LCC 2011

Check out these future actresses! We had another fun and successful semester with the Lehi Children's Choir. The girls did great on their parts and sure know how to sing and dance! So without further ado...let me introduce to you:

ELTON JOHN

(the video is kinda hard to hear...after Catherine says are you sure you can do this? Kaylee says, "Yeah, We've got this Miss Stambaugh. You just take this semester off and we'll call you when it's done." Her 2nd line is a little easier to understand, talking about how the Beatles "released 24 albums in 7 years. That's almost 4 albums a year!"

Dalmation #4

On this particular night Taylor had a couple of extra lines because one of the dalmatians couldn't be there (they did the show 3 times). Her lines are, "Where is it Dali, surely you know. Tell us which way we all have to go." and "Well put it together, come up with a plan. You're very well trained so we know that you can. And when you do let out a big YELP. Here come your friends who all want to help!"

The Shih Zhu

Emily says, "We've come from the east to welcome you." Her friend says, "My name is Chow." Emily says, "and I'm Shih Zhu". Her 2nd line is, "Oh how exciting! I'd LOVE to go!" (someone coughs right in the middle of it) :) Luckily we will have a much better quality DVD of both shows with all of the dancing and everything!

and the #1 fan that knows all of the songs and dances to BOTH shows!

The Choreographer

(My brother Dale came for a couple of days to choreograph the older choir show which Kaylee was so excited to be part of this year. Dale is absolutely amazing and if you are up in the Boise area he will be performing all summer in Garden Valley, Idaho at the Starlight Mountain Ampitheatre! He is having the time of his life up there!)

Then there is the Director!!

(This lady is incredible and such a dear dear friend! I really enjoy playing the piano for her and although I would much rather hide behind the piano, during the spring semesters I do enjoy helping with all that goes into putting on little mini musicals. The kids are so fun and we sure enjoy seeing them each week! We also really enjoy being a part of this with our own children....right Catherine!) ;)

And last but not least we have:

The Cast of the older choir

and the Cast of the Younger Choir

hmmmm...and who is this guest conductor?!

(This was a month earlier at the Flash basketball game. The Flash Fox decided to step in and speed up our tune a little bit!) :)

And there it is! The girls always have such a good time! I love getting to do something with them every Monday afternoon. I love to watch them perform! Each has their own little personality that they add to the show! Another fun year done!

My HANDsome Man

Back in September I posted this picture of what my wrist looks like at the end of almost every day. It seems like I'm finding rubber-bands all over or that I'll just put an extra one on my wrist in case someone needs one.

Well, like Mother like Son....this boy woke up one morning with the tiniest of rubber bands on his wrist. I had remembered hearing him kinda whimper in the night, but he fell right back to sleep. Matt was the one that got him up in the morning and took these pictures. The picture on the left looks like the rubber band is still there, but it's not. He was swollen for a good couple of days and still putting rubber-bands on his wrists. I didn't realize he had started my bad (didn't know it was so bad) habit.

He recovered just fine. Those piano playing fingers will still work just fine! Actually I remember my Dad always saying something like, "you'd better not ruin your shooting hand by jamming your fingers playing the piano." Anyway, I guess right at first it tingled a little bit, but really he is just fine now and still the king of our world!

And always getting into something!

I know it won't take him long to figure out what we did to his favorite little room in the house!

Thomas is everyone's little buddy! We gotta HAND it to him...he's quite the little man!

Pink Ninjas!

I don't know how to type the karate/ninja sound effect that the girls make after screaming PINK NINJAS and then striking this pose:

We thought we'd try a little bit of a more competitive soccer league this spring with Kaylee. It turned out all right. We struggled a little bit in the league we were in, but I was proud of Kaylee for sticking with it. We were so excited about the coach she was going to have, but unfortunately he can't coach anymore, so the team has fizzled out and we are back to trying new things. These girls were sure fun though! They worked so hard! Go Pink Ninjas!

So, now what do we do with this girl?! She wants to try everything! Right now she is in girls' softball....well...that is if we could ever get a game in with this rain. She wants to start dance....she misses gymnastics....she wants to play the violin, but piano lessons are free. We also just love to stay home and be together. Sometimes that makes me feel like a lazy parent, but I know that's not true. Everything seems so competitive at such a young age. We feel like we have to decide now what they are going to be good at and put ALL of our time and ALL of our money into that one thing. But my kids love EVERYTHING! Hmmmm....decisions decisions. I really really just love that we aren't very busy right now and that my little family can gather around the table at night and be to bed at a great hour! However, I LOVE watching my kids enjoy the activities that they are in and have been in. Where is that balance? Any advice from my faithful "listeners"? :)

She is quite the cute soccer player though huh?! She really did have such a great time! Way to go #12! LOVE YOU!

Women's Conference

I LOVE Women's Conference! Thousands of women gathered together in the Marriott Center and all around campus in Provo to serve, laugh and learn together. I LOVE my Book Club girls that I get to share this experience with! Heather and I sang in the choir together and one of the songs that we sang was "Each Life That Touches Ours For Good". I remember this hymn as I think back on Laramie and my college days a little bit, but wow, the words were so powerful as I sat and sang them with one of my best friends and thought of all my best friends near and far. I have always been blessed with "Christ-like friends whose gentle ways, strengthen my faith, enrich my days!"

The first day it was just 4 of us! We loved doing the take and make projects that go to those in need, and I even did some recruiting for a young women cross-stitch project that I'm working on.

There was 6 of us on day 2 and then we got to meet up with 2 more for dinner!

We even brought them fun treats so they wouldn't feel left out! ;)

Something new we did this year, that I really loved and didn't know if I would, was to go into the service learning rooms and do some service projects while we listened to the speakers. I spent most of my time cross-stitching, but I did crochet a receiving blanket while the other girls made these cute headbands for cancer patients and other cute flowers and projects. Look at us working so hard!

Keeping my hands going really helped me to listen better and I didn't think it would. I was still able to take some great notes. I've been posting some on Facebook, so hopefully I won't duplicate too much.

Sometimes I can have a really hard time coming home from big events like women's conference or girls' camp or even conference weekends. I get all these goals in my head that I want to accomplish the first day and then by day 2 I crash really hard. I didn't do that this year, thanks to the first and last talk of the conference. In the first talk Sister Virginia Hinckley Pearce quoted

Alma 37:6: "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

She also talked about a sticky note she kept on her computer that said, "Keep it small, keep it simple, give it time."

Then, Elder Bednar was the last speaker (he is definitely one of my favorite apostles!) He talked about not being a spiritual spurter! The whole talk was fantastic but at the end he talks about being frequent and focused like a drip irrigation system. Not a spurter who "who is given to short bursts of spectacular effort followed by frequent and lengthy periods of rest". "If you and I are focused and frequent in receiving consistent drops of spiritual nourishment, then gospel roots can sink deep into our soul, can become firmly established and grounded, and can produce extraordinary and delicious fruit,”

So, now, I will share some of my favorite quotes and hopefully we can all remember to just take things one day, one step, one moment at a time! :)

It is essential to slow down a little.

PRAYER WORKS!!

Ideals are stars to steer by; They are not a stick to beat ourselves with.

We compare our biggest weaknesses with others' biggest strengths. We become bitter instead of better. "The only person I need to be better than is the person I was yesterday."

We are a work in progress.

I didn't give you this calling to move the rock, but to push. So push along.

We are rather ordinary people trying to do an extraordinary work.

We live with an inseparable connection to the priesthood. Is my home blessed every hour by the strength of priesthood power?

Battle, don't suffer!

We need to be grateful for the giver, not just the gift.

We need to devote more of our prayers to words of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Our possessions can keep us from travelling light in this life.

Do we walk hand in hand together with our spouses and family and the Lord in all our decisions?

Take care of our physical and spiritual well-being...Early to bed, early to rise....exercise....Physical nourishment...Prayer--asking in faith (that was Sister Bednar's talk...it was simple but right to the point...I LOVED it!)

One of my favorite quotes was from the concert Thursday night. Heather and I stay for the concert every year! We LOVE it! And this year was one of the best! (well, until her car broke down on the way home...but luckily 1--at the last minute we took a different route that kept us out of traffic, 2--our neighbor was working late, had just gotten into the car and was able to pick us up within minutes, AND 3--Heather's mechanic was blocks away! Like Heather would say....tender mercies!) :)

Sorry, where was I?! Yes, the concert. Hilary Weeks spoke for a minute and I remember when she said the following quote Heather and I just looked at each other in awe! It was right on! And really made us miss our littles....almost enough to skip Friday's conference...ALMOST! ;)

Click on it to see it. Hopefully you can see it just fine. It just reminded me that yes...I do LOVE being a mother! I love to talk and laugh with my children! I need to listen and love more! It was a powerful thought, "...I will spend eternity knowing my daughter as an adult. But tonight, right here, right now, and for the next few precious years, I have the rare privilege of knowing her as a child. What a gift to experience the children in our lives as children!"

Anyway, women's conference was amazing! I've really enjoyed going through my notes and adding some of my thoughts in my own personal journal. Life is still crazy and sometimes hard, but I'm thankful for the renewed strength I have to read my scriptures, say my prayers and love my family. I need to remember to take everything just one "drip" at a time!