I have to share my joy in seeing The Nutcracker today. I enjoyed it with my sister-in-law and nieces and loved every second! Every time I visit a performance at the Fox, it brings me right back to seeing it for the first time as a young child - it felt so fancy to me and so very "special occasion." Today, I felt those same feelings. We entered the theater and went way down to our FABULOUS seats (thanks to the Family to Family discount, our tickets were $45.00 instead of $90.00).
We left the warm rainy day for what felt like true Christmastime inside with the way the stage was set. Magical!
I snapped this with my iPhone before the lights dimmed...
And then a second after I snapped the above photo, I took a picture of my gorgeous nieces...
Do you see the lady in the white shirt behind them? She was on her way to tell me to put away my flash camera :). Oops! I was so excited to be there and wanted to document it with pictures! (didn't think that would be a problem before the show but apparently, it was).
The production started and it was just breathtaking - everything from the gorgeous music to the backdrops to the beautiful dancers' bodies...like candy to the mouth of a child, this was like candy to my eyes and ears. I soaked up and truly enjoyed every single second.
I think back to growing up in our house and I used to find it so odd that my dad would tear up about things when he did - a great Budweiser beer commercial could bring out a tear or two - a good political speech... All my life I've known him to be a very passionate and emotional man. And folks, let me say that the apple hasn't fallen too far from that tree. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of today, that I couldn't help but let out a tear or two of just utter joy - I was a bit embarrassed about the tears and tried my best to conceal the fact that they were streaming out.
During the Sugar Plum Fairy scene, the chorus of girls started singing, "Ahhhh ahhhh ahhhhh ahhh ahhhh...." and the girls were right in front of us - it was breathtakingly beautiful - their voices coupled with the music and dancing - it overwhelmed me! And then, as it snowed on stage, all of a sudden, it started snowing in the audience! Snowflakes fell all over us (it wasn't really snow - more like soap suds), but it was so beautiful! To hear the children get so excited was just awesome. Oh, I loved it!!!
I was so impressed with the dancing - with the strength and athleticism of these dancers. It's just amazing, really. So, at the end of the program, all the dancers came out and we clapped and clapped. "Bravo! Bravo!" And then one of the dancers got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. Well.... that was it for me. The floodgates opened and I boo-hooed with the best of em' - the tears a combination of the special moment and love in their lives and the utter joy I was experiencing just being there. It was just so sweet and amazing!!!
When I got home, in typical Christa fashion, I danced and twirled around the kitchen sporting what to me on the inside felt like graceful, beautiful ballerina moves, but on the outside resembled that of someone who.... can't dance. Here is Brooke watching me.
Hmm... if I were a betting woman, I'd bet that she wasn't really digging the ballet show. So, then I googled "Beginner Adult Ballet Classes" and made a list of the places that teach ballet. I'm ready to channel my inner ballerina!!
It has been a terrific day. I'm sipping my glass of wine listening to Brooke on the monitor playing in her crib - Charlie Brown Christmas is on TV and Sandy, our lab, is ready for me to join her bed.
Tomorrow I look forward to what I always call my favorite day of the whole year. I am meeting my dad and three sisters for our marathon lunch at Cherokee. We meet at 11:30 and enjoy a cocktail... then we go into the big room and enjoy laughing and catching up while we eat a feast and enjoy many more glasses of wine. My dad has been treating us to this special lunch for years and years and we love it so much. Each year, the time becomes more and more valuable and meaningful.
Oh - and our elf, Lewis, did the most fun thing last night! We found him in Mimi's robe and fuzzy socks sitting in Mimi's reading spot in the living room. He had on a small pair of glasses and was reading the book, "Jesus Calling for Kids." What fun!!
I've got some fun new jewelry to show you in January. Oh - and I made an enchilada recipe yesterday that was pretty darn good - VERY labor intensive, though - so I'll give you the recipe and then give you my shortened version :). If I'm not back before Christmas, MERRY Christmas!!!
