This day on our family calendar was so loaded,
that for weeks we stared at it in dread.
I wondered over and over if it was humanly possible.
I'm sure it happens to everyone at one time or another.
Suddenly many major events are scheduled to take
place on the same day.
It seems we always have a weekend before Christmas
where everything converges.
It all had to get done.
Somehow.
And it did.
(By the grace of God.)
First up, was an Agility and Showmanship Clinic at the Fairgrounds.
We had to be there at 8 a.m.
That meant we were up at 5:30 a.m. feeding
in order to be ready to load up our goats
and my 4-H kids goats by 7 a.m.
It was a great day for learning.
We had a goat judge give a clinic on showing in the ring.
And we also got to practice with our goats on the Agility Course.
(Think Dog Agility with a more stubborn animal.)
Last on the course is a water feature.
Today they didn't even put water in it.
But Ranae's goat Barnabas knew what it meant
and kept his eyes shut and his steps high.
This wasn't his first rodeo.
You see, goats HATE water.
With a passion.
Sarah and her goat Dreamer practiced the course
over and over and over and over.
On their last go, towards the end,
Sarah lost hold of Dreamer's collar
and what happened next was hilarious.
Dreamer continued the course until the end.
All alone.
Sarah caught up with him when he was finished.
And we all just about died laughing.
Next up was the Piano/Singing Recital.
We had just enough time to run home,
throw the goats in the barn,
shake the hay out of our hair,
and put on our Sunday Best.
Sarah played "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".
Ranae sang, "Mary, Did You Know"
and also played, "Believe".
Both girls performed so beautifully.
I always admire Ranae's ability to perform for an audience.
And Sarah has taken her lead and does well also.
Last up was Sarah's much anticipated performance
at Barbara B. Mann with the
Southwest Florida Symphony.
I only have this picture of the rehearsal in the hallway
early in the afternoon.
The big problem was the dance space allotted to us
was 1/3 what the girls had practiced with
and they had to change the choreography in a matter of hours
with only two rehearsal times on stage with the orchestra.
In the end they "stole the show".
(Those were the exact words of the conductor
when he commended them at intermission.)
After the girls exited the stage he told the audience that if they were waiting for it to get any cuter they might as well leave now.
What a day.
What a fabulous, wonderful day.
Despite the dread, it was a wonderful, praise-worthy day.
And this is what the Elf did today.
She played with her new friends while we were out.
