Blessings in the wee hours of the morning.

It's 1 AM Friday night/Saturday morning, take your pick. Yes it's been a busy week, so why am I blogging at this time of night?!? I'm still up because we are hosting the Friday night cast party for Mal's play. The cast is small, 14 in all, plus there are a few other kids here who are in the drama club. Most have gone home, thanks to the NJ "Cinderella" license, and of course most of the rest are being picked up by parents who want to go to bed! They are a great group of kids, about 25 or so squeezed into my living room with chips, pizza, cookies, candy and soda. They were polite, grateful for the hospitality, and they cleaned up after themselves. What more could I ask for! It was great to hear the laughter, talk to them about their performances, and to have a full house! I spend a lot of time around these kids during the course of the productions because of my involvement in the Theater Guild. And I just felt blessed tonight by being a part of Mallory's big week.

This is Mallory's first major lead in a play, and we hoped that many of our family members would come to see her. Everyone lives well over an hour or more away, or out of state, and unfortunately, for many reasons, no one has made it yet. Hopefully a few will make it tomorrow.

But I am joyful and blessed because since her very first play 4 or 5 years ago, we have always had great support from our church family. I would say on average, about 20 or more of our family in Christ come out and see her perform, no matter how small or big her part is. Some travel over a half an hour to get here. Some may really want to be relaxing at home, but instead they come out to love on my daughter. I can't tell you how much that means to us.

So now that the last of the young men have left my house, I can go to bed while the girls that are still here have their slumber party. But first, for those of you reading this that have ever come to any or all of Mallory's plays...THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! Mallory will always know that she was loved, and that because of Christ, you are her family!