Soccer

We are smack in the middle of the Fall soccer season and all it's attendant hair-wringing, heart-pounding, and house-ignoring days.  But most of all, it's happy children days.  In the end, I told my friends the other day, that's what it comes down to.  When the kids get in the car after being at soccer, they are laughing, chatting away, telling me all about it.  They love it.  I think the outdoors, the exercise, the social aspect, plus the competition - it all works together to make it so they love it.

Except Libby.  She plays soccer and it's OK, but her new passion is GYMNASTICS!  She has learned to do a back walkover!  She takes classes with a local teacher, and it's low key but fun.

Here are some pictures that a friend took of some of this season of the Boys High School Soccer Team.

Joseph snatches the ball...

And gets around his man!

Go Joseph!

Now here's the wind up...

And the release!

And it was a miss - wide and to the left.  But a great shot!

Josh reported that he tried out and made it on a competitive Intermural soccer team at BYU-I.  He was really excited about that!

We had Stake Conference this weekend.  On the Sat evening session, I led the music for the congregation, and also sang with a octet, singing Love One Another.  We sang the same arrangement years ago in 4th Ward.  We brought a lot of the same people back to sing - LeeAnn, Suzanne, Aaron, DaraDee and Justin, and then added Tyson and Clark, and we had a really nice group.  It was fun to sing with them!

This morning, I led the music again for the congregation, and I also directed the Youth Choir, who was the choir for the conference.  Jesse accompanied on the piano.  For prelude we sang "I Stand All Amazed", "The Lord is My Shepherd", "Abide With Me!", and "Nearer My God to Thee." On that one, I started them a cappella, and led them for about a measure, and then I just went and sat down.  It was the coolest thing.  They sang all three verses a cappella by themselves.  Afterwards, everyone that talked to me said that was their favorite part.  We also sang Sweet Hour of Prayer, a Hymnplicity arrangement, and O Holy Jesus, the same arrangement that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings on their "Consider the Lilies" album.  I loved it.  When I was walking out in the hall before the meeting, I heard a choir member, a 15 year old girl, humming that tune as she walked down the hall!  That's what I'm talking about!  Having that beautiful melody and the attendant reverence that it brings, going through your heard.  I loved that.  It was SO FUN to lead the music today, both for the choir and the congregation. Choir director - that would be my next job occupation after alternative health care.

Besides that, the speakers from the Stake Presidency were great.  Pres. _____ talked today and last night about covenants, and being bound to the Lord.  I am thankful for my covenants, and I'm grateful that they bring me unto Christ, because I want to talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ and prophesy of Christ.  I want to be like Him, and to be with Him.

Friday we went out to pull pipe.  We had some good teams going - we're getting better every time because the kids are getting older and better. We only got halfway done, though, before it got dark, so now we have to carve out another two hours sometime to go out and finish.  No easy task, with our schedules, I'll tell you.

Thank goodness Grandma stacks her freezer full of good food for us!