IHC 2009

This year was a "first" for us as we were able to attend IHC all three days! Jonathan had to sing in the Tuesday afternoon service that began at 1:30pm! He rode over with Chuck and Mary Jane McGuire on Tuesday morning and I stayed home to get Parker from school. We got Parker excused from public school and were able to take him with us for all 3 days! The kids and I left town at 11am and arrived in Dayton shortly after 1pm. We made it in time to hear the "Singing around the piano" service and the kids actually sat there for 3 hours that afternoon! Mom and Dad Walden also came to IHC for the entire time and helped us with the kids. I think we about wore them out!!

On Wednesday evening, Convention Quartet sang in the Patriotic service at 6pm. I made sure this year I was firmly planted in my seat at the beginning of that service!! (Most of you may recall from last year that it was during this service that I fell off the stairs and into Bro McCrary's arms! How humiliating!)

By 8pm, the kids were "over it" and so were Mommy and Daddy! We ended up going to Frisch's Big Boy at 9pm and enjoyed our fattening supper! The kids were wild and we were so glad we didn't make them stay for the entire service when we heard it lasted until 10pm!!!

On Thursday afternoon, Parker and Paige sang in the Children's choir. Paige somehow managed to wiggle her way through the crowd of kids and find her brother so she could stand by him. Much to my dismay, they ended up fighting with the little boy standing next to Parker and it was all caught on the live-streaming video! You can find it on the archives at IH Convention in the "Building for Keeps" service!

By Thursday evening, I thought I was going to make it through the entire convention without embarrassing myself! It was down to the final song and the mass choir was going to end with the Hallelujah chorus! (I didn't hear Brother Wolf say "end with" either!) They began their last song and started saying "Hallelujah" and I saw a couple of people stand! I assumed they were singing a verse of the Hallelujah chorus and that most people must not know that you are to stand when that song is being sung! So........I bravely stood up! NO ONE ELSE DID!!! I was the only one in my section and there were probably only about 12 others in the entire crowd of 4,000 that was standing!! I looked at Jonathan and said "Stand up!" He said, "That's not the right song, sit down!" I told him there was no way I was going to sit down now and to please "Let me out!" The kids had stuff strung all over the seats between us so I hurriedly began packing up my bags! By this time, people all around us were dying laughing at me and I was laughing so hard at myself. My face was burning hot and I could not seem to get the kids to move! As soon as I got to the aisle and turned to walk down the stairs, the choir FINALLY begin singing the actual "Hallelujah Chorus" and the entire crowd stood to their feet! I turned and looked up and said, "It's about time you all joined me!" They cracked up and I walked out of IHC for the final time of 2009 once again, humiliated!!!

In reality, it was a great convention. We got to see many friends and enjoyed lunch with the Myer's family and Gene and Angie Davis. The kids were potty trained this year and this was our first year in 6 years that we didn't take a stroller! The kids did really well considering the services are 3-4 hrs long! We were weary too! We loved being there all three days and are already making plans to attend next year!!!

IHC 2009

Easter Sunday 2009!

Happy Easter Weekend!

Last weekend, we enjoyed attending an Easter drama entitled "Bow the knee." Shirley, a girlfriend from work invited us, and we took our kids along as well! I was a little worried how the kids would handle it, as I didn't know how much the actors would visualize the true description of what really happened that day! My friends husband was the Roman Centurion, and Paige told us that she did not care for him, but she did like the other man, who was Jesus! (That role was played by Shirley's son, Josh!) At one point in the play, Jesus was hanging on the cross, there was lightening and thunder and then He bowed His head and died. It was completely silent in the theater and Peyton says right out loud....."No more Jesus!" Paige was SO excited about what all she saw that she went to church on Sunday morning and told everyone the Easter story in the words of a 3 year old child! I was amazed at how much of the story she understood! It was way more in depth than I ever could've told them! We were glad we took them and enjoyed the snacks and fellowship with the gals from work afterwards!

This weekend promises to be extremely busy for us as I'm sure it is for everyone else too! Tonight we're going to meet the guys that Jonathan sings with and practice, then head out to eat! The poor restaurant as they'll be 17 of us!!!

Tomorrow morning is a fun Easter brunch at my Mom's house! We always look forward to the yummy food every year and the kids can hardly wait for us to let them go find the eggs and get their baskets!

Tomorrow afternoon will find us knocking on the doors of our Jr Church kids making sure they will all be there on Sunday morning! We've challenged the adults and are trying to double our attendance for Easter Sunday! We have promised them a party on Monday evening if they reach their goal and we have faith that they're going to attain their goal! So...the party is being planned in advance!

IHC begins on Tuesday and we have gotten Parker "excused" from public school so we can take him with us! Jonathan is singing with Convention Qt in the Tuesday afternoon service so we'll be there all 3 days this year! Something we've never done, and I'm sure I'll be regretting it by Thursday evening!!!

We hope you have a blessed Easter weekend and are able to attend church on Sunday! This is a wonderful time of year for us Christians, remembering what He did for all of us!

Happy Easter and I'll try to post some Easter photos before we head to IHC next week! No promises...

Promised Pictures!!

We had a great time at the Gaither Homecoming concert a couple of weeks ago. We went with Don and Amy Bates and thoroughly enjoyed our evening together! The concert was within 25 miles from the Tennessee border, but our guys said they'd do it again in a heartbeat! They were in "heaven" getting to see and meet Michael English! We got into some major traffic and had to ride a school bus up the mountain to get to the arena. We missed hearing the first couple of singers which included one of Jonathan's favorites....Ivan Parker! :( It was an extremely late night as we arrived home at nearly 4am, but the guys will tell you it was worth every minute of lost sleep! Click on the picture below to see photos of our fun evening!

Gaither Homecoming Concert