New 2008 Family pics

Here's our new family pictures!

Now it's time for an update....

Wow, I have not even thought about blogging for a while! Time to catch up. It's been a busy month so far, but fun. Here is Richard raking our leaves. We don't have any trees in our yard so they've blown over from somewhere. Isn't it a great pile? (I'm being sarcastic.) The kids still had fun!

We celebrated Ethan's 8th birthday with taking him and his friends to Jump On It (the day after his birthday) which they loved. And we had cake and ice cream at the house afterwards.

I held a Christmas recital on the 5th for my piano students which turned out really nice. But boy, it's been a while since I've actually played a solo in front of anyone. Slightly nerve racking! I think the actual recital hall was a bit intimidating for my students but definitely good experience, right? Ethan even played a few songs. I was so proud of him!

Ethan was baptized on the 6th, (after his birthday party with his friends). It's so strange to think Richard and I are old enough to have an 8 year old now! But, it was so special to see him baptized. He was excited and maybe a bit nervous.

Ethan sure has had a big and busy month! In fact, the birthday, recital and baptism all happened in about a 24 hour period. It's starting to calm down a bit. At least for this week anyway. Now all the practicing and performing I've been doing with piano is done, I can actually focus on my house, kids and shopping! I helped out with a ward Christmas musical fireside on Sunday night and it was the first time I actually started to feel the Christmas spirit. Today, it hit me a bit more with the snow and the fact that I could go shopping. The kids and I decorated a gingerbread house tonight and listened to Christmas music. I do love this time of year!

Piano madness!

December is always a crazy month for me at the piano. Most of the time, I love it. For the last few years in my previous ward, I played for the choir for the Christmas musical fireside. For those of you who know the former choir director for that ward, knows how she loves challenging pieces. I always had my work cut out for me!

So after moving to a new ward, I didn't think I would do anything for anyone. There are a lot of piano players in my ward and not many people really know me. Which is fine.

A friend of mine wanted to get a group going to sing Christmas songs at enrichment nights or ward christmas parties. That sounded fun! So I said I'd play piano for them. We've got 8 women who are singing. Well, I got about 7 songs for that one to work on. Then, she wanted to have a ward Christmas musical fireside. I said I'd play. So I got 7 more to work on. Okay! I had to pass on a few to someone else, cause it was a lot to try and do. Now I have 4 for that night. So we're up to 11 songs that I'm working on.

Then my same friend asked me to play for her in relief society next sunday. I said yes (I don't think I can say no!) Plus I love the song that she's singing which is 'O Holy Night'. Then yesterday the young women asked me to play for them for a song they're singing next sunday also in relief society. Yep! Doing that one.

I have a recital that I'm holding for my piano students this Friday night and guess who's planning on playing a solo? Yep. I'm honestly thinking about backing out of that one. But, some of my students haven't really heard me play a whole lot. We'll see how much time I get to work on my song with ALL the others I'm playing. Come to think of it, I'd probably better get going and go practice! I start to get all worked up if I haven't played anything for a few hours. I was at the piano yesterday for 4 1/2 hours! Part at home and the other part at the church practicing with the groups and choir.

So that's 14 songs! I'm crazy! I do enjoy it though. I'm glad I can help out and especially play some really beautiful songs that are about the Savior. But, I am looking forward to the 15th when it will all be done! (Unless I say yes to someone else between now and then!)