Hooray!!! They did great!!!

Today was our ward's annual primary sacrament meeting presentation. IT WENT GREAT! I have been the chorister for 3 years now (well, 3 years in January, but this is my 3rd program) and I really believe that this was the best one yet! The program was very well written (I had nothing to do with that) and the children (for the most part) all had their parts memorized. We were asked by the bishop to have them memorize their parts so that the message of what they were saying became more internalized and a part of their individual testimonies. I was amazed at what a difference it made. (we always encourage them to memorize their parts of course, but we made a much bigger push for it this year, and it was fantastic.

The kids sang the following songs:

* I am a Child of God (with obbligato on 3rd verse)

* Tell me the Stories of Jesus

* I know that My Redeemer Lives

* We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

* Home

* I love to See the Temple

* Called to Serve

* When Jesus Christ was Baptized

* A Child's Prayer (duet part was with children singing child's part and male teachers singing Heavenly Father's response - it was great!)

* If the Savior Stood Beside me

They did such an amazing job. They sang out loud and clear, they followed me, they were reverent (for the most part) while they sat up on the stand... I LOVED IT! We had a few minor glitches, (like on one of the songs when I didn't stand them up right, and then I forgot to sit them back down again. Don't know where my brain went on that one. And on Called to Serve we had a couple kids who just couldn't help themselves - they HAD to march along... My fault for letting them march while we were learning the song. it is just so much fun to MARCH to, ya know what I mean?)

We sang If the Savior Stood Beside Me as the closing hymn and it was WONDERFUL! If you want to hear the arrangement that we sang, go to this link http://www.defordmusic.com/ifthesaviorstoodbesideme.htm, then go to the option of MP3 Recording featuring vocals by Becki Madsen: (i'd put it on here for you if I had any idea how to do that - but I don't so you are on your own. It really is a beautiful arrangement. We did it with the 2 flutes playing their part, and the Activity Day girls singing the special 3rd verse that was written for the Young Women. There is a part after the girls sing their verse, where there is a big pause before we come in on the 4th verse. Every time we practiced, we just couldn't seem to come in together. (It didn't help that they just FINALLY got a permanent pianist called 3 weeks before the program, and he was home with sick kids one of those 3 weeks, and up until a week ago I was also trying to play one of the flute parts, since we couldn't seem to find anyone else who played. Have you ever tried to lead a song and play the flute at the same time? It's a bit tricky...) All that not withstanding - today - it was PERFECT! I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Right now I am totally exhausted and ready to crash for the night, but I just couldn't go to bed without shouting to the roof tops that we are done and it when all is said and done, it was SUPER FANTASTIC!!!!

(I almost want to be released right now - end on a high note, ya know? I just can't imagine being able to match this next year... yet my brain is already starting to think and plan and pick my songs for next year - so I guess maybe I have one more year left in me:)

sick day/weekend report

Nothing exciting here - just an "I'm sick post." (laced with lots and lots of LDS lingo) so feel free to move on...

I stayed home from church today, keeping Bryan and Caleb with me. Yesterday I woke up with a horrible, awful, terrible, sore throat. (also stuffy nose and all over general body aches... but the sore throat was the worst) I knew there was no way I could do the singing in Primary, so I got a sub. I don't do that very often. I love my calling, and the prideful side of me is pretty possessive it, thinking that NO ONE else could do possibly my job as well as I do! (is that asking for a lightening bolt or WHAT???) Just to be clear here, I KNOW there are lots and lots of people in my ward with more sheer musical talent, but I think I am a pretty good mix of basic musical ability, fun (albeit quirky) disposition, and overall ability to keep the kids attention (the majority of the time))
ANYWAY - my pride notwithstanding, I got a sub and stayed home. I was really hoping for a 2 hour nap, but it was not meant to be. I finally got Caleb to sleep about 10 minutes before the rest of the family got home. Oh well, that's life.

Yesterday Tim decided it was "paint the playground" day. Since we bought a wooden set, the wood is supposed to be sealed once a year, preferably in the fall, to protect it from the elements. Tell me again - why did we buy a WOODEN SET??? Tim bought a couple paints that are supposed to protect for 3 - 5 years. We'll have to see how they live up to their claims. We painted for about 1 1/2 hours, then I got Aaron and Katrina and myself ready to go over to the church to see Aaron's two friends, TJ and Rebecca, be baptized. then we came home, changed back into painting attire and painted for several more hours. I WAS MISERABLE! (I probably made Tim miserable too, for that matter, what with all my wheezing, whining, and "poor sick me sighing.") Then at 4:30 I came in, showered and got dressed up again to go over to the general Relief Society broadcast. It was nice. I really enjoyed Sister Becks talk and for a brief moment, felt up to the challenge of "doing more." - then my stuffy head and overall feeling of exhaustion took over and I'm afraid I didn't get a whole lot out of the next two talks. (although I did get the message loud and clear that I need to be attending the temple on a more regular basis.)

I enjoyed President Uchtdorf's talk. He is just a fun person to listen to. I rode over with my friend Holly, and on the way home she summed it up perfectly when she said after his talks she always feels better about herself. I agree. I think he often manages to hit perfectly that balance between encouraging me to do a little better and try a little harder, while making me feel that I am loved and accepted just as I am. Exactly WHAT he said (aside from that his wife is a great cook and all he can make is eggs and toast) is still rather a blur in my stuffy fuzzy head, but I took some notes, and hopefully they will make sense when I pull them back out to review.

I am totally excited for General Conference coming up this weekend. It is always such a wonderful spiritual boost for me. (was even more so when I could actually sit and listen and HEAR what they were saying - it's a bit trickier with children, but still WONDERFUL!!!

I think that's about it. I am tired. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep tonight, but Caleb has a cold, and I think he is finally going to cut some teeth - so he's not sleeping well (what's new eh?) and a little extra crabby. I think I just heard Tim come home (from a home teaching appt) I know he's supposed to be going out soon to collect fast offerings, then has another home teaching appt at 8:00. I'm thinking if I want to see my husband today, I'd better go up and visit with him now.

thanks for listening. blah blah blah....