Children's Choir/stake conference report

Yesterday was our Stake Conference and the "big day" for the children's choir that I was asked to lead. As I said before, I felt totally overwhelmed and unqualified to lead this choir, but I said yes anyway. We practiced with the kids once a week for the past month and the work and worry paid off -- THEY DID GREAT!

It caused me way more stress than it should have, and I felt nauseous over it several times - but it is done and it went well. I think the stress affected my immune system, because I woke up Sunday Morning with a nasty head cold! I took some Musinex, loaded my bag with tissues, and right before I left home I drank a hot honey/lemon tea with a healthy amount of cayenne pepper. (my preferred remedy for sore throat) I survived - but today I have been totally miserable! stuffy and achy and exhausted

The children all wore white; they looked like a choir of angels up there - and the sound matched! We ended up with about 120'ish kids. Even with the choir seats filled, at our final practice on Saturday, I got a little worried about them being loud enough once the tabernacle was filled - especially on the lower level. During the practice, the adults that were helping reported back to me that they could hear the kids okay on the balcony, since the sound naturally goes up, but it was harder to hear them down on main floor.

Tonight I was talking with my next door neighbor (and in a different conversation the neighbor across the street) and they each made a comment (unsolicited) about how well the choir did. I jumped right on it and asked where they had been sitting. I was THRILLED to find out that they were sitting in the back on the bottom level. HOORAY! They said they could hear the kids AND understand the words they were singing AND they heard both parts on the sections were the kids divided!!!! HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY!

There was one little glitch in particular ... while we were singing the closing song, I looked over and saw this little girl, CLIMBING on the railing...and sliding down it until she got to the seats in front of her, then scooting back up and doing it again. There was nothing I could do - and since we were singing, all the leaders were watching ME - not looking around at the kids - so none of them saw her. I just said a quick "please don't let her fall... it's a good 10 feet..." then went back to concentrating on leading the choir. She didn't fall - so it's all good. (I'd LOVE to know what her mom thought while all this was going on...)

Another fun element to the day was when the stake music chairman called me earlier during the week and asked if I would conduct the intermediate hymn as well. I said that would be fine, but since he didn't mention the opening hymn, I thought I should clarify.
me - "Will I be leading the opening hymn as well?"
him - "the choir is singing the opening hymn."
me - "um, no, we are singing prelude and then a song after the business portion of the meeting..."
him - "no, my understanding is that you are singing prelude that will take the place of the opening hymn."
me (thinking - "are you kidding me? that doesn't make sense at all! PRElude beans BEFORE the meeting. it does not take the place of the opening hymn.") I said, "I'm not sure that's accurate. My understanding was....blah blah blah... Would you please check on that and confirm it for me, then let me know?"

SUNDAY MORNING he called me back and confirmed that there would be an opening hymn and would I please lead it. Turns out the song was "Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah" hymn 84. I looked it up. oh great - it has a tricky fermata. You know... everyone sings "lead us til the savior comes" -hold soprano while alto and men sing a slower tempo - "savior comes..." then the fermata, then bring everyone back in.) The problem is that I don't do the leading with two hands thing very well. I had been practicing leading the choir number for a month - and I still sometimes (often) had my hands going the wrong way when the kids were singing two different things at the same time...) I had been practicing enough that Tim had starting laughing at me, since it seemed that every time he turned around I was leading some song - I tell you - it was crazy, I couldn't sleep at night. I'd find myself lying there in bed leading the songs, trying to get my two hands to work right.

I am so relieved that it is over and done with, and I am grateful for the experience. I am so thankful for the support that I received from so many people. I could NOT have done it without them. Examples -
my visiting teacher, Rebecca M. sings with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, AND she was a music teacher in the local elementary school for years, AND she now teaches occasional classes at BYU - teaching other people how to direct children's choirs and teach music to children. SHE has all that experience and knowledge - yet they asked ME to do it. She was so supportive. She came to every practice - not to take over, but to be there as a support to me. She was available all along the way to answer questions I had, to help conduct breakout groups when I decided I wanted them to sing the song in two parts. she answered any questions I had, but was always so careful to make sure I was in charge, and that she was back up.

My friend Jenny S. was there the day we first tried working out a seating chart. It turned into a chaotic disaster, and I needed to start running through the songs so I just handed Jenny the seating chart and said, "will you please just write down a rough idea of what ward is sitting where." From that moment forward, I didn't have anything to do with the seating - except making "executive decisions" when needed. She totally handled it. and did it perfectly.

I was touched by the looks of support that I got from all the other leaders that were there. (we asked each ward to send 1 adult per 6 - 7 children) Even when my hands would go the wrong way, I sang the wrong words, got my verses mixed up, forgot cutoffs, etc... I never once felt anyone thinking "what is she doing up there. She doesn't have a clue what she's doing." I only saw understanding smiles, and 100% support. THANK YOU!!! (none of them actually read this blog, but I am very thankful and want to express it.

I am totally worn out, and need to sleep, but I had to be up late processing the last batch of Salsa I bottled tonight, and I wanted to take the time to record this. I recognize that this is way more information than any of you are really interested in, but it's my JOURNAL blog - so you get the details...

driver fatigue -

No, I'm not talking about driving while drowsy. I'm talking about the fact that I REALLY got tired of driving around today. Felt like an underpaid taxi driver. here was my list for today:


7:50 - 8:15 drove carpool to school
11:45 - 12:10 drove kindergarten carpool to school
1:30 - 1:40 drove back to school to volunteer
2:50 - 3:00 drove back home (luckily I stay until school gets out, so I didn't have to make another trip)
3:55 - 4:10 drove Aaron and TJ to scouts
4:20 - 4:25 drove Katrina to a friends house (just a bit too far to walk for a 5 yr old alone, and since Bryan was still sick, I didn't feel like we could go on a family walk...)
5:00 - 5:20 drove to pick up kids from scouts, and picked up Katrina on the way home

I feel like I spent the day in the car. Blech! I realize that this isn't much driving for a lot of you, but I am just NOT a "run-around-in-my car-all-day" kinda gal. I really hate to have to leave my house. If I DO have to go out. I really do my best to get everything done all at once. I like to leave the house ONCE and once only!

We added another family to the carpool this year, and we each drive to and from school every day for a week. This new carpool situation is going to be crazy on the weeks that I have both regular carpool (morning drop off and afternoon pick up) PLUS the kindergarten carpool - but on the plus side, after this week, I won't have to drive the drop off/pickup for 3 more weeks - so that will be nice. (kindergarten carpool there is only one other girl, so that will be every other week - but hey - anything is better than nothing!

I'll admit that the whole driving thing is one down side to going to a charter school instead of the neighborhood school - where Aaron could ride his bike or walk... but for our family, the benefits have far outweighed any inconveniences. (not to mention that most of the kids in our neighborhood who go to the neighborhood school - STILL drive their kids everyday - but that's a post for another day.)

I don't know what's going on with me right now (hormones maybe??), but I am NOT feeling myself. Granted, it has been a crazy couple of weeks, with scout camp, camping, school starting, illnesses, etc... but I feel like I am falling apart. I'm thinking they need to lock me away in a padded room for a while...



Every little thing sets me flying off the handle. Typically, I am not easily offended. The past few days I take everything personally and EVERYTHING anyone says or does sets me off. WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!?!



I feel like I just want to pull my head into my (proverbial) shell and hide out for a while. (unfortunately, life doesn't cooperate with that - each time I pull in - LIFE (kids, pets, housework, laundry, callings, neighbors, school, etc...) starts banging on the shell.

I'm hoping this passes soon!

family reunion'ish camp out

This past weekend we had a great family camp out up at Lost Creek Campground in the Uintas.

I could paint the trip with my rose colored glasses and only tell you about all the fun activities we did, beauties of nature, and how the cousins just loved running free and wild - playing with each other non stop from breakfast 'til bedtime... (some pictures to illustrate)

Some of the cousins - Bethany, Bryan, Aaron, Caleb,Abraham, Katrina, Adam, Mosiah, and Paige - up at Wall Lake. (a mile long hike isn't long, but it sure seems long when you are hiking with an 18 month old, a (barely) 2 year old and two 3 year olds)

Bryan out on Lost Lake. (Dallin and Adam are in the boat in the background)

Dallin riding the ATV (pre-tree accident)

That's MY Tim - "King of the log"

Some awesome moose that were eating breakfast right by our tent on Sat. morning

or I could be the "glass 1/2 empty" person and tell you the negatives of the trip, like when the atv snapped 2 tie downs and "drove" itself off the trailer and into a tree, or how it rained at least once a day, and how we nearly froze ourselves packing up in a SNOWSTORM...

smashed front end - after running into the tree

starting to snow as we packed up camp

starting for home... with the heater going full blast to thaw out our fingers...)

I guess I'll just say that I had a good time and I'm glad we went. NEXT time I will pack more clothes for the kids - Aaron was ALWAYS wet), more warm clothes, and more water proof stuff. (It's been too long since I've camped in the Uintas and I forgot how unpredictable the weather is up there...)

LONG day - but productive

My day started WAAAAYYYYYY too early this morning. Caleb decided he wanted to get up at 2:45 this morning, and he just wouldn't go back to sleep. I gave in and turned on the TV - did you know that Sesame street is on at 3am??? I guess my child isn't the only one who gets up in the middle of the night. I drifted in and out of consciousness on the couch while Caleb alternated between watching TV and crying at me because he wanted something that I could never figure out what.

Tim woke me up (still on the couch with Caleb sleeping on my chest) at 6am so that I could get ready and be out the door by 6:30. I got to my mom's at 7 and started picking tomatoes. a gazillion tomatoes later, okay, maybe not that many, but we did fill 5 buckets - the big paint type buckets. are they 5-gallon???) anyway - it was a lot of tomatoes.

Then mom and dad helped me juice 3 of the buckets before I came home. That juice completely filled up 2 - 21 qt pressure canners, which I used to transport the juice back home.

I then spent the entire day canning tomatoes. I did spaghetti sauce, salsa, and pizza sauce. It took so long because of the spaghetti sauce - you are supposed to let it simmer FOREVER. Anyway, I finally gave up on it ever getting as thick as I wanted, and I just figured I could thicken it when I eat it! The trouble was that the sauce was boiling down int he two pressure Canners, so I couldn't process anything else while I was waiting. (I could have used my hot water bath canner - but my stove top couldn't accommodate any more than the two canning kettles that were already going...

Only had one major catastrophe. As I was holding up one jar next to the kettle to make it easier to fill, for whatever reason - the bottom of the bottle just fell right out - splattering almost a full quart of boiling hot spaghetti sauce all over. Luckily, this wasn't at the same time that Caleb was wrapped around my legs whining to be picked up. Also lucky for me that I had on a heavy duty apron, that absorbed most of the burning liquid. I did get a few small burns on my feet - I had shoes on, of course, but there is a netting type material over the toe portion, and it got me there, as well a a couple other spots.

The last batch just finished processing and I am waiting for the pressure to drop, then I am going to bed!

here's the grand total for the day (which in reality doesn't seem like very much when I consider that it took me ALL DAY LONG!!!! - Quick frankly, I think I'd rather just go BUY what I want in my food storage - but there is a feeling of accomplishment to look at those bottles all lines up - and to hear the seals popping as they cool down, and I am proud of the fact that I am gaining a few skills.... I just wish it wasn't so time consuming.)

Anyway - enough rambling on - here are my totals:

spaghetti sauce - 21 qts (plus 1 1/2 qts that we used for dinner tonight)

pizza sauce - 7 pints (this was an experiment, but I really liked how it turned out, so I am going to make some more...)

salsa - 9 qts and 13 pints - (yes, I am aware that I can just count 2 pints as a qt. and say I did 15 1/2 qts - but that's NOT what I did. I did 9 qts and 13 pints!!!) - I guess I get a little extra cranky about non important things when I'm tired eh?

So - there you have it - the super exciting , can't live without knowing, report of my day!

children's choir

(help - I can't figure out why my post is in two different fonts... oh well - who cares.)

I was asked a couple weeks ago to be in charge of a children's choir for our upcoming stake conference. Believe me when I say that I am TOTALLY out of my comfort zone! but I said yes. Tonight was the first rehearsal, and I couldn't finish eating my dinner - I was SO nauseous. I was so nervous about the whole thing that I really seriously felt like I was going to throw up!

On the way to the practice, I tried to help myself feel better by singing the song from the sound of music, "i have confidence." I don't know that it helped me a whole lot, but it made the kids riding with me laugh so I guess some good came of it...

Anyway - our first practice went REALLY well. much better than I thought it would. I am feeling much better about the prospect of actually pulling this thing off. Next week we are going to attempt to pull a group of kids out and teach them a simple harmony part. It seems simple enough (to me) that I think the kids can learn it, and it will really add a depth and beauty to the music, but it is not essential, so if it gets too complicated, we'll just keep it in one part and call it good.

Well - that's the report for today. I should tell you about the ward camp out that we went on over the weekend, (it was very nice) but I am too tired right now and I need to get my whiny sleepyhead Caleb to sleep so I can get to bed myself.