O Holy Night- Hailey's Christmas Recital

Home for the Holidays-Hailey's Christmas Recital

Count Your blessings- Hailey's Christmas Recital

I love listening to this girl sing!  This year she got to sing at a retirement community, and she got to do three songs.
 

Hailey, your confidence to get up in front of all these people amazes me!  Great job!  Your voice is beautiful, and you are beautiful inside and out.  We love you!!!

Young Woman Recognition

I'm really late posting this, but I really didn't want to miss it.  Back in December, Hailey was able to get her Young Women's Recognition Award.  She's worked very hard and spent many hours on her goals and projects.  She also only had until the end of the year to finish it because our leaders put a new program in place. Typically girls had until the age of 17 and a half, but when they changed things, she had until she was 15.  Way to go, Hailey!  We are so proud of the hard work and dedication it took to get this award!! We love you!

A Blessing Found in an Organ

I've been trying to learn the organ now for a couple of years.  When I was called as ward organist, I didn't know a thing.  A kind gal in our ward showed me the ropes in about 20 minutes and said I didn't need to do the pedals.  That was my plan.  But then, I kind of fell in love with learning this beautiful instrument.  I wanted to learn the ins and outs of the pedals.  But it's been tricky. I didn't have an organ and had to go to the church to practice.  I just haven't had enough time to practice as much as I've needed to get good at the pedals.  I've been online off and on looking at organs to buy for about 18 months, and I haven't found one with a full pedalboard, or if they did have one, it was the wrong kind, or they just cost too much.  Also, I had no idea where I'd put such a huge instrument. They take up a five by five-foot space!

About two months ago, I looked at our furniture upstairs and decided it had to go.  I talked to Bo about getting new couches because ours were just worn out.  I thought about it for a couple of weeks, and then we decided to go shopping for some.  After looking around, we really didn't find any we liked, and if we wanted some, they were the wrong color.  We ended up going home empty-handed, and I was kind of bummed because I wasn't sure where to go from there.

The next morning I woke up really early and had an idea come to me (this is usually when I get good ideas).  I had the thought that I should just move the furniture that's in our living room out, and that would open up my living room for a music room.  I told Bo, and he was excited because he didn't want to spend money on furniture.  Haha.

I decided to look online for an organ and see if there was anything reasonably priced.  I found one that looked like it might work, but I couldn't tell.  It was only $350, so I was sure it was going to have some problems to fix. I decided to check out a piano store in Idaho Falls to see what they had.

I went to the Piano Gallery, and they told me they don't really sell church organs but gave me a number of a guy who does.  I called and talked to him.  He was super helpful and told me what models to get for playing in church, and then he told me the cost.  Right around $5000 and that they only sell about 6 used ones a year.  I was bummed.  I couldn't rationalize getting an organ for that much.  I had every intention of practicing and using it often, but life gets busy, and who knows what will happen.  That's a costly hobby, especially if you only spend a few hours a year on it.

I decided to do some more research.  I messaged the guy selling the organ I was looking at and found out everything worked, and he hadn't sold it yet.  Then I did some research and found out what size of pedalboard church organs' use.  I messaged him back.  He measured his, and I found out it was just what I was looking for!  I couldn't believe it!  Everything had fallen into place, and $350 was in my price range for an organ.  Bo and I jumped on it and drove down to Utah to pick it up.

Isn't she pretty!

Now, just reading this story, you would think there was nothing special tied up in all of it.  But, I know that's not the case.  I had looked for an organ for about 18 months and had only seen an organ like that come up.  The price? $1400.  Too much for my hobby.  The idea to make my living room a music room?  Not mine, but an impression I had had.  The guidance I got from the piano store guy, to the organ guy, to the websites I needed to find out if the organ I could afford was indeed the one I wanted couldn't have been better.  This all happened in a matter of 5 days, and I had the organ in 7.  All I started out looking for were new couches.  This organ was a gift for me.  I just know it.  The timing of it all couldn't have been more perfect.

Every Sunday morning, since I've been called to play as ward organist, I've been a nervous wreck.  It's scary to get up there!  It has gotten easier over time, but never easy because it was always so hard to make it to the church to practice enough to get my songs down, and it took about 20 minutes to get warmed up Sunday morning (while people were sitting and listening).

Now, I can practice at home and warm-up for Sacrament Meeting before I leave and not in front of those who come way early.  It's been such a blessing to me, and Sunday's are so much more enjoyable.  Heavenly Father really is in the day to day of our life.  If we look, we will see Him.  I'm grateful to him for this beautiful gift.

A bit more...

I wanted to make our music room an inviting place for all of us to practice.  Conrad and Brayden are playing piano, Hailey is taking voice, and Jackson is learning Cello.  Oh, and Caleb likes to pretend he can play.  Now that the kids are in school, I want to put time aside every day to practice at least an hour.

I spent hours searching through old art and quotes and music to find just the right art to print off.  Then more hours on Pinterest trying to figure out how to put it all together.  Then more hours getting the frames, painting some of them, printing off each item in the frame, and putting it on the wall.  I did have a small panic attack just before I started putting the frames up, nut sure how this was going to go.  But, I pushed through, and I love how it turned out.  It's not trendy, but it's so warm and inviting.  The kids love it, and I felt guided in this too.  I've really learned the past 9 months or so that music has such a powerful effect on us.  I want our kids to learn what good music feels like, and this space is a place for that.

Here are some of the pics on the walls.  I made the quotes from pics I took or found online.  It was an enjoyable project, and I learned a lot.  Now I just sit in there and take it all in and remember where it all came from.

Halloween 2019

Halloween 2019 was busy.

We had a ward party with a trunk-or-treat, dinner, and carnival games.  The same night was game seven of the world series, so half of the family went over to the warehouse to watch that.  There were class parties, dress-up days, and oodles of treats.

Then Halloween night came.  The three younger kids went with Bo and me for trick or treating.  It was the coldest few days ever recorded, so we drove them around.  Our neighborhood had grown so much the past couple of years that they got lots of candy, and it took about an hour and a half.  Before, it took an hour at the most.  The older kids spent the evening with friends.  It's so weird that our kids are growing up to the point that next year we'll only have two kids that will trick or treat.

 Hailey was a time traveler from the 1940s.  This dress was my grandma Lorna's, and my mom thinks it might have been her wedding dress.  It fits her perfectly.  I had to document the hair because it took quite a while to do, and Hailey loved it.  I wonder if she was really meant to have been born in that decade.  She loves the styles from then.

Conrad was Mario, and Nani was an Ewalk from Star Wars.

Jackson was a swat team leader.

Caleb looks like a possessed Harry Potter in every picture I took.  But, He couldn't wait to get going, and it shows.  Haha.

 Here they are with their goodies:

I'm happy that all of the kids like dressing up still.  I'm not sure how much longer it will last.  But it's fun to see what they come up with.  Each costume totally fits their personality.

Hailey's Voice

Hailey learned Defying Gravity from Wicked for a voice performance.  It was my favorite she's ever done.  I love this song, and it was even better hearing her perform it.

Here's a link to the recording.

Also, she tried out for All-State Choir and got in.  She gets to go at the end of January.  She'll spend a few days in Nampa with about 150 to 200 other choir kids around the state.  They sing together and have a dance.  That's about all I know.  We'll know a little more.

Girls Weekend!

My Mom, sister, and sisters-in-law all met up in Salt Lake to have a girls' weekend.  We spent Friday night in Park City.  We pretty much shopped til we dropped.  It was so fun, and we found some great stuff.  We drove back to Salt Lake to our hotel.  Amie and Jeanie had to leave Friday night but stayed and talked with us until around 11.  We've never done this before, but I want to make it a tradition.  It was enjoyable.

The Salt Lake temple is going to be closed at the end of December for 4 years for a remodel.  We decided we'd better take the chance to go before it closes down and see what it was like inside before.  I also really wanted to go through a live session.  I hadn't ever done that before.  All I can say was it was so amazing.  I had a bunch of new insights going through.  I want to go back.

Sunday morning, we went to Music and the Spoken Word.  It was cool to see the choir perform in the tabernacle.  I was glad we did it.

Thanks to all you amazing gals!  It takes a lot to arrange a weekend away, but I sure am glad we were able to get together!

Here are some pics!

Fox Apartments

About 2 and a half years ago, Bo and his partner took on a new partner Jake Shumway.  They decided to build rental apartments in Rigby.  There just aren't a lot of places to rent here, and people are moving here at a rapid pace needing places to live, long and short term.

It has been a challenge every step of the way.  They have learned a great deal over these past years with working with the city, contractors, and inspectors.  Bo has enjoyed branching out and trying something new.  I always said if he hadn't done eCommerce, he would have been in real estate.  He looks up real estate often, just for fun.

Here are some pics of the first two buildings.  They are planning on doing about 8 more.

Our Second Year of Hunting

Making jerky

Jack and his Doe

I think I forgot to post about the boys all getting their hunting licenses and going hunting last year.  Quickly, I just want to post that Jackson is our hunter.  He got Bo and Conrad to do their hunter safely so they could go.  He absolutely loved coming home from school and studying all that information.  It was fun to watch him learn something he loved.  This year they drove to Mackay in freezing temperatures, down to the teens at night.  But that wasn't stopping them.  I don't think anything would have.

Right now, they just hunt deer and go for an extended weekend.  They camp in the RV and take the RZR around looking for deer.  Jack got a deer last year, and so Conrad got the first shot this year.  But, Conrad decided Jackson could have the first shot because he wanted a bigger one.  He shot and got his.  Conrad shot a got him, but they were never able to fink his deer.  Such a bummer.

But, they had a great time together anyway.  I love that they get to go and have some "man time" together while learning a skill.  Bo is such a great dad (so much more fun than me).

Bo took Conrad another evening last Wednesday with Brayden watching.  They had fun but weren't able to get a deer.  Well, there's next year.  Also, next year Brayden will be 10 and get to go with the boys.  He will LOVE it.

Here are the highlights!

Such a gorgeous place!