*Thursday Thrills*

It was a good day, today.  No school, no more 80 to 90 degree temps, no one else has gotten stomach flu since Sunday (knock on wood)......we went to the dollar theater this afternoon and watched Cars 2 (it only cost $12 for myself and the 5 kids!).  I walked out the door without my camera, so no pictures, unfortunately.

But, the best news of all?  This evening while browsing Craig's list, I found a very nice, oak dining table (oval--48" x 70" with the leaf) and chairs for $175 HERE IN NAMPA (many of the sets I saw were in Meridian, or Boise, or Caldwell)!!!!!  We went and looked at it tonight and brought it home. There's hardly a scratch on it, and it is oh, so beautiful!  Might I remind you that we have been using my craft table in the kitchen, complete with table cloth, and cheap-o folding chairs.  Better than nothing at all, but not big enough, and definitely NOT very aesthetically pleasing.  Since our house finally rented we went ahead and "splurged".  I have been looking the past couple of days for something cheap (because we're still poor), but decent (at the very least), and really lucked out!  Someone else was selling an identical set on Craig's list for $325 (Geez!).

My new dining set in all its beautiful splendor.  Chair pads included!

Choir Concert or Alley Cat Chorus?

     Ha hum....hmmmm (clearing throat):  I went to Dean and Emily's (Nampa High School) concert Tuesday night prepared to hear some great singing.  While I told Dean and Emily that I'm sure THEY sounded great, I do have to say that overall, the concert was "not good"....in fact, it stunk!
     We're used to Coconino High School Choir...yes, there have been some bad beginning choirs there, but year after year without fail the CHS Chamber singers are phenomenal.   The Concert Choir is usually pretty good, too!  Not the case here, unfortunately.  I don't really think that the Choir Director here can be blamed.  He seems like he knows what he's doing...and I mean, you're only as strong as what you have to work with.  Surely there have got to be some kids somewhere at Nampa High School (besides mine) who can actually sing.  Maybe there is a reason why Choir at this High School seems to be a "Well-kept secret"!  Of course, what do you expect when you've got kids in the choir who have names like "Cow" and "Taco"!!!!  I don't think Choir will be on the schedules next year!

 Dean is on the top row, 3rd from the right.  Emily is on the bottom row, 2nd from the left.

 The whole Concert choir (gotta love the robes!)

Getting ready to "sing".

I really miss playing for, and hearing, the CHS choirs in Flagstaff!  Dean really misses BEING in a CHS choir.  Too bad Emily didn't have the opportunity to sing at CHS!!!

And the winner is..............

DEAN!!!!!   Yes, poor Dean was the next in line to fall ill this morning at 5am.  Amy spent some time today saying her stomach felt funny, but no confirmed case yet.  Darn.  When yesterday came and went with no more illness I was hoping we were done, but no such luck.  Maybe Dean will be the last "sicko"......only time will tell!

And the next stomach flu victim was.............

..........................Me!  Last night (the 28th) from 6:30pm to 1:30 am.  Then at 2:30 am Nathan got it too!  (And I thought I was going to get some rest after MY episode of illness!  No rest for the weary).

So, who's next?  Place your bets now!!!!!  The winner gets the satisfaction of knowing they were right! (ha ha)

*Chanon
*Dean
*Emily
*Amy
*No one

Barbershop Festival

Last night Emily participated in a Barbershop (aka:  4-part close harmony) Festival at Northwest Nazarene University's Swayne Auditorium here in Nampa.  There were two professional groups who performed, but the other numbers were performed by High School Students.   Several quartets (and an octet or two) performed, and then there were 3 large group performances...one with the male high school students, one with the female hs students, and one combined (over 500 students in all).  It was very enjoyable and Emily had a good time.  She sang in the female and combined groups.  WOW--they sounded FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

(Female Group)

  I wasn't able to get very good pictures because of the lighting (and the fact that I was sitting too far back in the auditorium) but here's one with the male/female High School combined group:

This obviously is not a picture of the whole group...I was trying to zoom in on Emily but this was as close as I could get.  If you look closely on the Right hand side above the date stamp (right above "09"), there is a man with a black jacket and red shirt.  Emily is standing right next to him on the right (second girl above "27").  There was an amazing professional group called "Heavenly"...a quartet of college girls from Sacramento State University.  They did indeed sound Heavenly!  This festival was for groups all around the Greater Boise area...kinda like a Barbershop Regional Festival or something!!!  Very Entertaining, and the High School quartets were very impressive!

Excitement for the week......

Poor Sarah got sick Monday evening with the stomach flu bug that's going around!  She threw up all over me and had to take a bath (and so did I!!!).  According to the other families who've fallen victim, it takes 1 to 2 days to pass to someone else so I'm waiting with baited breath.  Luckily this week the kids have Thursday and Friday off from school so if we can just get through TODAY until 3:30 we'll be good!!!!!!

Poor Sarah!!!! )o:

OK-- so, who do you think the next victim will be?
Leave a comment to vote!!!!!! (ha ha)

~Mom
~Dad
~Dean
~Emily
~Amy
~Nathan
~NO ONE (This is MY vote!)
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Pinterest......I'm now addicted.  Need I say more?

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Nathan started sounding out words this week!  This was SO exciting.  He showed no interest in this before, and seemed to struggle with sounding out all the letters individually.  He also didn't seem to grasp the concept that letters together make a word.  In the past when I tried to help him learn words, he would only name individual letters.  The other day we were working on some homework involving 3-letter words (filling in the missing letters), and on his own he began sounding out each letter and then he said the words!!!!  I was SO excited and so was he!!!!

Orchard Pictures (mentioned in a previous post)

Dean and Emily picking peaches at the Mutual service activity (Church Welfare Orchard):

 Emily and a friend