A New Post...

Rich is coming home from Texas tonight, and since he isn't here I can't get to sleep very well. I decided to catch up on the blogs, and realized I don't blog as much as I used to, but I expect everyone else to keep up so I can see what they are doing!! How selfish of me-- but is it more self-centered to think that you REALLY want to see what we have been up to?  Oh well.  Here you go if you are truly interested!!
In August, I tried out for Craig Jessop's American Festival Chorus.  He started it 4 years ago after he quit the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Since he came back to the valley, I have wanted to try out, but I finally decided to do it this year since my littlest is almost 2 and Rich was FINALLY released as the YM president (after 10 years of the job in just about every ward we have lived in since we were married.)  I have had so much fun in the choir so far.  In October, we had a night of "Gospel Music"-- and I am talkin' hand clappin', swayin', shoutin' gospel music.  Dr. Jessop had a friend who directs a high school choir in Harlem come out and school us big time in how to sing real gospel.  It was totally out of all of our comfort zones, but it was so incredible! I loved all that I learned, and we also got to sing with the Calvary Baptist Choir from SLC (Jared, you should remember them... hee hee...)  They were awesome!

Anyway-- our choir is about 260 strong right now, but Dr. Jessop whittled it down to perform Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.  He needed a smaller choir for just this work, and we will all get back together for the Christmas Concert.  I feel lucky to be able to do the Requiem-- it has been a fantastic experience.  I was really hesitant about it at first-- it is VERY different.  If you are familiar with Verdi's Requiem or Mozart's Requiem-- it is on par with those, but in a very different way.  Britten wrote the Requiem at the dedication of the Coventry Cathedral which was rebuilt after WWII.  His requiem is a statement on the horrors of war-- it is full of cynicism and pain-- but there is a sliver of hope in it.  He weaves the poetry of Wilfred Owen, a WWI vet who died shortly before the armistace was signed, into the whole requiem, and it is something I have never experienced before.  We will be singing it at the Cathedral of the Madeline this next week.  Honestly, I hope we can pull it off-- but Dr. Jessop seems to think we can!  If you ever get the chance to listen to it, go for it.  It is amazing.  It is so nice to be able to sing in a choir again.  I feel like I get a spiritual boost in the middle of the week now, and I feel like I have a tiny piece of my heart back being able to sing such beautiful music regularly again.

On to the things that are actually more interesting.  We had our barn party for Halloween, and it was a success, aside from SHO puking his little heart out at the very end.  He overdosed on candy and donuts. 

Yes-- this is Rich wearing his football jersey from h.s. and a mullet wig.  He was the grillin' king--- hot dogs for all who came trick-or-treating at our house!

Grandpa and Grandma were nice enough to come and party with us! Here the kids are all watching the instructional documentary "How to Train Your Dragon".

Does SHO look a little like a glazed donut or what?  I think he was ready to call it quits.

Thor with two little Indians.

And-- since everyone else has had a chance, I just want to pay my small tribute to my Grandpa Green.  I miss you so much already.  I am so glad I lived as a neighbor to you for nearly 3 years, and before that during the summers as a college kid.   How many times he rescued me on the freeway when my car broke down, I can't count.  Not to mention all the visits with a cold IBC rootbeer and his great stories.  I want to be a better person than I am now because I knew him.

How lucky I feel to have such wonderful grandparents.  I am so sad to have lost both of my grandpas this year-- both fantastic and good men.  Both men two of the hardest workers I have ever known.  I miss them both.