Archive for December, 2007

Random Friday

December 14, 2007 at 1:53 pm · Filed under Books, Family, Mr. Universe, Observations, Random Friday, Review, Younglings, holiday, music

Ches had his holiday concert last night.  Each group (jazz band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, and string orchestra) did an excellent job.  There were some problems in the jazz band, but overall it went well.  They played some fun stuff, and you could tell they were having a good time (especially with the “choreography” the trumpets put in for “Selections from Chicago“).

When the Wind Ensemble started with their very first note, I kind of gasped.  They.  Were.  Awesome.  Almost every part of every piece was played flawlessly.  Those kids are great musicians.  They weren’t just playing notes on a page, they were playing music.  Ches said the Wind Ensemble really put him in a good mood.  Yay!

The orchestra and wind ensemble combined for a final piece, which was, of course, Sleigh Ride.  It was a different version than Ches has ever conducted before (mainly because he’s only ever conducted bands with it in the past), but it was excellent.  It had such a nice, full sound.  The kids enjoyed playing together, and Ches wants them to do more pieces together in the future.  I’m really rooting for Pirates of the Carribean (it is the coolest piece!!), but Ches doesn’t really want to do it.  I don’t know why.

*****

Hey, remember when everybody had Indiglo watches?  They were the big thing about 10-15 years ago.  Does anyone get Indiglo anymore?  I remember the commercial of all the people at the rock concert that, instead of lighting and waving cigarette lighters, turned on their Indiglo watches.  It was pretty cool.  Anyway… for some reason last night I was just thinking about these watches. 

*****

Dallin is a monster.  He spilled water on our computer keyboard, so now the 8, 7 (on they keypad part), and DELETE keys don’t work.  A few days later, Dallin was messing around with the computer and slammed the mouse down one too many times or something, because now it doesn’t work.  It’s one of those nice laser ones.  So I pulled out our old one (the kind with the rolling ball in it), and I have to say that I miss my laser mouse.  This ball one just doesn’t work as well.  It gets stuck often (and there is NO dust in there.  I checked) and makes things more difficult.  Especially when I’m trying to do a puzzle in my Puzzlebee application of Facebook.  So if anyone is wondering why my times are all so slow… blame the mouse.  Seriously.

*****

Remember last year at our ward talent show that Aiden’s talent was to “jump up really, really high”?  Well, all year he’s been talking about how he’s going to improve his talent.  This year Aiden’s talent was to “jump, clap, and turn around… all at the same time”.  And that is what he did.  He bounced in a circle while clapping his hands.  Then he covered his ears at the thunderous applause.  The audience called for an encore, and he willingly obliged.  What a kid.

*****

When I was younger, I always knew how long I had until my birthday.  Within two or three months, I could tell you exactly how many days.  And in those last few weeks, I could tell you down to the hour, and possibly the minute (I don’t quite remember).  I was always so excited for my birthday.

I guess I’m a grown up now that I’m 30.  Or closer to being a grown up.  I know my birthday is coming up, but I have to think and look at a calender and think some more to know exactly when my birthday is.  It’s just not that big of a deal anymore.  Like there’s anything special about turning 31, anyway.

*****

I was really missing my grandmother the other night.  I don’t know why, exactly.  I just started thinking about her and wishing I could have her here for Christmas this year and so my boys could get to know her.  Grandma was such a wonderful woman.  I miss her a lot.  I always miss her.  I just had that horrible ache in my heart the other night.

*****

Good news:  We will have visitors for Christmas!!  Aunt Marisa and Peter want to get away, so they are coming here.  Yay!  I know they will still be mourning and it will be hard this Christmas without Maci (their beloved dog who passed away just last Saturday), but I think they will really enjoy watching my monsters– uh, my sons– opening gifts and such.  Christmas with little kids is just so fun.  After Aiden comes home from school today we are gonig to start making cookies.  I’m planning on making lots of yummy treats for us all to get fat from.  I have to fix my wood Santa, and I’ll finish getting all my decorations up.  I’m going to have a festive Christmas, even if we won’t have much under the tree!!

*****

One more week until school is out for Christmas break.  Hoo-ray!!

*****

I am currently reading Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff.  It’s a fun book about a woman, Claire, who is a “Keeper”, which is a member of the select group whih keeps the universe in one piece.  Claire has a cat, Austin, who speaks.  Claire has been Summoned to a B&B and found herself running the B&B as she tries to close a hole to Hell in the basement.  It’s not a hard read, but it’s not dumbed down for anyone, either.  I’m about halfway through and I’m really enjoying it so far.  It’d be a good one for those of you who’d like something to read over the holiday that isn’t too heavy but still gets you involved in the story.

*****

I heard a “new” band on the radio last night.  The station was playing all ska and punk, and this band is called Foxboro Hot Tubs.  Apparantly they are Green Day in disguise or something.  Of course, Green Day hasn’t said anything and/or is denying everything.  The DJ last night said that about 99% of the world is convinced it’s Green Day.  The coolest thing about the Hot Tubs?  You can download ALL of their music for free on their website!!  I’m so there.  We all know I love Green Day, and this song I heard last night was freakin’ awesome.  Here’s an article about the whole Hot Tubs/ Green Day thing.

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And The Trumpet Shall Sound

December 10, 2007 at 9:56 am · Filed under Family, Mr. Universe, holiday, memories, music

Ches was presented with the opportunity to play in Handel’s Messiah this year.  It was another stake in the area (a stake is a unit in our church that is made up of around 9 wards, or congregations), and I guess they get and orchestra and some soloists together and have a sing-along every year for Christmas.

I love the Messiah.  It’s so beautiful, from the opening chords of the introduction to the Halleluia chorus to the end, final, beautiful notes.  I’m not a fan of a lot of vocal music usually, but I do like a good oratorio.  This one feels so divinely inspired and is just amazing.  Of course, Handel was amazing (I love playing Handel, myself), so if we want to put the whole mathematical equation “if a+b=c”… okay nevermind.  I’m not really a math person and I’m boring myself.

Anyway, the performance was last night, and while there were three trumpet players, Ches was the soloist for bass aria “The Trumpet Shall Sound”.  A guy that Ches plays with in another group loaned his piccolo trumpet to Ches for the occasion, so he had fun with that.  Ches was awesome!!  I smiled through the entire aria.  Puffed my chest a bit.  Gave him a bigger smile when he was done and he glanced at me in the audience.  He got lots of compliments afterwards and was even told he is the best soloist they have had.  Yay for Ches! :D

At Ricks College the orchestra and choirs performed Messiah every year for Christmas.  They performed the entire thing.  I know many people found it boring (it’s really quite long), but I found is gorgeous.  I loved attending that.  When Ches and I went to University of Idaho, a friend of ours from Ricks transfered the same year.  She’s a viola player.  The orchestra played Messiah there, too, but Dawn whispered to me one day, “I don’t think this is the same thing.  This arrangement is so much easier, and as a violist, I’m sitting and not playing most of the time.  It wasn’t like that at Ricks.  And I don’t think we’re doing the whole thing, either.”  We giggled about how all the musicians at U of I were so snotty and thinking they were “all that” when we had done much harder stuff (and very successfully, too!) at the “lowly” junior college they all looked down upon.

I’ve never been to a Messiah sing-along before.  Ches didn’t even know that’s what it was until we got there last night.  I checked out my music, and thankfully there were some strong altos sitting in the row behind me.  That was hard stuff!!  But it was pretty exhilerating, too.  I can now say I have performed in the Messiah.  heh.

I can’t wait for next year.  I’ll have to practice. ;)

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The Golden Compass

December 7, 2007 at 10:21 am · Filed under Books, Rant, movies

I have received numerous emails recently (all forwards) “warning” me of the dangers of the new movie “The Golden Compass”.  I believe the movie opens today.  Anyrate… I’m sure many of you have received some of these emails, too.  They basically all say the same thing:  The Golden Compass is based on books by an author who is an atheist and who’s goal is to make children reject religion and realize there is no God. 

If you go on Snopes.com you can read up on this and find out if it’s true or not (Snopes usually does an excellent job of researching and discerning what is true or false).  I read it, and it seems like this is all true, until I realized that not one of their references was an actual interview with the author.  Just with other people, each of which quote the author.

I was talking to a friend of mine about the movie recently, and she went home and talked to her sister.  The sister (who is a mom and active LDS, for those of you who care about that kind of thing) has read all three books.  She said they were excellent.  Very well written.  Yes, at the end of the first one there is something about killing God, but it’s not this piece of evil literature that the emails would have us believe.  She also said the books are not really for children.  My friend found an interview with the author, Phillip Pullman, which you can read here.  I found it quite interesting.

Now, here’s my deal with all of this.  I appreciate everyone who sent me these emails to “warn” me, but I have to say that sending forwards just isn’t always the smartest thing.  If you want to learn about something, you need to do the research yourself.  I don’t like being told to boycott something because they heard something.  It’s just a movie, based on just books.  One of the emails I recieved actually asserted that watching this movie will make kids want to read the books, which will then turn the kids atheist.  I don’t know how true that is.  I don’t see how it can be!  By making blanket statements about boycotting (and signing petitions to boycott), I sense a danger of censorship.  I’m completely against censorship because I am blessed to live in a country that has given us the freedom to believe what we want and say what we want without the repurcussions that some other countries have.  I don’t want someone shoving their beliefs down my throat, but I’m fine with them having a different set of beliefs from me.

I don’t like emails being forwarded to me that tell me what to do without giving compelling reasons WHY I should do it.  I believe if you want to make me aware that I might not like something, sure, give me a head’s up.  However, everyone needs to do their own research and make their own decision.  It’s called Free Will, people.  God gave us brains, so let’s use them! 

I came across another blogger who says all of this a lot better than I am right now, so if you want to read her rant, go see Red.  I don’t agree with everything Red says, but the general idea.  Isn’t that the greatest thing about living when and where we do?  We’re allowed to have differences of opinion and differences of beliefs!!  Yay for us!

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With The Wind Comes The Rain

December 5, 2007 at 11:57 pm · Filed under My Crazy Mind, music

Darkness, depression
A wind of thought flows through my mind
With it comes aggression
Peace I cannot findI try to control my feelings
I burst out crying
My life is peeling
I wish that I was dying

Darkness, depression
A wind of thought flows through my mind
With it comes aggression
Peace I cannot find

With the wind comes the rain
With the wind comes the rain
With the wind comes the rain
With the wind comes the rain…

(Lyrics by Godsend)

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See Ya In 2 Years!

December 4, 2007 at 3:48 pm · Filed under Church, Family

Last night I called one of my younger brothers.  He’s 19, and tomorrow he enters the MTC in Provo to start his mission.  Just after Christmas he will leave the MTC and serve in Philidelphia.  He’s pretty excited to go.  They were driving down to Utah from Boise today and staying with his uncle (my stepmom’s brother).  I was sad that I couldn’t go to Allen’s Farewell, and I doubt we’ll get to go to his Homecoming.  I haven’t seen him in a year already, and it will be at least 2 more years until I see him again.  Allen’s a funny guy.  He’s a big goof who can’t shut up for anything. ;)   Seriously.  He talks SO much!  When he was younger, Vince and Lura and I would offer him money if he could stop talking for 5 minutes.  He never made.  Not once.  Aiden reminds us of Allen a lot of the time.  Allen’s really smart, too.  And very talented.  He’s really into music, so I like him.  heh.

I have another brother, Charles, who is currently serving a mission in Tahiti.  He comes home in 6 months.  We laughed when he got his mission call because Charles is a red-headed, freckled, pale skinned guy.  We said he is going to be burned for two years.  He stocked up on sun screen before he left, and apparantly he is constantly needing more.  hee hee.  Charles’ hair is quite the sight for the Tahitians.  A lot of the people actually ask him if that is his real hair.  The dark skinned, dark haired beauties of Tahiti can’t comprehend that someone actually has that bright red hair, I guess!  Charles had to learn two languages in the MTC in preperation for his mission:  Tahitian and French.  He likes Tahitian better, apparantly.  Last I heard, Charles is serving in an English speaking area, and he likes that the best.  heh.

Charles will get home in 6 months.  Not long before Allen gets home, my brother Sean will leave on his mission.  During Sean’s mission, my youngest brother, Robert, will leave for his mission.  Add into that my brother Richard (different set of parents than Charles, Allen, Sean, and Robert), who leaves on his mission in less than a year and a half.

It’s so cool to see my younger brothers grow up and leave on their missions.  I watched as my brother, Vince, went on a mission as my younger brother, but came home more mature, wise, and spiritual.  His mission not only helped his testimony of the Gospel grow, but got him ready to be an awesome husband and father (and if you want proof of that… go ask his wife what kind of guy he is).

I’ll miss talking to you, Allen.  But I couldn’t be happier for you and this journey you are about to embark upon!

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It Takes All Kinds

December 4, 2007 at 8:54 am · Filed under Family, TV, Younglings

Well, we did it.  We finally cut the cable.  We’ve only been saying we’re going to do this for about a year now!  Okay, maybe not that long, but it’s been quite a while.  We are now down to the rabbit ears and whatever comes through that.  My kids have rediscovered PBS.  Yay for Sesame Street!!

We were watching Sesame Street yesterday, and I realized something major was happening on the show.  Gina was getting ready for a trip and several of the muppets didn’t know where she was going, so she sat down to explain she was going to Guatamala to adopt a baby.

As we’re watching the explanation, Aiden started firing questions at me.  He didn’t understand how she could have a baby when she is not married yet, so I got to talk about how there are all kinds of families.  Some with a mom and a dad.  Some with just a mom.  Some with just a dad.  (I didn’t go into some with two moms and some with two dads because I just didn’t want to deal with THAT subject with him.  Seriously, he asks SO many questions on why and how things work and he’s only FIVE!  Now, if he had a friend or a classmate with two moms or two dads at home, I would gladly talk about it.  But there’s no need right now, right?).  Some kids in families come from their mom’s tummies.  Some kids in families come from someone else’s tummy.  We talked about how it doesn’t matter who’s tummy a baby comes from, their mom and dad loves them no matter what. 

It was kind of a fun discussion because Aiden is really starting to realize how different the world is.  He loves diversity!  He realizes now that just because our family has a mom and a dad and three boys that doesn’t mean every family is the same.  He has a friend that has a mom and a dad who aren’t married anymore, and the little boy lives with his dad and his stepmom most of the time and visits his mom sometimes.  He has a friend who is black and was adopted by two white parents.  He has a friend with two brothers, one sister, a white mother, and a black father.  He has a friend who lives with his two brothers, one sister, his mom, and his grandma and grandpa.  He has friends at school who’s parents don’t speak English.  He has a friend who recently moved here from India.    He has a friend with no brothers or sisters.  It’s a big variety of families, huh?  I like that he gets to learn about all these differences as a young child.  He doesn’t live in a cookie cutter house in a cookie cutter neighborhood with cookie cutter families.  We love variety!!

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