Hello. I wrote this in my journal this morning and felt the desire to share it here as well. I hope it is okay to be this open here.
"I just wanted to record one thing: In addition to my fun Kantorei concerts and celebrations this weekend - and getting to finally sing a solo!: ) - I also sang at Brandon Culebro's baptism.
It was a precious experience. I sang, "Jesus' Love Is Like A River". I didn't sing it perfectly, but I did pretty well and the Spirit was so strong.
Many of the people couldn't look at me - but oh - little Brandon was just so intently watching me. He was so serious and I could tell he was feeling something. I actually had to not look at him because I would've started crying.
Also, Clairissa came up to me and told me her little Brody (2 - I think) was watching and listening and tears filled his eyes and then he buried his head in his momma. So sweet. Sarah Hill also had tears in her eyes. It was a sweet experience.
It's not really the first time.... I remember singing at (my nephew) Joe's baptism - and Aaron's (my BIL) and how intently they watched and listened as I sang, "By The Waters of Mormon".
I guess there aren't really a ton of people who can serve in this way - or feel comfortable enough. So I'm happy this is one way that I can serve. It's good for me. But I hope it also glorifies Heavenly Father."
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A Great Night!
Hello!!!!
As you have probably guessed, life has been a little busy since my last post! It's always busy. But there have a been a few times in the last couple months or so where I honestly did not know how I would be able to accomplish some really necessary things and by the due dates. It was very stressful. Somehow I was able to... I am sure God helped me. I often pray for His help to get everything done I need to.
What have I been doing? Well, the last week in March I went to go visit my sister Beckie in Nebraska, then we had Easter, then I had a bunch of work to get done for my new calling (reports, updating information, weekly maintenance, and a little skit I put together for the Stake youth variety show), and then of course, taking care of my home and children and husband.
I'm not complaining.... I just wanted to report how things have been for me - and how it has been really tough and frustrating at times. I often feel like I am just treading water and not accomplishing anything... that I get up every morning to clean up as my children simultaneously clutter everything up again.
I've often asked myself how I am going to get to things - things I really want to do - that are important to me (scrap booking, crafting, blogging). But things that are more important (exercising, grocery shopping, laundry, etc) take precedent and have to be done! I've often thought, "I need a personal assistant" or "I need a day off to get to everything I need to do!" I know everyone struggles with this....but especially I think when you have small children, they need you so much, it is even harder to get to everything.
One other thing that has been hard for me is that I'm still carrying around 15 extra pounds. I am making progress. But it is slow going. And I mess up too often. I'm still nursing though. So I'm not sure that much progress can happen anyway.
Sometimes too, I am just so exhausted by the end of the day, I don't have the mental energy to do anything but relax. On Easter (If you remember, it was on March 31st), I thought, "I need to update my blog. Try to get in one more post before the end of the month!" But I just didn't have it in me.
Last week, I decided that if I want things to change, I had to do something different. So I decided, "I am not going to work out on Monday or Tuesday OR fix dinner. I HAVE to organize some things." So I did that and finally made significant progress.
Anyway, amidst all of this, I have been so glad that I sometimes have to leave to go to Kantorei. Otherwise, I know I'd just stay at home and keep on working. But a week ago last Saturday, I had a great night.
My sister Catherine gave her senior piano recital at Metro. I was able to go and felt so happy that I could enjoy her efforts and be there to support her. Also that night was a Kantorei Salon. This is an annual fundraiser... There is a couple in Kantorei that hosts the salon at their house, provide hors' d'oeuvres and drinks, and then people sit and listen to different singers from Kantorei perform. I've performed for this night since I've joined the choir. But it conflicted with my sister's recital and so I didn't think I would be able to do it this year. But after my director said that he needed more people, I told him I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if I would make it in time because of my sister's recital. He said he'd put me last on the program and if I made it great, and if not fine.
Well, the night came around. I was wearing a new dress that I bought special for the occasion (I call it my Sound of Music dress. I had had a gift card to Anthropologie that I had been sitting on for over a year. I had seen this dress about a month before and decided it would go perfectly with my selection for the evening, "Come to the fair". So I bought it that day -they only had two left and they weren't on the floor. I luckily fit into the 6 -even though I'm not a 6 at all right now-...must've just been because of it's higher waist line. Anyway, the ladies assured me that it was a perfect fit and that the 12 was too baggy.) Anyway, I digress... the point is, I was wearing a fun dress. I felt great! Catherine's recital was great. She performed well. I was proud of her. But it went longer than expected. Was I going to make the Kantorei salon???
After congratulating Catherine and mingling a bit, I left and drove as quickly-yet safely- as possible. I made my way to where the salon was, only to discover that they had just finished the program about 5 minutes before. Bummer.
Alicia (my accompanist) said that I should go into the other room and start singing it anyway. I wondered if I should do that. It was probably not the proper thing to do. But I was so excited to sing it, I went for it.
We went into the -now deserted- room with the piano and Alicia started the introduction. BTW, for those who may not know, "Come to the Fair" has a lot of special significance for me. I sang it when I got into All State Choir both years, I sang it for my scholarship audition at CSU, and I sang it at my Senior Honors Recital.
So I started singing, and just had the best time ever! I was really having fun with it - adding a few dance steps between verses, etc. And I nailed every note and remembered every word. People of course started filtering in - including many of my Kantorei friends and director. When I finished, I was rewarded with much applause and praise - just what I LOVE! Who doesn't really? My director was so cute. He recently gave me my very first solo for our upcoming concert. It's like he rediscovered that I can actually sing! He was so happy I performed the song. And kept saying, "I'm so GLAD you did that! You are such a great performer! That's what it's all about!!! And the high B! I can still hear it in my head!"
Anyway, it just made me so happy! It was a night that rejuvenated my soul and made me feel good about myself. You need that once in awhile when you are in the throws of Mommyhood. Wouldn't you agree?
It was a great night!
Here are a couple pics!
Catherine playing
Her recital was a "lecture recital". She talked about and featured "extended techniques" of the piano - ways to make music on the piano besides just hitting the keys with your fingers such as using your elbow, drumming the sound board, etc.
Here is a piece where the featured technique was strumming the strings inside the piano.
As you have probably guessed, life has been a little busy since my last post! It's always busy. But there have a been a few times in the last couple months or so where I honestly did not know how I would be able to accomplish some really necessary things and by the due dates. It was very stressful. Somehow I was able to... I am sure God helped me. I often pray for His help to get everything done I need to.
What have I been doing? Well, the last week in March I went to go visit my sister Beckie in Nebraska, then we had Easter, then I had a bunch of work to get done for my new calling (reports, updating information, weekly maintenance, and a little skit I put together for the Stake youth variety show), and then of course, taking care of my home and children and husband.
I'm not complaining.... I just wanted to report how things have been for me - and how it has been really tough and frustrating at times. I often feel like I am just treading water and not accomplishing anything... that I get up every morning to clean up as my children simultaneously clutter everything up again.
I've often asked myself how I am going to get to things - things I really want to do - that are important to me (scrap booking, crafting, blogging). But things that are more important (exercising, grocery shopping, laundry, etc) take precedent and have to be done! I've often thought, "I need a personal assistant" or "I need a day off to get to everything I need to do!" I know everyone struggles with this....but especially I think when you have small children, they need you so much, it is even harder to get to everything.
One other thing that has been hard for me is that I'm still carrying around 15 extra pounds. I am making progress. But it is slow going. And I mess up too often. I'm still nursing though. So I'm not sure that much progress can happen anyway.
Sometimes too, I am just so exhausted by the end of the day, I don't have the mental energy to do anything but relax. On Easter (If you remember, it was on March 31st), I thought, "I need to update my blog. Try to get in one more post before the end of the month!" But I just didn't have it in me.
Last week, I decided that if I want things to change, I had to do something different. So I decided, "I am not going to work out on Monday or Tuesday OR fix dinner. I HAVE to organize some things." So I did that and finally made significant progress.
Anyway, amidst all of this, I have been so glad that I sometimes have to leave to go to Kantorei. Otherwise, I know I'd just stay at home and keep on working. But a week ago last Saturday, I had a great night.
My sister Catherine gave her senior piano recital at Metro. I was able to go and felt so happy that I could enjoy her efforts and be there to support her. Also that night was a Kantorei Salon. This is an annual fundraiser... There is a couple in Kantorei that hosts the salon at their house, provide hors' d'oeuvres and drinks, and then people sit and listen to different singers from Kantorei perform. I've performed for this night since I've joined the choir. But it conflicted with my sister's recital and so I didn't think I would be able to do it this year. But after my director said that he needed more people, I told him I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if I would make it in time because of my sister's recital. He said he'd put me last on the program and if I made it great, and if not fine.
Well, the night came around. I was wearing a new dress that I bought special for the occasion (I call it my Sound of Music dress. I had had a gift card to Anthropologie that I had been sitting on for over a year. I had seen this dress about a month before and decided it would go perfectly with my selection for the evening, "Come to the fair". So I bought it that day -they only had two left and they weren't on the floor. I luckily fit into the 6 -even though I'm not a 6 at all right now-...must've just been because of it's higher waist line. Anyway, the ladies assured me that it was a perfect fit and that the 12 was too baggy.) Anyway, I digress... the point is, I was wearing a fun dress. I felt great! Catherine's recital was great. She performed well. I was proud of her. But it went longer than expected. Was I going to make the Kantorei salon???
After congratulating Catherine and mingling a bit, I left and drove as quickly-yet safely- as possible. I made my way to where the salon was, only to discover that they had just finished the program about 5 minutes before. Bummer.
Alicia (my accompanist) said that I should go into the other room and start singing it anyway. I wondered if I should do that. It was probably not the proper thing to do. But I was so excited to sing it, I went for it.
We went into the -now deserted- room with the piano and Alicia started the introduction. BTW, for those who may not know, "Come to the Fair" has a lot of special significance for me. I sang it when I got into All State Choir both years, I sang it for my scholarship audition at CSU, and I sang it at my Senior Honors Recital.
So I started singing, and just had the best time ever! I was really having fun with it - adding a few dance steps between verses, etc. And I nailed every note and remembered every word. People of course started filtering in - including many of my Kantorei friends and director. When I finished, I was rewarded with much applause and praise - just what I LOVE! Who doesn't really? My director was so cute. He recently gave me my very first solo for our upcoming concert. It's like he rediscovered that I can actually sing! He was so happy I performed the song. And kept saying, "I'm so GLAD you did that! You are such a great performer! That's what it's all about!!! And the high B! I can still hear it in my head!"
Anyway, it just made me so happy! It was a night that rejuvenated my soul and made me feel good about myself. You need that once in awhile when you are in the throws of Mommyhood. Wouldn't you agree?
It was a great night!
Here are a couple pics!
Catherine playing
Her recital was a "lecture recital". She talked about and featured "extended techniques" of the piano - ways to make music on the piano besides just hitting the keys with your fingers such as using your elbow, drumming the sound board, etc.
Here is a piece where the featured technique was strumming the strings inside the piano.
Me and my director Dick Larsen (sorry you can't see my dress better) : )
Kantorei friends
That's it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)