One of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences of sixth grade is our Camp Lutherhaven trip. I started packing last Tuesday night, and after much anticipation, we took off after chapel on Wednesday.
The bus ride to Albion was long and hot. Thankfully, the trip was only about an hour long, so we didn't have to suffer for very long. Finally, we pulled into Camp Lutherhaven and unloaded our bags.
As soon as we were settled into our cabins (I was in Cabin 6) and applied gallons of bug spray to our already itchy bodies, we ate a quick sack lunch around the fire, and then divided into groups of three and set off on a scavenger hunt organized by the counselors. The real goal of the hunt was to help us grow accustomed to the whereabouts of camp. My group - not unlike any of the other groups - was tired, hungry, and a bit uninterested, so we were not very successful.
After we were somewhat comfortable navigating around the camp, my homeroom teacher, Mr. Albertin, insisted that we all take part in a baseball game. We grudgingly headed to the baseball field, but the game turned out to be quite fun. My team won, and I hit a few out of the park (this was super easy, because Mr. Albertin would throw us slow, underhanded pitches).
After baseball, we split into three large groups (I was Group 3) and went to our assigned activity. Our first endeavor was archery, a challenging but addicting pastime. I am very proud to say that I actually hit the target several times (something that most of my group couldn't do) and even thwacked an arrow right down the center of the target. Archery was probably my favorite activity of Lutherhaven.
We switched activities a few times and then assembled for lunch. We did more or less the same thing for the rest of the day, going from one station to the next, until dinner and devotions time. After our pizza dinner and devotions by the fire, it was a mad dash for the showers.
The showers were a nightmare. There were only 8 showers that we were allowed to use, so if you didn't reach the bathroom first, you either had to call a shower or wait. . . for a long time. Waiting wasn't half as bad as the actual showers. The water was lukewarm, and it smelled like eggs. Not to mention the bugs flying around the stall.
After showers, we got about half an hour of free time, which most of us spent down at the playground. I enjoyed playing tether ball immensely, and I dominated most of my class (I suggested to my dad that we install a tether ball pole in our backyard).
By 10:30, I was really tired, but unfortunately, my cabin mates were not. Lily, Katrina, Nicole, Timerah, and Lisa forced me to get in countless group photos and help them make human pyramids. Finally, after the boys in the cabin beside us started banging on our walls, our chaperon, Mrs. English, told us to get in bed.
Since it was so hot, I slept on top of my seeping bag, which also provided some extra padding on the thin, uncomfortable mattress. Nevertheless, I got a good night's sleep. It would've been even better had I been able to sleep in. Yes, we had to get up at 7:00 sharp, even though we were at camp.
After our delicious breakfast, Group 3 went to the orienteering station, where we located certain items throughout the camp using a compass and a bearing. It was really fun and interesting, but my partner, Jack, and I got lost in the woods and couldn't find the seventh item.
After orienteering, we got to canoe and kayak around Lake Muncie. Everyone wanted to kayak, but first we had to prove that we could listen to instruction and honor boating safety rules in a canoe. Unfortunately, I was partnered with Bryce and Jacob, who share the role of class clown and all-around goof. I would've passed our counselor's inspection easily if I had been with anybody else.
Bryce decided to play bumper boats with the other boys, Jacob flung seaweed at Lisa, and both of them drenched me by scooping up water with their paddles and tossing it backwards. By the end of our time, I was soaked, tired, and mad. However, my mood quickly improved when we went exploring through the woods.
The vast woods that surround Camp Lutherhaven are filled with paths, and one could literally spend hours trekking deep into the dark, lively forest. There is even a small marsh, where we caught a frog (Jack's entire foot was submerged in the green slime during the attempt). If you journey even farther into the maze of intertwining paths, you will find the enormous tree house built by the counselors a few years ago.
The gigantic tree house is actually four real sheds, supported by trees and connected with wooden bridges, about ten feet apart. There is a small fire pit, a slide, and a fireman's pole, and we spent quite a while in this amazing tree house.
After our forest adventure, we headed to the main fire pit for our cookout dinner. The hamburgers were superb, grilled to perfection by Zach, a counselor with wild dreadlocks (who is also, ironically, a vegetarian). The hot dogs, on the other hand, weren't as good, because we had to roast them ourselves over the fire (we either burned or barely singed our hot dogs).
After we finished dinner, we had devotions around the fire, and the race to the showers began once more.
When everyone was finished showering, most of us played a game of pickup basketball on the basketball court. Of course, the game was really fun, but C.J. managed to bump and bruise us all with his merciless physical play.
After our game (My team lost, but we demanded a rematch. The game is still unfinished), we said goodnight and headed to our cabins. Once again, my cabin mates kept me up until 11:45. I finally drifted off at about midnight, but was woken abruptly by the annoying, blaring noise of a fire alarm, which was coming from a few doors down. We didn't panic, because we knew that Cabin 4 had been experiencing difficulties with their fire alarm. Disgruntled and sleepy, we tried to get a few more precious hours of sleep before 7:00.
We woke up a bit grouchier than the previous morning, and our dispositions didn't improve when we found out that we were playing an early game of Predators and Prey, a continuation of yesterday's lesson.
Predators and Prey is a really fun game (but it's much more fun when played during the afternoon, and not immediately after you get up). The class split into two groups, one group of predators, and one group of prey. The object of the game is simple: the predators try to find and catch the prey. My group was prey first, so we got a few minutes' head start to hide. I decided to hide in the playground, beneath the giant tire half buried in sand. Luckily, I was never caught; in fact, I was never even found, and I got pretty bored just sitting underneath the tire for 15 minutes, listening to Predators chasing Prey around the camp.
At last, the bell sounded, which meant that the groups would switch from Predator to Prey. After the new Prey disappeared into their hiding places, we leaped down from the fire pit, madly sprinting around the camp, searching for Prey. Bryce and I scoured the woods, wandering aimlessly along random paths until we finally discovered Nathan relaxing in the tree house. Startled and amazed, we caught him unawares and proudly took him back to the fire pit. Next, I spotted Lily peering out from the eaves of the forest, and after 15 long, hard minutes of giving chase, I finally caught her.
In the end, Group 1 emerged victorious, but nobody really cared, since brunch was about to be served.
The delectable brunch consisted of pancakes, French toast, mixed fruit, sausage, and eggs. Needless to say, everyone was nourished and energized for our next project: service hour, the joy of Camp Lutherhaven.
Group 3 was appointed the delightful task of moving couches and chairs upstairs to make room for more tables in the cafeteria. After our grueling task was done, we headed to the devotions center to rake leaves from underneath the benches and place new mulch. We worked hard for a whole hour, and our reward was punch, Popsicles, and granola bars.
After the service project was over, we had a few minutes of free time, which I spent in the game room, beating Lily at Foosball.
Finally, we ended our Camp Lutherhaven trip with a closing devotion.
The trip home was uneventful for the most part, and everyone spent most of their time itching bug bites or singing a favorite song from devotions.
Camp Lutherhaven was (deep breath) sweltering, itchy, interesting, tiring, exciting, and sweaty, but most of all, it was unforgettable.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Stanley Cup Playoffs 2010
For the first time since 1992, the Chicago Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup Finals. They haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1961, and hopefully they can end that streak. They will be facing the Philadelphia Flyers, and according to the numbers, which say that Philly is a 7-seed, this should be an easy victory for the Hawks, a 2-seed. However, we must disregard numbers, stats, and odds, and remember that the Flyers came all the way back from a 3-game disadvantage against Boston to win the series.
Jonathan Toews, obviously, will score some points for us, and Dustin Byfuglien, the 6 foot 4, 257- pound left winger scored a goal in every game of the Sharks series, including two game winners. The defenseman Duncan Keith, who lost 7 teeth in last Friday's game, will be huge in the series, as well as Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane, who've both been very useful and productive.
Some big threats on the Philadelphia line are Simon Gagne, the veteran left winger, Chris Pronger, the 6 foot 6, 220 pound hard-hitter, and Danny Briere. Their goaltender, Michael Leighton, performed very well in their last series against Montreal, but I think Antti Niemi is the better goalie.
GO HAWKS!
Jonathan Toews, obviously, will score some points for us, and Dustin Byfuglien, the 6 foot 4, 257- pound left winger scored a goal in every game of the Sharks series, including two game winners. The defenseman Duncan Keith, who lost 7 teeth in last Friday's game, will be huge in the series, as well as Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane, who've both been very useful and productive.
Some big threats on the Philadelphia line are Simon Gagne, the veteran left winger, Chris Pronger, the 6 foot 6, 220 pound hard-hitter, and Danny Briere. Their goaltender, Michael Leighton, performed very well in their last series against Montreal, but I think Antti Niemi is the better goalie.
GO HAWKS!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Tin Caps Game
Yesterday, after the Saturday night contemporary service, I headed to Parkview Field to sing the national anthem with my choir! There were some complications, though. The Tin Cap's game was rained out the day before, so they were finishing that game. It was a long, anxious wait, but finally the game ended in a 14-9 Tin Cap's loss.
The choir assembled outside to practice a few times, then stood by right field waiting for the teams to finish warming up. I was very nervous, and just wanted to get the whole ordeal over with, so I was relieved when we finally stepped onto the field and sang The Star-Spangled Banner.
I think the sopranos weren't loud enough at all, and there was way too much alto. Also, the baritones weren't loud enough (perhaps because we were missing our three best baritones). The only good thing about the national anthem were the small fireworks that went off in left field when we sang "and the rockets red glare". The crowd seemed to love it, and we got huge applause and a standing ovation, but I think we could've done much better.
After the national anthem, I walked around the new-and-improved stadium with Meron, Ashley, Nikki, Jessica, and Alison. There are so many things to do and see that we were never bored. In fact, the first time I sat down was in the bottom of the sixth! By that time, I had developed somewhat of a headache. I was uninterested in the game (baseball gets really boring, and the pounding in my head diverted my attention), but the Tin Cap's won.
Finally, the fireworks (which, for most of us, were the main event) began. It was a really good fireworks display, and it also was a loud one (the boys pretending to wield machine guns when a particularly huge boom sounded throughout the stadium).
After the fireworks, the kids got the chance to run around the bases on the field. After a long wait, Joseph, David, Luke, and Ben sprinted around the bases as if they'd hit a home run. I, on the other hand, did not run the bases, due to my head-splitting headache.
I was glad when we headed back to the van, and as soon as we got home, I popped an Ibuprofen into my mouth and went to bed with my head searing.
The Tin Cap's game was really fun (for the most part), and it was a great experience for the Junior Choir.
The choir assembled outside to practice a few times, then stood by right field waiting for the teams to finish warming up. I was very nervous, and just wanted to get the whole ordeal over with, so I was relieved when we finally stepped onto the field and sang The Star-Spangled Banner.
I think the sopranos weren't loud enough at all, and there was way too much alto. Also, the baritones weren't loud enough (perhaps because we were missing our three best baritones). The only good thing about the national anthem were the small fireworks that went off in left field when we sang "and the rockets red glare". The crowd seemed to love it, and we got huge applause and a standing ovation, but I think we could've done much better.
After the national anthem, I walked around the new-and-improved stadium with Meron, Ashley, Nikki, Jessica, and Alison. There are so many things to do and see that we were never bored. In fact, the first time I sat down was in the bottom of the sixth! By that time, I had developed somewhat of a headache. I was uninterested in the game (baseball gets really boring, and the pounding in my head diverted my attention), but the Tin Cap's won.
Finally, the fireworks (which, for most of us, were the main event) began. It was a really good fireworks display, and it also was a loud one (the boys pretending to wield machine guns when a particularly huge boom sounded throughout the stadium).
After the fireworks, the kids got the chance to run around the bases on the field. After a long wait, Joseph, David, Luke, and Ben sprinted around the bases as if they'd hit a home run. I, on the other hand, did not run the bases, due to my head-splitting headache.
I was glad when we headed back to the van, and as soon as we got home, I popped an Ibuprofen into my mouth and went to bed with my head searing.
The Tin Cap's game was really fun (for the most part), and it was a great experience for the Junior Choir.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Wet Basement
This past week has been overcast, dreary, and rainy. The gloomy, wet days were just a taster for the thunderstorm we had last night. Lightning streaked across the sky, and thunder boomed all night long. Rain and a bit of hail came down in torrents, drenching all the toys we had left outside and destroying plants.
~ I don't mind thunderstorms. In fact, I rather enjoy falling asleep with rain pouring on the roof and thunder shaking the foundations of the Earth (as long as there's a roof above my head and I'm underneath a warm blanket). Luke is quite the opposite. He covered his ears the entire night, and constantly asked us, "Is there going to be a tornado?"~
While the kids slept, my parents discovered that our basement was soaked. They stayed up until 3:30 ripping all the carpet out to protect it from the water seeping in from outside. Good job, guys!
~ I don't mind thunderstorms. In fact, I rather enjoy falling asleep with rain pouring on the roof and thunder shaking the foundations of the Earth (as long as there's a roof above my head and I'm underneath a warm blanket). Luke is quite the opposite. He covered his ears the entire night, and constantly asked us, "Is there going to be a tornado?"~
While the kids slept, my parents discovered that our basement was soaked. They stayed up until 3:30 ripping all the carpet out to protect it from the water seeping in from outside. Good job, guys!
Last Track Meet
Sadly, this track and field season has come to an end, but not without the city meet, which took place on Thrusday.
The meet was for varsity runners only, so obivously I was extremely nervous (and I didn't really want to compete). However, I was feeling really confident about long jump, my best event, because I had recently changed my mark to 79 feet, which was producing much better results.
The city meet is so huge that there's time trials for the 100 meter and hurdles. I finished third in the preliminary round, and then came in third again in the finals. I improved my 100 meter time significantly, and I also jumped 13 feet, 5.5 inches in long jump, a new personal best. Long jump was by far my most successful event. I actually finished first!
I waited about an hour, and then came the 200. I finished third again, and unfortunately did not improve my time (I was .2 seconds from beating my record). Immediately after the 200 was the 4x100 relay. Our relay team is not the best, and we finished fifth. We weren't too disappointed though, because we improved our time by six seconds!
Also, Nathan smashed his 1600 time, and came .2 seconds from setting a new school record for the mile. Sadly, we won't have him next year. I have a feeling our cross country team is going to suffer.
After the meet, we went to Pizza Hut to celebrate a great season. Coach handed out ribbons and medals, and I filled up my corkboard greatly!
GO CRUSADERS!
The meet was for varsity runners only, so obivously I was extremely nervous (and I didn't really want to compete). However, I was feeling really confident about long jump, my best event, because I had recently changed my mark to 79 feet, which was producing much better results.
The city meet is so huge that there's time trials for the 100 meter and hurdles. I finished third in the preliminary round, and then came in third again in the finals. I improved my 100 meter time significantly, and I also jumped 13 feet, 5.5 inches in long jump, a new personal best. Long jump was by far my most successful event. I actually finished first!
I waited about an hour, and then came the 200. I finished third again, and unfortunately did not improve my time (I was .2 seconds from beating my record). Immediately after the 200 was the 4x100 relay. Our relay team is not the best, and we finished fifth. We weren't too disappointed though, because we improved our time by six seconds!
Also, Nathan smashed his 1600 time, and came .2 seconds from setting a new school record for the mile. Sadly, we won't have him next year. I have a feeling our cross country team is going to suffer.
After the meet, we went to Pizza Hut to celebrate a great season. Coach handed out ribbons and medals, and I filled up my corkboard greatly!
GO CRUSADERS!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Old Fort Wayne
Yesterday, Sydney and I rode our bikes to the Old Fort, where there was a reenactment going on. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule, because Sydney had a soccer scrimmage at 3:00, and we left at about 2:30.
As soon as we got there, we watched the blacksmith making a tong for a fire, which is a really cool process. I found out that the metal is about 1,000 degrees when it turns orange. Pretty dangerous occupation, if you think about it!
We also saw soldiers marching and loading their guns, women working on looms, a wigwam, and lots of other interesting, historical activities.
We got back to Sydney's house with time to spare, and I hurried home to watch the Blackhawk's game.
As soon as we got there, we watched the blacksmith making a tong for a fire, which is a really cool process. I found out that the metal is about 1,000 degrees when it turns orange. Pretty dangerous occupation, if you think about it!
We also saw soldiers marching and loading their guns, women working on looms, a wigwam, and lots of other interesting, historical activities.
We got back to Sydney's house with time to spare, and I hurried home to watch the Blackhawk's game.
Komets Win Third Straight Turner Cup
Tragically, I did not see the Komets win their third Turner Cup in as many years, since I was stuck at home, babysitting, while my parents where at a card party.
I heard from Sydney, who attended the sellout game, that we took an early 3 point lead. I imagine the crowd (as well as the players and coaches) relaxed, sat back, and prepared to watch the Komets hoist the Turner Cup in the air. There was no way that the underdog Flint Generals could come all the way back and cancel out that three point deficit.
However, the Generals scored twice in the third period, and suddenly, the game was intense once more. If Flint won, a seventh game would be required to end the series and decide the Turner Cup champions.
Luckily, the Komets were able to hold them at 2 goals for the rest of the game, and we celebrated yet another Turner Cup victory.
LET'S GO KOMETS!
I heard from Sydney, who attended the sellout game, that we took an early 3 point lead. I imagine the crowd (as well as the players and coaches) relaxed, sat back, and prepared to watch the Komets hoist the Turner Cup in the air. There was no way that the underdog Flint Generals could come all the way back and cancel out that three point deficit.
However, the Generals scored twice in the third period, and suddenly, the game was intense once more. If Flint won, a seventh game would be required to end the series and decide the Turner Cup champions.
Luckily, the Komets were able to hold them at 2 goals for the rest of the game, and we celebrated yet another Turner Cup victory.
LET'S GO KOMETS!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Fourth Track Meet
On Wednesday it rained all day, so I was hoping that our track meet would be canceled. However, the track apparently is designed to drain water well, so the meet was not called off.
Not only was it wet and gloomy, but it was also around 50 degrees. Not the most ideal running conditions, but I had to suffer through the 100, 200, relay, and long jump nonetheless. I didn't improve in any of my events, but I did finish first in 100, and I was racing against varsity runners!
GO CRUSADERS!
Not only was it wet and gloomy, but it was also around 50 degrees. Not the most ideal running conditions, but I had to suffer through the 100, 200, relay, and long jump nonetheless. I didn't improve in any of my events, but I did finish first in 100, and I was racing against varsity runners!
GO CRUSADERS!
Band Concert
My band has been working diligently all year long, and we finally got to show off our talents at the band concert last Tuesday. We played the national anthem, We Will Rock You, and the Holy Cross school song with the Concert Band. Then the 5th Grade Band played a few songs, including the classic Hot Cross Buns. After them, we got our chance to perform.
We played Infinity, Calypso Morning, and Latin Fire. Unfortunately, one of our three percussionists didn't show up, so we didn't have anyone to play the maracas for Latin Fire. I jokingly told Mrs. LaCroix, my band director, that my mom would be glad to play them, so she told the crowd about our calamity and asks my mom if she wanted to play maracas! Of course, my mom profusely said "NO", but the crowd cheered and pressured her until she stepped into the spotlight and grabbed the maracas.
I couldn't stop laughing during the song, so I barely played at all. My mom, on the other hand, made an excellent maraca player, and I'm pretty sure enjoyed her five minutes of fame (although she did threaten to punish me).
After us, the Concert Band played five great songs, and to conclude the concert, all three bands played Procession For A New Day.
It was a great concert, and very amusing, too!
We played Infinity, Calypso Morning, and Latin Fire. Unfortunately, one of our three percussionists didn't show up, so we didn't have anyone to play the maracas for Latin Fire. I jokingly told Mrs. LaCroix, my band director, that my mom would be glad to play them, so she told the crowd about our calamity and asks my mom if she wanted to play maracas! Of course, my mom profusely said "NO", but the crowd cheered and pressured her until she stepped into the spotlight and grabbed the maracas.
I couldn't stop laughing during the song, so I barely played at all. My mom, on the other hand, made an excellent maraca player, and I'm pretty sure enjoyed her five minutes of fame (although she did threaten to punish me).
After us, the Concert Band played five great songs, and to conclude the concert, all three bands played Procession For A New Day.
It was a great concert, and very amusing, too!
Friday, May 7, 2010
2010 NHL Playoffs II
Thankfully, the Blackhawks advanced to the second round of the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks (whatever a Canuck is). Despite losing 5-1 in the first game of the series, the Hawks are now leading the series 2-1. Tonight they play again, and hopefully Dustin Byfuglien can lead them to another victory.
The Canadiens are still barely holding off the Penguins, and they won last night in a comeback game. With luck, Montreal will somehow win the series. Or maybe Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be injured (sorry for being so heartless, but that would certainly help Montreal). Perhaps it'd just be best if Pittsburgh was disqualified.
Detroit is still trailing San Jose in their series 3-1. The Sharks are a really good team, but I would rather them play the Hawks than Detroit. The Red Wings just have more veterans and playoff experience. Plus, the Wings' goalie, Jimmy Howard, isn't very good (neither is the Hawks', but he is improving).
Right now I'm watching the Boston Bruins play the Philadelphia Flyers in a series the Bruins lead 3-0. As always, I want the best for the Hawks, so I'm rooting for the Flyers to come back and win the series. This is highly unlikely, but they're winning the game 3-2 and have so far been looking really good.
GO BLACKHAWKS!
The Canadiens are still barely holding off the Penguins, and they won last night in a comeback game. With luck, Montreal will somehow win the series. Or maybe Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be injured (sorry for being so heartless, but that would certainly help Montreal). Perhaps it'd just be best if Pittsburgh was disqualified.
Detroit is still trailing San Jose in their series 3-1. The Sharks are a really good team, but I would rather them play the Hawks than Detroit. The Red Wings just have more veterans and playoff experience. Plus, the Wings' goalie, Jimmy Howard, isn't very good (neither is the Hawks', but he is improving).
Right now I'm watching the Boston Bruins play the Philadelphia Flyers in a series the Bruins lead 3-0. As always, I want the best for the Hawks, so I'm rooting for the Flyers to come back and win the series. This is highly unlikely, but they're winning the game 3-2 and have so far been looking really good.
GO BLACKHAWKS!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Third Track Meet
Today's track meet definitely wasn't my best. I finished first in all my events, but I didn't improve any of my times or distances (save in the relay).
I don't even want to reveal my long jump distance. It was pitiful, but bear in mind that I haven't practiced in over a week and I was starting much too close to the board.
Nathan, of course, did awesome. He's only a few seconds away from breaking the school record for the mile run, 4 minutes 58 seconds (wow).
Hopefully I can return to my former domination in long jump (I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty darn good).
GO CRUSADERS!
I don't even want to reveal my long jump distance. It was pitiful, but bear in mind that I haven't practiced in over a week and I was starting much too close to the board.
Nathan, of course, did awesome. He's only a few seconds away from breaking the school record for the mile run, 4 minutes 58 seconds (wow).
Hopefully I can return to my former domination in long jump (I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty darn good).
GO CRUSADERS!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Choir Tour 2010
We all have been looking forward to the choir tour all year. The trip finally came around on Tuesday!
We toured with a choir from St. John in Fraser, Michigan, and they arrived at Holy Cross Monday afternoon. After school, we met in the music room and went outside (I, however, being the responsible student that I am, did homework during the recess). Then we went back inside to warm up. We warmed up our voices for about an hour, and then we went to the cafeteria for dinner.
After our dinner of nachos, grapes, corn, and ice cream, we sang for the Monday night church service. We were probably singing for 60% of the service. We sang O Filii Et Filliae, an echo song written by Volckmar Leisring, God Is Our Refuge and Strength, Cantate Domino, an extremely difficult song by Hans Leo Hassler, Jesu, Jesu, a traditional Ghana spiritual, Siyahumba, another traditional spiritual, Angels and Saints, a combination of Angels Watching Over Me and When the Saints Go Marching In, Sing Aloud to God, Our Strength, and Clap Your Hands, a song where which includes - obviously - hand clapping. Finally, we headed home and started packing!
I got up at 5:45 on Tuesday, and at 6:30, I arrived at Holy Cross to hop on the tour bus. We took off at 7:00, and for the first hour we mostly slept. After we livened up, the yelling, listening of iPods, movie-watching, and eating began.
Jessica, Alison, Myrthe, Michaela, Sydney, and I were lucky enough to have the only seats with tables. This was very convenient, because everyone else had to put their snacks, iPods, books, etc. on the floor or on their laps. The table also served as exceptional footrests (The only bad thing about our seats was the unenviable location right in front of the bathroom, which stunk. We quickly found this out, and nobody dared to use it again).
Our first stop on the trip was Valparaiso, Indiana - the place where I was born - at Immanuel Lutheran - the place where I went to preschool and where my grandparents and cousins attend church and school. After we performed, I visited with my cousin Sarah, my grandparents, and my Aunt Judy. I didn't get to talk for very long, because we were on the road again in a few minutes.
Next we sang for St. John Lutheran in La Grange, Illinois, where we also ate lunch. The church was beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed singing there (at this point I started to lose my voice: I still can't sing). We hit the road again and stopped at St. Paul in Brookfield, Illinois, in the Chicago area.
By this point in the day, we were all very tired and most of us had headaches. We were relieved when we finished our final concert of the day and headed for our hotel. The hotel was really nice, and hardly anyone was there. After we settled into our rooms (I stayed with Jessica, Alison, and Ashley), we put our bathing suits on and went swimming. The pools were indoor, and there was an Olympic-sized pool, a 3-foot, warmer pool, and two large hot tubs. There was also a small arcade room, pool and ping pong tables, an exercise room, and a sauna.
We ate our pizza dinner poolside, and afterward we changed, grabbed our school books, and went to the "Atrium", a huge hall booked for our study hall. Thankfully, I got all my work done. For the remainder of the study hall, I drew James, Robiati, and Meron (by the way, the drawings were atrocious).
After devotions, we had free time for the rest of the night. Free time was pretty wild, with much running around, pop-drinking, yelling, and visiting other people's rooms. I'm surprised nobody complained, since it was 10:30 at night.
Our curfew was 10:30, but nobody actually went to sleep. We could hear the eighth graders on either side of our room bouncing off the walls until at least 1:00 (not to mention the seventh grade girls called us three times in the dead of night because, apparently, they were bored). We, on the other hand, got in bed at about 10:45.
The night was a long one, but day finally dawned, bringing us a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline.
This picture has nothing to do with the choir tour, but I thought it was a cool picture, and I took it, too!
We got downstairs to the breakfast bar at 6:00 sharp. Breakfast included delicious biscuits, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. After everyone had eaten and packed, we hopped on the bus and arrived at Grace Lutheran to sing for their chapel service. After that, we went down the street to Concordia University Chicago, the place where my choir director went to college.
Unfortunately, the chapel floors were carpet, which is a cardinal sin for singing. The vibration didn't reverberate well, so our sound wasn't the best. It did reverberate well in Trinity Lutheran, where we performed our very last concert of the tour.
For no reason, we went on a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, and then drove to Navy Pier in Chicago!
We began our time by going on the famous Ferris wheel, a very enjoyable experience.
Next we went on possibly the most fun ride ever! It was one of those huge rides with seats hanging from it, that swings you around high above the ground. We went on it three times. At the end, we agreed that, if we could, we would spend our entire day on the ride. It would totally be worth it.
Next we ate lunch at the gigantic food court. Meron and I had Chinese. Ashley had Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Matt simply had McDonald's.
After our lunch, we explored the indoor section of Navy Pier, which included the coolest restaurant ever, Harry Caray's, named for the famous Chicago Cubs' broadcaster. They had hundred of autographed baseballs, bats, and jerseys.
Game-worn, autographed Bobby Hull jersey.
Game-worn, autographed Patrick Kane jersey, skate, and helmet.
A real Lombardi Trophy!
Game-worn, autographed Walter Payton jersey.
We toured with a choir from St. John in Fraser, Michigan, and they arrived at Holy Cross Monday afternoon. After school, we met in the music room and went outside (I, however, being the responsible student that I am, did homework during the recess). Then we went back inside to warm up. We warmed up our voices for about an hour, and then we went to the cafeteria for dinner.
After our dinner of nachos, grapes, corn, and ice cream, we sang for the Monday night church service. We were probably singing for 60% of the service. We sang O Filii Et Filliae, an echo song written by Volckmar Leisring, God Is Our Refuge and Strength, Cantate Domino, an extremely difficult song by Hans Leo Hassler, Jesu, Jesu, a traditional Ghana spiritual, Siyahumba, another traditional spiritual, Angels and Saints, a combination of Angels Watching Over Me and When the Saints Go Marching In, Sing Aloud to God, Our Strength, and Clap Your Hands, a song where which includes - obviously - hand clapping. Finally, we headed home and started packing!
I got up at 5:45 on Tuesday, and at 6:30, I arrived at Holy Cross to hop on the tour bus. We took off at 7:00, and for the first hour we mostly slept. After we livened up, the yelling, listening of iPods, movie-watching, and eating began.
Jessica, Alison, Myrthe, Michaela, Sydney, and I were lucky enough to have the only seats with tables. This was very convenient, because everyone else had to put their snacks, iPods, books, etc. on the floor or on their laps. The table also served as exceptional footrests (The only bad thing about our seats was the unenviable location right in front of the bathroom, which stunk. We quickly found this out, and nobody dared to use it again).
Our first stop on the trip was Valparaiso, Indiana - the place where I was born - at Immanuel Lutheran - the place where I went to preschool and where my grandparents and cousins attend church and school. After we performed, I visited with my cousin Sarah, my grandparents, and my Aunt Judy. I didn't get to talk for very long, because we were on the road again in a few minutes.
Next we sang for St. John Lutheran in La Grange, Illinois, where we also ate lunch. The church was beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed singing there (at this point I started to lose my voice: I still can't sing). We hit the road again and stopped at St. Paul in Brookfield, Illinois, in the Chicago area.
By this point in the day, we were all very tired and most of us had headaches. We were relieved when we finished our final concert of the day and headed for our hotel. The hotel was really nice, and hardly anyone was there. After we settled into our rooms (I stayed with Jessica, Alison, and Ashley), we put our bathing suits on and went swimming. The pools were indoor, and there was an Olympic-sized pool, a 3-foot, warmer pool, and two large hot tubs. There was also a small arcade room, pool and ping pong tables, an exercise room, and a sauna.
We ate our pizza dinner poolside, and afterward we changed, grabbed our school books, and went to the "Atrium", a huge hall booked for our study hall. Thankfully, I got all my work done. For the remainder of the study hall, I drew James, Robiati, and Meron (by the way, the drawings were atrocious).
After devotions, we had free time for the rest of the night. Free time was pretty wild, with much running around, pop-drinking, yelling, and visiting other people's rooms. I'm surprised nobody complained, since it was 10:30 at night.
Our curfew was 10:30, but nobody actually went to sleep. We could hear the eighth graders on either side of our room bouncing off the walls until at least 1:00 (not to mention the seventh grade girls called us three times in the dead of night because, apparently, they were bored). We, on the other hand, got in bed at about 10:45.
The night was a long one, but day finally dawned, bringing us a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline.
This picture has nothing to do with the choir tour, but I thought it was a cool picture, and I took it, too!
We got downstairs to the breakfast bar at 6:00 sharp. Breakfast included delicious biscuits, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. After everyone had eaten and packed, we hopped on the bus and arrived at Grace Lutheran to sing for their chapel service. After that, we went down the street to Concordia University Chicago, the place where my choir director went to college.
Unfortunately, the chapel floors were carpet, which is a cardinal sin for singing. The vibration didn't reverberate well, so our sound wasn't the best. It did reverberate well in Trinity Lutheran, where we performed our very last concert of the tour.
For no reason, we went on a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, and then drove to Navy Pier in Chicago!
We began our time by going on the famous Ferris wheel, a very enjoyable experience.
Next we went on possibly the most fun ride ever! It was one of those huge rides with seats hanging from it, that swings you around high above the ground. We went on it three times. At the end, we agreed that, if we could, we would spend our entire day on the ride. It would totally be worth it.
Next we ate lunch at the gigantic food court. Meron and I had Chinese. Ashley had Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Matt simply had McDonald's.
After our lunch, we explored the indoor section of Navy Pier, which included the coolest restaurant ever, Harry Caray's, named for the famous Chicago Cubs' broadcaster. They had hundred of autographed baseballs, bats, and jerseys.
Game-worn, autographed Bobby Hull jersey.
Game-worn, autographed Patrick Kane jersey, skate, and helmet.
A real Lombardi Trophy!
Game-worn, autographed Walter Payton jersey.After this excursion, we browsed the numerous shops of Navy Pier. There were a lot of awesome places, like the hat shop, which sold hats that could actually light up! They also sold wigs.
Another store sold T-shirts with hilarious phrases and sayings. While at the Fudge Shoppe, Jessica couldn't resist the mouth-watering chocolates, and bought a caramel/chocolate apple.
At the end of our fun day, we got into the bus and left Chicago. We arrived at Valparaiso once more in about an hour, and the St. John Fraser singers hopped on a new bus that took them to Michigan. The Junior Choir visited the stunning Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University. The church is absolutely beautiful, with a 4,500 pipe-organ, a giant, unique baptismal font, many dazzling stain glass windows, and an underground altar that serves as a prayer room. The ceiling is vaulted, so the sound bounces around really well, and there's a five second echo at least.
After touring the church, we hopped on the bus to finally head home. . . where we learned that the bus was having break problems. Because of this, we had to switch buses. We didn't switch onto any ordinary bus, though. It was the bus that the Fort Wayne Komets use.
When we got home, we were tired, hungry, and hoarse. I felt better once I bragged to my family about the awesome time I had. It was probably one of the coolest experiences of my life, and the ride in the Komets bus made it even better.
I'm already looking forward to next year's choir tour to Cleveland (not quite as exciting as Chicago, but it's still a choir tour)!
At the end of our fun day, we got into the bus and left Chicago. We arrived at Valparaiso once more in about an hour, and the St. John Fraser singers hopped on a new bus that took them to Michigan. The Junior Choir visited the stunning Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University. The church is absolutely beautiful, with a 4,500 pipe-organ, a giant, unique baptismal font, many dazzling stain glass windows, and an underground altar that serves as a prayer room. The ceiling is vaulted, so the sound bounces around really well, and there's a five second echo at least.
After touring the church, we hopped on the bus to finally head home. . . where we learned that the bus was having break problems. Because of this, we had to switch buses. We didn't switch onto any ordinary bus, though. It was the bus that the Fort Wayne Komets use.
When we got home, we were tired, hungry, and hoarse. I felt better once I bragged to my family about the awesome time I had. It was probably one of the coolest experiences of my life, and the ride in the Komets bus made it even better.
I'm already looking forward to next year's choir tour to Cleveland (not quite as exciting as Chicago, but it's still a choir tour)!
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