Memories...

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Midvale Days

I love the first full week of August - because it's time for Midvale Days! What a great tradition we've got going...

Monday was our block party. We had a good dinner and enjoyed talking with neighbors. We mostly talked about Stephenie Meyer and Breaking Dawn. What a great conversation! It could have gone on and on, but some people had to get home to finish reading it!

Thursday was Bingo. We haven't won in years! This year, however, was our lucky year (7 times a charm?) and JoAnne won the B prize! Hooray hooray! I, personally, go for the hamburgers (yum), but winning is fun too - as is sitting next to a winner! Usually for the last game, we play blackout. This year, they changed things up, and made it so the last person to cover a square was the winner. After a night of hardly any luck (really, I had a bum card), I thought that surely, this must be my game! And what happened? Oh, I had N-34 just like half the people playing! Maybe next year... or 7 years...

Saturday was the parade. Holly had to work, so JoAnne and I started walking down the street to sit at the school to watch. Mom drove up and gave us a ride, and the three of us had a great parade. I love the parade - probably because I know half the people and have heard of the other half. It's been traditional the past few years to sit in the same place, just east of Midvale Elementary, in front of the Jordan Resource Center, on the grass in the shade. It's been the habit of the Opiekens family to sit in front of us - Pam Opiekens (new last name!) and I went to junior high together, and it's been fun seeing her family grow up - once a year at the parade!

After the parade, we headed over to the park to eat lunch and look at the booths. There was a good variety of eating options, as well as shopping. Mom got me an orange necklace to wear with my Deerfield spirit shirt, and Holly got quite a few things for not even being there!

Ryan Shupe was the headliner for the evening performance! Gotta love a Ryan Shupe & the Rubber Band concert! I love how they are different every year. You can listen to the cd and know all the songs - but live, they are so much fun! I really think they need to do a live recording on their next cd of 'Devil went Down to Georgia' - the problem is that it changes every time they perform! What could be better than 20 versions of that song on one cd?

Rain threatened to come during the concert, but we went prepared, but didn't get too wet - most of the storm during the concert went south. The fireworks were great, as always. For a local show, really, they are pretty good. The rain started pouring down about half way through the show. Good thing we still had the umbrella! (also a good thing Holly and I lived half our summer being wet!) The fireworks continued on, and, too soon, the show was over, and so was Midvale Days.

What a great tradition!

Washington DC - from Scrapblog.com

Our bags are packed... Don't know when we'll be back again!

The Pageant is over! What an experience!

We're leaving in the morning for Washington, DC, so this post will be short. I'll get a few more pictures up from the Pageant after we're back, as well as some from DC.

This is one of my new favorite quotes that I think wraps up the emotion and spirit of the Hill Cumorah Pageant:

"These were days never to be forgotten - to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven... What joy! What wonder! What amazement! While the world was racked and distracted - while millions were groping as the blind for the wall... our eyes beheld, our ears heard... and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior's goodness with wonder and amazement while I am permitted to tarry..." ~Oliver Cowdery, describing his experiences as a participant in the Restoration

Even More Pics from the Pageant!

My cast team all in costume

Me with my companion, Shauna
Both of us are in our Lehi Mob costumes

Me with my roommate, Holly
I'm in my Samuel Rabble costume. Holly's in her Nephite Banner Carrier outfit and headgear

Note...

Make sure to scroll down past the Pageant picture posts... I've updated a few posts with more pictures from before we got to the Pageant (BP time... :)

More pictures from the Pageant!

Hoorah for a day of rest yesterday!  We had 12 o'clock sacrament meeting at the Hill in the pouring rain (what a cool thing to have sacrament meeting on the Hill Cumorah!  And in the rain, too!  Good thing Holly and I had reserved seating in the front of the middle section with the choir!), then had family time.  To help us pass all that time, there were 2 speakers.  One spoke about Joseph Smith and how some of the best scripture passages he received or translated came when he was going through some of his worst personal trials.  The other speaker is one of the pageant directors who is an amazing singer.  He helped us be better singers ourselves - what a great lesson!  Then we had dinner and a fireside, and made it back to Hobart, had a quick devotional, and we were in bed before midnight!  Hoorah!

Today is another day of rest - and recreation.  We get to sleep in a bit again this morning (and I can't, drat it all).  We have brunch here at Hobart, and then have a myriad of activities to choose from to do with other young single adults - movies in the (semi-air conditioned) campus theater, art projects, volleyball, other sports... yea!  Tonight we'll go to the Hill for dinner and the variety show.  That was one of the best things about Pageant last year - hopefully this year won't disappoint!

Here's some more pictures from Pageant!

Nephite and Lamanite battle banner carriers.  Wouldn't want to see this motley crew coming your way down a dark alley!

James, a Nephite warrior, ready to battle after a stop at the drinking fountain.  They had those around during Nephite times, right?  (James is the only guy in my cast team, and puts up well with 19 girls... poor kid!)

A nice moment from the 'Tableau of Peace."  Too bad Lamanites and Nephites can't always be friends.

Holly's cool spiral braid to put up under her wig.

Me and Holly in our Pageant t-shirts.

Me, Amanda and Echo in front of the stage.  Now those are girls that you could meet in a dark alley and make it out alive afterward!

Echo and Amanda.  Delete, or not to delete - that is the question!  (Aren't digital cameras great?)