I just can't hide it!

What a week!  I've had so much excitement, it's been incredible.  (I just don't think there's enough joyous adjectives to describe it.)

Let's start with last Sunday.

 I got the true privilege of leading a multi-church choir for the installation of Rev. Carol Bodeau at Westside Unitarian Universalist Church.  Thirty wonderful singers from Knoxville area UU churches contributed their voices in celebratory song.  We sang Joyce Poley's award-winning hymn, "Keepers of the Earth," as well as Lucy Holstedt's vibrant anthem, "Welcome In," and Copland's classic, "Simple Gifts."  We opened with a spirited version of, "Enter, Rejoice, and Come In" and closed with a rousing, clapping-full rendition "This Little Light of Mine."

For me, it was amazing to watch the service unfold.  The service elements came together so beautifully and were the culmination of months of work -- from researching and selecting music with Rev. Carol, to coordinating rehearsals with the Music Directors at the area UU churches, to leading individual rehearsals at each congregation and our combined rehearsal, and finally to watching everything come alive on Sunday afternoon.  The choir, accompanist, and drummers brought the music to life better than I ever could have imagined.

Next up, a children's choir rehearsal that ran late - in a good way!  Our kids at ORUUC were so attentive and worked so hard on creating movements and learning the words for their new piece, "A New Day" by Agnes Paulsen, that our rehearsal time just flew by.  I have to admit, I'm kind of missing them on our day off today because...

The rest of my week was spent in rehearsals with the Knoxville Opera's production of Boito's Mefistofele. I'm part of the celestial chorus through a partnership with Knoxville Chamber Chorale.  It was a series of long rehearsals this week with performances Friday night and this afternoon (thus the no children's choir rehearsal this week).  It's a really entertaining show and I enjoyed being able to see a good chunk of the show from onstage behind the actors - and about an hour of the show hanging out in the green room catching up on school work and emails.  I would definitely do it again!  Even with the exhaustion from...

My high school reunion was also this weekend.  Having already committed to the Opera, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to go.  But I managed to find flights that could get me in and out of DC at crazy early morning hours - and the best friend willing to host me and keep up with my crazy schedule.  At the reunion, several people commented "of course!" when I mentioned that I was going back to pursue my music degree.  So funny, even my high school friends knew what I should be doing twenty years ago.

Now, the exhaustion has set in and I'm thankful for a day off tomorrow.  No school, no work, just a day to relax with my kids and catch up on sleep.  Today, I feel successful in doing all the things I wanted to do this week.  I shouldn't even think about tomorrow.  These sweet memories will last a long, long time... I know not every week will be this great, so I'm documenting it while I'm so excited!

*P.S. Shout out to the Pointer Sisters for the lyrics to "I'm so excited"