Q: How many conductors does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Only one, but then again, who's really watching?

Natalie is in 2 bands this year.  Concert band at school and Community at well in the Community.  I have seen her grow leaps and bounds in her saxophone playing.  She practiced really hard so that she could make it into concert band because they get to go to Boston this year.  At the band concert we got to hear the Band 1 and Band 2 people play before it was Concert Bands turn to play.  Let me tell you Concert band was so much better then the other two.  I was really surprised because after I had heard the first two bands play I thought "well if this is what these two sound like I don't really expect much out of the concert band".  They were phenomenal. 

 The second concert she had was with the Community band.  They have people ranging from retirees to 6th graders playing.   They get together once a week to practice for 90 minutes.  Their concert was combined with one of the high schools here in anchorage.  It was in honor of veterans day.  The community band played 4 songs by themselves and 2 with the H.S. band.  When the H.S. band was with them they had a total of 140 people up on the stage.  It was a tight fit.  They also played the songs for each of the branches of the military.  If you were in the military or had a family member in that branch of the military you were to stand so that the audience could applaud and thank you for your service.  When they played the AF song the girls and I stood, including Natalie who was still playing her instrument (Nate and Tyler couldn't make it because they were busy with scout stuff.  We were not informed that it was in honor of veteran's day by Natalie until we were on our way there).  It was my favorite concert that I have been too.

As we were walking out of the veterans day concert I said "Dang it cold outside (it was 5 degrees) why did we move to Alaska again"?  To which Natalie replies "Because of the stupid military".

She got the worst dirty look from some military guy.  He looked as if he wished he had the ability to hurt someone with his mind he would of chose Natalie at that moment. I told her that probably wasn't the best thing to say at this moment with all of the military members around.