Julianne and I got back home last Saturday night from a long-awaited week in Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. with over 50 fifth graders and their parents. It was a great learning experience, and a lot of history to take in in a relatively short time. The trip was led by "Sarge" Marge Smith (a self-proclaimed title.) And some of the attendees claimed they believed they had joined the army! Margie has more energy in her little finger than I have in my whole body, and she graduated from college with my father, to give you an indication of the disparity in our ages. She is a great tour guide, and has been leading this trip for over 20 years, to my understanding. I hope to take Joey on it next year.
The best thing about the trip, though it was all good, was getting to spend precious alone time with Julianne. I so rarely get that with any of my children, and I treasure it when I do get it. She is a joy.
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April was so busy for us all that I did not work on any music at all until just this week, though I had several requests to. I am getting into the groove now, though. I am arranging another song for Jennifer Davis in Oregon, someone I've enjoyed arranging several original songs for in the past. Right behind her is a great-sounding original from Michael Lusk -- if you know my work, you may have seen his name. And then Joshua Stump, another Oregon friend, has a fresh new song for me to work on.
In the meantime Murray Sanderson and Jon Owen have both contacted me about arranging and the timing just hasn't worked out ... but hopefully we will get it together soon.
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Summer looms ahead ... time marches on ... children grow faster than I can turn around. Thanks be to God for their goodness and sweetness. I love my babies. Though they all argue with me now if they hear any such talk come out of my mouth that they are NOT babies. *sigh*
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I have been involved in a Priscilla Shirer Bible study this spring about discerning God's will. It has been very good in helping me remember to be focused in my prayer life, and in helping my faith that God will take care of me. Oh, I struggle with doubts some days, who doesn't? But I keep praying. It is such an encouraging thing to do.
Blessings ...
Friday, May 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Chloe; Bible Bowl
My sweet girl, Chloe, had her tonsils and adenoids removed last Monday. I cried, though I knew she was covered in prayer. And she came through it just fine. It only took the surgeon about 20-30 minutes to do the procedure. She and I had a long week with her staying at home, not feeling well, eating hardly anything, doing hardly anything. She lost a couple of pounds. She is eating more normally as of yesterday, though, finally, bless her heart.
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Chloe and Joey were away from the rest of us on Friday through early Sunday morning -- they spent that time with first Grandmommy, then Nana and Papa, all of whom we are very thankful for. Rob and I, along with Julianne and Abbie, went to Nashville for the annual Bible Bowl competition, part of the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes convention held every Easter weekend at the Opryland Hotel. (We all think Leaderettes is a very bizarre word.) Twickenham, our church, took three teams to compete in the Bible Bowl, totaling 12 children. To put that in perspective, there were over 1000 children there competing in Bible Bowl, which was about the book of Joshua.
All three of Twickenham's teams won first place in their divisions -- Abbie, who is in 2nd grade, participated on the 3rd-4th grade team. Julianne, who is in the 5th grade, participated on the 11th -12th grade team! (One of the team members was in 12th, so they had to go with that age group, I guess.) And both of their teams got first place. Also, leading up to the convention each girl took a test on the subject material from the book of Joshua. Each of them received a trophy for being high scorers in their age group on the test (Abbie, for 2nd grade, Julianne, for 5th grade.) We are very proud of them both. But mostly we are glad for all they have learned.
Blessings...
--------------------------------
Chloe and Joey were away from the rest of us on Friday through early Sunday morning -- they spent that time with first Grandmommy, then Nana and Papa, all of whom we are very thankful for. Rob and I, along with Julianne and Abbie, went to Nashville for the annual Bible Bowl competition, part of the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes convention held every Easter weekend at the Opryland Hotel. (We all think Leaderettes is a very bizarre word.) Twickenham, our church, took three teams to compete in the Bible Bowl, totaling 12 children. To put that in perspective, there were over 1000 children there competing in Bible Bowl, which was about the book of Joshua.
All three of Twickenham's teams won first place in their divisions -- Abbie, who is in 2nd grade, participated on the 3rd-4th grade team. Julianne, who is in the 5th grade, participated on the 11th -12th grade team! (One of the team members was in 12th, so they had to go with that age group, I guess.) And both of their teams got first place. Also, leading up to the convention each girl took a test on the subject material from the book of Joshua. Each of them received a trophy for being high scorers in their age group on the test (Abbie, for 2nd grade, Julianne, for 5th grade.) We are very proud of them both. But mostly we are glad for all they have learned.
Blessings...
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
new niece!!
Our new niece, Elizabeth Hensley Hunter, just arrived a moment ago.
7 pounds, 6 ounces ... 20 inches long. She has a little bit of black hair, it was reported to me. Rob and I can't wait to go see her, and we will in just a little while.
Her middle name, Hensley, is the maiden name of her late grandmother, Katie Hunter. And I love the name Elizabeth -- it is our Abbie's middle name.
I believe all are well ... but how big sister Sarah (age 3) reacts will likely be an ongoing saga!
I hope your day is blessing-filled, as is ours.
7 pounds, 6 ounces ... 20 inches long. She has a little bit of black hair, it was reported to me. Rob and I can't wait to go see her, and we will in just a little while.
Her middle name, Hensley, is the maiden name of her late grandmother, Katie Hunter. And I love the name Elizabeth -- it is our Abbie's middle name.
I believe all are well ... but how big sister Sarah (age 3) reacts will likely be an ongoing saga!
I hope your day is blessing-filled, as is ours.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
dates
I am going on a date with my husband tonight. :-)
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Tuesday is my last day to teach piano. We have decided for me to focus more on songwriting and arranging -- and have more time for my family. My schedule has been crazy, with lessons scattered here and there, chopping up every day of the week into several pieces, running back and forth to school, although in total I've only been working about 14 hours a week. I'm glad I'll have a more family-friendly schedule now.
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This Thursday Rob's sister, Amy, goes into the hospital to have her baby...pray for Amy and baby Libby that all will go well!
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Friday Abbie gets her cast off. Already! That flew by.
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Friday is also Rob's birthday! I like it when he has a birthday because it makes me THREE years younger than he is instead of just two. :-) He's my older man.
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In just over a week, Chloe will have her tonsils and adenoids removed.
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In two weeks we will be at the Lads to Leaders Convention at the Opryland Hotel. Julianne and Abbie have been preparing for the Bible Bowl competition for months.
----------------------
In three weeks Julianne and I, along with the rest of Madison Academy's fifth grade, will depart for a big trip to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg.
----------------------
There's a lot coming up in my world! I hope things are going well in yours.
----------------------
Tuesday is my last day to teach piano. We have decided for me to focus more on songwriting and arranging -- and have more time for my family. My schedule has been crazy, with lessons scattered here and there, chopping up every day of the week into several pieces, running back and forth to school, although in total I've only been working about 14 hours a week. I'm glad I'll have a more family-friendly schedule now.
----------------------
This Thursday Rob's sister, Amy, goes into the hospital to have her baby...pray for Amy and baby Libby that all will go well!
----------------------
Friday Abbie gets her cast off. Already! That flew by.
----------------------
Friday is also Rob's birthday! I like it when he has a birthday because it makes me THREE years younger than he is instead of just two. :-) He's my older man.
----------------------
In just over a week, Chloe will have her tonsils and adenoids removed.
----------------------
In two weeks we will be at the Lads to Leaders Convention at the Opryland Hotel. Julianne and Abbie have been preparing for the Bible Bowl competition for months.
----------------------
In three weeks Julianne and I, along with the rest of Madison Academy's fifth grade, will depart for a big trip to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg.
----------------------
There's a lot coming up in my world! I hope things are going well in yours.
Monday, March 16, 2009
color coordination
Something I decided a very long time ago is that, when it comes to my children, color-coordination just is not of importance in regards to their dress. Once they are old enough to dress themselves, if they can just get themselves decently covered, that is the main thing. Now, there have been times when it was painful for me to allow them to stay in the clothes they have chosen.
Today was just almost that way. Almost. But Chloe is soooo joy-filled that you just can't get too concerned with the child's clothes.
Even if she is wearing bright red tights.
With brown and pink shoes.
And a turquoise, mint-green, and lavender skirt.
With a pepto-bismol pink "Giselle" shirt (from the movie "Enchanted").
Oh, and I mustn't forget the wide plastic red headband with the bow on it which is fastened in the middle with a picture of a Disney Princess (I think it is Snow White). The headband must be to match the red tights.
And she has on a multi-colored Dora barrette on one side of her head, with a corresponding multicolored Boots barrette on the other side of her head.
And she looks beautiful.
:-)
May you enjoy all the colors your world has to offer today.
Today was just almost that way. Almost. But Chloe is soooo joy-filled that you just can't get too concerned with the child's clothes.
Even if she is wearing bright red tights.
With brown and pink shoes.
And a turquoise, mint-green, and lavender skirt.
With a pepto-bismol pink "Giselle" shirt (from the movie "Enchanted").
Oh, and I mustn't forget the wide plastic red headband with the bow on it which is fastened in the middle with a picture of a Disney Princess (I think it is Snow White). The headband must be to match the red tights.
And she has on a multi-colored Dora barrette on one side of her head, with a corresponding multicolored Boots barrette on the other side of her head.
And she looks beautiful.
:-)
May you enjoy all the colors your world has to offer today.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
cumberland creek
Cumberland Creek Music, L.L.C. as it was known to us does not exist anymore. Has not existed, in fact, since 2007. It was more expense and hassle than it was worth to have an L.L.C. so we reverted to a sole proprietorship for my published music to handle royalties.
The State of Tennessee has been made aware of this. On multiple occasions. The state in which we have not lived since 2006. Yet here it is, March of 2009. And in the mail, addressed to our Alabama address, come tax papers for Cumberland Creek Music, L.L.C. today. Truly the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. So I know how some of my time will be spent tomorrow. On the phone. Trying to reach someone. Anyone. Who has a clue. And we'll probably have to end up sending all the exact same paperwork we had to send LAST year when this happened. In fact, I, at this particular moment in time, gloomily foresee having to dig out those same papers every March for the rest of my life, and my children having to do the same thing after I am dead, and their children after them. (So the drama.)
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I love my Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. I'm sorry, Mother, I know it has caffeine. I have started interweaving it with one or two Diet Caffeine Free Pepsis daily, see, that's a good girl ... even WATER on really good days ...
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Joey just finished a report on The Great Depression "for extra credit if I don't want to have a B on my report card." He didn't want to have a B. Bless. Stayed up past his bedtime working on it.
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Abbie is adjusting well to her cast. So far she has only stuck one foreign object into it to try to scratch the itching. (Ooh, Rob got after her for that!!) :-)
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Chloe is 47 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds. I had to check for her pre-admission papers for the hospital. That's less than a pound an inch. If I weighed less than a pound an inch I'd be under 66 pounds. (No danger of that!!)
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Julianne volunteered to babysit her siblings for a week. What do you think? She is eleven, after all... :-)
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Rob is watching The Matrix (Reloaded, I think?) and eating popcorn. Life is good.
The State of Tennessee has been made aware of this. On multiple occasions. The state in which we have not lived since 2006. Yet here it is, March of 2009. And in the mail, addressed to our Alabama address, come tax papers for Cumberland Creek Music, L.L.C. today. Truly the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. So I know how some of my time will be spent tomorrow. On the phone. Trying to reach someone. Anyone. Who has a clue. And we'll probably have to end up sending all the exact same paperwork we had to send LAST year when this happened. In fact, I, at this particular moment in time, gloomily foresee having to dig out those same papers every March for the rest of my life, and my children having to do the same thing after I am dead, and their children after them. (So the drama.)
---------------------------------
I love my Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. I'm sorry, Mother, I know it has caffeine. I have started interweaving it with one or two Diet Caffeine Free Pepsis daily, see, that's a good girl ... even WATER on really good days ...
---------------------------------
Joey just finished a report on The Great Depression "for extra credit if I don't want to have a B on my report card." He didn't want to have a B. Bless. Stayed up past his bedtime working on it.
---------------------------------
Abbie is adjusting well to her cast. So far she has only stuck one foreign object into it to try to scratch the itching. (Ooh, Rob got after her for that!!) :-)
---------------------------------
Chloe is 47 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds. I had to check for her pre-admission papers for the hospital. That's less than a pound an inch. If I weighed less than a pound an inch I'd be under 66 pounds. (No danger of that!!)
---------------------------------
Julianne volunteered to babysit her siblings for a week. What do you think? She is eleven, after all... :-)
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Rob is watching The Matrix (Reloaded, I think?) and eating popcorn. Life is good.
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