These last couple weeks have been pretty routine and so I will just hit the highlights of these weeks...
AUGUST 6,
Holdrege held their annual Relay for Life fund raiser for cancer research programs. People signed up to walk around the Holdrege High School track all night long. We were asked to entertain the folks but only for a couple hours and thankfully not all night long. They held a touching opening ceremony with the story from a cancer survivor, prayer, and our national anthem.
Our line up of instruments always makes a great backdrop.
The cancer survivors started the relay by being the first to walk around the track.
Then it was our turn. We felt honored to be able to help the fund raiser and we hope that we kept the people entertained as well...
Campbell
This is now the second time that we have performed there. We all dressed up in our 50's outfits and went to help those folks walk down memory lane.
Joseph decided to take a pre-show nap in one of the comfy lazy-boys there.
WAKE UP!!!
We love to see their faces light up when they hear a song that they grew up singing or listening to. It has been a great blessing in our lives to serve these people. We love to make them smile and laugh.
MORE???
This weekend AUGUST 12-13 have been CRAZY!!!!
Our First Music Festival.
We were scheduled to play 5 times at this festival.
The first time on stage was with the "Young Entertainers" set.
There were 4 or 5 groups of people 18 and under who got up and played two or three songs.
Graham, Isaac, Marilee, and I were one of those groups. We called ourselves the HALF STAFF!
There are many reasons for this name, we are only "half" of the family, we are the youngest "half", we are only "half the height"(well not really), etc. etc.
Isaac played the fiddle to the tune Blackberry Blossom.
Graham was our lead guitar.
Marilee took over the mandolin.
I backed them up with the bass and we had our own real bluegrass band put together.
About mid-afternoon the rest of the family joined our half of the staff and we played a twenty minute set before getting everything packed and driving up to a little town named Callaway. It is about 30 minutes southwest of Broken Bow.
The nursing home there had invited us to a BBQ party.
Did you enjoy the ride Marilee?
You look comfy...
The BBQ pork was delicious. THANK YOU!!!
"A"It seems like we spend a lot of time tuning the instruments. It sure makes a difference in the music. Thank you Graham and Seth for being our tuners!!!
We still enjoy playing fiddle music before each show. It not only gets us going but it also warms our audience up too...
Dad always introduces the family before turning the time to our emcee, Joseph.
Keep dancing John.
They love it!
I wonder what you are thinking about Seth.
"Your a Grand Old Flag"
"The emblem of the Land I love"
"Keep your eye on the Grand Old Flag"
We put together a combination of Old Time Favorites, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Patriotic music for this program. It was fun just to do a whole bunch of our favorite songs...
During the Color Song we were stumped by the color Fuschia.
Anybody have any clever words that rhyme with Fuschia?
We would like to thank the Callaway Nursing Home for inviting us to their facility. It was a wonderful experience for each of us. Thank you!!!
The next day, AUGUST 13, we drove back down to Holbrook to the Burton Bend Festival. We set up before anybody got there.
This is the kind of audience that does not scare us!
We performed during the early afternoon the Half Staff performed a couple more songs. Then the whole family came up and we did another variety show. Sometimes we feel like a circus with all the dancing, juggling, poi, jump rope, and other things that we pack into our programs.
While we were waiting for our last turn on stage we spent the time listening to the other groups, playing on the playground, and talking to many, many wonderful people.
CAUGHT YA SETH!!!
All growing up Seth was the expert hider. He always knew exactly where to hide and nobody could ever find him.
Yup, we ended the day with our hillbilly skit.
I hope that we were able to brighten someone's day.
SURPRISE!!!
Covey, Melody, and little Mack were traveling through Nebraska, so they stopped and stayed the weekend with us.
Mack is 5 months old!
I don't know where the time goes, he is growing up so fast.
He has two teeth and is smiling, talking, and blowing bubbles more and more. He loves when his Dad or his uncle John wrestle with him. Thanks for stopping by Covey and Melody. We love you!!!
These last couple weeks have been very significant in our lives. We have done things that we had never imagined that we would ever do. However, we have seen and felt the Lord's hand and guidance through it all. We are full of gratitude for the Lord's tender mercies that have helped us to accomplish things that we could never have done by ourselves. The more we move forward on this path God has put us on the more we realize how weak we are by ourselves. God does indeed strengthen those that strive to serve Him and be His servants.
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Ether 12:27
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