Vivace Rehearsal

The girls had String Project rehearsals as usual this evening.  Here is Sylvia's group, Vivace, rehearsing.  (She is in the far center of the picture.)

Convention Palooza

The kids and I spent most of the day in Pekin today at our church district's conventions.  It was a combination of NMI, NYI and SDMI conventions, and I'd been asked to be a delegate for NMI.  Since I'd never attended convention before, I chose to go as an alternate.  It was an awesome day, and I'm so glad I went!!

The morning started out with great worship, led by Olivet's All Things New student worship band.  Then the meeting and voting started, and I was very glad I was just observing that part, whew!  Then, leaders presented reports from each of the conventions, and that was very encouraging and inspiring.

Our church had 21 (including children) attending the conventions today.  All the adults got away to Culver's for lunch.  When we returned we attended 2 sessions of our choice.  (Pastor Todd and Pastor Scott both presented sessions.)  

The first session I attended was Hot Topics for Youth Leaders, since Pastor Scott was presenting and couldn't attend, I went and took notes for him.  The speaker was Pastor Mark Holcumb, who is the Chaplain at Olivet.  The session was actually cut short to about 45 minutes, but I could have listened to him for hours.  My my mind renewed and  heart was transformed through his presentation, and I'm so grateful to have been in that room!  He talked about how the church has an authority problem and a language problem, and how we need to see life through the lens of scripture, not scripture through the lens of life!  He talked about how the church needs to have the difficult discussions, show charity and love in all things, and provide a safe place.  He gave many great resource recommendations I can't wait to look into.

The second session I attended was Raising Mission Minded Kids with Cheryl Sherwood.  She is always so great--hilarious and energetic and so sweet at the same time.  I laughed and cried multiple times while she gave us some great examples and ideas of ways to teach our children to help others.  It was fantastic.

After the sessions, everyone gathered in the sanctuary again to hear the challenge put forth by our District Superintendant, Scott Sherwood.  We attended Bloomington 1st Naz for 10 years while he was the lead pastor there, and it was so great to hear him preach and challenge us again!

Scott actually caught the kids and me in the parking lot as we left, and we had a great quick chat about what God is doing through us.  Miss him and his family a lot!

Sylvia and Caeden were in kids' worship all day.  They got to hear from missionaries Steve and Debbie Baker as well as the adults, and thoroughly enjoyed their stories.  They had worship time, recess, crafts, pizza lunch, Veggie Tales, and said they had a great time!

Annah attended most of the morning sessions, then left with the youth to volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center and then to a local grocery store to hand out flyers about the Walk for Life.  She was able to attend 2 NYI sessions this afternoon, and really loved the day.

When we left, Pastor Todd sent his keys to the church with me, and we went straight there to meet Jeremy and start setup.  Many times the kids just try to stay out of the way or do admin tasks if they are there during setup, but since we were the only ones there, we just did as much as the 5 of us could do.  Jeremy showed us how to set up the stages, and the 5 of us put up both the sound stage and the main sanctuary stage!  It was a great teamwork lesson for all of us.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God!  Days like this where we get to learn and serve are refreshing to my soul!

Silly Selfies

Erin took the day off work to hang out with us today, and we had a fun time just chilling at Mom's and Dad's.  Mom made some awesome butterscotch chip pancakes for breakfast.

Bryce and I took some selfies...

The girls and Gram baked some awesome chocolate chip cookies today.  And we've watched many HGTV episodes of Property Brothers, Love it or List It, and House Hunters.  And, we finally got to see what Duck Dynasty is all about, and all really enjoyed a few episodes.

This afternoon the girls had haircuts with Mindy.  She was so great to give Sylvia some tips on caring for her long hair.  And she gave Annah a great cut that is super easy to do and shows off her curls.  She loves it, and I am so happy!

This evening we went back in to 'Busco to pick up some pizza, Mama rolls, and breadsticks from Papa's place.  Obviously it was incredibly sunny!  We are okay with that, because it has actually snowed a bit every day we've been here on "spring break!"

After supper, the kids showed Tessa the funny-face pictures they can take with the PhotoBooth app on the iPad.  They giggled and giggled and giggled!

Tessa and her "twin!"

And we did get them all 6 to sort of sit still and sort of smile for a regular picture!  What a cute crew!

We've had such a nice and relaxing few days here!  Nah, it's not Disney world or someplace warm and tropical, but we love spending time with our family more than anything!

I'n' Coffee

Today, my mom was watching my brother's and sis-in-law's kids, so we got to hang out with them all day!  They are toooooooo cute!!!

Mom was drinking her coffee this morning, and the boys kept coming up to her asking for some by saying, "I'n coffee."  She would give them teeny-tiny sips and they would just grin and giggle and ask for more.

This evening we all ate supper together.  Tessa was asking her daddy for something sweet, and she just has the biggest puppy dog eyes that could sucker a daddy in a second!  

So glad for these times with my family!!!

Sunday with Grandparents

Officially, it is Spring Break for the kids.  I brought them to my parents' yesterday, and we are staying for a few days.  

This morning at 'Busco Naz' we thoroughly enjoyed the music of the Campbell family!  They are fantastic musicians.  We also enjoyed the potluck dinner in the CLB gym after morning service.  It was so nice to reconnect with some "old" friends.  

I made this shawl for my lovely mom a couple years ago, but never took a picture of it.  She was kind enough to put it on for me to take some today.  

This evening, we visited Grandma and Grandpa L and Great G'ma D for a while.  Grandma cooked a fabulous meal, and we played games after supper.  The kids were totally enthralled with the Frustration Ball, which Grandma said she bought around 1971 when they were living in Seattle.

The goal is to get the little ball inside to travel from cup to cup in the order they are numbered.  It's really tricky--hence the name "frustration ball."

After supper, Grandma put out a Sunday Sundae bar--complete with bananas, 3 types of ice cream, cherry topping, hot pineapple topping, chocolate syrup, peanuts, sprinkles, and whipped cream!

another favorite toy at Grandpa's and Grandma's house

We played Taboo and Pictionary and laughed a lot!  It was a really fun evening.

Fun Friday with Friends

After school today, Caeden's neighbor friend Kyle brought some Legos over and the boys played at the kitchen table.  They thought it was super fun that Caeden has an Abe Lincoln mini figure and Kyle has confederate soldiers.  And they each have a canon that shoots lego pieces.  So, it was just fun all around.

This evening, we dropped all the kids off at the Wehrenberg theater.  Caeden and Sylvia saw the new Muppets Most Wanted movie with the Kellers and Celia.

Annah went with the youth group to see God's Not Dead.  Apparently, both movies are great.

Jeremy and I ran to get some supper at Panda Express and then did some shopping at Kohl's.  He needed a small hard side suitcase for his travel.  (He is going to Levis, Quebec, Canada on Sunday through Tuesday for work.)  He also helped me do some clothes shopping, which I hate to do, but he is very tolerant (and in fact encouraging) of it.

Emmett Awards

We received an email from the Lego Club yesterday about a contest in honor of the Lego Movie.  Right away, Caeden couldn't wait to enter.  The only rules of the contest were to build something that was "double decker," like the couch in the Lego Movie.  This is Caeden's entry to the contest.  It's not just double decker, but quadruple.  (That's Princess Leia in the cage at the top.)

Frozen released!

The kids have been counting down to this day for weeks now.  Today Frozen was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.  For Sylvia's birthday, I preordered it from Amazon, so it was delivered today.  The kids worked hard to get all their homework, chores, and practicing done by 6:00, so I allowed them to watch it even on a school night!   They were *slightly* excited!

They've been listening to the soundtrack every day since Sylvia's birthday, so we all sang along.  We're all looking forward to watching it with Jeremy soon.  

He is currently in Toronto, Canada for a few days for work.  We are missing him!

Crack for lunch?

This morning, Annah was looking at the school lunch calendar for the week.  She noticed an interesting side being offered tomorrow...

We laughed so hard!  Maybe my kids should pack their lunches tomorrow?  

Siblings

We had a sweet Saturday morning today.  Jeremy shared with all of us some things the Lord was showing him in Ephesians 4, and we talked about being mature in Christ, not tricked by deceit of others, and operating in unity in the body of Christ.  (This isn't our typical Saturday morning, by the way, but it was excellent!)

After practicing his guitar, Caeden was allowed to check on his Clash of Clans game on the iPad.  Annah was intrigued by it, and snuggled up next to him on the couch for a long time.  These two are often pestering each other, so it was pretty cool to see them like this.  

It's been sunny and in the 50's today, so the kids were anxious to get outside for a bit--

even with the mud.  They rode their bikes and the scooter up and down the sidewalk, and after a while I saw them in the backyard.  They always find creative ways to play with their toys...

They said they were playing pirates.  

My boy

Caeden has been having a bit of a rough time with some things over the past few months.  He will say that nothing is bothering him, but he's showing outward physical evidence of some emotional stress.  I took him to his pediatrician Monday, and he told Caeden there is absolutely nothing wrong with him and he's completely healthy.  He told me that we just need to help Caeden relax.

We do tend to be very corrective of everything he does.  He is a squirmy, rowdy little boy, and we just want him to behave.  He's had some social tension with some kids at school.  But, seeing his emotional stress represented in such physical way is tough on a momma's heart.

I remember 3rd grade was a tough year for me emotionally too, and for both of the girls as well.  I'm not sure why that is, but it is rough.  I just want to give him snuggles and help him to know that home is a safe place where he is loved, no matter what.

Legos in Caed's room

Caeden asked his Daddy to play something with him in his room tonight, and when he told him yes Caeden was so excited.  They built a spaceship with Legos, and the girls even joined in a after a while.  By bedtime, we were all hanging out in Caeden's room.

And this is my new favorite photo:

Love this life.

Breakfast on another Snow Day

Yesterday after school, Caeden played outside for 2 hours without a coat.  It was 60 degrees.  He and Reece (in a short-sleeve t-shirt) and Kyle (wearing shorts!) rode bikes and scooters, threw the football, and got covered head-to-toe in mud.  We had hope that Spring had arrived!

This morning we woke up to at least 5 inches of snow on the ground.  As we were almost ready for school and having breakfast, we got the call that the kids had another snow day!  I'm not even sure what number this is--somewhere around 8 or 9 snow days in 2014?

I don't even have opinionated commentary, because I don't know what to think anymore!  We sure will be grateful for Spring this year!

Even though the kids are long over the excitement of snow days, it was wonderful to have them home for another day.

Oh, and Jeremy bought me this cereal last night--"Love Crunch!"  Who knew cereal could be romantic?!  I think the most romantic thing about it though, is that he bought it for me because he knew I would like granola with my two favorite fruits and dark chocolate in it.  Sweet.

Sticker shirt

My Aunt Needy gives the kids a subscription to Highlights Magazine for Christmas every year.  The magazine randomly sends extra stuff with the magazine, and we recently received a sheet of stickers--one for every state.  Caeden put them to use this evening...

It's not always an academic moment around here.  ;)

Sometimes life requires change

Over the last couple/few weeks, the Lord has really been speaking loudly to my heart about living intentionally, and making changes in my life in obedience to Him.  It has been tough emotionally, but He has shown me in many ways exactly what I needed to do.  So this evening, I took a difficult step and let many of my piano and voice students go.  I wrote to their parents to try to explain...

Dear wonderful parents of my wonderful students,

I love my students.  I love teaching and seeing them learn music and grow their love for it.  I love getting to know each darling one of them and being part of their growing up years.  I consider it a tremendous honor and blessing that I am entrusted with one-on-one time with such precious people every week.  Thank you ever so much for that great privilege!

You may not expect what I'm writing to tell you, as it was fairly unexpected for me as well.  I hope you will understand that writing this both breaks and frees my heart...

Most of you know that, for me, teaching music is a ministry God called me into.  I don't do it for the income or just to have a job; I do it because I care about helping others discover the richness music brings to life.  What you may not know is that the Lord is now calling me to stop teaching in the afternoons/evenings during this season of my life.  And as much as it hurts me to let my students go, I know I need to obey the Lord.  Change is often difficult, and even painful, but the blessings of obedience are great.

There are several reasons behind this decision, but the main one is that my family needs more of me.  My children are at the ages where I really only get to be with them for about 5 waking hours a day--in the afternoon/evening.  And, much like in your families, many of those afternoons and evenings are filled with their own lessons and activities that I don't want to miss.  

My husband also recently took on a new position at work which requires him to work many more evening and weekend hours.  In the past, Jeremy has been able to get the kids to and from activities and spend time with them while I was teaching, but I now need to be more available during those times. 

I am torn because my love for my students is deep, but my own children need to be my highest priority.  As you know, the time we have our children in our care and growing up in our homes is so very short.  I only have 9 more years before all of mine will be adults. I want to do everything I can to teach, nurture, and care for my children in the next 9 years!  I want to be available to them, eat supper with them, drive them all over the state, let them cry on me after a rough day at school, be there cheering them on at sporting events and performances, and have long talks about friendships and relationships and tough decisions.  These things most commonly happen in the precious afternoon and evening hours.  I want my children to [one day] be able to say that I was present and available to them and that it made a difference in their lives.

I know this probably seems sudden and out of the blue (Some students have just started new books, and some have only been with me a few months!), but I have become progressively burdened about this over time.  It has just become clear to me through much prayer and many tears over the past couple weeks that this change needs to happen immediately.  I'm so sorry.

Thank you for understanding.  I do realize the frustration this could cause you because your child who loves music is suddenly without this outlet.  I hope each of them will continue to study music privately and learn to love it more and more.  It is good to learn from multiple teachers, and I am glad to help suggest teachers.  I will continue to be involved with Ridgeview's music department, and am also hoping to hold some group classes on various musical techniques or topics from time to time.  So, I will still be involved in teaching music.

I would be glad for the opportunity to talk with each of you and/or meet with your child regarding this, so please feel free call me at your convenience this week.  Some of you have paid me in advance, and I will refund you for those lessons right away.  Also, some are borrowing books from me, which I would like to have returned.  If your child would like to continue in them with another teacher, we can arrange for that, of course.  

I want you all to know that I appreciate you and your families and consider you part of mine.  You have been so patient with me, and so kind and wonderful to me and my family.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I love you all so very much. 

Taryn

"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." - Ephesians 5:19

All the parents have responded so positively, and all have said that even though they are sad, they understand completely.  I am sad too, but I do feel peace knowing that I am doing this for the benefit of my family and in obedience to the Lord.  

Get out, winter!

This winter has been really tough on Sundays.  We've had several weeks we've had to cancel Sunday worship services, and many more where lots of folks didn't feel it was safe to get there.  Today was a beautiful day, and we had 130 of our PoC family together for worship!  Pastor Todd's spoke to us about forgiveness, and it was a relief to be called to forgive.

After church, Caeden, Annah and I decided to just stay in town for lunch and youth group.  Sylvia isn't feeling well today after her long busy week, so she and Jeremy stayed home today.  The rest of us invited Pastor Celia to lunch.  She was taking Sammy home, since Kim and Jillian were also home sick, so the 5 of us (Celia, me, Caeden, Sammy, and Annah) had lunch at Steak 'n' Shake.  The boys looked cute in their paper hats!

Annah and her sweet tooth discovered Oreo ice cream sandwiches for 99-cents on the menu.  

It was a fun time!

Divide and conquer

Sometimes we have to "divide and conquer" to get everyone where they need to be, and today was one of those days.

I had committed to accompanying Ridgeview's high school musicians while they participated in Solo/Ensemble Contest today, and it turned out to be in Argenta-Oreana, which is a ways away.  We had a great day!!  All 9 of these kids performed very well, behaved well, and represented our school and community beautifully.  I was so proud of each of them, and glad to be part of helping them prepare and perform.

Meanwhile, Ridgeview was hosting a big 5th and 6th grade volleyball tournament.  Jeremy helped in concessions for a couple hours of the day, Caeden went to a friend's for part of the day, and Annah cheered on Sylvia and her team in FOUR games!  

All reports I received said that Sylvia played very well, as did her entire team.  They came in 2nd in the consolations.  Volleyball is now over for the season, and we are glad for all the progress she's had this year.  

More birthday-ing

Sylvia had been wanting to go to Tobin's Pizza for a while, and we told her we would go for her birthday.  So, tonight after I picked her up from volleyball practice, we picked Daddy up and headed over for more celebrating of Sylvia's birthday!

Man, that's good pizza!  

We continued the birthday celebration back at home, since more cards and gifts arrived in the mail!  G'pa and G'ma Lopshire sent a singing Rapunzel card.

Aunt Jean sent a real $2 bill!  Sylvia had never seen one before!

Jeremy modeled the Cap blanket, for some reason, while Sylvia opened gifts.

Gram and Krampa sent Sylvia some pretty clothes for spring and some adorable socks! 

We finally had birthday cake and ice cream...

Sylvia wanted a Paula Deen Gooey Butter Cake, and it was yummy!

We were happy to stretch out the birthday celebration for our girl!