Christmas Cookies

 

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

 Lincoln Marching Band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year.  They got to spend an entire week in New York City and then march in the parade.  Even though it rained during the parade, they did a fantastic job and it sounds like the whole week was just a ton of fun.  What a great way to end Z's marching band career!

They drove all the way to New York in buses.  Z obviously enjoyed taking pictures of people while they were asleep.

Stopping for supper.

First glimpse of the New York skyline.

Skyline again as they go to visit the Statue of Liberty

Times Square, which Z said he didn't like.

Inside a Broadway theater to see Back to the Future, which Z said was fantastic.

They had a concert in Central Park.

The view from their hotel.

Supper.  I think this was at Bubba Gump Shrimp.

Z is on the right side of this photo, holding his euphonium.

Right in the middle, on the end of the row.

There's Z, right on the end with his euphonium, marching in the parade!

This is what we saw on TV at home.  We were so upset because they cut to a commercial just as the euphoniums were about to come on the screen!

The band had Thanksgiving dinner and a party on a boat that evening.

Z is right in the middle, wearing a light blue shirt.

Euphs

And lots of sight-seeing!

They saw a Christmas show here.

Lincoln Variety Show

 This year Z is part of the Jazz Collective, which is the top jazz band at Lincoln.  They played at the Variety Show.  Z is the announcer.

Marching Band

Band has started and Z is looking good!  He's a section leader for the euphoniums this year and the section t-shirt reflects that.

On the first day of practice, which is just for new members and section leaders, he noticed a freshman girl crying so he went over to her and asked her what was wrong.  She said she didn't understand anything anyone was saying and it was too hard!  Z assured her that none of the new members understood anything and they'd all figure it out together; it was going to be ok.  She calmed down and they went back to work.  Looks like he's a section leader for a reason!

 

First Day of School

 I must admit that I didn't actually take these pictures on the first day of school.  This year Z is a senior at Lincoln High School and Eden is in 8th grade at Sioux Falls Lutheran!  Eden started a day before Z, and we have to leave the house pretty early to get her there for her 8:00 start, so getting these two together for a picture before school is a little tricky.  After about a week and a half, Z very kindly agreed to get up a little early so that we could get the photo.