handsful

If you’ve been visiting my blog for any length of time, you know that Testify Youth Choir is a big part of our kids lives.  Made up of 7th-12th grade kids from many area churches, Testify puts on Christmas concerts each year.  With song and dance, they perform in local churches.  In the spring, the kids do a full (song, dancing, drama) concert singing locally and on tour (last year they went to Atlanta and Ohio).

This year, the concert is called “Cradle that Rocked the World” and we’ve watched them perform twice…so far.  It can get complicated, since all four of them are in two separate Testify choirs…one large, one small.  Which makes for double the number of concerts they’re scheduled for.  We make sure to attend at least one for each choir.

I forgot my camera for the Mooresville choir last week, but remembered it this past Sunday for their North Meck concert.  Good timing actually, since Abbey dances and has solo/duet, Payton sings and has a speaking part, Ethan dances and has a solo/duet, and Marley sings!

It’s funny really.  When the kids were little, we spent our weekends watching them play basketball, baseball, and cheer.  Weeknights were spent at practices.  With all good intentions, Randy “tried” to foster a love for athletics and sports…it’s what he grew up loving, afterall.  And, of course I had visions of my girls doing cheerleading for years.

God, in his wisdom and sense of humor, had better ideas.  Ethan is very musically inclined…he sings, and plays guitar and drums.  Payton loves the choir, but he’s in it for the drama…and, he’s good.  Abbey is very comfortable on stage, loves to sing and dance, and wants to try her hand at acting in the spring.  Being on stage doesn’t come naturally for Marley, but she’s grown into it and is a joy to watch sing.  As far as sports?  Abbey plays a mean game of volleyball; she’s the only one still in organized sports.  And, all six of the kids take tumbling/fitness classes….5 our of 6 are on their way to doing back handsprings.

Truthfully, it’s been such a blessing, watching each of our kids unique God-given gifts take root, grow, and blossom.  We could never have planned them so well.

Here a few (ahem) shots from their last concert…enjoy :)

Abbey, far left, with pony tail.

Marley, with her new dark underneath hair color that she loves!

Payton in the middle, he does a salsa type dance…best shot I could get, they moved fast!

Abbey, far left, and Ethan (hidden by the girl’s arm!) in the hip hop dance.

Payton had a speaking part, he did a great job….lots of emotion, and I love how he made it conversational instead of “here’s something I memorized”.

More dancing…Abbey far left, Payton behind her (hard to see), and Ethan in the middle.

Better shot of Abbey and Payton

Abbey sang so well, she had solo parts and then sang together with her friend, Aaron.

Ethan was in the final song.  It was a duet, but he had a large part of it.  He was actually subbing for someone else who couldn’t do it, and only had 1 practice.  He nailed it.

Very thankful and proud mama, here.