Up to Date!

As you can see, I've decided to be part of the "in crowd" and start a blog. Really, I love reading my kids blogs and decided to try it. I've noticed that I feel like I know what's going on with them, but they have no idea what is going on with me......So....here I go!

Right now things are nice and calm. December was impossible. Madrigals had 25 or so performances, depending on how you count. We did a big concert at the high school with all the choirs. Salt Lake Choral Artists had a big concert and I did a smaller performance with the ladies group there. I wrote a major paper for my Survey of Music Theory class and a major project for my Choral Literature class. In between I had to keep teaching high school and go to class at the U. Let's just say that by the time Christmas break came around I was beyond exhausted.

So...I've spent this wonderful 2 week break not doing much of anything I don't have to. Stephanie came over and helped me bake goodies for Christmas, which was way more fun than doing it myself. We had a wonderful Christmas eve together with Scott, Stephanie and Mark, Drew and Tanya and of course Zoe.

Christmas day Drew and Tanya though not far away got snowed in and couldn't come! That was a big disappointment for Grandma. All was not lost thought we still had Scott, Stephanie and Mark. Mostly Scott and I watched as Stephanie and Mark opened their gifts. It was fun to see Stephanie's expression of pure shock as she opened the camera.

Since the snow was still falling and it looked very ugly outside we didn't go to Cornish's as planned for the traditional breakfast, but stayed home and had crepes without the Breakfast caserole. It was still good though.

Around 1:00 pm Stephanie and Mark decided to venture into the snow to try to get to Mark's family in time for the Christmas phone call from his missionary brother Kyle.

Drew and Tanya finally made it over around 3:30 pm. So Scott and I had a second Christmas opening presents with them.

My children gave me a minature of the Chritus statue from Temple Square! I love it! (I couldn't open it earlier because it was with Drew and Tanya.) I have put it on the mantle in the family room. It really brings Christ into that room. It is so elegant and yet so meaningful!

Anyway....it was a good Christmas, in spite of the snow.

Now it is the end of December and almost the New Year. As I look forward I see many challenges, and great opportunities.

Challenges
1. I start conducting lessons with Dr. Brady Allred at the University of Utah. This will be challenging because I need to learn to take his critiques as ways to be a better conductor, not as personal assessments. This will be difficult because I am very intimidated by him.
2. We will be getting a new principal at the High School in January. Mary Bailey is the best principal I have every worked with and I will miss her greatly. Her shoes will be hard to fill. We are all a little scared because we have had principals who aren't as supportive as she has been.
3. I hope the music I ordered before Christmas is here in time to start it when school starts again. We will be getting ready for Solo and Ensemble, Choir Festivals (plural), and performance of Haydn's "Lord Nelson Mass" and Choir Tour. Not to mention our own school concerts and graduation in the spring. Really, once school starts it is just run, run, run until graduation.
4. Scott. I don't know what to do.
5. We're trying to finish a bedroom in the basement. I'd like to do the bathroom too.
6. The way scheduling at the university has worked out and in spite of the my best efforts at planning otherwise it looks like I will have to take 9 Credit Hours next fall or wait another year to graduate. That really scares me since 6 credit hours of graduate work has been enough to practically kill me off!
7. I hope to refinance my house at a lower interst rate and also have some money to actually pay for graduate school.
8. My poor father is getting old. Doug and Rosemary do an excellent job of caring for him, but I do a very poor job of staying in touch with him. I need to do better.

Opportunities
1. I get to take conducting lessons with Dr. Allred.
2. Hopefully by the end of this year I will be almost done with my Master's Degree!
3. I'm going to go to Oklahoma City in March to the American Choral Director's Association Convention with some of my friends from the U.
4. Choir Tour! We are going to San Diego and it should be great fun.....once we actually get on the bus and I don't have to worry about who's paid and who owes money and who can't pay now, etc., etc.
5. I hope we're going to get a bedroom and possibly a bathroom in the basement finished. (We meaning Ansje, Drew, Mark, and Scott. I just supply the money for materials.)
6. Amy and Vaughn might come to visit!!
7. I get to spend lots of quality time with Zoe and her parents.
8. No college this summer! What to do, what to do! I'll have time to read, quilt, clean, organize, etc.
9. I will visit Amy and Vaughn at least once maybe twice or more if I'm really lucky.
10. I get to spend time with some of the best teenagers in the world as we work to learn music and perform. I also get to spend time with some of the alumni who have stayed in touch with me.
11. I will also spend some quality time with my group of friends (the flamingos) and we will laugh, and talk and eat and have loads of fun.

So all in all I think it will be a busy but great year. I hope you all have a year filled with challenges and opportunites as well.