Big Easter weekend

Callie's junior year of high school has been full of a lot of hard work in the classroom but it has also had its fair share of fun events. She was excited to go to her junior prom and share the evening with good friends. These days prom prep is just as, if not more, important as the dance itself. Callie got her first spray tan, and watching her and her girlfriends go through that process was quite an experience. Of course they had to start their day with bouquets and brunch. It takes time to put together the flowers that you will use for pictures and then put to the side the rest of the evening.

 

After brunch Callie and several girls got ready together so we only got to see the finished product of their efforts during the photo extravaganza at Idle Hour Country Club. Callie was one of almost fifty kids there to take pictures and then eat dinner before heading to the dance. We were happy to be able to snag a quick picture with just her in the midst of all the craziness.

 

Callie looked absolutely radiant and you could tell that she was having a great time. And she was fully comfortable with the fact that she was going without a date. She is certainly grown up and her comfort level is also a reflection of the great group of friends she has. But more than anything it is a clear indication of the wonderful young woman she is becoming. We couldn't be more proud of her.

Among the many picture groupings that occurred we were able to capture one of Callie with her Cassidy Elementary crew plus Molly. These girls have known each other for more than a decade and all of their parents were standing around talking about how old they all looked. 

 

We also made sure to get a picture of Callie with the girls she has become close with over the last year or so. All of these girls certainly clean up well but it is also evident how good they are for each other. 

 

As we mentioned there was a large group and we went in to get the necessary pictures since we had limited time. This was an impressive group of young men and women who we have gotten the opportunity to watch grow up. It is neat to see them at each milestone knowing there are more to come. But we also didn't want to dawdle because we had our own plans for the evening.

 

For Christmas we had purchased four tickets for the family to see Tyler Childers in concert at the UK football stadium. When we came up with this brilliant Christmas gift we did not know when prom would be. Turns out they were on the same night and while it took Callie a little while to realize she couldn't do both, she finally relented. That meant Reese got to invite a friend to the show and she asked Sophie to join us for the evening. We were all excited for a great night of music.

 

There were two opening acts which meant we had a lot of time in our seats prior to the main event. But this was certainly a popular concert because we saw all sorts of folks there. And they saw us. At one point John got a text from our associate pastor Linda with this picture and a simple note saying Hi John! It took us a while but we were able to locate where they were seating. And it was not only Linda and her husband Daniel but also our head pastor Frank and his wife Abby. You know you belong to the right church when you right into your pastors at the Tyler Childers show.

 

We had a fantastic time at the show. Tyler's early career included a lot of small shows played in bars around Lexington and it was cool to hear him revel in the experience of filling the football stadium with fans who could sing along to every song he played. Not only were we able to hear amazing music but he also put on a drone show unlike anything we had ever seen. The colorful chicken in the sky was a highlight for sure. 

 

And all of this took place on Easter weekend. Despite our late night outing with Tyler we still managed to have a fine Easter morning with baskets with a theme of relaxation and, of course, candy. We did not, however, manage to get a family picture on the big day. It's possible we were all pictured out or that may have just been Callie.