Extreme Impromptu Performance

Well, Erin came home from her student Stake Conference (evening session) with the most outrageous story. She said she was kind of going out on a limb with a new outfit she put together. Someone said to her she looked like a flight attendant, so she was a bit self conscience to begin with. Anyway, right as it was to start she gets motioned to the front. "Could you please lead the singing, the person scheduled isn't here". So she ends up leading the singing. Well, there is some general authority visiting and later in his talk he says "That girl that lead the singing, where is she and can she come up to the stand please". So Erin rips off the experimental scarf part of her outfit and goes up to the stand. He asks her name in front of everyone. Then he asks for a show of hands how many people know Erin. Then says he heard her singing while she was leading and could she please sing this hymn that he loves for the congregation. First he asked if she knew it. She says no. I guess he sort of ignored her and then said, "well, would you sing this for us?". She responded with "sure, if you sing with me". Nervous humor reaction. He kind of ignores that and the little pianist scrambles up to play and Erin proceeds to sing this hymn using all her sight reading abilities -- ALL THREE VERSES. She said her face was so red she could feel it burning. The next day at the Stake Conference in the Tabernacle he said in his talk - "Is Erin here today? Oh hi Erin. I won't make you sing today". Funny experience. That tops all impromptu stories I have ever heard.

A few weeks ago Carol was up and Erin and Audrey were working on a song for Erin's upcoming Senior Recital. We are trying to convince Audrey to play the cello at the audition. She is not convinced.

Snow Day

We had so much fun yesterday in the snow. It was Alison's birthday and we went sledding in the empty lot next door. Then we wanted to make a snowman in front of our house. It turned into a giant merman. I noticed today it is melting and he looks like he is bowing towards the street. It was great fun.

Birthday Fun

Well, we are really bad at taking pictures around here. We forced ourselves while Brian and Russell were on their missions, but we didn't even take any Christmas pictures except for the morning of church that week. Konrad was very sweet and had corsages for his girls made up. We felt pretty special. He thought they were really huge. They were but it made us all feel good. WE WERE NOTICED.

MJ had her birthday last week while she was in New York at auditions. We decided to have a birthday party for her last night. We had a Mexican Fiesta. Alison is a great party planner. She quickly put together a Mexican table and put up streamers.

MJ and Brian have worked at their grad school applications. Now we just have to wait and see where they will be going!! The week before Christmas Brian was feverishly putting together his published portfolio with art, photos, design projects, etc. He decided he wanted to diversify it a little bit so he wanted to upholster a chair and document it. So, we were doing this chaise together the week before Christmas. MJ has to produce sample CDs and give the schools professional headshots. We like this one the best. We are going to miss them.

Russell has moved to Provo and we miss him a lot. He is really enjoying getting to know his cousins better.

Fun times

We have had a very very busy month. We barely moved in, well the boxes are all in the garage and in the basement still - then it was opera time for both MJ and Erin. Erin played "Hansel" in Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" and Mary Jane was the lead in Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors". Brian usually takes the class as a chorus member just so he can see MJ for the month they are practicing every day and night. It was great but we are all glad it is over.

Thanksgiving was great fun. Everyone helped and we especially loved Carol's different napkin folding skills. Sara Salmon was here from Rexburg and our friend Emma Conger came over to go to the Nutcracker with all the girls. It was especially good this year as they had a live orchestra and choir. Thanks for coming everyone - it was super fun.

We have moved FINALLY

Well, we are 95% moved over to the new house. We have moved many times before but it still is a horrible job. When the piano movers moved the piano I had to remove myself to another dimension. We finally got mirrors in the bathroom today - wow, I look bad, moving does age you. Konrad said he feels like he is camping and for anyone who knows him, THAT IS PRETTY BAD.

We had a block Halloween party. I went as the roofing contractor that did our roof. Funny thing is I found my builder's jacket in my garage so I wore it. Konrad went as a wizard. It was a 3 minute job. We had a good time. I wish Konrad could wave the wand and find out where everything is. We are really glad the kids helped. When I was searching through boxes in the garage yesterday I found one labeled "stuff". That is helpful. Well, give us a few years. If you happen to come by I might have you search through the garage with me. Come to think of it, come on over today. PLEASE.

1 hour at the beach

We made a quick trip to San Diego on Saturday. On Thursday Konrad says that one of the districts he works for in California required him to visit some minor children before Monday. So we flew on Jetblue late Friday afternoon and came back late Saturday night. We visited children in San Diego, Murrieta, Redlands and Apple Valley. So we were in the rental car most of the day. We finished with about an hour to spare before needing to be at the airport. We stopped to walk La Jolla Shores. It felt strange and brought back lots of memories. This was our favorite beach when we lived here.
I just have to tell of the first visit in San Diego. It was only about 5 miles from the airport. It was in National City, not really a good place after dark. It was about 7:00 p.m. so we were trying to hurry. We get to this really sad old house. It was two children living with their grandmother and deaf aunt. So we go in and the Grandmother is signing to her deaf daughter that she needs to talk to these people. To my amazement Konrad signs something to her. I forgot that he used to know some sign language. I almost burst out laughing. Anyway, the girls are cute, one 4 years old the other about 9 years old. She is talking alot and trying to convince Konrad how she is taking really good care of these girls. (The court is in battle about sending them back to Tijuana where their mother is - bad situation - drugs and abusive boyfriend, etc. etc.) ANYWAY, the grandmother takes Konrad down the hall to see the bedrooms and the deaf aunt jumps off the couch and hugs me with both arms and starts rubbing my stomach and signing "throw-up' and "getting sick" gestures. AWKWARD. I am thinking, am I making her sick? Is she going be sick? Konrad, get back in here right away please! The little girls are smiling and staring. I had a chance to ask them quickly if they like living with their Grandma and if they are happy. They were cute. These cases are always kind of sad.

Amazing weather, and school is back in session!

Well, here is a picture of the new house with a double rainbow behind it. Things are coming along in the house, the cabinet guys keep taking cabinets out that are wrong and the driveway guys are pushing gravel around. I guess eventually it will be finished.
I have to tell this super funny story about the first day of school. This is about Mary-Jane. We laughed so hard we just about fell on the floor.
Well, she was rushing to get to her German diction class, she goes in and there is a small Japanese lady at the front of the room. She is actually in the wrong class she thinks so she asks the boy beside her if this is German diction and he says "ya". The lady proceeds to say phrases in Japanese and calls on Mary-Jane to repeat - SO SHE DOES. Then the lady claps her hands in a rythem to teach Japanese inflection, etc. So Mary-Jane is clapping along, the whole time thinking THIS IS REALLY WRONG. So she finally stands up to leave quickly, the teacher says, Where are you going? She says I am supposed to be in German class, and the entire class erupts into laughter. Mary-Jane is so funny that in her choir class in the afternoon she introduces herself as a senior, in vocal performance who knows a little Japanese. HAHAHA. Well, it was pretty funny.
Another funny story, (sorry for the long blog), but Konrad had Russ and Brian paint our basement recently. We kind of stopped in the basement after the electrical and drywall was finished. So they are down there painting and the other sub contractors think they are professional hired painters. So Brian and Russ just go along with it. They come home every night cracking up about the other subs trying to trash talk etc. and asking them to fix things, etc. They got a real kick out of that.