Dancing Santas Kind of Weekend

The weekend before Christmas break, I hitched a train ride to Cary on Saturday evening. Camille picked me up from the station where we enjoyed some ChickFilA milkshakes together. She dropped me off at Green Hope to meet up with the Braswells (Anthony, Mary Ann, Blaire, and Micah), my family for the weekend. The evening show was just wrapping up, so I helped clean up and then faced the cold weather as we headed to the car. We went to Goodberry's as we consumed coldness in the coldness. We're weird and we love it!! (and for those of you who paid attention, you're right... it was a double ice cream night)

On Sunday morning, I attended Northpark Church (the Braswells' church) for the first time. I was blessed by holding miracle twins. The sweetest little boys sent straight from above several weeks before they were due, wasn't looking so good, and now they are 1 and growing stronger every day. How humbling it was to hold A MIRACLE in my arms! For service, Larry and Gina Bean performed a Christmas production full of worship and inspiration. They certainly are blessed with talent. It was a special time for Haley Krall and I to worship side by side. I love that! I still would like to hear Anthony (Mr. Braswell) preach live, but I guess that gives me an excuse to return to Raleigh soon.

We had a delicious lunch at a smoothie cafe. My tomato pesto flatbread was superb! And then Micah kindly threw away all our trays. Guess you had to be there!! (As Micah was throwing away his own tray, Anthony put his tray in Micah's spot... when Micah returned, Anthony said, "Micah, why didn't you throw away your tray?" So Micah threw away that tray too. When he got back, there was ANOTHER tray waiting for him in his spot and Anthony said the same thing. Poor Micah had to keep going back 'n forth until all 5 trays were gone.) Love you, Micah!!

Afterwards, we returned to Green Hope for the Sunday matinee show. I was in line for awhile waiting to enter the auditorium to get seats for everybody. Taylor Hnatek's friends were all coming, and I made "fan club" t-shirts for us. We were a pretty legitimate fan club, I thought!

Everyone did amazing in the show. Blaire has improved a lot, and it is exciting to watch her out pass me in her skill level. Taylor, the star of the show, was partnered by a Juilliard dancer. She was completely outstanding. Though my whole body tenses up when I watch her dance, the happiness I feel after a job well done makes it all worth it. She is stunning!

A flash mob was the hit of the show, outside of Anthony's Santa dancing. He stars as Santa in the show and literally makes me fall out of my chair in laughter. He's hilarious and quite groovy, if I do say so myself.

For Anthony's birthday (on Monday), we had a family dinner at Wild Wings. Anything in company with the Braswells is swell, so this dinner event was no different. A Target run finished our night as we laughed and talked (way too loud) in the aisles. Thank goodness we have Mrs. Mary Ann to remind us to keep it down.

Monday morning, dark and early, Mrs. Mary Ann and Blaire took me to the train station for the 7am departure time. The fact that they were willing to wake up at 5:30 to take a visitor to a train station is one of the many things they do to show their overflowing love. It was sad to leave but the weekend had been all I wanted it to be AND MORE!!

As I was riding on the train, I remembered that I never directly said Happy Birthday to Anthony that morning. Guess my 5:30am brain was too slow to remind me to give him a huge birthday hug. So, Pastor Anthony, please forgive. I hope your birthday was exceptional.

Reflecting on my time there is always fun. I am able to contemplate over how their family functions. From an outsider looking in, they seem so perfect. Now I'm sure they would say they aren't, but still- from my angle it seems so. The way Mary Ann and Anthony show love to one another through selfless actions, the way they raise Blaire and Micah to be Christ-like, the way they treat their church family with more smiles than are displayed at the dentist, the way they treat me, the way they shine God's light in every little thing they say & do- with a little humor on the side. YEP! They seem perfect.

I'm blessed to know them and to have them as inspiration on how I wish to treat my future husband and raise my children and love others unconditionally. So thank you Braswells for providing that example! Hugs from Charlotte sent your way!

K