Oct. 7 – Oct. 13

Tuesday dawned, and the Wolaver family awoke from their own beds to the sound of rain pounding on the roof and lightning flashing against the blurry window panes.  The air was heavy-laden with the coming of Autumn, and the trees outside were beginning to change their garments of vivid green for more vibrant colors of golden, burnt orange, crimson, and purple.  But not only was the air infused with the expectation of the Fall.  Our hearts were full of excitement at the thought that this passionately rainy Tuesday was the street date for our new album, This Glorious Christmas.  Also deep in our minds was the expectation of that night’s presidential debate.

We slowly grafted back into our daily home routines.  The three younger children commenced their music practice and their academic studies, Alex and Ben began to tackle their almost feverish workload of editing, mixing, mastering, and color-correcting the three-hour production of the FASA at Memphis.  They found they must finish in one week what most movie producers spend two and three months doing with triple and quadruple the staff.  Annie found herself engulfed in a mountain of AMB work and Wolaver family errands, Mama got cracking on her book-writing, and Daddy launched into his music editing industry.

In the afternoon we loaded up and drove to NorthStar Studios, where we recorded a four-song segment for the 700 Club.  It was a wonderful experience, and we hope you will check your local listings for our performance.  Thanks to all the staff and team at the studio!

That night we all gathered for the presidential debate, which was watched with bugged eyes and bated breath.  We were very happy McCain won   Afterwards we had a time of worship and prayer for the furthering of God’s statutes in the election, and thus ended our first day at home.

Six o’clock Wednesday found us all up and running once more.  Gretchen had a very successful violin lesson while Mama and Camille sipped Berry Blossom White tea at Borders, and then our threesome journeyed to East Iris studio, where we were joined by Scott, and the recording of harp parts for This Glorious Christmas was set in motion.  After Camille finished laying down some beautiful harp parts, Annie switched places with her in the iso-booth to lay down BGVs, and Gretchen and Camille found themselves eating way too many peanut M&Ms and drinking excessive amounts of freshly ground espresso  in the lounge.  It gave us quite a headache.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday was a frantic running of guitar lessons, ballet lessons, shopping for the winter wardrobe greatly needed for the next month’s tour into the North-West, and searching for the formal dresses that the women-folk required for the upcoming Live-On-Stage venues.  The mixing for the spring release, Make His Praise Glorious, commenced, Alex continued to work 18 to 20-hour days finishing the FASA DVD, Mama and Benjamin embarked on the editing of Pennywhistle Park, and Annie painted the rather large family room all by herself.  Thank you, Annie!  

Sunday saw a slight reprieve, thank God!  Gretchen and Camille indulged in a sunrise walk outside with their bare feet reveling in the dewy grass, and then an energizing hoeing of the winter garden.  Then our family experienced relaxation and spiritual renewing at the morning fellowship, and bodily renewing in a scrumptious dinner at home of boiled eggs, fried okra (fresh from the garden!), asparagus, and maple muffins.  The boys returned to work through the noon and afternoon, but that night they had a holiday with their friend Alex T., the girls wrote feverishly on their novellas late into the night, and the rest of our family talked beside the fireplace.  Poor Alex, however, stayed up all night long working.  Thank you, Alex!

Monday found us trying to wrap up our different jobs in order to have time to pack and gather the necessaries for leaving Wednesday morning on the four-week tour.  At noon we five older children wolfed down a quick lunch of whatever was left of the last of the groceries, and drove to downtown Nashville, where we performed We Three Kings for the folks at www.hearitfirst.com.  It was tons of fun!  We returned home and to work, Gretchen and Camille threw together a delicious pot of chili for that night’s sustenance, and thus ends our week in review.