Choir Charisma

Recently our home has been busting at the seams with life.  There was a house we were interested in that we put a bid on. . .but God told us to stay put, so we will listen.
First things first, someone got her braces off. . .

 Gone is the little nine-year-old who went in looking like this:

Her first request: corn on the cob, so we happily obliged.

With Summer right around the corner, it seems activities have been consuming our life.  The most recent one was Lene's choir performance.  Its theme was "British Invasion."  Notice  her brace-less smile?  She had yet to get her retainer.  Loved snapping a picture with her elementary school friends.  It is hard to believe we are facing our last year of middle school in the Fall.  Time stops for no one, I tell you!

 She had quite the crowd to cheer her on.  It was my favorite concert to date, actually.

 Lene really wanted her Grandpa to be there, so we were happy he joined us this time.  The sixties evokes all things "grandpa-ish" in her mind.  It's cute.

 Our baby is almost a teenager.  We find this absolutely mind boggling.  Such the natural order of life, but still it feels like it happens so suddenly.  Those days were so long, but the years have been so stinkin' short!

Lene is a wonderful, doting cousin to baby girl.  I love to see her interact with her and to watch the way she watches her with such an endearing, gentle love.  This weekend she takes her big babysitting class at a local hospital.  She has waited months to get this class under her belt, but with Spring volleyball it had to wait until now.  I think it's great that it's her first free weekend since January and she insisted on being at the class.  She really is growing up.

I have to admit, I got teary-eyed a few times in the performance. The kind of tears that if I blinked, they would flow!  I'm not sure if it was the music choice, or watching my girl in action, singing her heart out, using God's gift.  Today she finds out if she makes another elite choir for next year.  She faced her fears of auditioning in front of everyone and she did it. Whether or not she makes it in is beside the point. . .knowing she gave it her all and was brave about it is what matters most in this household.  Besides, next year is the year she has been waiting for--a real live chance to be in Drama.  She auditioned and made it and that has been her passion for such a long time, I'm thrilled to see it come to fruition for her.  I have a feeling there will be more tears in my future as I face the inevitable: children grow up.  They turn into their own people and at some point, you have to just know you did the best you could and God will take care of the rest.

My baby bird is taking flight.  She's starting to soar.  And that fills me with an inexplicable joy and breaks my heart all in the same moment.  She's growing up.