The Heather Show

Yesterday was a big day for me.  Not only did I give a talk in church and sing a special musical number with my quartet, but our ward's annual High Priest Christmas Fireside was that night as well, in which I was a part of three different numbers.

It sort of felt like The Heather Show, which was a little embarrassing, but each of the performances turned out great!

I don't have a recording of us performing in Sacrament meeting, but it was lovely.  We sang a beautiful arrangement of "Still, Still, Still" a capella (without accompaniment).  It was a little difficult to sing directly following my talk, as I was a little choked up, but it still went well.

My violin trio went well too.  I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the rented violin.  The sound it made was so pure and sweet in the cultural hall, which is a difficult place to perform in, as the acoustics are difficult.  I am hoping to track down a recording of that performance as well to share.

Here are some video clips of The Serenades' performances that night.  Notice that we have four microphones this time around, which was a great improvement!

Enjoy the pieces and....

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas from The Serenades!

What Does the Kid Say?

I think that I have watched this video about fifteen times today...and I still can't stop laughing about it! :)

Funny Me

Every year, Everett School District sponsors an art competition for students to submit their original pieces of art and presentation called the Reflections Celebration.  First place winners in each division then move on to state level competition.  For the first time, this year they have a Special Artist Division for those with qualifying disabilities.  The students must create their own artwork, but can have non-artistic accomodation and assistance from an adult. 

 

This year's theme is "Magic of the Moment."

 

Elise's teacher really wanted to submit something from Elise.  She works daily at school on an iPad, and loves to look at pictures of herself and her friends on it.  One day her teacher set the iPad on video record and let Elise do her thing.  The result is her submission titled, "Funny Me."

 

On Wednesday night, the School District had an open house with all the artwork and submissions on display, along with their awards.  Elise's video took first place in her division, which means it will be moving on to the state competition!

 

It was a really special night.  As I was wandering around looking at all the student submissions, I had several people come introduce themselves to me, wanting to get to meet Elise's mom.  Two women from the PTSA committee sought me out specifically so they could meet me and tell me how much they adore Elise.  They both started to tear up as they exclaimed how excited they were to see her video, and also tell me how much of an impact she makes on all the kids around her.

 

They didn't have to tell me how special she is, though.  I already knew that, but it is so touching to see what a positive role she plays.  She is here on earth, and in our home, for a very special purpose.

 

When Eric gave Elise her first Priesthood blessing at church, it was before we even realized that she was going to be different and have special needs.  He was inspired by our Heavenly Father to tell her that she is a very special spirit, reserved to come to earth at this time, and that others would feel the Savior's love through her.

 

Everyday, Elise brings the Spirit into our home, and I see how others immediately feel something special when they are near her.  They are filled with love.  I know this is a gift from our Father in Heaven to each of us, and is Elise's special purpose here on the earth.  Even if they do not know how to expain what they are feeling, they are experiencing first-hand the Savior's love for each of us, as shown through the smile of one of His most precious children.

Daughter of a King

July was a really crazy month....I will try to get caught up on all my blog posts!!

I taught a lesson today for all our Young Women, and made a slide show for the end of the lesson. I thought it turned out pretty well, but I am pretty partial to these girls!! I also LOVE the two songs which I used: "I Am His Daughter" and "Daughter of a King."  (Notice a theme going here?)  Even if you don't know my Young Women, the music alone makes watching the video worthwhile!

Eastmont's Got Talent!

For the last half-year, I have been working with three ladies singing doo-wop style music. We call ourselves The Serenades. Our goal is to have enough songs accumulated to put on a thirty-minute show for nursing homes around the area, or for anyone else who wants to listen! We have been meeting every week, putting many hours of hard work into our music. It has been such a treat to work with these ladies!

On Friday night our newly dubbed "Eastmont Ward" held a talent show. The Serenades wanted to make their first grand performance, of course. Unfortunately, one of our members was not going to be able to be there due to a scheduling conflict with her brother's wedding. We decided last minute to persevere, and threw together two songs which we could sing as a trio rather than a quartet.

Here is our big moment:

The Serenades!

Suzanne Vance: Soprano

Heather White: Second Soprano

Audrey Sisco: Alto

(not pictured: Anne Bodily: Second Alto)

We've got a long way to go still, but boy are we having fun!!!

Arise and Shine Forth....Gameshow Edition

A few weeks ago, the Beehive class made a "movie" for an activity, based on this year's theme for the youth of "Arise and Shine Forth."  They chose to do a gameshow style fit for the theme. For tonight's activity we will be viewing the movie, and enjoying a few laughs I'm sure.

This just makes me happy.....

There is nothing like The Turtles and a few beautiful cellos to make me smile! I was thinking about my Super-Talented-Musician-and-Everything-Else sister Lissa when I saw this. I miss you, Lissa!

The Joy of Books

I LOVE THIS!!

If enough of us say it, it must be true, right? As much as I love my Kindle, there is nothing like a real book!





This stop-action filming must have taken forever!  It's amazing!

Check out my big girl....

Elise is walking!!!!

Don't Forget to Brush!!

I need this playing at my office....





(I love that the guy playing the dentist has horrendous gums, ha ha!!!)

Gummy Bears 'R Us

My kids have been jammin' to this video all week!

Be Proud of Your Swagger Wagon!

Check out this great video! This is totally our family, because we are cool like that....

Erica's Shoes

Today was a gorgeous sunny day and we had the front door open to let in the fresh air. Erica wanted to go outside, so Eric told her to get her shoes on. He went into the back room for a minute, and when he came back he found Erica already outside, with my shoes on. I have no idea how she walked down the front steps with them on, but this was how he found her!

See Elise Stand....Again

We took a better video of Elise standing this morning. She's already getting better at it!!

It seems like everyone has heard of this group but me....

They Might be Giants

So where have I been? Now I'm going to have to start collecting their music! The girls LOVED dancing to this!

My Funny Girls

These are some cute videos I took of Erica and Elise on Saturday morning. We had the music going, so Erica was rocking out. Elise was showing off her new crawling skills!

My Girl Can Dance!

Tonight I was playing some tunes while I goofed off on the computer. Erica decided this song was more than she could resist, so she climbed up on the coffee table and showed us her moves!
My girl can dance! I must say, she got it from me, not from her dad! Ha ha!

Young at Heart

I just watched a fantastic documentary called "Young at Heart." It's about a group of senior citizens who perform various pop and rock songs, touring around the world. The documentary follows them as they attempt to learn some new pieces for an upcoming concert series. It also focuses closely on some of the individual performers, telling their story.


I laughed, I cried, I spontaneously clapped my hands to the beat! There is something magical and mesmerizing about how music can connect people. The music these people performed often kept them going through many health issues, and gave them a valuable direction and lease on life, keeping them "young at heart."


Here is the trailer for the movie. I know it will make you want to see it! :)






And here is a "music video" that was part of the documentary. It cracked me up! It shows the character and liveliness of these guys!

More Sweetness....

Here's a little more cuteness to add to your day, from Erica!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice....

That's what little girls are made of....right?

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Erica and Elise are, on their own, the sweetest little girls! The problem is when they get together!

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The two are in constant competition. As soon as one of them spies something they want, the other immediately notices and the race is on! They scoot and/or crawl just as fast as their little bodies can get them there. Recently Elise has taken to using dirty tactics. She grabs Erica by the shirt/neck/face/ear, whatever she can grab, anyway, and pulls her down -- HARD. Sometimes she gives a few good wacks on the face, just for good measure.

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My angel.

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Of course, Erica is not by any means without recourse. She shoves and pulls, pushes and hits, all with a gleeful laugh.

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Tonight I caught on camera just one little instance of their entertaining relationship. Erica was showing off at the piano, so Elise had to make her mark as well. She shoves Erica out of the way and gets her notes in. I love the look of triumph on her face as she turns her head while she's playing the piano....

Of course, I also love how Erica chose to sing along with her sister's playing.

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I told you, aren't they sweet?