Happy New Year

To the two, maybe three readers I have, thank you for taking a small glimpse into who I am, knowing that I still choose my words in a guarded manner.

May you 2010 be filled with the grace of God.

Christmas gift exchange

For our faculty meeting today we had a lunch and gift exchange. The tradition is a $10 gift that girls would like. (We're all girls on the elementary side.) I went shopping and couldn't find anything I wanted to give, so I made something, I cut it out last night and sewed it this morning.

The exchange was the pick a present or steal a present game. A gift could only be stolen 2 times before it froze. My gift was one of the frozen gifts!

Yes, it's reversible. Isn't it fun? Makes me just wanna start baking. Yum.

melt down

Today during the one and only full rehearsal, i had a melt down. I think I almost walked off the stage to go home, hide in a corner and never come out.

Good thing I didn't. I finished it out, found some good helpers to be up on stage so I don't have to be everywhere at the same time and now am feeling better.

It's hard putting it all in God's hands because I know I need to do my part. When does my part end and God grab it and go?

I know the kids did not see me melt down, it was mostly an inward feeling.
God give me the eye sight to see what I need to do. Give me the man power to get it done. May the glory of tonight be for You.

Into God's Hands

I've given the program to God. It's in His hands now.

Stress!

Christmas program is in TWO WEEKS! I have never been the one in charge of a huge production. At first, I really thought it was going to be small and easy, but then I start thinking of all the details and I am so worried that I might miss something!

• Music - The kids really know the songs well and I know they will do great here!
• Drama - ACK! I had a parent volunteer to help, long story short, he can't help so I'm running rehearsals. I don't know how to do that. All I am worried about is the kids learning their parts without reading their script!
• Sound - Here is where it gets fun. Last I heard 2 of the 3 mics the school owns have shorts in them. Should I find more to borrow or should I just settle for 1?
• Lights - Thanks to my church, they are going to light my stage. (that reminds me, I need to send an email to my pastor with the details.....)
• Props - Holy cow! I thought there wasn't much, but I start seeing more and more as I practice the drama with the kids. Where does one find gold, frankincense and myrrh?
• Set design - Thanks to a local church, I have risers. Problem is, they are homemade. Nice, big, heavy ones. It took Palmer and me all day long to transport them, now I have to set them up (in my spare time!)
• Music & Sound - Yikes! I need someone to run the CD player! While I'm at it, I ought to find someone who will sit in the sound booth and record the cute show so I can enjoy it later.
• Costumes - I hope the kid's parents realize they are making the costumes, NOT ME! I will send home a note tomorrow reminding them they are in charge of securing the costume for their child.

What else am I missing????

True Story

Our cute little family was walking towards the Holiday parade which Santa follows and turns on the lights at the Christmas Village. Many roads were closed off because of the parade. A local Police officer pulled over to us, rolled down his window and asked, "What's going on here?"

A bit startled I asked him, "What do you mean?"

"Why are there so many people around here?"

I felt relieved because I thought he was going to give us a hard time because we weren't walking off the road, but just on the side, I had to tell him, "There is the holiday light parade."

Then he asked what the parade route was. After I informed him, he drove away. I laughed and laughed. How can the local police NOT know what's going on in their own city? Glad it's not my city....

quick thanks

I am most grateful for the cross. The wonderful free gift of life given only by Jesus. Without it, I would not be saved.

I am thankful to God for giving me musical talent.
I am thankful for a job that lets me use my God given talent.

private mourning

A few weeks ago I saw a post by one of my Facebook friends about a little boy who was very sick and his wish was to get Christmas Cards from people so he could see he was loved. His family knew his time was drawing near to an end so they requested cards from their friends.

Someone posted it and it got posted and so on and so on.

When I first read it, I thought it was not real, like so many of those forwarded things. I went to Snopes.com and it wasn't there. So I did a little investigating and found out that indeed, there was a sick little boy named Noah for whom the family was celebrating Christmas early. You can read his story at
https://www.carepages.com/carepages/NoahScottBiorkman

Long story short, today I read his latest update and he left his family to be with Jesus. I wept when I read it.

God, hold Noah safe in your loving arms. Shine your grace on him and his family. God, be with his family as they mourn the loss of such a little life. May they find comfort in your mercy and love.

Matthew 4:19

Matthew 4:19
"Come follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers of man."

Okay, so this is a stretch, but I used it anyways. The Kindergarten through 3rd graders have been working so hard on learning the songs for the Christmas program that we needed to do something fun. Bryan's grandpa made these great wood fish (filled with lead in case you wanted to float them) and Bryan painted them. I put out all 12 fish and assigned a song to each fish. I told the kids they got to be fishers of songs. They caught a fish and we sang the song. Catch was, they didn't know what song went to what fish, but once they figured out what song was what fish, that fish would always be that song.

All but one grade wanted to know what all the songs were so they caught different fish every time. All except one 1st grade class. One fish was the mystery fish. I would put in the Christmas CD, press shuffle and that is the song we would sing. The kids loved it so much they caught it a total of 3 times!

Not all kids had a chance to catch a fish, so we'll do the same activity next week. Same fish, same songs. They loved it!

Side note: I'm so excited for the Christmas Program. It's all coming together. Please pray for me that I will think of all the things going into the production and won't forget any details so that it can be a night of worship to God for all.

Too Emotional

Good Grief! We had a practice fire alarm at school today and as I'm walking out seeing the kids all safely lined up with their respective teacher, I tear up. I had 2 minutes of advance notice of a fire alarm, so it didn't surprise me, so why the emotions? Maybe because it's my first fire alarm, maybe because I knew the kids were safe, maybe it's because I know how serious a real emergency could be.

Don't worry, I got it together and all went well.

I cried today

I cried today in front of 3rd grade. We have been practicing for our Christmas program for the past 6 weeks or so and the children really know the songs well. So, I pulled out my fish that Grandpa Jensen made and Bryan painted and the student's caught a fish and we sang the song attached to it.

One of the songs is a Peace Prayer with Silent Night. The choir sings Peace Prayer and the rest of the classes sing Silent Night and then the two are sung at the same time. Half of the 3rd grade class is in the choir. When they split, the choir kids sang their song and the rest sang theirs. As the song filled the room, my emotions lept from me and I wept. What a great group of students! The rest of the hour was filled with the kids trying to make Mrs. Jensen cry. I love them!

Isaiah 38:20

The Lord will surely save me, so we will play my songs on stringed instruments all the days of our life at the house of the Lord.

I have had so much fun with the musical family unit.
For the brass family, I brought in my french horn, trumpet and bugle. I let the classes try the instruments out.
For woodwinds, I borrowed my sibling's instruments; the flute, piccalo, clarinet and alto sax. I also demonstrated a recorder and how blowing into a water bottle is like the flute. Because these were not my instruments, I didn't let the kids try those.
For strings I brought in my 12-stringed guitar, a ukelali Palmer's violin. I didn't want to bring Ethan's cello because I didn't have the room to haul it in my little Prius. I let the kids' try the string instruments.
Percussion is next week. I'm excited to bring it all together with Peter and the Wolf and Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

We're like apple billionaires!

Says Evan after seeing all the apple jars lined up.

Here's my day and help yesterday:

Started about 12:45 with Susie and Mary Palmer

Stopped for 1/2 hour to pick up Ethan from school.

Resumed at 2:20 with Ethan and Susie.

Around 3:00 Ethan's friend Ashley shows up to play,

I put her to work instead!

(She'd never used a peeler!)

Susie left at 4:00 taking Ethan with her.

Now it's just me and Ashley, so I ask Evan to help.

Ashley stays until 5:30 even after one of her friends calls her to "hang out" at 4:45. Here is the phone conversation, "Hi Rachel..... no I can't hang out, I'm at Ethan Jensen's house helping his mom cook."

Now it's just me and Evan.

Bryan comes home around 6:30 and does dishes.

I put the last batch of apples in the pot to can at 7:35 pm.

They come off at 8:10 pm.

I'm tired!

I Chronicles 13:8

And David and all Israel were rejoicing before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbols and trumpets.

Job 21:12
They sang to the tambourine and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute

Psalm 98:6
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the king the Lord.

Psalm 150:4
Prasie Him with tambourine and dancing. Praise Him with the strings and flute.


I'm dong a unit on the 4 musical families. Isn't it great how the Lord accepts our praise in musical form!

Bribed or Dare-Devil?

Yesterday it was such a beautiful day, we went to Lagoon for Frightmares. Evan has been getting braver and braver and has gone on more big rides than ever before. I asked him if I should bring some "brave pills" (lemon head candy) so he could go on Wicked, but he didn't want to. He said it made his tummy upset thinking about Wicked.

While we were there, Clayton, Susie and Mary went on the Sky Coaster. Ethan saw that Evan was tall enough for it and asked him if he wanted to go. He said he would think about it. Susie and I figured he would need to process it for about 6 months or so.

Later that afternoon, Evan said he was ready to go on the Sky Coaster. I asked him if he wanted to go with just Ethan or with Ethan and mom or dad. Of course he wanted all of us to go, but only 3 can go at once. So, Ev picked Daddy! He got all strapped in and as they were going up up up up up, he said, "I'm getting nervous.... I'm getting nervous"

Bryan helped him by telling him how funny it is that mommy is getting small like a little ant and so on.

At the top, the nice Lagoon worker told the boys that their momma loves them. And then Ethan pulled the rip cord and down they flew! Evan loved it!

Later we found out that Ethan promised Evan he could play with Ethan's Bionicles for a whole week if he went on the Sky Coaster. Hmmm, was it bravery or bribery?

Change is hard ... for Evan

Last week I slept in a bit so i didn't have time to make Evan's home lunch. As I was running out the door, I gave him a kiss and told him he would need to eat school lunch. He asked me what was on the menu. I told I didn't know, but I'm sure it would be good. Then I ran out.

As I left, evan asked Bryan what was for school lunch and he didn't know either. Evan said, "Today is not a school lunch day, it is a home lunch day! I can't have school lunch today." So Bryan made him his usual home lunch. Half a peanut butter sandwich with honey. He also through in some plums and a few little treats.

Evan was happy. Thanks Bryan for coming to the rescue of the little one who has a hard time with change. Even if it is school lunch vs. Home lunch. I love you!

Evan has some great insights

Thursday night at dinner I said, "I wish we had a hot tub to go sit in." Bryan rplied, "We could go to a pool and then you can sit in one." Evan remarked, "We could go check into a Best Western and sit in their hot tub!"

Last Friday I asked him to sing to William while I was getting my hair done. So, I would help him sing My Country Tis of Thee. I would sing the first part of the line and he would finish it. Towards the end of the song, he didn't quite know the words right. This is my favourite: me, "Land where..." Evan, "the Pilgrams cried." Close enough.

Genesis1:25

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Objective: Younger grades will listen to Flight of the BumbleBee by Rimsky-Korsakov then create their own bumblebee dance.

Amos 5:24

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.

My objective: Have students draw listening maps to The Moldau by Bedrich Smetana

Psalm 149:1-4

Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.
Let Israel rejoice in the Maker, let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

My objective: to introduce three ways in which we will praise the Lord: singing, dancing, playing musical instruments.

CHS music notes

Starting from now, my blogs should mostly be about my music class. This is my goal: write each of the scriptures I use each week and what importance it had in my music class. What I wish I could hear from the readers: your thoughts on the matter. What big point did I miss?

Reasons I don't Blog very often

Reasons I don't blog very often - in the order I typed them

* My current monitor sucks. I am hooked up to the TV and for whatever reason (you technical types know why) it is very light and I have to strain to see lots of stuff on screen.

* Does anyone read this anyway?

* Do I really want to take the time to type all about whatever I want to type about?

* The cat meows loud. Okay, That is not really a reason, but he is crying now and it drives me nuts!

* I don't think I'm that interesting to read. Many blogs are filled with funny/cute stuff and mine is just how I think it. I don't take great time to make it interesting. I guess that is not one of my talents.

* If anyone really reads this, is this really how I want my family/friends/strangers finding out about my life? If you really care, you'd call or email or visit me. If I really care, I should do the same.

I don't know how to make a cute blog. I'm sure it is easy and I could do it, but the monitor is hard to see. Refer back to the first reason I posted.

* I forget to post.

* Does anyone read this anyway?

vacations

We are looking forward to our little family vacation to San Francisco. It was tough choosing a place because Bryan didn't want to go to a place that either of us had ever been to and he didn't want to fly. I'm not quite sure why he didn't want to go to a place that I had been to and he hadn't, I think it would wonderful to make new memories.

Well, sure enough, we get to make new memories together. We'll drive to Yosemite and then to the Bay. The kids are excited to go to the Jelly Belly Factory. Bryan's happy to get away from it all here at home and I just love to travel.

Wish I had more time now to fill in on all the small details of the trip, but I must pack.

Memories

Last Saturday we went to Bryan's grandpa's house to help him with some spring clean-up. I had a very nice time out in the yard working with various cousins doing what we could. As I was working, I found myself on the side of his house. I looked up at the brick of the house and suddenly was taken back to my grandpa's house. The brick is the exact same. Or at least, in my mind it is. As I was staring at the brick, floods of memories of being at my grandpa's came rushing through my mind. It brought tears to my eyes.

Now I have this silly longing to go over to my grandpa's house just to be in the yard. To walk back into his garden and smell the growth of fresh vegetables. I want to walk to the irrigation ditch and cross all the bridges like I did when I was a kid.

I have a job

Next school year, I will be teaching music in a private elementary school. I am very excited. I get to pick my own curriculum (or make it up). This will be a great opportunity for me to use my teaching skills in a bigger setting than private studio teaching. I don't know if I'll keep any piano students, so for that aspect, I'm quite sad. I love to see individuals catch on to music concepts and soar. Wish me luck and God's blessing in this new endevour.

I got a present, finally

I have always heard of cats bringing presents to their homes, but have only experienced it in small degrees. For example, Tarzan has only brought us two snakes. I thought he wasn't the hunter his breed proclaims he is.

Yesterday, he finally brought home his first rodent. How nice. He begged and begged to go out so I let him. Not very long later, he stood at the back door but didn't cry. I looked in his mouth, and there was a vole. He stood there and I yelled through the door, "Oh, thank you, Tarzan, for your wonderful and generous gift." And I wouldn't let him in! Of course he can't come in, the rodant is STILL ALIVE!

For a bit, he sat there and then finally started playing with it. In short, he ended up tearing off half the head and leaving all of it for me to clean. How nice. Today, he is begging to go out hoping to catch another one. But, he doesn't like walking in the snow. No rodents for me today. Shucks.

Not depressing

Elaine said I am way too depressing in my blogs. Sorry Elaine!

Here's a fun update. Elaine did my hair yesterday and it is fire red in places! I love it. (I just hope it doesn't fade too quick.) I always feel so great after getting new colour. Thanks bunches little sis, you are the best! And you're my favourite.

Friends

I got an e-mail from Ganine about the differences between simple friends and real friends. It was one of those "Pass this on to all your friends, including me" things. I generally don't forward much of anything on to anyone. As I read the list, however, I felt somewhat sad. I started thinking, who are my simple friends? Who are my real friends? And I realized that most people in my life are superficial friends. I pretend to know you by reading your blogs or looking at your Facebook status', but am I really your friend, be it simple or real?

What can I do to change that?

What kind of friends do you have in your life?

Perfect Birthday

I turned 35 last week and had the best birthday.

It snowed, I got to volunteer in Evan's classroom, Bryan made a fantastic dinner and even surprised me with a few guests for dessert. (thank you) Many people sent me a quick "Happy Birthday" via Facebook and some people even took the extra effort to call me.

I don't have any strange feelings about turning 35 and honestly, I didn't think I'd get many, if any, greetings for my birthday. So, to see that some people really care for me made my day. Thanks to you all.

I like birthdays.