Way Down Hadestown

I still have lots of blogging catch up to do, but I've decided to tackle the backlog from both ends by going back and forth between current blogs and catch up blogs. Today you get a current blog, courtesy of our recent "road to hell"...

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When Hallie started high school the only thing I really, truly wished for her was that she'd find a friend. Yes, I wished she would grow intellectually. Yes, I wished she would do well academically. Yes, I wished she'd find the subject(s) at which she excelled and figure out which paths - college, major, profession, etc. - she hoped to travel following high school. But most of all I wanted her to find PEOPLE. 

In the first draft of this post, I wrote what quickly snowballed into an essay about Hallie's social experiences freshman and sophomore years. In the second (this) draft of this post, I deleted most of that essay, deciding that those stories weren't mine to tell. 

I can share the summary, however, which is that finding people and her place in high school took Hallie a long time. Participating in last January's High School Musical helped her find the right path, but the journey was slow. It wasn't until this fall, when she auditioned for and received an incredible role in Hadestown, that she finally found herself having the kind of high school experience with the kind of people I'd wished for her years ago.

Many of us on the Booster Club Board and Musical Committee joked that this show was cursed from the start. I won't go into all of the details, but the fact that a show - any show - made it to the stage at all is impressive. The fact that the show ended up being, according to many patrons, the best Consol musical they'd ever seen, is downright miraculous. 

Every detail - the immersive front of house experience, the layered and meticulously-crafted set, the carefully curated costumes, the innovatively choreographed dances, the captivating musical accompaniment, the perfectly designed lights and sound - came together in the most spectacular way. And the incredible talent... The chorus provided depth and significance. The leads made me want to sing again. The moments that mattered - those moments that make or break a show's story - were breathtaking. 

I don't know that I've ever felt...is sadder the right word?...when a show wrapped. Knowing I couldn't see it again (even after I watched most of four shows and all of two dress rehearsals) made me feel kind of like how I felt when Will played his last game as a Lad last spring. 

I'm so proud of the cast - including my girl - and crew who worked ridiculously hard to bring Hadestown to the stage...and I'm so grateful to all of these extroverted theater kids who have helped Hallie feel like she has a place in the great big world that is high school.

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Also, a HUGE thank you to Hallie's friends, my friends, and some of our family members who showed up big for our girl. We love you.

Playing Catch Up: Wedding Bells Are Ringing

At the beginning of July we made our way to Washington for the wedding of Tom's brother, Grant, to his amazing (now) wife, Kayla.

We met Kayla nearly two years ago over the holidays. We could tell almost immediately that she was smart, strong, kind, funny, and beautiful inside and out, and we all hoped she would be "the one" for Grant. Hallie in particular was especially fond of Kayla, and while I can't pinpoint exactly what it was that made Hallie feel this way, I think it was that Kayla saw and connected with Hallie in a way that most people simply can't see and connect with 14-year-old girls (who are kind of awkward and generally feel uncomfortable in their own skin). As I've gotten to know Kayla a little better, I've seen her share this gift - to meet people where they are, connecting with them and making them feel comfortable in her presence (and in their own skin, as she did for Hallie) - more than once. I feel incredibly lucky to now have her as a sister-in-law, and for my kids to have her as an aunt.

Grant and Kayla's wedding weekend was perhaps the most "uniquely them" wedding experiences I've had. Every aspect of the preparations, the dinner the night before, the wedding, the cocktail hour, and the reception meant something to one of them, which made the entire weekend incredibly special. I adored getting to share in their love as well as getting to experience the people and places and foods and drinks and hobbies and dances they love and that have made them who they are as individuals and a couple. 

Oh, and I LOVED the summer weather in Washington. 😉

The view from our AirBnB was spectacular.

NOT sweating on the 4th of July?! I'll take it!

Hallie and I went to the 4th of July parade
in downtown Everett, and it was fantastic.  

We took so many pics on our house's back
porch - the views were just too gorgeous not to.

The Ferris Fam

The Ferris Fam + Stacey and Larry
(our bonus siblings/aunt/uncle)

My favorite pic of Grant and Kayla with their nieces and nephews,
taken as a crying and screaming toddler Rock ran back to his mom.

Siblings and spouses

The original six Ferri

The happy couple

Tom and the flower girls, getting down on the dance floor.

A great shot of the dance floor...featuring, again, Tom.

Flowered dresses unite

Plus Hallie

With my beloved sisters-in-law - we couldn't find Kayla
so we'll need a new pic the next time we're all together.

They have a very fun aunt/nephew relationship.

And Will was a rockstar older cousin.

The wedding and reception took place overlooking the sound,
and the view was INCREDIBLE.

Cheers, to the happy couple and to their beautiful new life together.