As we prepare to welcome our sweet baby into this family, we thought it would be important for me to have a bit of a "last hurrah" bearing in mind that in the future, our lives and activities will largely be dictated by our bundle of joy. The last hurrah began the first weekend of June when I took a trip to Minnesota to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the St. Olaf Choir. Mostly, the trip was an excuse to meet up with Kira, my best friend, and also to participate by singing with a choir rather than conducting one.
The trip couldn't have come at a better time as the end of the year turned out to be pretty rough at my job. I think it was the Lord's way of helping me cope with the decision to leave teaching. Things got so bad that I ended up counting the days until it was over.
Anyway, the trip to MN was perfect. Kira and I enjoyed a few days of just us time and had the privilege of staying at her grandparent's vacant house in Burnsville. One of the highlights was a shopping trip to MOA (love!) where I got a few cute maternity dresses. Kira has a super duper camera so we did a little maternity photo shoot in the backyard.
Here I am at 31 weeks
Hello baby
I just love this girl
At first, being back at St. Olaf was nerve wracking. I didn't exactly have the best memories of my time there and I imagine most people have some butterflies when they head back for reunions. Luckily, all my fears were totally unfounded. The joy of this reunion was that it was open to all Ole Choir alums so the people that came were all people that I would want to see. It was great to see people from the classes ahead and behind us that we normally wouldn't get to see. Besides, I had Kira by my side the whole time which obviously made it great.
Kira and Cami in front of Christiansen Music Hall...where it all went down
Class of '04... still being ridiculous
Ian, Kate, Ryan, Cami, Andy, and Kira
I used both of my personal days to attend the reunion and left my kids hanging the week before our final concert. So when I got back, it was go time. We put pedal to the metal and ended up closing the year (and my career) out strong. The kids surprised me with a beautiful video tribute and a scrapbook of encouragement and memories. Even with the garbage that went on at the end of the year, I still have to say that I had the very best students who filled my cup to the brim. It's hard to imagine not having the privilege of being their audience each and every day. I'll have to try not to be jealous of their new teacher. :)
On the last day of school, I did a little documenting for posterity.
Copying my own high school teacher, Mr. Paul Dennis, I had the kids in Chamber Singers make a banner each year, leaving their mark on the walls of the choir room.
My classroom
UNA VOCE
These girls always pulled it together for performances. By the end of the year, they completely lived up to their name, one voice. I absolutely love the camaraderie of all women's groups and this group of ladies held me together this last year.
CONCERT CHOIR
Words can't express how much I enjoyed this group of kids. They were joyful from day one and never stopped working hard all year. They loved to laugh and allowed me to push them harder than any of my previous Concert Choirs. I will absolutely never forget them!
CHAMBER SINGERS
Half of this group were with me since their sophomore years and have been through the good, the bad, and the ugly. They have become tremendous musicians and I can't wait to see how God will use their gifts for his glory. I always told them that I was the most spoiled teacher ever because I got to listen to them sing everyday. I love you guys!
After the last day of school, I immediately went into wedding mode as I was helping a couple in our church by coordinating for their big day. The bride, a fellow teacher, had done such a phenomenal job that it was pretty easy to swoop in and help at the last minute. One of the fun things we did during the cocktail hour was set up a photo booth for people to take pictures.
Dave and I at the reception
The beautiful bride and groom
Mr. and Mrs. Stacy and Dennise Freehill
One of the highlights of the summer has been the plethora of hummingbirds gracing our backyard. They go through our feeders once a day and hover at our window with demanding looks if the food runs out. They are so desperate, they will even drink out of our hands. Proof below...
Once school was out and the wedding was over, it was time for a road trip to Walla Walla. Most people thought I was nuts for driving across the country by myself as pregnant as I am, but I loved every minute of it. My next post will start where this one left off and cover the end of June and beginning of July.
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