Annie!

This was a growing experience for us all.  Alison had 3 nights of dress rehearsals leading up to the play and it was so strange for me to just drop her off.  I helped her piece together her costume weeks before, but I had no idea what she would look like.  For a homeschool momma who is with her kiddos all.the.time. it was SO weird to not be a part of something big in her life.  But she killed it and loved every minute.

She loved having curled hair and did some of her own make up.

We weren't supposed to take pictures or videos during the performance, but I just couldn't stand not having something from this experience...so I hid my phone and tried to secretly get a video.

Laurel also snuck a video of the closing; Aline is the first girl in the white apron.

I told Alison several times that we needed to make up a new word for "super proud" because proud just wasn't enough.  She put immense work into this play and was confident and a leader.  As her mom, I quickly flashed back to all those little experiences we put her in as a little girl where she was shy and running off stage (hello, lollipop dance), but here she was, confident and leading the way.  Sometimes I miss our kids being little, but then there are these amazing moments that make me love watching them grow up.

5 families from our little church (so basically the whole congregation) came to see the girls.  It meant the world to Alison to see her friends afterwards.

The boys also came out of this experience with a new confidence in singing.  We're having some technical difficulties getting the video up, but are working on it.

I confess that we were ready for the Annie songs to be over by the night of the play.  Sad news for us, they are still going strong over a week later.  Hopefully all this singing leaves some great memories in these kiddos heads.