Celebrations, Concerts, and Grad pics

We've got LOTS going on around here!!  I have to make sure I don't get too far behind!

Dad passed his PMP examp last week and we celebrated this huge accomplishment at Olive Garden.  Hadn't been there in a long time.  We were able to have a corner all to ourselves.  Good thing, too, because we weren't exactly quiet. 

In our corner   Congratulations Dad!!!  All your hours and hours of studying paid off.

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Christopher's high school choir had their performace two weeks ago.  Christopher played the violin for one of the songs.

Looking sharp!

The choir has about 90 people in it.  Their instructors are very thorough and have done a good job with the kids.

Choir director, her parents (who also teach/help), and Mom & Mrs. Fletcher.  Mom has been the treasurer for many years and is "passing the torch."

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Somebody is just a little excited about her birthday.   She even made a poster for herself...just so we don't forget the monumental occasion on May 29th.

Speaking of Missy....

She loves to dress up

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We had some people over after church two Sundays ago after a service of just music.

Lots of yummy food!

The big kids played a serious game of Ultimate Frisbee.

The younger kids had some fun of their own.

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Missy showing the guys how it's done.  Love this!!!

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Bethany's and Christopher's ensemble did a great job at their performance.  One of our friends took the little girls to Marianna's soccer game so Mom, Jen, and I could go to the concert (Dad was working at BGEA). 

They sounded fantastic!

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Bethany performed in the UNCC symphony concert.

After the concert

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We officially have another college graduate in our family!!!  Jennifer joined the graduate ranks on Saturday when she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Way to go Jennifer!  More on that later.    A lot more, actually!

Graduate 2012

Violins of Hope, Frisbee, and Pre-training

Christopher got to play in one of the Violins of Hope concerts uptown last week.  Jennifer, Mom, and Bethany were able to watch him play alongside the Charlotte Symphony, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green.  Yep, that's my brother! 

Jen played the week before in one of the concerts.  Such an honor! 

Christopher actually got to play one of THE violins (from the Holocaust) that was rescued and restored.

Such a neat experience!

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Jen's made it an bi-annual thing to throw a party for the UNCC chamber orchestra ta the end of each semester.  This semester was no exception.  It was the last one for Jen, as she's graduating in a couple weeks.

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We had another evangelism gathering at our house last Saturday.  It was a small turn-out, but we still had lots of fun and enjoyed the Ray Comfort video and discussion/prayer afterwards.  Later on, two friends stayed to play Ultimate Frisbee.  We came up with the idea to play with three teams/goals since our front yard isn't huge.  It actually worked really well!

There were some mishaps, but we finished with our heads on straight (for the most part), 10 fingers and 10 toes (amazingly), and the strong desire for water and air conditioning. 

Wiiiiiiiide open!

Us Wescott's with our bookend friends. 

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CEF pre-training is well underway!  We've had two sessions.  All the CEF missionaries are now practicing their Wordless Books (a tool used to share the Gospel), memorizing specific verses, outlining their missionary stories and Bible lessons, and doing a couple other small assignments I've given.  They are doing a great job and I'm excited about working with them at camp in June and during the summer here in Charlotte.

Charlotte-Metro Chapter!!!

Tidbit and Tadbits

Lots of fun stuff going on around here!!  There's barely enough time to update, but I've finally put together a bunch of pictures from the past two weeks.

The Violins of Hope has been here in Charlotte for a couple weeks and is still going strong.  A man has dedicated years to rescuing and restoring 18 violins from the Holocaust, and they are being performed in concert for the first time.  Apparently, during the Holocaust, Jewish musicians were made to play their instruments in the concentrationg camps, sometimes even during executions.  Awful, right?  From the Violins of Hope website, "Acclaimed musicians from across the country and around the world will play alongside Charlotte musicians, giving voice to the violins' former owners and expressing the hope that comes with restoring to these instruments the power to play again." 

Jennifer and Christopher had the incredible privilege of playing in a Violins of Hope concert.  Jen performed at Knight Theater, and Christopher (pictures to come later) performed at the Blumenthal.

Charlotte uptown

The violins

Jen and the UNCC chamber orchestra in the dressing room before the concert.

UNCC chamber ensemble

After the Violins of Hope concert

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Jen's UNCC chamber orchestra also had their own performance last week.  It was Jen's last, since she'll be graduating in a few weeks!

Jen with one of her students and her teacher, Dr. Frisch.

Mom, Bethany, and some friends came to watch.

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Colter and Anna Brown visited us last week!!!  We hadn't seen them since 2009 when we brought them to our house from CEF camp.  They were missionaries in Honduras for a few years and are now stateside with their one-year-old Jedidiah (who was sleeping at the time this picture was taken).  They will be working at CEF headquarters in MO.  It was *so* good to see them!!!

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Friends and sisters

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Christopher's CSYO Youth Festival was last week at the Knight Theater uptown.  He got to play along side a Charlotte Symphony musician.  This is always our favorite orchestra concert of the year.

With Dad and Mom

After the concert

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Marianna and Missy spent some time with the George's and Nana Pat right before Easter painting eggs.  They had a blast...I think the adults did, too. 

Easter cake

Easter afternoon.  We older four played our stringed instruments at a church in SC for their two services.  It was fun playing together!

Missy spending time in the outdoors when she was sick last week.  She brought her blankie, baby, and books to the hammock.  Toby valiantly guarded her. 

Missy playing with her bunny and Toby sleeping on the job

Recently, we've had a strange visitor taking a liking to our window.  This bird apparently thinks it can fly right through our house.....and it's not getting the hint that it can't.  Every morning, without fail for the past week or so, Mr. Bird clicks away at our window.  It's quite humorous.

Enjoy this springtime before summer settles in!!

Days of spring, sports, and princesses

Spring is definitely here and hopefully the pollen is making its exit.    Just checked the weater forecast, and it's potentially going to be in the 60s and 70s for the next several days!  Woo-hoo!!  We definitely welcome the cooler weather before a typical killer summer sets in. 

Ze vunderful parents

Marianna is loving soccer and is doing a fantastic job.  She got a goal at her first game last week!  We all went to watch her play.

Dad with Jen and I as we arrived at the game

Go Marianna!

We were the loudest cheerleaders  

Marianna is very intense when she plays soccer.  I think she ran the fastest and pursued the ball the hardest.  So neat watching her play!

L o v e this shot of her taking on three other girls, two of whom were bigger than her.  You go girl!

Definitely framing this one!  Christopher's comment about this picture was, "Only Missy could do that to your heads...if I did it, I'd get in trouble."  Ha!!  Girls and hair.  I guess it's okay when little 5 year olds touch it. 

Missy--"Would you like to take my picture?"

Jen, Bethany, and some other people from school get together to play Ultimate Frisbee on Thursday afternoons at their campus.

Jen and Bethany went to a lake house last week with some people from the music department at school for a fun afternoon.

Gorgeous place

For the past couple months, about every other week or so, we've been hosting an Evangelism Gathering.  It's a time for college-aged people to get together, encourage and build each other up, and be challenged in our faith and to witness to others.  Each time we meet, we have dinner together, play a game, then watch a video of Ray Comfort (he has a whole series on witnessing), discuss the video, share stories about people we've witnessed to, and encourage and challenge and pray for each other.  It's been great to see how many people really want to share their faith and hear how they've done it.  We've had some great discussions on lots of different topics and always look forward to the next gathering.

Enjoying all this color!!

The one and only March update!

I told my mom last week that there's always this time during the beginning of the year where we don't take many pictures.  Seems to happen every year.  That time has now ended, though.    Within the past week, our camera chip has become loaded with pictures....mostly because four different sports leagues were started.    But before I post the pictures from this week, I wanted to post the ones left over from this past month...and even some from February.  :gasp!:

I think it's hilarious how people are saying "FINALLY spring is here" when we hardly had a winter.  But it *is* beautiful with all the flowers and greenery.  The pollen level has been out of this world, though.  Hopefully that part of spring will be over soon.

Missy is now a 2-wheeler girl!  She's also progessing very well at the piano.  She can pick up any tune and play it!

L O V E these pictures of Missy.  I remember doing that with my dresses over the vent.....except I wasn't that young. 

Some portraits

I went with a group to Florida in mid-February for a retreat.  It was refreshing and relaxing.  We studied on how to draw near to God.

We stopped at the beach on the way to the camp.  I loved the camp driveway!!!

Gorgeous

We're having our windows repaired.  And the little girls are always a great help in the kitchen.  Here, Missy is helping me make my MILA muffins.

Christopher had a concert a few weeks ago.  Some friends came out to watch him.

Christopher practices the violin all the time.  We played a duet for offertory last week and had a blast.  He's so much fun to play with!

Dr. P!!  He's been conducting the CSYO since 1987.

I took some students to a retirement home before they had their piano competitions.  They played their pieces and played a game with the older people that I came up with.  It was fun seeing them all interact together.    I love going to retirement places and playing music for them.  Seeing their faces light up just brightens MY day!

One of our home-made cards that Jen made.  And yes.......Valentine pictures.  Hey, it's only March (for a few more hours)!!!!  I'm only a little behind. 

Valentine's breakfast and dinner.

Our beloved doggies

Outside fun

Spring is officially here!!  Flowers are blooming, grass is greening, and pollen is pollenating.

Until next time!

(which will be sooner than a month this time )