Millard West loved Michigan Ave

Basically every trip we have ever taken has been due to a kid’s activity. This one is no different. It has been a blast following Olivia and her Show Choir around Nebraska and Iowa for high school competitions. (Have I said this before…if you haven’t attended one of these events you must. It’s like NOTHING I have ever experienced before.) Anyway, Millard West HS show choirs went to the Heart of America (HOA) competition in Chicago. The hype for this event was remarkable. If I’m honest, the actual event did not live up to the cost or the hype. None the less, it was a great experience for the kids and an opportunity for Chris and I hang out in Michigan Ave. Plus we started a great podcast on the 7 hour commute, The Exorcist Files.

Our friend’s FAVORITE pizza place in Chicago is Lou Malnati’s. We agree, I wanna go back! 

Tall buildings and city lights at the Intercontinental Hotel

I’ll be honest, I’ve heard so many bad things about the lawlessness in Chicago, I was a bit nervous about going there. What surprised us was the lack of people. We pulled in at 4:30pm on Friday only to find the streets bare. This has got to be a first. I was a bit worried that Rapture happened and we  were “Left Behind”. Ha We had a great trip and we’re relieved to find the believers still roaming the streets. 

The Bean

Millennium Park 

I spent a little time at the 5-story Starbucks

🌟Reserve Roasterie🌟

Uptown Girls

Oh my beautiful singer!!!

Uptown Girls & West In The Groove

 

Legally Blonde Musical

Olivia started off the school year with hours and hours of rehearsals for the HS musical “Legally Blonde”

This production did not disappoint!!! 

Four days of performances and so many supporters

Mom . Liv . Em

Joe’s not a fan of musicals but he is a fan of Olivia 

Crystal . Holly . Nana . Papa

Rodger . Laura . Oma . Reagan . Riss

Olivia spent many days at school from 7:30am - 7:30 pm. I have no idea how she did it. AP classes, show choir and school musical is a lot! This kid is smart, talented and has all the feels. ;)  Love you bunches Liv! 

 

Uptown Girls Dripping in Diamonds and Pearls

Here she is…my favorite singing and dancing queen!! 

Liv is having a ball this year with her all girls varsity show choir. These ladies are amazing!! Every performance blows me away! 

“Uptown Girls” is made up of 53 sophomore, junior and senior high school girls. They officially rehearse 2 days a week after school but our UTG never stops singing and dancing at home. 

The choirs have 5 competitions plus our own show which we perform but don’t compete due to we hire the judges and all. The season kicked off with our home opener called Music Lives  Holy cow! What a crazy busy weekend. I fully know some other parents put in more time than we did but I was shocked by the need and expectations of volunteers. Chris and I helped set up, check in, parking lot, back stage and tear down  Whew!! 

Moving risers and building the stage

Here’s proof, I wore my mask a few times during the days of Rona. To be honest, I wear the dumb thing in school mostly so my daughter doesn’t get in trouble. Praise God elections are coming so all the politicians decided to get rid of the insane mandates. 

Outfit #1

Outfit #2 

Outfit #3 

Backstage

Parents take selfies too

Grandparents supporting our favorite performer

Millard West :Exhibition Performance 

Westside: 1st place women’s division 

Omaha South: 4th over all divisions

Totino Grace, Minnesota: 3/5

Millard North: 3/12

Mitchell, So Dakota: 3/19

These competitions start at 8am and end about 11pm. It’s a high energy grueling day of excitement. Chris and I are looking forward to seeing all new groups in Minnesota. 

🎶🎶🎶

So this picture has nothing to do with Showchoir but this is what we do when we aren’t doing all the fun stuff that comes with having kids…we go for walks, even in the cold. 

 

She Will Drive Soon (& more Dec fun)

O L I V I A 

IS

S I X T E E N

What? Wait how is this possible? 

This girl has a huge heart for others. She is so fun to walk beside as she grows and learns more of who she is. Liv is compassionate, tender hearted, friendly, and in love with Jesus. She loves music, her sisters (joe too), her friends, show choir and funny TikToks. She’s so smart, a bit messy and procrastinates whenever possible. 

Now it’s time to start driving. I’m both excited and sad for this part of her growing up. Sometimes I just don’t have time to run her back and forth to school, rehearsal and friends’ houses and yet when she drives herself all those places I will then lose out on all that one-on-one time in the car. Kiddos growing up is full of ups and downs for this mom. 

 

The BDay crew

Family Birthday Party

She was willing to let me take a quick picture as I dropped her off for school on her birthday. Such a cutie! 

GAME NIGHT

This was so fun! Olivia and Addison wanted to do a little game night to celebrate their birthdays with their youth group friends. I had a blast creating decorations and they had lots of laughs! 

High School Christmas concert

As always, I love the way our HS directors have the kids singing Christmas songs about Jesus. All 3 choirs sounded amazing and then they ended the evening with a candle light event. B e a u t i f u l ! 

It’s so great to have Emma back in town so she can come to Olivia’s concerts. 

Papa celebrated his 75th birthday with family and great friends at his favorite pizza joint, Sam & Louie’s Pizza a few days early. Thankfully the snow that morning did not dampen our fun. 

(On Dean’s actual birthday Linda had a pacemaker put in)

One of my fun little signs 

The Raabe Crew! 

Reagan was studying for finals

Joe was sick

Holly & Stephen were out of town

She’s An Uptown Girl

Olivia’s High school has 3 showchoirs. Her freshman year she had the privilege to be part of ShowCats, aka SCATS, the JV mixed group. They rehearsed all year, early mornings and did one Live performance for parents and one Live performance for other students. Not really the Showchoir experience. Oh yeah they also had masks on because you know covid attacks singers more than basketball players. (Insert Huge eye roll) Instead of typical costumes they wore t-shirts and leggings. 

Below are a couple photos

 Last minute rehearsal before tryouts!!

And one week later the list comes out!!

Liv opened google classroom and started with the Roadie (alternates) list...she wasn’t there. Then the Swing Cats...she wasn’t there. Finally we scroll up to Uptown Girls list (varsity girls group) and there she was! Liv made it! Now we are hoping and praying for a normal year with costumes, travel and performances. 

We are so proud of Olivia. She has taken voice lessons and worked very hard in every rehearsal to improve and show her work ethic. Great job babe!