Miracles

I have been wanting to write a post about doing This Is Kirtland! because it was such a fabulous experience. However, as I thought about what to write, being in the musical seemed really to be a smaller part of a story about miracles.
I first did This Is Kirtland! two years ago during our first full summer here in Cleveland. Although I did some drama in high school and often sang in choirs, I still suffered from terrible stage fright. It took all of my courage to even audition and get up on that stage to sing for the director and music coordinator. I was given the role of Thankful Pratt, Parley P. Pratt's wife.
Parley led a fascinating life and pretty much everything we know about Thankful comes from his autobiography. If you've never read it, give it a try. There are some really great and uplifting stories from his life. Anyway, he and Thankful were married for ten years. She was sick much of that time, he was gone at least part of each year on missions and he and Thankful were unable to have children. They suffered many hardships and poor Parley always struggled with the decision of whether or not to leave his poor wife to go on a mission when the time came. It was during one of these times of indecision that Parley and Thankful received a blessing that if Parley went on his mission, Thankful would be healed and they would have a son. The blessing was honored. Parley left on a mission and when he returned three months later to replenish supplies before returning to Canada he found Thankful completely healed of the tuberculosis that had plagued her for years. She was able to go with him back to Canada and a year later they had a son, Parley Jr. Thankful died three hours after giving birth and her grave is here in Kirtland.
I really resonated with Thankful's story. We had just finished a very difficult year in which I had sometimes felt the bad news would never end. We had endured a robbery, we had moved to a new place where I was having a hard time feeling like I fit in, we had had to short sell the house that we owned and lost not only our credit, but thousands of dollars that we had to pay to seal the deal. The house that we were renting seemed determined to break every major appliance (see this former post) and of course Marc was an intern so was never home, ever. To top it all off, we had just found out that because of the new healthcare legislation and increasing costs, our insurance would no longer be covering IVF. This meant we would have to save twice as much money on an already strapped budget if we wanted to have another child.
This Is Kirtland! was a lifesaver. I got to be with wonderful people and to sing, which I love. I confess that I was not fabulous at my role. I think I was still just grateful to get through my scene without shaking too badly but being a part of it really blessed my life. Then, about a month after the musical was over we found out that  little Benjamin would be joining our family in April. We were blown away. A spontaneous pregnancy, we had been told, was an impossibility. We couldn't believe this miracle had happened to us. A few months later, our van died in spectacular fashion. The money we had saved for IVF was needed to purchase a vehicle for our family. Again, we saw the Lord's hand in our lives.
I wasn't able to do the show in 2011 because I was very busy with a fussy, but well-loved, newborn. This year, as I contemplated auditioning again for This Is Kirtland! we were also considering what to do about our family. Marc would be starting his chief residency in July which would mean that we would once again receive IVF coverage. Everyone figured that Benjamin was just a million-to-one shot and that we would still need IVF for any future children. We decided we would go ahead and do it as soon as we had enough money. We knew that likely wherever we moved next year would be remote and we wouldn't have access to infertility treatments. I also decided to go ahead and audition for This Is Kirtland! Marc's schedule was going to be crazy, but I just really felt like our family would be blessed even though it would take most of my weeknights and Saturday mornings May-July. As I auditioned and read the various parts, I realized that I really wanted to be Thankful again. I felt like I could do a really great job this year and there is just something about Thankful that I love. When the cast list came out, I was thrilled to find out I was indeed Thankful and that some of my closest friends from 2010 were returning this year even though they weren't in the musical last year either.
This year has also been full of miracles. Doing This Is Kirtland! got me through the sadness of my two closest friends moving away, one of them with only about a month's worth of warning. We had a fabulous run. The vocal talent, orchestra and dancers were just amazing. As a cast, we were asked repeatedly after performances how many of us had been "flown in from Salt Lake". It was a real pleasure to inform audience members that this was a local, Kirtland Stake production. (Okay, Jon is from the Akron Stake, but I think by now he is an honorary Kirtland Stake member.)
Here are a few pictures from the show:
Thankful and Parley have a scene in which, once again, Parley is agonizing over whether or not he can leave his sick wife and go on a mission. He's also worried about a house that he is in the middle of building, some serious debts he hasn't repaid, and the fact that they are so destitute he doesn't even own a coat or a hat for traveling. Thankful urges Parley to go, knowing that the Lord will provide even when things seem impossible.

Then, the half-built house promptly burns down. Parley is completely distraught but, after an initial reaction of despair, Thankful starts hysterically laughing. She realizes the house burning down is the Lord's way of solving Parley's dilemma. Now there is no house to worry about! Problem solved! Parley remains the straight man as, one by one, his doubts are all taken care of. Thankful just can't help herself and the other characters aren't sure what to think about her joy, or possibly hysteria?, in the face of tragedy.

When someone brings Parley a coat and hat, it is just one too many miracles and Thankful falls on the floor laughing. Our little scene is definitely comic relief and so fun to play.

After Parley and the rest of the men leave on their missions, the women sing a song about taking care of each other. It's one of my favorites. This year, I had a little two line duet with Emma aka my friend Tiffany. I was really nervous about having my voice exposed even for a short time, but I did it!

This photo is just after the final dance during the celebration feast after all the men have returned from their missions. Huzzah!

As if being part of an incredible show wasn't enough, our family has received yet another miracle this summer. In preparation for IVF, we had scheduled some testing that needed to be redone before we could qualify for coverage. The day that the testing was supposed to start, we found out that we are expecting our fifth child. This miracle, for us, is almost too much. We can't explain why we have been so blessed, but we are so so grateful. I am twelve weeks along now, due on February 17th.
For us, this moment is bittersweet only because we have family and friends who are waiting for their own baby miracles and we know how painful that waiting can be. However, I have strong reason to hope that we will be hearing good news from them soon. After all, what better year for miracles to be born than lucky 2013?