Our Exhaustingly Encouraging Experience

We all left on Thursday for the Providential History Festival 2009. Our cabin was definitely a step up from tent camping, and in some ways a treat, seeing as it had insulated walls and even actual beds. There was a downside though: the showers were open air, meaning they were in a building with large screen windows on the sides, to let in the air which happens to be frigid this time of year. Taking a shower in the 34 F degree weather Sunday was a miserable experience and I hope I never have to repeat it. It was miserable I tell you, just miserable!

Friday is when the fun/work started. Mom and Dad were in charge of making sure the workshops went smoothly. I was in charge of making sure the boys were well behaved, so I sat in on the drama workshop(Thanks to the Erber family) with them. Being a coward, I was in mortal fear of being picked as a "volunteer" from the crowd, so I fled during the break and left the boys to do what they would. And I breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped being on stage.

The weather was terribly windy and cold, so our planned lunch at the park turned into a quick lunch in the van. Friday afternoon we spent a long time waiting to rehearse the boy's "John Paul Jones" drama, and after dinner we were treated to hearing Patrick Henry's famed "Liberty or Death" speech(Thanks again to the Erbers). It was very well done- I've never heard it done better. Then we all headed to the hanger for some dancing. The guys were a little reluctant to join in on the first round, and bless those few brave men who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the ladies, but by the second dance the guys were having more fun than the women. It got a little more athletic after that.

Saturday: We arrived as early as possible(in full costumes) and were still late. Our drama wasn't until the afternoon so we had all day to be nervous. Wearing my dress and stays all day long wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it might be, just bulky. We spent the day listening to the speeches, watching the dramas, and spending time with our new friends from Texas. The drama went smoothly and Caleb's speech was flawless. Following dinner was a concert by Nathan Clark George and then, finally, the awards ceremony.


I have always disliked it when athletes or any sort of competitors say, "I've worked so hard I deserve to win." It's so selfish. But as I've worked on my project over the months(I've been studying, planning, and compiling since last December) I've come to maybe understand a little more how those competitors feel when they say that. It's not a good thing and I've definitely needed reminders that I shouldn't focus on wanting to win. But I did want to win. And it just so happened that I did: I received the Audience Choice award for Best Table Display. Caleb won the Judges' Choice award for Best Speech. I'm very thankful that people enjoyed my table enough to vote for it. Now that it's all over and I've recovered a little sleep-wise, it's time to start planning for History Festival 2010!