After the BBQ I picked up the babysitter so that Elizabeth could stay at home and in bed while the rest of us enjoyed Stadium of Fire. We then headed over to the Provo Marriott where the Arizona Partridges were staying. We heard that the hotel offers a shuttle service for hotel guests to Stadium of Fire and figured that would be better than having to worry about parking. They had two 14-passenger vans going, and 5 of our group got on the first van. The rest of us waited for the next van and passed the time watching the kids play with their hackey sacks.
Bryson & Benjamin
Joshua showing off his "super rad moves"
Surf's Up!
The shuttle van dropped us off at . . . Provo High School. Ummm . . . okay. I thought this was supposed to take us to the stadium. We probably had to walk another 6-8 blocks to get to the stadium. Everyone had a good attitude, but on our way we passed several office buildings that were advertising parking for $5 per car (let's just say the shuttle was a LOT more than that!). Lesson learned -- next year don't take the shuttle!
I love that we got to our seats in plenty of time to get settled, find a treat to eat, and enjoy being with family before everything started. Our group was big enough that the tickets had to be purchased in 2 separate transactions, and so we didn't all get to sit together, but we were within a few rows of each other.
Katelyn, Bryson, Amy, Kaley, Chase
Amy, Kaley, Chase, Megan, Cassi (Scott, Blake, Brock, Chris, & Adam stayed at the hotel)
our family -- Bradley, Grandma, & Grandpa sat by us too
"Summer of '69" came over the speakers before the program started. Benjamin was excited to hear a song he knows from Lego Rockband and he started playing the guitar!
We had great seats!
When the military walked in with the flags, I told Joshua to put his hand over his heart. But he insisted on doing it like a cub scout. This part of the program was very touching for me. I am so grateful to live in this country and for our freedoms. I'm trying to hold back tears as I remember my grandfather, Papa, who served as the captain of a submarine in the Navy.
Ryan got this great shot of the flyover -- one of the highlights each year!
Carrie Underwood was the main event of the night. I have loved her music ever since she was an American Idol contestant, and her concert did not disappoint! My favorite part was the key change at the end of "Jesus Take the Wheel" where she transitioned into "How Great Thou Art". It was a beautiful, powerful rendition, and I loved that a big star was not afraid to share her faith!
Joshua fell asleep in my lap about halfway through Carrie Underwood's concert. I was very surprised that he did not wake up for the fireworks, even after I talked right in his ear to tell him the fireworks were going.
One of the most memorable parts of the evening came after Stadium of Fire was all over. We walked back to the Provo High parking lot to wait for the shuttle. They were closing the doors on a full van right when we walked up, so we had to wait for the next one.
After about 10 minutes of waiting, Ryan noticed that the shuttle that had recently left had not even gotten all the way out of the parking lot yet. That's not a good sign. We could be here a LONG time waiting. Someone calculated that it was only 11 blocks south and 1 block west to get to the hotel. A vote was taken and we all agreed we should just walk. It was a beautiful night out, and except for Megan who was sleeping while Chase carried her (Joshua was awake by now) the kids were very awake and good and happy for 11:00 at night!
On the walk, I asked each of the boys what their favorite part of Stadium of Fire was:
Nathan: drinking root beer (he is very obsessed with soda these days) and Carrie Underwood
Benjamin: "Walking on Sunshine" -- from the music that was played before anything actually started! And the fireworks
Joshua: eating ice cream
Ryan: Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art"
The boys were so tired by the time we made it home around 11:50 that they all crawled into bed without even changing into their pajamas! What a great evening!
1 comment:
Did you see li'l ~j. dancing? She was the one with the white wing-type things on her costume.
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