Two-for-one deal!

My apologies for the lack of blog posts--we've encountered wi-fi droughts recently (yes, we are spoiled in our technologically-dependent society), so there hasn't been a way to update everyone. But we're back now, and you get a two-in-one deal--Thursday and Friday!

Yesterday, we had a wonderful, jam-packed day including two high school stops and a concert at night. We pick up our story at Panera, where we picked up bagels and coffee if needed and made it out in less than 15 minutes.

 Sabrina and Colleen at Panera

 Emilia, Nik, and Ashlyn

Jefferson High School, where we shared some pieces with their Concert Choir and (because of crazy high school scheduling) half of the freshman girls choir. They were very welcoming and performed beautifully for us.

 

Singing Kalkadunga Yurdu at Jefferson High School

We then made our way to Cornell College in Mt. Vernon and did a quick exchange with their Concert Choir at King's Chapel, a marvelously-built performance space. Everyone enjoyed the stained glass windows and gorgeous architecture in King's Chapel. Here are a few pictures:

 

 Walking up to King's Chapel at Cornell College

 Choir outside of the chapel

 Singing for Cornell's Concert Choir

 Singing Praise to the Lord with some of Cornell's Concert Choir

 Singing Afternoon on a Hill in the balcony of King's Chapel

We then went to lunch at nearby restaurants and headed toward dinner and our evening concert in Savanna, Illinois. Thank you to all of the gracious helpers at Savanna First United Methodist Church who provided dinner, desserts, and breakfast. They were too great! We also had many terrific hosts who took us in for the night or donated hotel/motel rooms for us to stay in. Thank you to everyone who helped out at Savanna FUMC!

 Choir singing at Savanna First United Methodist Church

Today we woke up, traveled back to FUMC and ate a great breakfast of fruit, doughnuts, and yogurt. Yum!

 Nik, Kelly, Emily, and Hunter with their host parents at breakfast

After a delightful breakfast and start to our day, we drove down the road to pay a visit to Havencrest Castle, also in Savanna, where we had the opportunity to explore. Here are a few of the many pictures taken at Havencrest:

 The hike up to the castle

 We made it!

 Laura and I in front of Havencrest

 Marlena welcoming us into her humble abode

 Alex knocking at the door

 Sean and Dominic fighting the statue, Frank

Hanging with Frank

 The choir in front of Havencrest

 Hiding inside one of the castle's many cool spots

After our quick stop at Havencrest, we drove to Madison, where we stopped at State Street for lunch and a quick shopping trip. Choir members and faculty ate everything from sandwich shops to pasta to Ian's Pizza. Then we were off to Madison West High School where Anthony Cao and his student teacher played host to the choir. We traded songs, and they sounded fabulous! After our choir exchange we stopped at the mall to grab a bite to eat for the concert then headed to the hotel to get settled in and take a "breather". Pretty soon we were back on the bus and on our way to Sun Prairie United Methodist Church to give our evening concert. We had a welcoming and involved audience for our performance and found that we connected extremely well with each other and all our pieces.

 Dr. Wis and some of the guys before our concert at Sun Prairie

 Choir singing Kansas Boys directed by Mac Willaert

Dr. Wis and the Concert Choir at Sun Prairie UMC

We were excited to get back to the hotel for some relaxation time, but first made a stop at the convenience store...in our attire.

 Taylor and Colleen browsing the candy aisle at the store

Here are a few snapshots of our down time at our hotel in Madison:

 Pool time!

 Ashlyn playing a solitary game of solitaire

 Nik and Mac in an intense chess match...who will win?

Dan the Man with some choir members!

Dan helped us in so many ways, including ensuring our smooth transition from the bus into our rooms, making sure we had everything we needed, and giving us tips on things around the hotel. He's awesome--thanks, Dan!

Thanks to all who have been following the blog this far. Again, sorry for the delay yesterday, but you just got to experience double the trouble in one read. :) Stay tuned for our adventures in Milwaukee tomorrow!

"There is no such beauty as where you belong. Rise up, follow me, I will lead you home."