Thursday, March 31, 2011

There's a Y in Here Somewhere . . . .

This is where we will spend the next three weeks of our lives—preparing for the Mesa Easter Pageant.

It’s exhausting, time-consuming, fulfilling, and worth every second.

Being in the pageant keeps my family focused on why we celebrate Easter—the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His redemption of our souls. I love this time. Although it’s a ton of work to keep my family organized, fed and rested when we’re gone from 5:30-10 pm Tuesday through Saturday, I love having my family around all the time, focused on the same thing and just being together.

Brad is playing Judas this year—
He looks scary, doesn’t he? One of the assistand directors quipped, “Hope you’re not headed to the airport!”

Super Saturday was last weekend—8 am to 4 pm. We packed up the family, food enough to feed a small army, chairs and a sun shade and headed to the temple grounds to set up for the day. The day began with a two-hour orientation meeting. That was excruciating. About ninety minutes into it, Hyrum asked me how much longer it would be. When I replied about as long as Caillou, he whined (loudly!), “Why is everything always wrong for me?” This was my first clue that this was going to be a long day.

We practiced and practiced and practiced. Evie tried to nap, but it was next to impossible with this many people around. The teenagers played Uno and scum while the little kids ate cheese balls by the handful and found friends to tease.

Ben doing his best Audrey Hepburn imitation.

But the real story is about this little guy. Are you surprised? Here he's pretending to be a lion in the grass.
See how many people were milling about?  There are over 450 people in the cast, and it's a well-oiled machine, I tell you what.
We were preparing for the scene when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey--people lined the upper and lower stages. People spilled onto the grass in every direction.
I was only about five paces away from Hyrum, who was facing the stage about even with the chain-link fence in the bottom left corner.  Suddenly, I see him drop his pants and commence creating a yellow stream--right there in front of everyone on the temple grass.  I was beyond horrified.  Everyone was laughing and pointing and commenting.  I turned on the rocket boosters, hustled over there, stopped him mid-stream and scooped him up.  When we were back in the tent, I asked him why on earth he had decided to pee on the grass!
"I had to go really bad all of a sudden."
No arguing with that.
I hear the donkey also got caught with his hooves in a yellow puddle.  But I don't want Hyrum classified with the livestock.
It's a long way to Easter, my friends.

Linking up to Y with Jenny Matlock
Jenny Matlock
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21 comments:

  1. I can't possibly imagine where he could have learned that.

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  2. I'm very proud of both of my brothers. One for his Audrey Hepburn, and one for his lack of prudence, like a Denton should have.

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  3. Im laughing at Tuckers comment...

    How cool, Jen. Doing together as a family, priceless,even on the bad days!

    Thanks for your kind words...I so related to your post on Monday... We can only do it in his love, right?

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  4. I have a "Y" for you. Y did we think we had time to do this again?

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  5. Looks exhausting and exciting. It's something your children will always remember!

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  6. That looks like a wild time. You are one brave woman, my hats off to you.
    I just love your kiddos eyes. They all have the most beautiful eyes...especially baby girl.

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  7. I'm sure little boys peeing in the middle of crowds even happened in Jesus' day. I bet He understood then too.

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  8. Oh, I love the Easter Pageant. A few years back I was able to interpret it with some other really great interpreters. Hubs even got to dress up.
    It is amazing. And we are going this year!! So excited!!!!

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  9. That is hysterical, sorry, it just is. That is a fun and EXHAUSTING day.

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  10. haha....i nearly spit my coffee all over my monitor w/the precious little H watering the grass. gotta love little boys.

    when i had only 1 in school and the other 2 at home...we would walk up to pick oldest child from school....boy #2 wondered over to the corner of the school and pee'd on the bricks in front of all the parents...I WAS HORRIFIED...like you i ran over and stopped him midstream...i too asked and i too got the ...'i had to go really badly' answer. (covers eyes)

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  11. HA! My Branson peed once just steps outside the door of the church, right in the flow of people traffic, right on the concrete. At least grass is absorbant!

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  12. Funny Stuff and a great experience!

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  13. My kids were dying at that picture of Brad, Kiefer thinks he really should over to the airport, just to see what happens. Jeff says he needs to go get a new Drivers License picture just for fun. Can't believe you are doing this again, so busy! Hope it's wonderful.

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  14. okay so you've got these dozen kids or so, and i, being the lousy bloggy friend i can be, can't remember all their names, but that picture of the three boys sitting on the boardwalk or whatever ... the little boy blue (is that hyrum? i think it is. i'd bet my teeth is, but then that's a pretty silly thing to bet if i'm wrong, so ...)

    the point of all that was that i love his expression in the photo. that is one blue little boy. so cute.

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  15. That was so funny! A great memory. Once I was shopping with my children in a mom and pop hardware store and they were selling toilets...which, unfortunately, were lined up on the floor. My 3 year old decided she needed to go while I was looking the other way. I just took her hand and walked quickly out of the store.

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  16. Wow! I am very impressed with this Easter Pageant! I have never seen anything of this size and scale...450 cast members? That is quite a lot of people being involved! I hope you guys have a wonderful time at your Easter Pageant!

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  17. Thanks for the chuckle. Little kids are wonderful!

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  18. When you gotta go, you gotta go. It's funny when its not your kid. Go Hyrum (pun intended)!

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  19. We watch the set up of this every year. I love how your community pulls together to create this feat.

    Such a neat tradition and memories for you all.

    And, hey, when you gotta go you gotta go.

    Thanks for the inside story.

    I really enjoyed reading about this.

    A+

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