The Chosen

This weekend we were blessed immeasurably.  My dear Hubby finally came home from all of his business travels and is home for a while!  Not only that, but he surprised us with being able to come home 6 hours earlier than scheduled. The kids were so excited to have Daddy home for bedtime prayers and not having to do it over the phone. I am grateful to have my best friend home for a while.

The weekend was fun and a great way to celebrate having Hubby home.  Boogie did not have soccer at all this weekend so we were able to sleep in a little bit.  The big kids crawled into bed with us when they woke up and again were thrilled to find Daddy in bed and not away.  Hubby took all three kids to our Church's Fiesta.  They spent the morning getting their faces painted, painting pumpkins, playing games, riding rides, and enjoying yummy Filipino food.

While they spent the morning having fun, I met up with Hubby's cousin and her husband and we went for a 6+ run to train for our marathon relay in two weeks. I run much slower than everyone else on our relay team, but A. ran along beside me and I was able to chat and get to know my cousin-in-law's husband a little better. And with each conversation, I like him more and more. He was very sweet to stick beside me. As a result I ran faster than usual when running by myself, though he and my cousin ran slower than they usually do to keep me company. I appreciated their support. That last mile was a killer for me, but we kept running and I finished. I came home feeling very proud of completing 18 miles in total for the week and for completing my second 6 mile run in the week.

We wrapped up Saturday night with a trip to our favorite ice cream stand, a wonderful way to end a Saturday!

On Sunday we went to our regular Mass. After one of Hubby's long business trips, going to Mass as a family always makes me feel like our family is complete. We are where are supposed to be and it feels like home.  But as I was very sore from my run from the day before and slept poorly I was desperate for a nap. But Buggy fell asleep next to me in my bed and made it difficult for me to get comfortable while Bananas screamed/yelled/cried from his crib for 45 minutes and Hubby was mowing the lawn.  I finally handed off the baby and fell asleep in Buggy's bed desperate for some peace and quiet. I was able to sneak in a quick nap and no one was able to find me.

Sunday evening went much better than the afternoon. We had dinner with our friend A. and trooped together to see a free concert after dinner. We went to see a Ugandan children's song and dance group at a local church.  These 7 youngsters were representing the millions of children orphaned and impacted by the AIDS epidemic in Uganda.  It was a moving experience and I was happy to share it with my family and our friends.  My husband's brother's family also joined us and I was so glad they chose to come with us.  The Chosen shared their plight, video clips of their homes, and their vision of hope. So incredibly touching and moving.

I was introduced to The Chosen by my friend Jenn who went to Uganda earlier this Summer.  It was her sneak peek video clip that made me want to go to see these children in person. Check out her blog for a sneak peek listen.  Aren't their voices just gorgeous?????  Boogie has been thinking about what he saw and heard last night. He is realizing he is very fortunate.  I am happy to introduce our children to different walks of life. It is my and Hubby's hope to do some type of missions work with our family when our kids are a bit older. Maybe this is our first taste....

At the end of the concert the kids were invited to dance with the group. I will do my best to upload the video of Mr. Bananas dancing. It is very shaky and several minutes long and taking forever to upload, but super cute! Check back here and I hope to have it uploaded soon! If not in this post, then in a new post.

It was a great concert and I am so grateful for the opportunity to see these children in person.  Wow, so wonderful and powerful!  However, I think the video Jenn posted is a better representation of their pure, sweet voices. Her video was an impromptu play ground "concert."  Wow!

Two mothers who have children in the group made jewelry to be sold as a fundraiser for the group. I was happy to buy some Ugandan bling to support the group.  I hope Boogie's necklace is a reminder to him of the children he saw on stage. For me, the bracelets I wear are a good reminder that I have a very blessed life  and to be grateful for what I have and to use the bracelets as a talking point about the group, should anyone ask.  I am also impressed how (as my SIL put it) "they have God filling their hearts with joy."  If you are interested in going to a concert check out AOET-USA's site for more information.

Sunday night's concert was a great celebration to end the weekend. Thank you, Jenn for sharing a part of your world with me. xoxo