It's a Party in the USA...or Okinawa

Remember when I told you about my kids and their friends making this music video here? And how they were already working on another? Well work, they did...keeping the details tightly under wraps. I knew it was going to be good. (I mean, the last one was good, right?) But I knew nothing else of it.


They decided to keep it a secret until the "premier" at Josh's going-away-to-Stanford party, two nights before he left. The living room was packed when I arrived...I was SO excited! All I knew was my kids had been taking off to locations all around the island, with various costume demands. I knew the older three were involved in some capacity...but had no idea who was doing what.

The movie started, and I was in AWE! Before you go on...go watch it here. Right now. You won't be sorry. Then come back...

I laughed, I cried...it was better than CATS! I could not believe how creative and funny it was.

Some FAQs:

• Josh Jones was the master-mind, director, main choreographer and star. He also did all of the editing (the hardest part).
  
• Stuart family stats: Troy did 80% of the filming, even though he didn't appear in this one. Patrick was the cowboy and also helped with the filming and choreography. Coree was a dancer/flag waver.
• The other kids were from our church and the two military high schools here (mostly Kubasaki). Most of them are military kids...some are kids of contractors or teachers.
• They were able to appear alone in the American Village intersection because they filmed at 7 AM when it was empty. Even then, they waited for the pedestrian lights (traffic stops in all directions) and ran out for about 30 seconds of filming...20 times over!
• The intersection at Kokusai St. was busier, but they did the same thing...waiting for the light, running out to dance and running back. They had to time the Jumbotron shot with every 4th pedestrian light when it filmed the cross walk. Wild, huh?
• They had locals following them, filming their filming and requesting pictures with them. I'm sure they'd be sorry to learn they were not really famous. ALL of the Okinawans/Japanese they encountered were lovely, smiling, waving, laughing. It was a great experience.
• The video took off like a wildfire. It's been shared on Facebook newsfeeds over 10,000 times and viewed over 38,000 times on YouTube (and that doesn't count the Facebook views). The comments are so heartwarming, from people who have lived here before and miss it so much. Everyone is so grateful these kids highlighted so many cool things about this place.
• The kids are going to be interviewed on AFN!

The sucky part of all of this...this was a goodbye party, remember? While this video was going viral, Josh was flying back to the USA to attend Stanford. It was a bittersweet time, with lots of moping. The video was an excellent diversion, however. Ma Jones (the other stage mom) and I have been a little obsessed with it, actually...confessing to watching it first thing in the morning and last thing at night...and lots of times in between.




It's been fun for the kids to be recognized at school and other places. You just never know how something you do will impact others. I think this will be one of our kids' favorite memories of our stay here...I know it's one of mine!