DC Day 5--Cemetery and a Concert

Its CONCERT DAY!  Today had more recording, the last of the recording.  These days have been SO long and SO much work.  But they've also been filled with wonderful experiences where I felt the Spirit.  Singing with MCO feeds my soul.  I would sing through my tears as we sang about the Atonement of my Savior.  What a gift it is to participate in this.

We also began filming a music video that will be posted on You Tube for our song, "Amazing Grace" I didn't realize we were filming a music video too and it's going to be amazing!  So excited!

Then we sang to a sold out concert.  As a "thank you" to our two host families while we were in DC we bought tickets and they thought the music was stunning.

it's a gift that I get to do this with my children.  A few months ago, we attended a special church meeting where we were counseled to simplify.  Stephen and I took that to heart and we had a family meeting about cutting back all the extra things we did.  Lindsey was clearly over scheduled and needed to cut back.

We discussed both girls dropping out of MCO.  We had each of the children list all the "extra" things they did and had them spend a week praying over what they should cut out.  Kaitlyn and I had a good talk and through her tears she shared with me how when she sang in MCO she felt the spirit and that she felt like her testimony was being built by her participation in MCO.  Well, needless to say this girl is an MCO singer for awhile.  I love that she can vocalize and identify what makes her feel the Spirit and ask for it.  She's growing up so much!

This is my singing buddy Chelsea Hale who I stood next to all week--she's from Utah.

So while the girls and I were singing, here's what the boys were up to....

They went to Iwo Jima, and to Arlington National Cemetery.  They were there for the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  They learned that an unidentified soldier from each of the wars is buried there.

A funny thing happened during the changing of the guard.  The man comes out to explain what was about to happen and asked everyone to be quiet and reverent. Stephen then looks over at Matthew who is not saying a word and he's making gestures that he's about to throw up.  That would be highly inappropriate so Stephen picked up Matthew, ditched Sam and hightailed it to the bathroom.  Matthew ended up not throwing up but the two of them missed the whole thing.  Then Stephen became concerned that he wouldn't be able to find Sam.  But when he returned to the spot where they'd been, Sam was standing ht where he'd been left.  Love him!