My friend Melanie has two month old twins, and her husband is out of town working, so I volunteered to watch her three older children for half a day. Just when she came to pick up her kids, we were going out to milk the cow, so she joined us in the adventure. :)
Peter was so good to the kids - he and Libby played with them all afternoon.
These are our goats - Lilly on the left and Buck on the right.
These two girls are so beautiful. They got their hands in there and took their turn at milking the cow!
This is classic. Both these girls loved being with Bruce. I totally get that. :)
The same night, Nic was here editing the Senior Pictures that he took of Mary. She obviously wasn't helping much.
The workshop was conducted by Ringmasters, a quartet of four guys from Sweden. They were absolutely fabulous! They first came out on the stage with the Chorusmasters, a local group, who were fantastic in their own right. They were singing a Swedish love song that was beautiful, and then these guys came out on stage and joined them, singing into the microphones, and my jaw just about hit the floor. I was spell-bound, it was so stunning. You know when you are listening to something and think that it couldn't possibly get any better, and then it does? Yes - jaw dropping.
Ringmasters, you have new fans in our family, that is for sure!
Here is one handsome cowboy, all dressed up for Halloween.
I posted the picture below on Facebook, and got comments like, "Isn't Peter always dressed like that?" Ha ha! Libby is an "Elvin Adventurer Wizard". She modeled her costume off the picture on the front of one the Adventures Wanted book series. She is missing her staff, but she had one that night at the Trunk or Treat.
I asked Bruce to help me hold up the stick, and that didn't go so well. He would bob and weave the stick around until the children's faces were all covered with glaze, all while the parents and he giggled and laughed at their helpless misery. He is a TEASE with a capital T.
And then the poor kids that came by to get a treat had to deal with him too. "What's it worth to ya?", he would say when they asked for a treat. Or he would try to trade some of our candy for a better one of theirs. Or he would eat a candy, and throw the wrapper in their bucket. Luckily that was to a teenager so they probably weren't traumatized for life.
And here we have the self-titled "70's Ninja Josh"! I wrote back one line: THE SOCKS!
Ha ha ha! He said they were Walker's, his roommate. Walker dressed up as "Josh on Sunday", wearing a classic Josh suit and riding a scooter. :)
Jesse and Stephen are enjoying a pile of chocolate here! Looks like some good Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...
Speaking of Jesse and Stephen, he sent me eight pieces of his that he has composed and two of his mothers'. Wow! They were awesome! Huge variety among the pieces too. A few classical ones, one that could go on a Yoga video, one that could go a Nature CD, and a beatiful a Capella 8 part mens piece that he and the other men sang for the year-ending rectial for his voice teacher. All of it was wonderful! Jesse said tonight on FaceTime, "You think Stephen is perfect." Well, if the shoe fits...
Nah, just kidding, but if you like him Jesse, then I like him too. And we've already established that whatever happens with you two, he and I will still be friends. So, we're all good.
Anyone that feels like you can say a prayer in your heart, pray for Jesse this week as she is getting the Prokofiev concerto ready to play for the Concerto Competition coming up soon. It is an incredibly challenging piece, so she needs all the prayers and help she can get! But Jesse works incredibly hard, and whatever happens in the competition will be for her learning and good. I know she will do awesome!
Joseph says good-bye to Tupungato this week! He has been in the this little town in a valley at the foot of the Andes mountains for the last eight months. Oh, how he loves the people there and the environs in the beautiful wine country they have there. Tomorrow we will get the famous "Ode to Tupungato" email. Every area he has left, he has written an "Ode" to the town/area. Can't wait to read it! Here's a beautiful picture that he sent last week. (The date is in SA format DD/MM/YYYY)
On Saturday morning Bruce and I went on a horseback ride with our friends Dale and Kaley. It was a ton of fun, except when we decided to run in an open pasture, and Mackee did a little hop step and then a buck, and off I flew, landing hard on the ground. It knocked the wind out of me, and man, I am sore today, but no injuries other than the thought that I need to learn to stay seated on that horse!!
Right as we were leaving, a cross country meet was taking place, and we got to laughing about all the parents and everybody running around everywhere. From their parking spot, getting to the race, everyone running everywhere! It was obvious that this behavior definitely runs in the family. (So where did Joseph get it from?! I don't know...)
Mary got her first letter from Chet! I was going to show the picture (of course she took a picture), but it shows their full names, which I choose to leave off of this blog, so you'll just have to imagine it! She was one happy camper.
I bore my testimony in Church today about the visual I had this morning of the Lord helping to obey commandments. I sometimes think of Him on the other side of the ailse commanding me to do things, and me trying to figure out how to obey. This morning as I woke, I saw the scenario switched. I saw Him at my side, on my team, helping me to figure out how to obey, helping me to obey, cheering me on, giving me aid and comfort and courage. He's on MY TEAM.
In the same vein, when we have trouble in a relationship, it's not me vs. him/her. It's me and him/her vs. the adversary. That's the only enemy we have. There is no need to have enmity toward any man. Fellow human beings are on our side. It's us vs. Satan and his minions. That's where the fight should be directed, not against our fellow man. My friend Shauna taught me that, and she was taught it by her friend Sharon. I love being surrounded by good people!
Being so sore today from falling off the horse, I have been practicing gratitude and humility. And I'm so grateful for good oils that aid not only in pain-relief but in healing at the same time. Buyahh!
Libby made the "B" Team for basketball at the middle school. She is playing the point guard! I'm not sure how that happened, but that's where the coach has her. (She seriously has not played basketball a day of her life before this tryout). They played their first game this week and won in the last 30 seconds. She said, "That was a great way to start our season, because it builds our confidence." Way to go Libby!
Mary participated in a Barbershop Workshop this week with hundreds of other high school kids, and then they put on a Concert that night. (Mary is in the middle of the picture on the 2nd row from the top)
Mary participated in a Barbershop Workshop this week with hundreds of other high school kids, and then they put on a Concert that night. (Mary is in the middle of the picture on the 2nd row from the top)
Ringmasters, you have new fans in our family, that is for sure!
Here is one handsome cowboy, all dressed up for Halloween.
One of my jobs at the Trunk or Treat was to hold up the stick with the donuts on it for the "Donuts on a String" game. Here is Libby and two of her best friends Ellie and Macie, trying to get a bite of a donut.
And then the poor kids that came by to get a treat had to deal with him too. "What's it worth to ya?", he would say when they asked for a treat. Or he would try to trade some of our candy for a better one of theirs. Or he would eat a candy, and throw the wrapper in their bucket. Luckily that was to a teenager so they probably weren't traumatized for life.
And here we have the self-titled "70's Ninja Josh"! I wrote back one line: THE SOCKS!
Ha ha ha! He said they were Walker's, his roommate. Walker dressed up as "Josh on Sunday", wearing a classic Josh suit and riding a scooter. :)
Nah, just kidding, but if you like him Jesse, then I like him too. And we've already established that whatever happens with you two, he and I will still be friends. So, we're all good.
Anyone that feels like you can say a prayer in your heart, pray for Jesse this week as she is getting the Prokofiev concerto ready to play for the Concerto Competition coming up soon. It is an incredibly challenging piece, so she needs all the prayers and help she can get! But Jesse works incredibly hard, and whatever happens in the competition will be for her learning and good. I know she will do awesome!
Joseph says good-bye to Tupungato this week! He has been in the this little town in a valley at the foot of the Andes mountains for the last eight months. Oh, how he loves the people there and the environs in the beautiful wine country they have there. Tomorrow we will get the famous "Ode to Tupungato" email. Every area he has left, he has written an "Ode" to the town/area. Can't wait to read it! Here's a beautiful picture that he sent last week. (The date is in SA format DD/MM/YYYY)
On Saturday morning Bruce and I went on a horseback ride with our friends Dale and Kaley. It was a ton of fun, except when we decided to run in an open pasture, and Mackee did a little hop step and then a buck, and off I flew, landing hard on the ground. It knocked the wind out of me, and man, I am sore today, but no injuries other than the thought that I need to learn to stay seated on that horse!!
Mary got her first letter from Chet! I was going to show the picture (of course she took a picture), but it shows their full names, which I choose to leave off of this blog, so you'll just have to imagine it! She was one happy camper.
I bore my testimony in Church today about the visual I had this morning of the Lord helping to obey commandments. I sometimes think of Him on the other side of the ailse commanding me to do things, and me trying to figure out how to obey. This morning as I woke, I saw the scenario switched. I saw Him at my side, on my team, helping me to figure out how to obey, helping me to obey, cheering me on, giving me aid and comfort and courage. He's on MY TEAM.
In the same vein, when we have trouble in a relationship, it's not me vs. him/her. It's me and him/her vs. the adversary. That's the only enemy we have. There is no need to have enmity toward any man. Fellow human beings are on our side. It's us vs. Satan and his minions. That's where the fight should be directed, not against our fellow man. My friend Shauna taught me that, and she was taught it by her friend Sharon. I love being surrounded by good people!
Being so sore today from falling off the horse, I have been practicing gratitude and humility. And I'm so grateful for good oils that aid not only in pain-relief but in healing at the same time. Buyahh!
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