Reporting from Montana

We made it to Montana safely! And having a blast!

Love, Hunter Bug

Summer!

It's finally summer!! SO excited! Graduation is over, swim practice starts up tomorrow.. AND I LEAVE FOR MONTANA WITH KRIS IN TWO DAYS! :) We are stopping in Utah on way and THEN I get to stay with MELANIE! So much fun! Just gotta finish off laundry and get in one day of swim practice then we're hittin' road!

Love, Hunter Bug

Closing Up

Woo! We're almost there! Emerald City is over, soccer season is over (for now), finals are the next couple days, and the last day of school is Friday. These are the times when I really envy Chloe. I have "I-want-to-be-done-with-schoolitis".. and Chloe actually gets to do that!! She graduates Wednesday, which makes one heck of a busy week. With her graduation, and graduation party, and with family coming into town, studying for finals, trying to keep the house clean AND fixing the basement, after our recent flood, before Saturday; we're pretty much going to be on our toes all week.



A FEW PAST AND FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS! :

One: As I mentioned before, Emerald City was last Thursday and it was hit.. for the most part. In the beginning of the show I sang a duet with my friend Elaina Parker (we sang "For Good" from Wicked) and, unfortunately, while we were singing, the mics went out. So basically, all the audience could hear/see was the pit playing beautifully with Elaina and I mouthing the words. It was kind of bummer but we continued on and tried our best with the rest of our performances throughout the night.


Two: I had the opportunity to go watch Bridger in her dance recital Saturday. And.. I'm not going to lie.. she shocked me! Anytime I see Bridger dance she seems too little and awkward to dance in a hip hop class with other girls her age. Boy did she prove me wrong.

She did awesome!

Three: In some ways this is a highlight.. but as I said, my soccer season is finished. I hope that I get to play in the 6 on 6 teams for Staley this summer, but other than that it's pretty much swimming and running for now.

Four: My aunt Kristen comes into town today with my cousins Lydia, Otto, and Olin! They are only a few minutes away and I'm so excited! Then my Grandma and Grandpa Kanenwisher come into town later tonight! :)

Five: Today is Chloe's 18th birthday!.. Not much of a highlight for ME, for her yes, but not for me. Just makes me realize how much closer she is leaving..

Six: Speaking of leaving, Oak Park's graduation is Wednesday. Hopefully that will be more of a highlight then not.

Seven: I don't exactly know if I'm supposed to tell.. but next week when my aunt Kristen and her kids leave.. I'm going with them! It's going to be so much fun!.. Of course I have to come back for girls camp.. :( .. but I'll try to make the most of it!

Love, Hunter Bug

Ps. Congradulations Class of '09! Especially those from my ward who attended Smithville High and Oak Park High. Megan would be proud of you! :)

One Short Day

Tomorrow is our showing of Emerald City! And it's going to be great... Hopefully. :) For those of you who don't know what Emerald City is, allow me to educate you.

At the end of every school year, there is a final choir concert to kick off summer and celebrate a great year together. Well, along with a new high school comes new traditions. At his old school, Mr. Resseguie decided that instead of a choir concert, he would direct a series of mini musicals and different arrangements of music. He continues with this fun way of ending the school year at Staley and we have been quickly preparing to put on a good show. Preparing for this show not only involved learning music and memorizing choreography, but building, painting, and ordering sets, putting together costumes, hiring tech crews, and rehearsing with our amazing orchestra pit. Over all, this ain't just some walk in the park. It's hard work... but we love every minute of it.
Each choir does a different musical. So Concert Choir will be performing an arrangement of Seussical the Musical, Treble Choir will be doing Annie, Falcon Choral- Hairspray, and finally Chamber Choir will be performing Grease. ** I am in Falcon Choral and Chamber Choir.**

As I mentioned before, tomorrow is the first and only showing of Staley High School's first ever Emerald City! And because I know you are all dying to know more (wink wink), I'm providing a sneak peek of this Emerald City.

In Grease, we named the diner after our very own principal, Clark Mershon. (He actually is on stage with us "working at the diner".) With the help of one of my best friends, Katie O' Toole, we managed to cut plywood and paint it to match the back drop for Grease.
Speaking of Grease's back drop... Here it is!! It took five of us and fifteen minutes to hang it.

For Seussical, we had a couple teams of students build and paint 16 foot flats to look like the book spines of Dr. Seuss books. These flats will be hanging behind the performers during their portion of the show. This flat in particular was built by yours truly. It took 35 minutes to cut and put together. Following that, it took 3 1/2 hours to draw, paint, and dry. And I must say.. I'm quite proud of it. :)
Yes, this is a real car. And yes it is back stage in this picture. And if you look carefully in the right hand corner there is a motor cycle waiting to be driven onto the stage. I'm NOT giving away this surprise! Maybe after the show... but I don't want to spoil the rest of it for the viewers, now do I?? ;)

Getting excited and anxious! And closing off this school year with a bang!

Love, Hunter Bug

"SOME DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE"

"Everything happens for a reason

Every person has a time or season.
Right now you can't see how

But later
You'll see what you did not know now."

-Written by: Megan Elizabeth Kitchen

I can't deny it any longer. I can't deny that my best friend is gone. Not GONE GONE... but gone, for the time being. It seems more real now and that scares me in a way. It shouldn't, but sometimes it does. Until the arrival of the head stone, I never truly felt that we lost her. I never really felt that I stood there, at the exact spot of this beautiful head stone, and held the hands of a young man she trusted and loved, and her family, whom I have a great and abiding love for. I never felt that my practical sister was the one in that shiny pink casket, whom we all mourn for the loss of. I think now it feels more permanent.. at least until I feel her lecturing me during the day to stop feeling so down or telling me that she loves me and can't wait to see me again. I feel great comfort, though I don't always realize that, knowing that I will be with her again. And she's right.. one day it will all make sense.

I especially felt her while my quartet and I sang two wonderful pieces of music in Columbia, Missouri for State today. She usually came and supported me in these types of things, and I know she continues to do so.

Now, I'm sure you are all DYING to know what rating we got at State. (wink wink) So I will leave you questioning no more. Not only did our quartet receive a ONE rating... we received a one PLUS! A 1+ is the highest rating you can obtain.. and we did it! And if that's not enough to cheer someone up.. This sure is!

"T-Rez" (our choir director) drove us to Columbia, and discovered his love for pink, sparkly glasses. They look pretty good on him.. Don't you think?

Be safe in your travels!

Love, Hunter Bug