Inside Out

I've been living in "Inside Out" world for months now. It's always fun to get to point where you begin to see fruits from your labor.

I am also living , eating, breathing, sleeping this event I am producing for Vanguard Health Systems http://www.thirdrailcost.com, Each side will be represented by different views and hopefully it will be a productive day.

Just curious...while driving, is it wrong to be listening and jamming to "No Other Name" and then lay on the horn at someone and then going back to singing?

I had a defensive driver teacher in HS who was a pro at this....she would admonish us to "give a friendly tap of the horn to let them know you're there." Sometimes along the way that friendly part and the tapping intensified...but I always get cracked up in stressful traffic cause I hear her sweet little granny voice saying "Just a little tap of the horn..."

This was my Spiritual question. My other question is...WHERE have all the good drivers gone?

And...why do I now have several Eddie Rabbit songs going through my head?

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday (the 15th) Sheryl and I celebrated 11 years of marriage. We had a great date night. Our kids stayed at the Batson's and we went for an early dinner to Watermark down in the Gulch. It's such a cool little place. After dinner we went to the wedding reception of Malcolm and Martha Greenwood's daughter (Mollie) and her new husband. It was down at War Memorial and gorgeous! Sheryl has worked some for Martha and also worked this wedding. check out Martha's website http://www.bigeventswedding.com/

I love this picture of Sheryl taken by Gordon Trice. She looked so amazing! And...still does! Happy Anniversary, Sheryl.




In other news, it's back to school time. We were thrilled to fins out that Ella had Ms Stark. She is one of the best teachers in the system. Her friend Natalie is also in her class.

Maddie was also very excited to discover that her best friend Sydney and her buddy Cheslea are in her class at school. What a blast these kids are going to have. They both came home after the first day just talking non-stop about how much they loved it!

Pray for me this week. Chris Yoakum and I are working feverishly to get the ZOE project completely mixed so that I can have it ready for the mastering session on Friday and then distribution. I'm really enjoying the rough mixes though. I love hearing Sam singing "No Other Name" at the top of his lungs. I think that might be my favorite song on this new CD. Although, there are several favorites.


Have a great week!

Celebrity Summit

Today was the final run of the Summit cast's "Thoroughly Broadway". It's such a great show--sections from "The Producers", "Thoroughly Modern Millie", "Wicked", "Hairspray", "Mama Mia", and "Lion King". It's a great cast.

Jennifer and TJ

Graham McMurry (I taught his cast on the Spirit last year)

"The Producers"

"Lion King"

'Producers"

"Thoroughly Modern Millie"

"Millie"

"Lion King"

Lion King--"Circle of Life"

Lion King--"Morning Report"

Lion King--"He Lives in You"

Lion King--finale

Great job today, guys. Best wishes to all of you! We love you guys!

Awesome Day!

Today has been such an awesome day. It began with a very sweet reunion. After college while living in the Dallas area I was blessed to become a part of the Nofsinger family. I adore them. Kirk and Vickie were such mentors to me and friends. Their kids-Jenny, Jonathan and Justin were so special to me. I cried and cried when I moved. In fact, I still remember the conversation with Kirk and Vickie in their living room as they promised that our friendship would endure any distance.

It's hard to believe that it's been 14 years. In that time, Jenny graduated from high school AND from ACU and is a successful business woman in Dallas. Jonathan and Justin are in college. I miss them all.

Here is a picture of the Nofsinger kids and me at my going away party 14 years ago...



And here's a picture of them today...14 years later with my own kids who are now the ages that they were when I moved from Texas. Absolutely surreal!

Our visit with them this morning was such a blast. The kids had so much fun with Jenny Jonathan and Justin. I just wish it could have lasted several days.

After the Nofsingers left, Grant Batson and two of his kids came over and he and I took Abby, Michaell, Maddie and Sam to the wacky east Nashville "Tomato Art Festival". It is completely odd and fun and totally east Nashville.

Sam and Michael. (they are two peas in a pod)

Some random woman serving fried green tomatos

It was about 1000 degrees outside today so Grant and I decided to leave the tomato madness and head back home. (Sheryl had a wedding today and Ella had a birthday party.) The kids were glad to get some air conditioning too.

Back at our house, Grant and I had a couple of hours just to visit. Our lives have been so blessed by their friendship. Since Jill is in Los Angeles we had Grant and the kids stay for dinner and had some great sushi. As I write, I am listening to one of his daughters (Abby) and our girls giggling (sleep over fun).

Thinking back over the day, I just feel so grateful for the beauty of friendship. My back was better too--overall a great day!

New York Auditions

Click on the text above to enlarge

Funny Old Pictures part 2

I found an old photo album with more crazy pictures. I've posted some funny old pics before. This is part two...

ACU SummerStage 1987...I was still in High School but did the summer shows at ACU that summer. I had such a great time. Some of the friends I made that summer are still dear friends today...22 years later. GRACIOUS!

SummerStage 1987...for those of you from the Austin area (and other TX markets), the guy in the crazy red coat is Allen Roberson. He is a brilliant actor, writer, arranger, etc. He has a show on PBS called "The Biscuit Brothers". It teaches kids through using music. Check it out. It's really awesome! Click here for a link to their website http://www.biscuitbrothers.com/

ACU SummerStage 1987...ooooh so dramatic. I think I look like Maddie in this picture.

Reflections--Disney World 1992

backstage at Six Flags Over Texas 1993


As I mentioned to someone earlier today, part of the fun of getting old(er) is getting to laugh at yourself. Looking at some of these really took me back.


Sheryl has another wedding this weekend. There are new pictures posted on her blog from the one last weekend. Go to http://www.sherylthomasflorals.blogspot.com/ to check them out!

Friendship

I came home this afternoon to a familiar face...Sydney Williamson. Maddie and Sydney have been friends since birth. They're 3 months apart in age and have already informed us of their plans to room together at ACU. Sydney is a great friend.

Sheryl left to do the COSTCO thing and I stayed with the kids. (Ella is spending the night at her Nonnie's.) I got to be the one to break the news that Sydney could spend the night. The squeals of delight were hilarious.

They are sitting on the couch tonight watching "Evan Almighty" and huddled close together. It made me feel so thankful that Maddie has that kind of friendship. Honestly, all of us should be so blessed to have that kind of friendship in our lives.

Center Hill Lake

This weekend after Sheryl finished another large wedding set up, we took off to Center Hill for an early anniversary treat. Mark and Holly Whaley invited us up along with Grant and Jill Batson. And even though we could only make it half of the weekend...it was worth it. Thank you too all of Liza Musick's family for pinch hitting in thr child care dept. Even "Mr. Gary" stayed with them for a while on Saturday night and experienced bed time!My kids love Gary Musick more than Mickey Mouse. But--who doesn't?? Thank you to Dani as well for her help with kids. It was a crazy weekend and as it appears, everyone is in one place


It is such a beautiful drive over to Center Hill Lake. We were excited too about having some extra time with our friends.

This is a view from the Whaley's front deck

view off the front upper deck

Jill and Grant Baston

What's a Whaley, Batson, Thomas gathering without a little Mexican Train?! See how smug Grant looks? It's because he CHEATS! jk

Breakfast time, bring it on!

Jill and Sheryl--I think maybe once in life you might be blessed enough to meet your true counterpart. These two are seriously the same women. They sing and sound AWESOME together, all our kids are the same ages and all go to Granbury. It's truly a kindred friendship.

Grant and BST--sporting our Batson Guitars caps

Jolly Roger-Mark. All the fish loved Mark and wanted to eat him alive today. One mention of it was all it took to send Jill into sprint swimming back to the boat. Hilarious!

At first glance this looks so romantic---the hot couple....but then,,,wait,,,is she trying to strangle our poor Grant. Good luck with that-- JILLEEEEEE

BST and Sheryl

Our lake group (L:R
Mark and Holly Whaley, Sheryl and Brandon Thomas,

Grant played a little background music for us over the weekend. He's playing a Batson guitar--one that he made. It's really beautiful.