Chapel Choir Tour: Denver! Part 1

We had the best time on the Chapel Choir Tour! This was my first choir tour ever since I didn't grow up in a youth choir. We've been in Birmingham for a little over a year now, but I still didn't feel like I knew many of the students that well at all. We have a few that babysit for us but that was it. I was so excited about getting to know the students and the sponsors. 

A couple days before the trip we had a big dinner and meeting/rehearsal. Hudson got to lead the prayer for dinner. He sang "God Our Father." It was SO PRECIOUS.

John's mom came into town the night before we left. Hudson were so excited that Susu was here but they didn't really understand that we were leaving the next day. Mostly because we hadn't told them yet! ha! Emma would have had no clue and it would have just upset her to keep telling her that Mommy and Daddy were going bye bye. If we had told Hudson earlier, he would have expected Susu to arrive immediately and for us to leave. The concept of time is still something we are working on with him. So the night before we left we told Hudson. He was excited to be Susu's big helper!

Bright and early Friday morning our whole team gathered for prayer before we left. This is about 6:15 am. #allthecoffee

Denver or bust! As we were leaving town we drove by our house and whoa the waterworks. It also didn't help that John started singing, "Butterfly Kisses." haha!

Our first day was the.longest.day.ever. Seriously. We left Birmingham at 6:30 am and arrived in Oklahoma at midnight. This bed was the most beautiful thing I could imagine at this point.

Colorado! Ignore the bug stained windshield. 

A debriefing meeting our first night in Colorado. We were in Colorado Springs and I was so thankful for the Eddie Bauer across the street from our hotel. I didn't pack a jacket of any kind so I purchased 2 hoodies. It was much colder in Colorado that week than I expected!

The view from our hotel.

On Sunday morning, the choir sang at the chapel service at the Air Force Academy. It was GORGEOUS in there with all the amazing stained glass. 

Me and B :) We explored around a little before the service started. It was so so beautiful. 

After the Air Force Academy we changed at lightening speed. I'm talking 106 people (76 high school students and 30 adult sponsors) changing out of suits/dresses and putting on tshirts and shorts in 22 minutes! Oh and we were all crammed into 1 small room. Well 2 small rooms. Guys in one room and girls in the other. Then it was off to Denver for the Rockies game!

The students sang the National Anthem and ROCKED it. Seriously...they did amazing. The crowd went nuts!

Busted taking a selfie. ha!

John and the students went in a separate entrance since they were singing so he missed our photo op.

Only the choir and director were allowed on the field. 

Here was my view...

Oh here's the actual selfie we took! ha!

It was such a gorgeous day. 

That evening we checked into the dorms in Denver where we would be staying the next few nights. We had lots of free time so the students did everything from a giant game of Apples to Apples to enoing (have y'all heard of this...it's what they call just hanging out in hammocks. I felt so old not knowing this was a "thing." ha!) It was a fun and relaxing evening.

The weather in Colorado was amazing. Such a nice break from the crazy heat in the South!