Dad's Great Idea

Dad called late this afternoon. He said, "I know you were wondering who'd be home for dinner, but I didn't want to answer that question until I asked one of my own. I was wondering if you could find a last-minute sitter so Mom and I can take you and Bill to a Lower Lights concert?"

Okay - now let me just say how amazing Lizzie is. She'd already watched my 2 older kids while I took Hank to his doctor's appointment this afternoon, but she volunteered to watch them tonight so Bill and I could go to the concert, and insisted that it would be her pleasure and that she genuinely wanted to. My little soul is constantly bursting with an overabundance of gratitude for that girl.

And so we hopped into my dad's big blue truck and braved the Salt Lake City Northbound traffic (The Tabernacle Choir was also doing their concert tonight, so everyone was trying to get into the city) and found ourselves in the Masonic Temple with hundreds of other Lower Lights fans.

And oh, the concert was wonderful. I laughed. I cried. I clapped, I sang. I wished once again the old wish that I could be in a band. Especially one that makes such joyous music!

There was this part where Ryan Shupe (yeah! Of Ryan Shupe and the Rubberbands!) played his violin in a music-war with the guy with the red guitar. (Sorry, I love the Lower Lights, but there's like - fifteen members in their band, and I don't know them all, yet). It was inspired - I've never seen a jam session like that before - spontaneously combusting in the middle of a song. All the singers and other musicians sort of pulled away to the sidelines so that the violin and guitar could have at it. It looked like so. much. fun.

Afterward, dinner together at Hires Big H - one of the last genuine hamburger joints.

Our waitress was surly, but our burger-buns were sourdough, which more than made up for anything lacking. I may have indulged in a root-beer freeze.

It was a wonderful night. Full of Christmas, full of music and creativity, and full of really cool people.

Thanks, Mom and Dad! (Lets double again, soon!)