Finally! The return of 'The Blog'...

At the end of May, Jonathan and I were blessed to have a house full of friends and family! While Katie, Jenny and Priscilla were making their annual trek up here, my mom and Kayla were also heading in this direction.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time together on Friday and Saturday, and when Sunday arrived, up rolled Aunt RoseAnn, Aunt Linda, Erin, Amanda and Abby in time for morning church, afternoon lunch, and plenty of good times!  Braden brought over his 'barrel', in which he and Jonathan slow cooked lots of ribs.  Delish!!!  We were pretty much force feeding our guests because we had so much food that needed to be consumed!  The force feeding continued when my mom packed up her potato salad into containers and doled them out liberally to whoever happened to be near. :)  But what a fun time we had with a wonderful group of people!

Around 2:00, we decided to hit the road and head towards Modesto for the Collingsworth concert.  We wanted to get to the church well before the concert started to make sure the seats we got were front and center... And were they ever!  The best seats in the house, by far. :) And what a fantastic stage set up!  It had a very rustic feel, complete with an old truck, bales of hay, and hanging mason jars used as lights.  There's nothing like a warm, homey setting to set the atmosphere for the evening; it's something I truly appreciate, I must say.

The concert started with the entire family singing a song together.  Now, if I were more on top of it and wrote this review back yonder, I would be able to tell you which song... But, alas, I cannot recall.  Just know that it was well done. :)  They continued with songs from off of their different albums, as well as songs from their upcoming release!  Kim played several piano solos- certainly a few more than the last concert we attended... I have a feeling those solos are in high demand.  As I've said before, you really have to be there to know what I'm talking about when I say you can literally feel the anointing.  It is certainly an experience, to say the least.  

Another highlight was Brooklyn and Courtney playing 'The Prayer' as a duet on their violins, with Kim accompanying on the piano.  Here is a link you can click to view their performance:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3hEczvr4iE

As with the previous concert, they did a great job arranging the songs, switching up lead singers, and occasionally having only certain family members sing a song. The variety~ as well as intermittent talking~ really kept the night moving along nicely.  The concert was no disappointment!

After it ended, Aunt RoseAnn went up to meet and talk to Kim.  Apparently, her relatives are very good friends with the Collingsworth family, so it was neat for them to be able to connect!  (As a side note, if you ever attend one of their concerts, I suggest meeting Kim.  She is the warmest, most down to earth person... and just plain fun.)  

To sum it up, let's just say that there are a lot of people hoping they return to California next year! :)  

In other gospel news, there are a fair amount of 'just released/ soon to be released' CDs and DVDs!  

• The Collingsworth Family will be releasing a DVD/CD (Hymns from Home), and another CD (The Lord is Good), on September 10th.  The DVD was recorded in their home, I believe.
• The Isaacs just released a DVD and CD, both of which I have.  Ahhhhh!  Can anyone say 'genius'?!  Sample of their DVD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb4f69pEj6A
• Another DVD duo (accompanied by CDs) that is due to be released on September 24th, is The Women of Homecoming. Looks great!!  Sample of that series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1bwqN7tIkI
• I also recall reading that the Gaither Vocal Band will be releasing a new album, which mainly focuses on hymns... I'll have to keep an eye out for more detail on that one.

As far as concerts go... Well, the glass isn't even half full; it's dry.  I actually e-mailed the Gaithers a couple of days ago and asked if they planned on coming out this way this year or next; just to put a little bug in their ear. :) So far, the closest they're getting to any of us is Chicago, IL... Melanie? Angel? ;)  And the Isaacs also have yet to book a date!  I will continue watching the different sites, though, and will post when I find something that pertains to us.

In other news, Jonathan's sister, Laura, has become engaged to a man named John and they are set to be married in Tucson on November the 2nd!  I will be sure to give a full report AND post pictures.  :)  

In signing off, I would like to leave you with a quote:

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. 

~Victor Hugo

*A special thanks to Aunt RoseAnn for the pictures!  (Someone forgot her camera...) 

Until next time...

Mizz Babs