Back to School 2022

8.17.22 

Caeden started his senior year of high school.

I am subbing in the library for the semester, covering a maternity leave.

8.18.10 -- Caeden's first day of Kindergarten

Most of those years went by in a flash.

He is more than ready to finish with his adventures at Ridgeview school. 

I pray he will enjoy his final year there.

8.18.22

Jeremy and Sylvia, packing up the Prius to head back to SIUe tomorrow

Annah's things have "expanded" a bit over the last 4 years of college.

8.19.22

Annah left a note for Caeden on the kitchen table.

Sylvia left us a message on the dry erase board.

Confirmation of arriving at campus:

8.20.22

Annah FaceTimed to show me her room all set up.

8.21.22

Sylvia FaceTimed while walking around campus

I zoomed in on a photo Sylvia sent me of her room and was checking out her books to remember what classes she is taking this semester (Physics, Genetics, Psychology, Organic Chemistry, just to name a few), and she thought I was noticing the coloring pages and crayons she had taken to college with her.

Just taking in a little beauty along Route 9 on a stormy Sunday

8.22.22

Good first day of Sophomore year of college!

8.23.22

Mr. Marchese has allowed Caeden to claim one of the practice rooms as "his" to work on his music projects during the school day. They are recording some stuff together as well.

8.26.22

I heard these words come out of his mouth today, "I had a good day at school!"

Caeden may have a little too much time on his hands with several study halls, and he may spend large parts of his days visiting his favorite teachers even though he doesn't have them for classes. And Mrs. McCoy may have put a note on her classroom door about when he may not be welcome.

But, she has always been very kind to Caeden. 

He even met and hung out with her son Henry at the football game tonight! 

We are so incredibly thankful for a great start to this school year!!!

Annah's Junior Recital

 Annah is a junior (actually, with all her credits she is officially a senior) Vocal Performance major at SIUe, and gave her junior recital tonight. What an honor it was to be in her audience and see and hear her incredible performance. She has worked so hard through a really ridiculous and difficult few years, and it was such joy to experience her performance!!!

Annah's voice teacher, Dr. T, gave a lovely introduction about Annah. She has been the best blessing about Annah transferring to SIUe and changing her major to performance. She is a phenomenal teacher and support to Annah, and we are so thankful Annah gets to study with her!

The recital was in Abbott Auditorium in the library on campus, which is such a nice place to sing!

Annah wore the lovely dress I wore in her Uncle Travis' and Aunt Erin's wedding in 2001 along with a sparkly taupe shawl I crocheted that happened to match it perfectly. She looked so beautiful!

Annah's accompanist, Nancy Mayo is a fabulous professional, who Annah says is amazing to work with. Annah's was about the 18th recital she has accompanied in the past few weeks, and I heard her talking about accompanying violinists and flautists on the convocation recital this morning. I think SIUe keeps her very busy, so Annah is extra grateful to be able to work with her.

I can't even express how it felt to experience Annah's performance. Of course, she made me think of performing my own recitals 20+ years ago, and even sang one of the same pieces and studies out of many of the books I used in college. I also know how hard she had to work to pull off a performance like this, with such difficult music. 

Really, though, I am just in awe of how much her voice has grown while studying with Dr. T. these last 2 years. She sang with such control, expression, confidence, precision, clarity, and beauty. She was truly absolutely incredible. 

Annah's program was very difficult and included four languages. Her coloratura work on the Handel was so clean and lovely. Her German has really gotten good, and I loved the Schubert set. I did four pieces by Debussy on my senior recital at Capital, and I hold that as kind of a pride point that they're probably the most difficult thing I ever performed. Annah sang all six of the Debussy Ariettes oubliees, and she made them seem effortless! I was not familiar with Ricky Ian Gordon, but her final set was so touching and the perfect way to end her recital. It was all I could do not to sob with tears streaming down my face the entire time, but I couldn't see if I let the tears come and I was recording video and didn't want to be heard sniffling on it! Dr. T. told Annah afterwards that she had given a graduate level recital, and I wholeheartedly agree. She was incredible.

SIUe Choral Concert

Last night I drove down to SIUe for Annah's choir concert! She was in rehearsal when I arrived, so I picked Sylvia up at her dorm and went to the campus center with her while she had supper. It was so nice to get to spend a little time with her--especially since she couldn't go to the concert.

I had to sign in with my contact tracing info before finding a socially distanced seat for the concert. It is such a weird world we are living in these days.

 

Concert Choir

Annah joined a new Treble Choir this semester, even though she is only required to sing in Concert Choir. She really likes the director, Dr. Canterberry, and the ladies sounded so lovely this evening. 

I didn't record any full songs, but here is a lovely clip in which Annah is featured. (She sings the first parts of the echo duet.)

VIDEO: Love Is a Rain of Diamonds

Annah had her friend Julia

Back to her room

Annah, Ryan, Abby, and Blake have their apartment so festively decorated!

I did take my things to stay the night with Annah, but decided it would be best for everyone if I just went back home and slept there. I got home around 1am, and was very grateful to Caeden for talking on the phone with me until I got through Springfield.

Although Annah is finding her choral experience at SIUe frustrating and it is maybe not the caliber of some of the other choirs she's had the privilege of singing in, I really did enjoy the concert and getting to see her singing on stage again. 

Annah's home for the summer

 On Friday, I took the day off and went to Edwardsville to move Annah home for the summer!  Weird as the year has been, she does love SIUe. 

Ryan was a huge help moving her out.

And thankfully, she had packed everything up nice and neatly over the last 2 days and was ready to go when I arrived.

Goodbye Evergreen Hall!

We moved her into the guest room, since Sylvia is already collecting a lot of things for her dorm room and they will have very different schedules this summer. Caeden is very glad to have his Mario Kart buddy home.

Merry Christmas 2020!

 Merry Christmas!

How blessed to be able to spend a day together, our family of five at home, 

celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

Caeden was chosen to open the first gift. His sisters have been talking about the gift they got him, and quite honestly, he has been worried and wondering!

He was pleasantly surprised and found it very funny that they bought him...

 ...a very soft and fuzzy tortilla blanket!

Sylvia was thrilled that Annah gave her a fingernail drying light!

Annah got her dad some of his workout drink mixes.

I gave him Crocs of his own so he doesn't have to wear mine when he wants to throw on some shoes to run outside! Sylvia gave him "The Man, The Myth, The Legend" slippers!

Sylvia received some items for her future dorm room and college life.  She was confused about receiving a tool kit and so excited to receive a vacuum cleaner!

some of the aftermath

Jeremy and I roasted a 20-pound turkey, and it turned out fantastic! We all were stuffed.

We spent the afternoon relaxing, Annah with her new FRIENDS puzzle.

We also played Jeremy's new game...

...Poetry for Neanderthals: a word game where u must speak good or get hit with stick!  

It's very fun and funny!

I know we probably won't have many more years with the 5 of us at home for the holidays, and this year has definitely shown us that nothing in life is guaranteed. So I am extra thankful for this beautiful day with my favorite people. So much love. Thank you, Lord. 

Welcome, Jesus.