Guys and Dolls

Last weekend was the production of Guys and Dolls and Clark and Bethany loved every minute of their involvement with it.

Clark played the roll of Harry the Horse-- he was the second worst "bad guy" in the show.  I saw three of the four shows and I really think he got better and better with each show.

Bethany absolutely relished getting to be a Hot Box dancer.  She is the fourth in from the left. 

As always, the costumes were wonderful.  This is Bethany's "Take Back Your Mink" dress that she stripped off to reveal quite modest bloomers and a puffed sleeve undershirt. 

Bethany has a great group of kids in her Sunday School class that came to see the show.  Before it started I told them to make sure to really cat call and whoop it up during "Take Back Your Mink" and try to embarrass Bethany, because she was already pretty embarrassed to be taking off her dress.  I think it made her a little feistier!  What fun!

I loved this show-- loved the music, the dancing, the leads, the laughs.  I feel so thankful my kids had the opportunity to interact with other great kids-- literally singing and dancing their way through life!

 It's not the greatest picture, but Bethany is bottom right.  My favorite thing about her on the stage was her big, beautiful smile and adorable dimples.  A couple years ago she needed to choose between violin and dance-- both being rather pricey activities.  She chose violin, but has since missed dancing.  Doing these plays gives her a wonderful opportunity to continue dancing, at little to no cost.  I consider it a blessing in her life.

Here, Harry the Horse is rolling the dice in a crap game.

Based on their reactions, I'm thinking Harry the Horse lost.

 They also got to be tourists in the Havana, Cuba scene.
Overall, it was just a really great, very enjoyable, uplifting show to be involved with.  Definitely a highlight of the summer.

We were glad Elinor made it back for the last show on Saturday night, but she was gone to Beehives camp Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I quite missed her.  Partly because I actually had to pay babysitters for Thursday and Friday night so I could go watch the play.  It's been a while since I had to pay a sitter.  But mostly I missed her because I really enjoy her company and she is like a beautiful alto in the choir of our family dynamics.  Other family members may sing their parts louder and draw more attention to themselves, but Elinor is a wonderfully calm, soothing, enriching, and helpful part of the family.  She doesn't cause a lot of waves, but when she's not here, something is not quite right.  I was so happy to have her home.

When the matinee ended on Saturday, Bethany and I and Dad and Bev raced off to our next cultural event of the day.  Bethany's orchestra concert was squeezed in at 5:00 in American Fork.  She had been doing Lyceum Music Festival every day last week from 9:00 to 3:30 and then rushed off to rehearsals and call times at night.
I love this picture of my dad helping me tend a very active Peter at her concert-- which was amazing and wonderful.  Their guest conductor was Dr. Ryan Murphy who is the assistant director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  He was incredible to watch and Bethany said he was awesome to work with.

Peter was enthralled with Grandpa's pocket and missionary tag and pens.

Cannon and Faith got to tag along with Abe to work one evening last week.  Here they are passing the time playing Battleship.
Back in July, when we didn't have as much going on with our family's schedule, I was looking forward to our homeschool starting back up.  But now that August is so full of activities, I think I could handle a few more weeks just to get ready for school!