Family Far Away

First, for Suzanna:  black F string was broken when I got home.  White B string broke sometime Friday when I was at work (it was one that I had tuned on Thursday, and it wasn't broken Fri am during seminary, did I tune it too far?)

Suzanna, Roxie, Sam before headed to Renaissance "Time Travelling" Fair in PA before she left for college!  They had a great time together.

Sam had a birthday while I was gone.  This is the Milkyway cake I made him before we left for a family celebration!  See the mini-candy bars edging the top?  See that homemade caramel oozing out from the edge?  I used my favorite caramel popcorn recipe, double batched so there was some for cake, some for popcorn.

Beautiful Solo

Brushing Frenzy

(picture from Sept 2010-notice the TEETH!)

I carry it with me everywhere now. Spare toothbrush and travel toothpaste. I've become weird about it. Luncheon served after seminary training: quick trip to the bathroom to brush my teeth before hitting the road for an hour car ride home. That would be too long to wait as plaque gathers. I never used to think about this. I never want another cavity. And I love the clean feeling!

Today there was a moment of reverent thought at Church: swallow this tiny piece of bread or chew quickly and swish the water like JenB suggested when it is passed? Distracting thoughts. I decided to not worry about it.

But the rest of the day, I ate and immediately brushed. Even in the car after our sack lunches driving to Suzu's harp concert. 19 harps strong ensemble, plus solos. She did a great job! Beautiful music!

I was inspired by my quilter-haiku master. She wrote about her skinny jeans feeling tight and the relief of putting on sweat pants. This was my reply:



"After $388.00 of Dental Work"

Fat pants feeling loose
Brushing after every meal
Curbs desire to snack!

Concert Craziness

6 days (6 children) 3 concerts (another one in 5 more days; 10 days; 11 days; more for Max...).

Welcome to December.

That is John and Max singing with YW-Suzu is on other side. Good way to get high attendance at YW in Excellence: invite dads to come sing.

Didn't get a picture of Roxie Jane playing her clarinet or singing, but this is concert hair-do! Slide braid and rope braid.

I painted the Manger!

Last night was Susquehanna Ward's Christmas party!

Best new ideas for other activities committees: buffet line was outside of the multi-cultural hall, so the whole gym area could be set up for tables and chairs. The tables were all labeled with names, like "Stable" "Wisemen" "Judea" "Star" and we were called by tables of 3 to go to the YW room and sign cards for all the missionaries and service men and women, then up on the stage to take a family picture in the stable, then to the scout room next to the kitchen where the buffet was spread it. That way people could stay sitting until they had something specific to do, and not just wait in a long line all night (past years have been nightmarish that way).

Simple but beautiful decorations, lights on wires above tables, mini-trees along stage.
Our family was asked to sing all 5 verses of "This is the season, beloved of the year, sing a rhyme, Christmas time soon will be here, tell the true story, of Jesus' birth..." Primary song.
Suzu did a wonderful job playing the harp. Three year old Bella told her mommy, "I hear angels singing!" when we started. The harp made us all sound good, but we missed Emma's voice!
Bro. David Mattson (gpa to 4 Primary kids in our ward) made this manger years and years ago for the Primary when we did a pageant. I painted in the hay, and protected it with polyurethane. It still looks good at least a decade later! (Doesn't get hard use). We've posed newborns in it, after some serious padding of that center "V" shape.

There will be music!

Three wedding receptions in 3 weeks--and if I were flying to Utah, there would have been one last week, too! Love dancing receptions! Love 80's music! Love silly songs that make it easy to move!

Like many others, I participated in the great American tradition of taking piano lessons. Painful as they were, forgetting to practice and wincing through lessons, I wish now I had practiced more. It would be nice to sit down to any music and breezily sight read. I can play some, but it is not easily done.

Wanted to play the violin, or the harp. Took guitar lessons while gestating Maxwell--he would thump back in time to the music, kicking with the strumming.

This week Suzanna had harp camp. Long commute, but beautiful music made it worthwhile. She is getting more skilled and more confident. I am thankful for music.