Conner sings for his icecream

Conner sings for his icecream a video by efiw on Flickr.

I had been trying to get him to sing to me all weekend, so when he asked one night after dinner for ice cream, I told him there was ice cream for anyone who could sing me the Doxology. :)  Sneaky Auntie.  Mama backed me up though!!
I adore his little "Elmer Fudd" sound.  

Olympic Hopeful

Our son is and, honestly, always has been a performer. If any of you watched the hanging of the Christmas ornaments video, you know he likes the camera. More than that he has talent. He is gifted in so many arenas, in fact, that it's a little overwhelming.

At Joel and Courtney's wedding in October, Aunt Marilyn (a performer in her own right), gave him the name of an agent to contact if he ever wanted to seek representation and pursue acting, singing, songwriting, dancing, modeling as a career (or even just to earn $$ toward further education).
3 weeks ago he auditioned for that agent. He performed 2 songs, one accapella (they had no piano for him) & one on guitar (both original pieces. Music and lyrics by him), read a cold script, and presented a self-choreographed dance.
He walked away with all 10's.
The agency asked him to be a part of the USA team at the World Championship of Performing Arts (a team of about 300 kids from 8-19 years old in 25 categories of performance) & to come and begin training with some of the coaches. An "olympics" of performance talent.
He'll be training in voice, instrument, poise, acting, perfomance, exercise, +.  The next 6 months will be intense.
He is moving in March and I will see him little to none over the time he is training, and my heart is sad to have to let go a bit more, but blessed to see him happy and pursuing a dream.
This is not the road I would have chosen for him - but it isn't mine to choose. I'm learning to be a whole new kinda of mama.
I'm also learning to be a whole new kind of daughter of God.
Trust. So simple in theory, but when you have no way of controlling the circumstances around you, when there is nothing you can do if something goes wrong &, worse, it is flesh and blood dearer than your own that is on the line, trust becomes your only sustenance.
Ps. 37:5 is my mantra right now-
"Commit all to the Lord. Trust Him also."
(I go for simplicity)
I'll keep you posted as things progress. He is writing personal monolouges, giving notices for his departure, making arrangements to live and work there, and dealing with the general stresses of life (car troubles, paying bills, things not working right...).
Next week I'm taking his promo shots. Nice that my photography skills come in handy somewhere.
Pray for us.

Bird Song

Ok - I did think of one thing I could tell you about that is rather AWESOME!

A few years ago, through a website called LA Blogotheque, J introduced me to a musician named Andrew Bird. The site is a bunch of random (well produced) videos of up and coming - usually indie - artists in public settings. They are called "The Take-Away Shows". The video was of this lone little man and his guitar, wandering up some cobbled lane in France, whistling and warbling. I wasn't overly impressed with his vocals, but was enchanted enough to continue delving into his music via the internet.

Fast forward to 2008. Andrew's last album, Soldier On,

was one of my very favorite, all-time albums. It won me over. I love the raw, edgy, quirkiness of his music - yet, he is an amazing instrumentalist & fun to listen to. They are calling his music 'whistle rock'. :o)

So on to the big news... He already has another album coming out! "Noble Beast" is due out on the 20th. Unlike "Soldier On" it is full length, and completely new stuff! He did an interview on NPR and you can listen to the entire album free too!

I'm so excited to soon be filling our days with sweet Bird songs!

And just to catch you up in the swirling, symphonic, whistle-filled wonderland - here is one more video.

Christmas Q's

Heather asked us to do this. It's one I think I've done before, but what the hey!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper! I used to wrap professionally in the pre-J days! I love to make smooth creases and tie the packages up with ribbons. Wrapping is theraputic.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial ~ Allergies prevent me from walking into my back yard and cutting one down to bring into the house - how sad is that?
3. When do you put up the tree? Since Tof has gotten old enough to help - ASAP after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? The day before school starts again.
5. Do you like eggnog? not even the scent!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got a pet radio. They were these transistor radios inside the body of a stuffed animal. I would fall asleep curled up with Hepsaba singing to me. She was a mouse with a mob cap and aproned dress. :o) I had her until I got married!
8. Easiest person to buy for? Tof this year.
9. Do You have a nativity scene? 4! One in the window, One under the tree for kids to play with, one all in one piece that sits on the Organ, & one in an ornament on the tree.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail definately! I am a tactile person!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? 5 disc CD changer. J wanted it, I got it -- from him.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? As a child - A Charlie Brown Christmas. As an Adult - too many! It's a Wonderful Life, The Nativity Story, Annie, Elf, Miralcle on 34th, Prancer, Charlie Brown, Rudolph claymation, ...
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? all year long!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not as a gift. I have taken things to Goodwill for others to buy.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas Breakfast Casserole (tradition post coming about this soon!)
16. Lights on the tree? Yes - all White and tiny.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Pretty much all of them. I'm waiting for one of my guys to write my all time favorite, though.
18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Stay home - so sad. We always have Christmas eve service to do, & then there are the 3 treacherous mountain passes, not to mention the Storm warnings in effect for Wasington State this week.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Thank You Mr. Burl Ives - yes I do!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel - we've had her since we were married! (thanks to my Mommy)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning! We get up, start a fire, put on Christmas music, get the coffee goin', pop the casserole in the oven, and call the kids upstairs!
22. Hardest thing about this time of the year? I think, for me, it is the sadness I feel for those who don't believe Jesus came.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? White and Red (big surprise there!) or Aqua and Silver.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Ham with the carrots and potatoe wedges cooked in with it, potatoe rolls, Garlic Dills, olives to make frog fingers with and Sparkling Cider.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Everything I really want is too expensive and pie-in-the-sky-ish. I'm so loved by my family, that is really all I could ask for. I enjoy watching them open what I have pondered and considered and chosen more than receiving -Honest! I'm not a great receiver.

Senior Recitial

For the first year we were here Sabrina was with us often. She played on the worship team, sat with us at church, came out for dinner a few times ~ Then she became renowned! She began playing with the MSU symphony, the Bozeman symphony, & traveling with a string quartet all on top of studying and trying to have a life! She flew to Italy last summer and I'm sure she will be returning. We've missed her, but are so proud of all she has accomplished and can't wait to see what God does as she graduates and sets out into the world of Music!

A Night to Remember

*Disclaimer* I didn't use flash due to the distraction I knew it would be, nor did I attempt to try to manually manipulate the camera in the darkness - needless to say the photos are blurry.

Our 20 year anniversary just passed. The revelry was overshadowed a bit by all the activity(Thanksgiving, Cassia's 19th bday, worship practice, photo shoots...), so we agreed to spread out the celebration. When I finally arrived in Bozeman 2 years ago, our first date was The Jeni Fleming Trio's goodbye concert. It was a magical evening for me. I was together with my husband again after 2 long months and one week prior to that night we had quietly passed our 18 year anniversary. We don't go see many concerts. #1 we can't justify the outlay of dough for something that lasts a couple hours and you have nothing to show for it at the end, & #2 there are many people we do not feel comfortable supporting. Jake and Jeni Fleming do not fall into either one of those categories. They love this community. Its musicians, its everyday people, its businesses, and its culture are something they invest in. Bozeman, in turn, loves them back.
Jeni has an amazing voice and, to be honest, I'm surprised she is not more widely celebrated. It may be on purpose ~ intentional on their part. They teach instruments and voice to the underprivileged, give scholarships to attend music camps and to encourage music majors, and they put on concerts for $15 just so those of us who are friends can come and see them without breaking the bank.
I love watching Jake, in his element, lost in the music. He grooves, bops, directs, makes Jeni laugh, and totally loves what he is doing. They are both very true and loyal to those they call friends and, in so doing, they have many. Jeni's voice carries you away. Sweet, powerful, funky, and lilting all in one song sometimes. The audience literally sits in awe. Then they bring in a few of those friends, who also are extremely gifted, to jam with them for a few evenings and we get to enjoy the phenom unfold.
Craig mesmerizes us with his guitar, Chris has us wrapped around his fingers as he tickles the ivories, Ben practically jerks us to our feet to cheer as he wails on a FLUTE of all things! Adam and Kelly keep our feet tappin', make us giggle at their interchanges, and give us the need to groove.We sat next to a lady from California who knew Cassia from the Garage and couldn't say enough about our girl! :o) She had brought her nephew, Ben, who takes guitar lessons from Jake. On the other side of us was a couple who knew friends of ours in Moses Lake! Such a small world.

We loved every moment last night!
Jeni, if you read this, Thank you. It will be another magical memory for many years to come!

Worship Without Borders

Tim and Maryl are here for a 5 day worship symposium. Last night we met at the Schlender's for dinner, worship and a lesson.

It was one of the most awesome, sweetest times of worship I have ever experienced. Everyone sang out in abandon, giving God all of themselves. It was life changing.

We left with the snow drifting down and this morning we have 4 inches! I'm so glad we are inside for more time of worship and fellowship!

Food, Funk, Friends (not necessarily in that order!)

When I was in 6th grade we moved to Wenatchee, WA. We weren't wealthy, I was insecure, and I was the new kid in school. That doesn't make for an easy adolescence. Little did I know that God had something in store for me that would not only make me wealthy, it would last a lifetime - through several more schools and moves, through foreign countries, colleges, marriages, & kids. That something was a friend, Laura Christensen. Our choir teacher introduced us, but it was our foundation in Christ that sustained us. Laura was the only christian I knew at school. She lived just blocks from me. She and I both played flute. We both enjoyed quizzing. Our love of God and what He was doing in our hearts and lives was our constant reconnection point, however. This past Thursday, after 8 years, 2 boys, and a few moves, Laura and I were together again! She is a lawyer in the Seattle area and she blessed me by putting things on hold, kissing all her men (that would be her husband Jason and her 2 sons, Brennan & Fox) goodbye & hopping a plane to Bozeman just to catch up with me. She tagged along with our home group too. We all had planned to go listen to Scotty's band, The Big Caboose & The Soul Penetrators, play @ Chico Hot Springs Friday night. J & I, Laura, Dan, Jess, Kaitlin, Sadie, Shannon, Abby, Jon, Sam, Sara, & Peter packed into 2 vehicles and headed out for a night of gettin' our groove on.

A night out with a bunch of friends isn't common for any of us and we were makin' the most of it.
Naomi was on her own little adventure this week, but Peter was thinkin' about her.
We stopped in Livingston @ the Rib & Chop for dinner. 2 of Laura's friends from quizzing days met us there too. The guys were salivating over the thought of devouring hurkin' slabs o' grilled flesh. Us girls wanted salads and soup and baked potatoes :o) Viva la differance! When we were thoroughly engorged, we loaded back up and drove down the road to Chico so we could work of dinner with Scotty's nasty, funk. A little Steevie Wonder, a little Ludacris, a bit o' Commodores, and of course Mr. James Brown and we were workin' the floor.
MOST of us danced until we were ready to drop. You can tell we all have jobs, families, and schedules though, because we didn't even make it til 1AM before we were saying g'dbye and cramming into our vehicles to come home and crash!
Laura and I mainly just hung out and chatted. 8 years of Christmas letters had kept us apprised of what was happening in each other's lives, but those are highlight reels. This was the time for the unabridged version. So we took walks and sat in the wonder of creation and found each other's hearts again. We still have so much in common after all these years. Our mindset of raising family, our desire to let go of what we can't control and let God have His way, laughing over our kids and their antics, our love for our husbands and cinnamon rolls...

Thank you, Laura. Thank you for putting enough value in our friendship to put trials and cases on (semi) hold, buying plane tickets and flying hundreds of miles spur of the moment without the boys, just to catch up with your insecure little cribbage partner from Washington Elementary. I love you!

A Charlie Brown Kind of Day

Thursday we headed downtown for Music on Main. We went to watch Scotty and Clay (Big Caboose and the Soul Penetrators) - This is what we saw instead....

I felt like the end of a Charlie Brown scene - WWA WWa Wwa wwa...

What a let down. They are such major player on the music scene around here that they rarely play public gigs.

We went home - dragging our tails behind us... :o(

Album Art

Tofer had his sister and I out shooting photos of him for his "album" - whenever that happens! This is an old guitar someone gave him for stacking wood! He put on my grampa's old, wool, hunting pants with patched knees and found some other things to put him in "character" and here we are at the Hobo Shoot!
Cricket had to get in on the action too, but I think next time we might have to borrow Oat - she seems a bit more like a travelin' dog than our queen bee does!

The Recording

Tofer, Cassia and our friend James Schlender (Who stands as 8th best fiddler in the US! He was 13 when he won that title!) recorded Tof's new worship song that I blogged on! Hope you enjoy it!

I posted about this past week below.

Minding the Mission

Wow! What a week!!

J and I spent most of the week in Billings hearing about the Great Commission and building relationships with other pastors and their wives and families.

It was also some great time alone as a couple. :oD

J got to lead worship Tuesday night with some of his buds. Our prayer during the preparation week was that the pastors would feel built up and edified, and energized in their spirits as they were lead into the throneroom. God definatly did all that and more than we could have asked for. It was an evening of anointing. Both the worship and the message of what He is accomplishing throughout the world, exalted and glorified God alone! I was very proud of my guy and our friends.

Our kids stayed home and did their school work and chores! We have THE BEST kids in the universe! You can not convince me otherwise! They are simply awesome, by the grace of God!

4 days, 3 nights, and no time apart from eachother, yet we came home to a clean house, happy siblings, no broken bones, and school assignments totally completed!

They recorded the worship song that I blogged about, so as soon as I figure out how to embed an audio track onto blogger without it being a video... I'll let you know!

Brotherly Love

Tofer is becoming a wonderful songwriter. What is really special is that he loves when Cassia harmonizes with him. He'll write a chorus and then rush up the stairs to show her. By the second time through she has her harmony and begins to sing out, right along with him. He goes back down the stairs smiling and excited to continue writing. When the opportunity came for him to minister in song to the congregation, he wouldn't do it unless Cassia was available. (She is a busy girl right now) It not only worked for her, but God brought together others who wanted to help make this moment as worshipful as possible!

This is them performing "Holy God" together for offeratory~ along with Tanner on drums, Scott on bass, and Mike on rhythm guitar. It was beautiful :O) I'll have to get Tof to put it on the computer so you can hear it.

As He Becomes Clear

I love music! (Why do you think I married a musician?) I don't spend hours hitting the rewind button trying to get a lick down just right, but none the less, there is nothing that brings me to my knees quicker or lifts me to the throne of God faster than a song.

I am a dancer at heart. Always have been, always will be, even when I'm 80! So, I love things that get me stirred up a and set my feet to groovin', but 2 artists have an uncanny ability to render me helpless. A puddle, if you will... Their lyrics - My prayer.

Chris Rice questions, yet praises still. His very human cries for belonging, feelings of worthlessness, and forthrightness with his tendancy to wander validate my own heart, yet don't leave me to wallow there. He never finishes without retelling me that "God is Big Enough", that "He still wants to hold me and use me", and that He "races to meet me and bring me back to life".

Bebo Norman is the other one. I get teased about this one all the time. Everyone thinks I like him because he is handsome. Have you listened to his lyrics? He breaks my heart. My knees bend in submission to the Spirit's whisper that invades the hardened shell as he sings. He is handsome - get over it and see his heart. I happen to have a dangerously handsome man of my own with a voice that melts me quite effectively.

This morning I cried. I turned on my playlist on Rhapsody and went on editing photos. By the end of the first song, first chorus I was useless as God spoke and I repented -again- for my indifference and self sufficiancy. Here's it is (prepare to be jello):

Disappear Bebo Norman
On a day like this I want to crawl beneath a rock

A million miles from the world

The commotion that never seems to stop
And on a day like this I want to run from the routine

Run away from the daily grind

That can suck the life right out of me
I only know of one place I can run to…

CHORUS:

I want to hide in You

The Way, The Life, The Truth

So I can disappear

And love is all there is to see

Coming out of me

And you become clear

As I disappear

I don't want to care about earthly things

Be caught up in all the lies

That trick my eyes

They say it's all about me
I'm so tired of it being about me

CHORUS:

I want to hide in You

The Way, The Life, The Truth

So I can disappear

And love is all there is to see

Coming out of me

And you become clear

As I disappear

2Co 3:16 Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are--face to face!
2Co 3:17 They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it!
2Co 3:18 All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

As He Becomes Clear...

Words of Ironic Dust

As a parent, am I the only one who sees the irony in situations where you have:
*Told your child
*Explained to your child
*Given examples to your child
*Pointed something out that is an exact illustration, in living color, to your child ...
Only to have the 'lights come on' when they are sitting all by their little ole lonesome selves and you are nowhere around?

That happened to me this past weekend... again...
Saturday night we had guests that came to stay with us from the Anacortes area. Father, son, & friend. Rusty, John VanDeusan, & Braedan. We stayed up late talking and getting acquainted, got up the next morning and talked and laughed some more, then watched son & friend perform. I think Rusty may have set the stage for what happened during the performance in the heart of my child. He asks great questions. All evening, morning and early afternoon he asked things that stirred up what had lain dormant in the dust of all Mom's words. At the performance, John's passion as he sang came through and, almost like God in Genesis, formed and shaped something from the dust being stirred. Then 'Late Tuesday' began their set and Life was breathed into what God had formed. There is something to be said about friendships that foster admiration and not simply comfort/familiarity. One of the girls from Late Tuesday is just such a friend, and Holy Spirit breathed through her on Sunday.
There are 2 forms of satisfaction, in the midst of the frustration, of being the one that spoke endlessly into my child's life:
*She finally is anxious to move on - to overcome!
*I got to be the dust that was stirred, formed, and breathed into for her to understand.
Ironic Dust - could be the name of an alternative rock group, but no, it's my life. :)

Songs of the Season

I consider myself a bit of a Christmas Music connisseuer. Each year we wait anxiously for my dearly wedded Grinch to pronounce his blessing for Bing, Nat and Perry's crooning to fill the airwaves in and around our home with their holiday wishes of snow, roasted chesnuts, and good cheer. Until the benediction is said we are a covert, subversive faction. As soon as Ebeneezer is encased in his Acura, all the shackles are loosed and we can openly acknowledge our inner sugarplum. Here is a list of some of the tunes that dance in our hearts when the air gets to chillin'!
Harry Connick, Jr.'s
I Pray on Christmas
It Must Have Been Ole Santa
Let it Snow
Amy Grant's
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Andrews Sisters & Danny Kaye's
All I Want For Christmas
A Merry Christmas at Grandmother's
Jackson 5's
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Santa Claus is Comin' t' Town
Give Love at Christmas Time
Burl Ives
Holly Jolly Christmas
Rudolph
Bing Crosby & Diana Krall
White Christmas
Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep
Nat King Cole
The Christmas Song
Bebe & Cece Winans
Silver Bells
Barbra Striesand
Jingle Bells
Chris Rice
Welcome to Our World
4 Him
In Your Care
Strange Way to Save the World
Michael Card
Joseph's Song
David Meece
One Small Child
Peabo Bryson
Born On Christmas Day
Philip Bailey
Who Would Imagine a King
Reliant K
I Celebrate the Day
Toby Mac
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Nicole C Mullin
Gifts from You
KT & Andy Williams
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Crystal Lewis
Go Tell it on the Mountain
James Taylor ~ A Christmas Album

for you and that honey of a husband to groove to!
Bruce Greer ~ Celtic Carols Album

play it low and reminisce about The One

Vince Guaraldi ~ A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas IS for children!
Tchaikovsky ~ The Nutcracker

get jiggy in the kitch with gingerbread men
Jim Brickman ~ The Gift Album

winter nights by the cracklin fire - mmmm

Georgy Moravsky ~ Accoustic Christmas Reflections Album
deck them halls with your crew

Anyone for a sleigh ride and wassail?

Weekend Outlook

Saturday & Sunday
Intervals of clouds and sunshine with a shower; breezy.
Winds from the S at 10 mph.
High: 65° F
RealFeel: 62° F

A 5 senses idea for a wonderful, drizzly, Autumn weekend(without droppin' major cheddar or havin' to flash any benjamins...):


*While indulging your sense of hearing with George Winston's Veleteen Rabbit or James Taylor's October Road indulge your taste buds with a steaming hot mug of White Cocoa.

*White Chocolate Hot CocoaRecipe

Ingredients
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 ounces milk
2 ounces cream
3 pieces star anise
Directions
Place the chopped chocolate and vanilla in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan heat together milk, cream and star anise until boiling. Pour over chocolate and whisk well to melt. Strain into mugs to remove star anise.

*Now grab your warmest, softest, most cozy blanket (sense of touch is probably my fave!)& sip your cocoa
and watch the leaves fall through the tracks of the raindrops on the windowpane while James croons out 'Mean Ol' Man' in the background. (Did ya'll catch the sight sense there?)

*While still in your slippers, peel and core some Granny Smiths for apple crisp. Finish you CD while it fills your house with spicy scents.*Slip into a pair of comfy cords, and a turtle neck sweater, put on your Shearling and pop up the umbrella for a brisk walk with your puppy. Hop in the Acura and buzz up to Starbucks with your very significant other and return with your Triple-Venti Cinnamin to chase down a piece of that freshly baked Crisp and laugh together!