Flying Home (add pictures)

Sunday we woke up at 4:30 a.m. and got everything together and headed out at 5:00 a.m. All of the Westras got up at that early hour too in order to give hugs and say goodbye! Shane drove us to the airport. The Westras really showed us a great time and we were grateful for the time together! We got lots of fun pictures which I hope to post on my blog later.
 

We flew home and then drove home from Vegas. We arrived home at 12:15 p.m. and then hurried and changed our clothes to go to church. We were so tired, but Janelle was performing with the Madrigals in our sacrament meeting at 1:00 and so we couldn't exactly ditch church!  The Madrigals did a nice job, even though they were missing quite a few kids since it was over Thanksgiving weekend. Janelle was starting to come down with a cold and so Rick gladly brought her back home so they both could take naps! The rest of the kids and I stayed at church. The kids even asked it they could walk home from church with friends. 

Then the carolers had a rehearsal from 5:00 to 9:00! Normally we never have rehearsals on Sundays, but Rick was panicking after missing a week of rehearsals and it was the only time everyone could do it. So they decided to go practice their bells and then go sing for our ministering families as well as some other families. So it was a long day!!!! 

(Some time after our trip Jenna wrote this essay for an English assignment. I thought it was really cute and so I decided to include a copy here!) 

Hands in Harmony Carolers

Tonight we started rehearsals for our Hands in Harmony Carolers!  We have done this group for several years but when Rick was called to be Branch President of the Deaf Branch three years ago, we decided that it was just too much and took some time off.  But after a three year hiatus we are ready to go and very excited!  We have already had several people call us to book appointments!  From our family we have Janika, Jase, and Janelle in the group.  We wanted Jared to be involved too but he didn't want to.  But he agreed to babysit the younger kids on Tuesdays since they have practice at the same time I teach my ASL class.

At 8 years old, Janelle is the youngest in the group and probably the most excited!  She kept bugging Rick, "When do I get to try out?"  And when she passed the audition she ran around shouting, "I made it, I made it!"  Tonight Jaiden came up from their bedroom and said, "I can't sleep because Janelle keeps singing her Hands in Harmony songs!"  So I told her Jaiden to go ahead and sleep with the other kids.  Rick went down at 10:00 and there was Janelle, sitting up in bed, her caroler music binder across her lap, singing to herself.  He had to laugh but tried to appear stern as he commanded "lights out."  She piped up, "Let me just finish this last song!"  So funny! 

We have kids from elementary, intermediate school, middle school, high school, and college, in the group.  So it runs from age 8 to age 21!  (We could still use one more boy and one more girl if you know of someone who wants to try out -- high school or college age would be preferred)  We are excited!  Here is a sample of a couple of their songs!
Hark, How the Bells 
Dashing Through the Snow