Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

A Wonderful Weekend Getaway

This past weekend, Faith and I both got to experience the Medora Musical together - for the first time ever! We went with my dad and sister. The singing and dancing definitely met our expectations. After the National Anthem, some of the first songs they sang included, "Let's Hear it for the Boy" and "Dancing on the Ceiling." Both songs were a great and energetic way to start the show. 

Faith was super excited, nearly dancing out of her chair! One reason she could hardly contain her excitement was that a few of the performers (Adam and Taylor) go to our church! The storytelling in between the musical numbers described how the little "cow town" of Medora came to be, as well as the influence that Theodore Roosevelt had in North Dakota. 

View from our seats!

Close up of the performers. 

Auntie Dawn and Grandpa

During the song, "Paint Your Dreams Across the Sky" by Dolly Parton, the cast invited the children to join them onstage. I wasn't expecting one of the cast members to come up and stand by Faith to sing. It was super sweet, but unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. They also sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," along with a medley of gospel songs. 

There were country songs and funny songs, too, that got the crowd laughing and clapping along. One that I remember was "40 Cups of Coffee." The entertainment also included a trick roping cowboy and another one yodeling.  

We were thoroughly enjoying the show when I noticed a shift in the weather. It had been bright and sunny upon arrival, but it had changed to cloudy and windy. Just as they were about to get into the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, one of the ushers came over to us and said they were going to call the show in five minutes if we wanted to get ahead of the crowd to the elevators. I thought it was very kind of him to give us a heads up, but I was also very disappointed. 

Sadly, we didn't get to see much of the lumberjack show.

When we got up to the parking lot, my sister Dawn pushed Faith as fast as she could to the van and just as they got there, it began to rain. Just after the four of us piled inside the van, it began to downpour. 

Since we were just sitting there, I got a feeding going for Faith. After the traffic cleared, we sadly made our way to Dickinson. All was not lost, though, as there were some gorgeous rainbows in the sky. I have never seen so many of them in such a short time span! 

Bad weather heading straight for us.

The rain was coming down hard!

Videos by Michael Lawlar

Beautiful double rainbow heading from Medora to Dickinson (photo by Dawn Lawlar)

After getting to Dickinson, we found a place to eat. It was called "Sanford's" and when we pulled into the parking lot, Dawn and I realized it was the same restaurant we had eaten at when we had traveled to Watford City about 3 years ago. 

After supper, we made our way back to the hotel and started Faith's evening routine. It had been quite a day. I was so proud of Faith for how she was handling the traveling and the disappointment with the musical ending early. 

Waiting patiently for her chocolate milkshake!

Being udderly silly!
The next day after checking out, we set out for our next adventure: a visit to the Dickinson Museum Center where they had the Badlands Dinosaur Museum. Faith loves dinosaurs and she couldn't wait to get a new shirt for T-Rex Thursday at her day program. It was fun to look at the bones and try to imagine what it was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth. There were also numerous displays of minerals from all over the world, some of which were fluorescent. 

We also explored the Joachim Regional History Museum and Dad even asked if they could open up the Pioneer Machinery Hall, which they sometimes don't do on Sundays depending on how busy it is. Faith was a little bored with some of the history stuff, so she and Dawn ventured to the gift shop where she helped her auntie pick out stuffed dinosaur toys for her grandkids. After all that, we hit up the A&W/KFC and made our way back to Bismarck. 

Dinosaurs and fossils galore!

Faith didn't look too scared!

Faith checking out the cool fluorescent fossils. 

Inside the machinery hall. I told Faith this is what Laura from Little House travelled in. 

Grandpa was super impressed with this old tractor. 

Getting Faith to the Medora Musical was something I have been wanting to do for a long time and with the improved accessibility at the venue, along with help from my sister, we were able to make it happen! I was also very thankful that Faith's grandpa could accompany us. I was so happy to be driving to western North Dakota, as that will always be home to me. 

The end of July was a great time to head west as golden round bales dotted the landscape and the corn, sunflower, and wheat crops were flourishing. The Badlands looked so beautiful, and we even passed by a large herd of bison. It truly was a wonderful weekend getaway! 

The beauty of the Badlands 


Thursday, July 6, 2023

Faith's Fun-Filled 4th

Faith and I had the best 4th of July ever! We started the day bright and early to go to the parade in Mandan. We haven't been there for many years, so I was surprised that she wanted to go. I think maybe it was because she heard everyone at her day program talking about it and making their own plans. 

Faith's grandpa went along with us, as well as her auntie Dawn (my youngest sister). Thanks to Dawn's connections with people who live in Mandan, we were able to park the van at her friend's house and then he drove us down to Main Street. Then, thanks to another friend of hers, we were able to enjoy the parade underneath a canopy right in the front row. I could not be more grateful to her friends for making it such so convenient for us!

One reason I was glad not to go to the parade in the past, was all the planning, parking, and walking it takes, not to mention sitting in the sun for almost 3 hours! Someone might wonder why it takes all that just to go to a parade. Mandan has been hosting this parade for 144 years and between 20,000 and 25,000 people come to it. Because of the crowds, parking is a major issue, and gets a little trickier for accessible vehicles because you can't just put the ramp down anywhere! But thankfully, Dawn had it all planned out and everything went very smoothly. In the end, Faith had a great time, and of course she and Grandpa made friends with those sitting around us. 

After waiting for over an hour, the parade finally gets to us on Main Street! 


One of my favorite parts was seeing all the horses!

It was a fun time with Grandpa and Auntie Dawn! 

After getting home, Faith needed a feeding and a bit of rest before going to our next event, a barbecue at Grandma and Grandpa's. There were hot dogs, burgers, chips, pasta salads, and of course plenty of desserts! My niece and her family were there as well and had fun lighting off little fireworks. Not even the rain could deter them. 

Enjoying the cooler weather on the front porch at Grandma and Grandpa's. 

Weatherwise, it was an unusual 4th of July because it was so cool outside. I was thankful for this, as a couple of years ago it was 107 degrees in July. However, it was also a little too cool, especially for sitting outside on the Capital grounds to watch a concert and fireworks. 

In the past, I wheeled Faith out to the sidewalk where we could watch the fireworks from a distance. However, in our new place, it wasn't really possible to do that. So, I asked if she wanted to just go to the capital instead. Not only was there a fireworks display, but there was also a free concert put on by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra (BMSO). This was the main reason Faith was so excited to go, because one of our friends from church was playing in the symphony. 

After going back home for her final feeding of the day, we got ready to go to the fireworks event. I opened the closet and debated what to bring along. I grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and fuzzy blankets. I would soon find out I wished I had grabbed our winter gear instead! Not only was it barely 60 degrees, but the wind was blowing a bit, too. Plus, the clouds were hiding the sun. But at least there were no mosquitoes! 

My sister came along with us again and we were glad to find an accessible parking spot fairly quickly. After running into some old friends of ours and finding a place to park Faith's chair and our lawn chairs, we hunkered down to enjoy the concert. Everyone around us was bundled up (except for some of the kids, who the cold didn't seem to bother at all!) Faith didn't seem bothered by it either, but she did have the warmest fuzzy blanket! 

Getting ready for the concert to start! 

The Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra gets ready to perform.

The sun peaked out for just a little bit!

Despite being chilly, it was a really nice event. The symphony was fantastic and together with a few singers, performed some really cool music, such as Purple Rain and Let's Go Crazy by Prince, a few songs by the Eagles, and Islands in the Stream. There were also a few songs that celebrated North Dakota and many patriotic numbers as well. 

The symphony also played a United States Armed Forces medley and had members of the audience stand when they heard their official service song. I thought that was really neat!  When the military members stood during their song, the rest of the audience applauded them. A few of my favorite songs the symphony played were Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless the USA

Finally, it got dark (which doesn't happen until about 10:15 in North Dakota during the summer) and they were able to do the fireworks display. It really was a wonderful event and I look forward to going again next year. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer, though! 

Faith was so happy to see the fireworks! 



All in all, it was a wonderful day to celebrate our country's birthday and remember how blessed we are to enjoy the freedoms that we have! 

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Our First-Ever Sister Weekend Getaway!

Just recently I was able to go away for the weekend - for fun! For the first time in 18 years, I was able to travel to another city, stay overnight, and not have any doctors appointments or procedures. And what made it even better was going with my sisters! 

Faith was well-looked after by respite care. She even had a friend come over to visit and her grandparents, too! Of course getting away did not come without a challenge or two. 

The day before leaving, as I was cleaning the entire apartment and getting ready to pack, a staff member at Faith's day program told me her feeding pump was not working. I only had an hour before I had to pick her up so I cruised down to our DME provider and asked if I could get a loaner pump since hers was not working. 

Unfortunately, they no longer carry the type of feeding pump she uses, so I needed to get a whole new system. This required me to learn how to use it and then make sure Faith's respite staff and her day program staff was going to know how to use it. I wrote down lots of instructions, took photos, and made a video. This took up a lot of time, and needless to say I didn't get to bed until well after midnight, without even packing.

Thankfully everything went smoothly the next morning and I was able to pack and get ready to go. Faith's first caregiver arrived and my sister, Dawn came to pick me up. I jumped into her pickup and we went barreling down the Interstate rockin' out to the Bon Jovi station on Pandora. 

We arrived in St. Paul that evening and met up with our sister, Tesa who had flown in from Nebraska. Since Dawn's birthday was right around the corner, we let her choose the restaurant. That evening we took an Uber (my first ever!) who drove us to Hell's Kitchen (Chef Gordon Ramsey's restaurant) in Minneapolis. I must say the fish tacos I had were some of the best I have ever eaten.

Since we were there for Dawn's birthday they said she would get a free brownie dessert. When the waiter brought out the tiny brownie topped with whip cream and 3 plates and spoons, we about lost it. How in the world was the waiter not embarrassed to serve such a piddly little brownie to three people? 

After getting back to the hotel Tesa and I talked Dawn into watching "Top Gun" since she had never seen that movie before. Wouldn't you know that both of them conked out on me while watching! Unfortunately that night I did not sleep the best. I was really missing Faith, although I knew she was just fine with her overnight respite staff. I have also discovered in recent years that firm mattresses at hotels are not good for my back. Needless to say, I was tired when I woke up but excited for our day. 

We started it off by Dawn being brave and doing the driving. After finding Caribou Coffee, we hit the biggest shoe store I have ever seen in my life (DSW). I found a great deal on a comfy pair of tennis shoes. I do plan to start walking when the weather gets nice. (If that ever happens, as right now much of North Dakota is getting slammed by a major blizzard). 

After shoe shopping, we hit Dawn's favorite store, Maurices and then ventured into other stores Roseville. We found a Chili's and had lunch there. We made one more shopping stop (where I did a video chat with Faith and my parents because Mom had texted me saying the TV wasn't working) and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the main event. 

 


It was cold in rainy in southeastern Minnesota, and even though the Xcel Energy Center was about half a mile from the hotel, we decided to take a shuttle van. My most anxious moment was using the digital tickets from my phone. It was so weird not being able to hand them paper tickets. I guess it's been a long time since I've gone to a concert! Also, the last time I went to a concert with my sisters was New Kids on the Block in 1990. That concert was also in St. Paul but at Harriet Island Regional Park.

Thankfully, the digital tickets went very smoothly and before we knew it we were sitting in our seats in Section 106 Row 12 listening to the opening band. Bon Jovi usually has local bands open up for the shows, but I do not know the name of the band performing. Bon Jovi hit the stage around 8:30 p.m. singing "Limitless." You can read my concert review on my HubPage


 
 

We were surprised upon leaving the concert venue that the rain from earlier had turned to heavy, thick snow. After walking a few blocks, we ducked into Tom Reids Hockey Pub to warm up and grab something to eat. The waitress was super nice and filled us in on the socioeconomic status of downtown St. Paul. To us, it seemed an interesting blend of the rich and poor. 

However, neighborhood businesses were not happy about a recent homeless shelter established in the area as it was attracting drugs and prostitution to this part of town. The waitress said she no longer felt safe walking to her car after work and often used an escort. It's sad because we saw a homeless guy making a fire in a barrel just trying to keep warm. What are they supposed to do and where are they supposed to go?  After a very late supper, we walked the remaining few blocks in the snow to our hotel.


Sorry Minnesota!!

The next day, it was time to rise and shine and get back home. We hugged Tesa goodby at the hotel just before her Uber driver picked her up. About six hours later, Dawn and I arrived back home. It was perfect timing because we rolled into the parking lot just as one of Faith's respite staff was bringing her home from her Day Program, where she happily spent the entire day. 

Needless to say, she was very excited to see me! We spent the rest of the evening filling each other in on our time apart and with me promising it would be a while before I went away again.  But all in all, our first-ever sister getaway was a great success and I look forward to the day we can do it again!



Thursday, December 20, 2018

Our Shining Star

I know I have said this many times before, but I can't reiterate how thankful we are for the Inspire homeschooling group that Faith joined. Not only has she made some wonderful friends, her social skills have improved, she has more confidence, and she has learned a lot in science and history.

Besides all of that, she has gotten to take part in their annual Christmas program, which she absolutely loves. Last year, she played the part of an angel and had a few lines to say. This year, she played the one and only bright shining star. Not only did she get a narration part, for which she had to memorize and say an entire paragraph worth of words, but she got to say the best line of the play, "SO MANY STARS!"

This year's program, Starry Night, Noisy Night, told the birth of Jesus from the perspective of the animals that were present in the stable that night. There were sheep, chickens, cows, and of course a donkey. There were also shepherds, wise men, and angels. Mary and Joseph were there, too. And so was the star.

During practice one day, Julie, the music teacher at Inspire, had Faith say the lines, "and so many stars." (The two previous lines are, "So many sights! So many sounds!"). From that moment, Faith wanted that part. Even though the script called for other characters to say it, Julie generously gave her the part. Faith practiced every day - she knew all the songs, not to mention everyone else's lines. I kept telling her she could only say her lines during the program. I also told her that when there was a duet or solo, she couldn't sing their parts, even though she really wanted to.

At home, she sang the songs beautifully, but during Inspire, she only sang her favorites. At home, she recited all her favorite lines, but at Inspire, she did her best to restrain herself and let the other kids say their parts. I had no idea what would happen during the actual program.

Besides helping her, I had to come up with a star costume for her. One day while out shopping, I managed to find the perfect star outfit - a midnight blue dress with gold and silver stars, complete with a little gold jacket. I also grabbed a black pair of leggings with gold and silver stars because I honestly didn't think Faith would go for the dress. When it comes to clothes, she usually opts for comfort over style.

I also grabbed a ton of arts and crafts items in the hopes I would somehow be able to create a star to mount on her chair. I had no idea how to do it. Pinterest was of no help whatsoever. Apparently turning a wheelchair into a star is not really a thing that people do.  I bought some tag board, a string of gold garland, lots of glitter, a roll of gold wrapping paper, two strings of LED battery-operated lights, and some really cool sparkly gold duct tape.

When I got home and told Faith she could either wear the dress or the leggings (with a black shirt that I was somehow going to glue some stars on to), she surprised me by yelling, "The dress!" Little did she know that she had just made my life a little easier. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about the shirt. She wanted to try the dress on right away and we discovered that it fit her perfectly. We also discovered the black leggings looked great underneath, despite the fact they were black and not midnight blue. She wore her outfit to Inspire the Tuesday before the program. I had also strung some lights through the bottom of her chair. Everyone loved her star look. So far so good.

Faith on stage with the shepherds, angels, and animals
The next day we got to work on the actual star. One of my friends had posted a picture of some Star of David cookies she had made for Hanukkah and I noticed the star was basically two triangles. I figured I would go for it. To my utter dismay, I couldn't make an equilateral triangle. It's harder than it seems! My sister-in-law said I should've used a protractor. Yes, I should have, I told her, while trying to remember what in the heck a protractor is. Math was not my strong suit and I had nearly failed high school geometry.

By this time, Faith was getting quite impatient about this whole star deal. I had to come up with a plan B. I basically used two squares to make the star. The trick was to make sure the star stayed put while resting on the push handle of Faith's chair. Somehow it all came together - the star just had to stay in place during the actual program.

Faith and friends
We had to be at the dress rehearsal at 5:00 p.m. The star looked great, I put lights on the star as well as her chair, and with her star outfit, she looked amazing! The other kids crowded around her telling her how much they loved her star costume. During the rehearsal, she was extremely excited. When it was her turn to be pushed up to the microphone for her narration part, her whole body tightened up, making it hard to enunciate. She said her other line, "So many stars" perfectly.

Faith's star all lit up - along with the candles for Silent Night
By the time the actual program rolled around, she was getting tired. It ended up being a good thing, though, because her body wasn't as tense which enabled her to say her lines loud and clear. She even tried to sing along with her friend, Maddie, with her solo. Maddie just smiled and kept on singing. It ended up being a great program, and even though Faith didn't sing like she did at home, I couldn't have been happier for her. Not only was she our shining star that evening, she is our joyful, sparkly girl all year round!

The entire Inspire group
Faith with her Grandma Deone, baby cousin Marla, and auntie Lisa




Sunday, December 31, 2017

A Fun and Festive December


This December has definitely been a fun and festive one for our family! Normally we don't get too crazy over the holidays, but this year we did a few things that we normally don't do. I have probably mentioned that Faith is in a homeschooling group called Inspire Collective. She has been having so much fun hanging out with other kids and becoming friends with some of the girls in her class. Four of these girls are involved in Northern Plains Dance and this year we were invited by one of the moms to come and check out their performance of the Nutcracker.

We had never actually seen the Nutcracker before and the three of us absolutely loved it! The music, the dancing, the acting, and the costumes all made it a really good production. I'm so thankful we were able to experience it. Who knows, it just might be a new tradition for us!

Faith waiting for the Nutcracker to begin
Having a fun time at the ballet!
The next weekend we had to get ready for the Inspire Christmas program. The kids did a rendition of a play called "The Reluctant Innkeeper" and the music teacher was kind enough to add in a part and a few lines just for Faith. She played the angel who said, "Fear not for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto is born this day in Bethlehem, a savior who is Christ the Lord." Faith put a lot of time and energy into memorizing all the songs and not only her lines, but the lines of everyone else as well! One time after practicing at home, she yelled, "I am the greatest actress in the universe!"

In the days leading up to the program, she kept asking me if I was going to be on stage with her and I kept telling her no. Thankfully, one of her friends got to stand right next to her during the production so she was chosen to get Faith on the stage and make sure she was in the right place for her lines. Faith actually seemed very comfortable on stage and didn't seem nervous or anxious at all. She was mostly excited and had a lot of fun.

Faith was glad that her grandma and grandpa, along with her great aunt came to the program. Her grandparents and aunt from Canada were able to watch it online. Her grandmother said she watched it with "happy tears."

Some of the Inspire kids on stage
Faith in her angel costume
Faith was so glad Grandma and Grandpa came to her program!
 During our time at Inspire this year, I have loved watching Faith grow, mature, and become a little bit more independent. She has made some good friends and looks forward to going each and every week, even when she's really tired or not feeling the best.

After the program, Faith started a 3-week break from Inspire, which she was pretty sad about. She can't wait to get back to it. I for one am glad for the break however, especially in light of the below zero temperatures and all the windchill warnings that have been in effect. It's a good thing we have had some visitors that have helped to pass the time. One of her favorite visitors was the newest addition to our family!

Faith meeting her newest cousin, Malachi Daniel

Rob and Marla hanging out - she thought our remote was a phone!
Thankfully, it wasn't so cold on Christmas Eve, which is when we went to Grandma and Grandpa's. Three out of four of my siblings were there, along with most of Faith's cousins, and her three baby cousins. We didn't stay long but it was nice to see everyone, even if just for a little bit and to get some fun photos.

When we got home, Faith was excited to play with one of her Christmas gifts - the latest and greatest version of Wheel of Fortune on the PS4.
Parents and siblings, including Todd

The 3 of us at Grandma and Grandpa's on Christmas Eve
Faith with her little cousins
My niece Justine and great niece GracieLynn
Christmas Day was extremely cold so we stayed in and opened presents and had a nice dinner, which included a turkey breast, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans w/ feta and walnuts, and stuffing. We also had a nice conversation with our family in Canada.

Having fun with Faith

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a new Tim Horton's mug from Canada!

Last week, I got the chance to hang out with my sisters when we went out for lunch, and even though it was freezing cold outside, we braved the weather to make it to my niece's baby shower. It was a fun time of games, food, and lots of gifts for my great nephew who will be born any day now!


Sister time!
My sister and niece at the baby shower
Faith, Rob, and Malachi
Tonight as I type type this, it is New Year's Eve and once again we are experiencing frigid temperatures. Right now it is -16 degrees with a windchill of -31. Rob braved the temperatures to pick up Applebee's for our dinner and for the rest of the night we're going to be watching our new favorite TV show, Heartland along with Spider-man Homecoming.

It has certainly been a fun and festive December! We pray that everyone has a warm and safe New Year's as we say goodbye to one year and transition into the next.

Happy 2018!