouldn't be complete without them!

Mmmmm, scones!

We always tease that this is just the "warm up" fair because in a couple of weeks, we're off to the Puyallup Fair for the day.  But you know, this really was a perfect day and we enjoyed every minute at the Evergreen State Fair this year!

On our way out to the car after the perfect Fair day!

Farm Fest and the Museum

This morning, we started out our day at a "Farm Fest" at a local farm in Snohomish.  It wasn't very impressive, unfortunately.  On the bright side though, Samantha did enjoy the time in the small hay maze, racing rubber ducks, and riding the cow train...TWICE!  Our purchase of kettle corn made the morning complete, as we headed off for new adventures.

Samantha and Daddy in the hay maze

Samantha and Mommy in the hay maze

Riding the cow train - Samantha's cow was named, "Susie Q"

Samantha and Daddy in the giant pumpkin

At the duck races

Dancing in the play house

We drove through Snohomish, on roads that twisted and turned to places we'd never before seen, until we ended up in a familiar place--Monroe.  We decided to see what, if anything, was going on at the fairgrounds.

While there were no events happening, the Western Heritage Center there was open and not at all busy.  This was great for us because it meant the folks that worked there were excited to see visitors and showed us every part of the museum.  Samantha loved pushing buttons to see play trains move, grinding corn into corn meal with a hand crank, running a washing machine from the early 1900's, making her own rope out of twine, and walking through the model of a mine.

Pedaling the mini-tractor

This is the rope twisting machine Samantha
used to make a piece of rope to take home

More duck races (notice the rope she made around her waist)

Plugging her ears and blowing the train whistle

Since they weren't busy, they even took us for a ride in a motorized Surrey (with the fringe on top! :) and let Ed drive one of the riding lawn mowers.  Attached to the back of the lawn mower was a trailer in which they put two chairs; one for me and one for Samantha, so we could enjoy the ride around the fairgrounds too!

Riding with Mommy in the trailer while Daddy drove
the lawn mower

Daddy - what a good driver!

Samantha posing in the Surrey

I was so impressed!  We went there not expecting a whole lot but this was the easy favorite of the day!  If you're ever in Monroe, stop by and check it out!