Sunday Lessons

Normally there wouldn't be any photos of the Primary program because taking pictures in Sacrament Meeting is verboten.  But Coco was sitting right in front of Abram, and she couldn't possibly resist capturing this face!  This is the big event that the music leaders (Myself and Dan Bean) work on all year with the children.  They ended up with seven songs curated from those that are incorporated into the lesson plan and some that are up to our discretion.  It's tricky because you're working with little kids, and there is only a grand total of maybe 14 hours of rehearsal time over the year, all told.  You want them to sound like a professional choir, but you want to treat them like sweet little children who are at church.  So you can't have both, but you can try.  I distinctly remember one over-zealous choir teacher who worked with us on the word "often" ad nauseum, practically tearing her hair out when we didn't make the "T" silent.  She also called after-school rehearsals to work on standing up and sitting down in unison.  In my opinion, she missed the point.  The songs are given to the children so that they can testify of Christ through music.  That's all.  

Our primary was wonderful, and I think they felt happy.  Dan and I love teaching them, and they know that.  I don't think they felt any pressure to perform, or be louder, or better, or stand up and sit down exactly right, and that makes me happy.  Ptolemy, happy little soul, was so funny.  Standing in line for his turn at the mic, he whispered to me loudly, "Sunday, right?"  His line was, "On Sunday I can take the sacrament," but he always forgot what day it was supposed to be.  When his turn came, he got right up to the mic and declared, "I don't need any help!"  Then he stood there.  Finally, he said the line and even got the day of the week right!

 Anyone want to celebrate Araceli's birthday one more time?  Yes!!  The Dopps came over after church for another cozy night of soup, salad, cornbread, desserts, presents and conversation.  We also celebrated the other two November birthdays, Bruce and Nikki.

 Michelle always comes up with something amazing.  This time it was pumpkin cheesecake cake.

And brownies and ice cream for good measure!

 During the party, I ran Ruby to the church to set up for Young Women in Excellence.  She was on the decorating committee.  And here they are, the decorating committee.  Not sure where everyone else was.  Ruby spent well over 10 hours on this project, probably closer to 20, with meetings, phone calls and all the work she put in on the posters.   She even stayed home from Park City to design and paint.  I think Ruby is an amazing girl.

Golda's display, representing studying French

 Scott and I and our three young women enjoyed an inspiring meeting where three of our friends and neighbors spoke about their stages of womanhood; a returned missionary, a mother of five and a grandmother.

Ruby's display, representing her teaching, etc.

Araceli displayed her cello and pointe shoes with a note

 Even Scott got in on the action!  Isn't he handsome in his ice-cream-man get-up?  And that was our day of rest.  As full as it was, it was restful in that we were lifted up spiritually, and we got to spend time with family and friends.  Our ward and community lost one of our best-loved women this week, Kris Gibson.  She has left a huge hole, and a reminder that we can't ever do enough to show love to those around us.  Kris worked to bless lives even when she was sick.  Laurel Barlow, one of the speakers last night, said something that I loved:  "Work is not hard.  It is a blessing.  It won't hurt your body and it will improve the world."  I love the notion that the work we're doing improves the world, even if it is only in our tiny sphere of influence, even if it only serves to provide a safe home for our children, a gathering place for family, friendship for a neighbor.  It's enough.

With Nathan Karren