Christmas MCO Concert- Silent Night

The very best day of the Christmas season is the MCO concerts! This year, the concerts were on a Monday and as I was rushing around Target trying to find new black shoes for Rayleigh and a cute outfit for me, Parker was face timing (because Monday's are Pdays). Chaotically, Tanner showed up at Target too, to grab a few things. It was a busy morning but we got all ready and were to the Segerstrom on time for dress rehearsal. Tanner is the manager of the Grand Chorus so he was very busy with lots of responsibilities but it all turned out wonderfully.

After I dropped the kids off, I shopped around for a bit and then met my parents at Maggianos for an early dinner. It's something we always look forward to! Monday happened to be the eve of their 59th anniversary and the restaurant wanted to help them celebrate and gave us a free dessert AND a certificate for a free meal next time they came in! So sweet! We love that place. 

We had excellent seats for the first show, right near the front and on the right side to see the kids! Ray spotted us and it's always such a hear warming moment when your child catches your eye when they are on stage. Cami and the kids came and unbelievably, so did Kari and Savi!!! We were so grateful to have them witness the majesty of this Christmas concert. It truly was spectacular and Tanner and the kids sang so well. I was so proud of them. Rayleigh was having a rough time during the last rehearsal being wiggly but she completely nailed the performance. 

Silent Night was the stand out piece. The Stewarts composed a brand new rendition and it was breathtaking. Rayleigh was a beautiful angel up in the choir lofts. When the song ended, it was a full 10 seconds of stunned silence before the sold out audience clapped. It was a truly unforgettable moment. Powerful and profound. 

It was fun to see Tanner in between shows and bump into so many sweet friends like Brendan and Christy. Angel sat with me for the 8pm show and I'd invited Shelley but she wasn't able to make it. So at the last minute I was able to invite Bonnie and she was thrilled for the opportunity to come. She does SO much for those around her. I was glad to provide her with a night to sit and soak up the spirit of Christmas. Jack's bestie was also able to see the concert! I'm so happy Kristina made the effort to get tickets and bring her family! They loved the performance and it touched our hearts to see them after the show. 

Picking up the kids after the show is always so fun. They are on an MCO high (we all are) that lasts all the next day. We drove through McDonald's for our tradition of nuggets and McFlurries and listened to our book on the way home- hearts and tummies full.

Parker really missed not being able to sing with MCO this year and has made it a life long goal to sing with the choir every year for the rest of his life. Words cant express what MCO provides for us- the spirit we feel, the words we learn, and the pride we take in being a part of such an amazing organization. 

Every performance is a gift and this year was no exception!