Sesame Street and Tab Choir Christmas ROCKED - 111

I know if you have read my blog for the past four years plus, you know that my girls have collections. Princess Four has collected Sesame Street original Characters and Muppets since she could talk. She has her room decorated with them. Click here to see that post.  

I tried many times to get her to change her room and upgrade it but she LOVES her Sesame Street Collection! 

Imagine her JOY to find out that the Sesame Street characters were going to be performing in the city where most of my family lives!!! She was SO excited. 

Problem is... They don't sell the tickets for this program, they are in a lottery. You have to enter like a contest and hope you get drawn out. 

We have tried for YEARS to get drawn out for concerts that have performers we like in them. A few years ago, David Archuleta was the guest and we were blessed to have family that were drawn out and gave my girls their tickets. Here is a link to that post.

Last year, James Taylor performed and we heard the concert was great but we didn't get drawn out then either. 

This year, we ALL put in praying we would get drawn out so Princess Four could see her favorite characters.
Even before the tickets were drawn, I contacted everyone I know asking if they had extra tickets to PLEASE let me know... 

We weren't drawn out once again. I am not sure why but I have a WONDERFUL step-mother (name for clarification only as I love her like my mom) who has lots of out of state family. She has them all put in and each year ends up with a few sets of tickets. I think maybe they give preference to out of state or something as we never seem to get drawn. 

I know they have several million requests for tickets to the three or four shows they schedule so I can understand how we don't get chosen, there are many people that want to attend these amazing concerts. 


She said she would share her tickets with my girls and I. Problem being that they come in sets of four and there were five of us. So, the girls would sit together and I would sit with others. I was OK with that. Just getting in the building itself was amazing to us.

After driving for hours in rain and flurries, traffic & other stresses for the day, we finally arrived and I had to drop them off to get in line to get in and park the car many blocks away and the only parking I could find was on the 8th floor of a parking garage. 
 

I ran all the way and arrived just as they were getting inside the door to go through security. They were diligent searching each purse, metal detectors etc which explained the long lines. I used the restroom and said goodbye to the girls and ran to find my seat.
 
The concert was so close to starting that I just asked if there were any "one" seat close to the stage in any area as I was only one person and I ended up in a great seat about 12 rows back near the middle when I would have been far to one side if I went to the section I was supposed to go to. I sat just as the concert started.

 
The girls were on the balcony at the back. I had tried to call them several times to see if they had a seat near them I could take and they never answered so I figured it was meant to be that I was close enough to get some good pictures. I didn't have my good camera but the little one I took did ok. 

I WISH I could have sat with the girls and get pictures of their smiles but we all enjoyed a good concert. Princess Four said she had a smile on her face the entire time. I also had a smile on most of the time. 

The main singer "Santino Fontana was the voice of "Hans" in Frozen. He arrived on stage in a hot air balloon basket shown in one of the pictures. Creative entry. He did a wonderful job but the highlight for us, was the Organist and "Counts" rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas." His feet were flying on the pedals and hands were amazing and I was close enough to see it. It was funny and fabulous and he received a standing ovation which was WELL deserved. 

It was fun that they let "Big Bird" direct the orchestra and choir at one point. I was surprised at the end of the concert when they had the puppeteers come out with their puppets on their hands. I don't think I have ever seen that before. They usually seem very careful to maintain the illusion of reality with them. It was cool to see what the people who do the characters voices looked like. I got a few pictures of them walking and bowing but couldn't get a good shot after as EVERYONE was standing at the end and their motion kept the camera from being able to focus well. 

We enjoyed the lights and visiting on our walk to the parking garage. I hadn't looked up the entire walk at the buildings we were walking past but when we arrived at the parking garage and were headed down the street to the opening and elevators, I looked up and laughed. I pointed out to the girls the address of the business UNDER the parking garage! The garage was at 111 Main Street! I was in such a hurry when I parked, I RAN blocks to the concert and hadn't noticed that amazing fact. 

I am SURE that my Heavenly Father wanted Princess Four to know that HE got the tickets for her and that HE helped us arrive safely and that He had me park at that parking garage when the girls had suggested several places I could have parked. I know HE helped me get that amazing seat so I could enjoy the concert and get some pictures for Princess to frame alongside her ticket and program. I have such an amazing Father on this earth and in Heaven. I am truly grateful for BOTH!  

The concert will be on PBS at some point, I HIGHLY suggest you watch just for the Count / Organ show. It was so wonderful that we all said we would watch it when it came on as we enjoyed it so much!