I apologize for the lack of posting over the past many months. Sometimes I get to busy and get behind and post a month's worth of posts at a time.  Sometimes (like this time) I have trouble with Blogger.  I finally figured out that the trouble I've been having with Blogger for the past year and a half is from having too many Google accounts signed in on one device!  If I sign out of all accounts, then Blogger works just fine!  Of course it gets confused with 10 different accounts wanting to be signed in!  Anyway...hopefully with that figured out and my being home and nonessential during this pandemic, I will get caught up.  Not that I will have that much content now...since everything is canceled.

It is such a weird feeling of waiting. 

Jeremy took advantage of a BOGO iPhone deal through Verizon last week, and yesterday my new phone arrived.  Here is a photo I accidentally took with it while I was setting it up.  Annah is working on getting my "old" phone set up to use as hers.  Caeden's first phone will arrive in a few days.

This morning it was absolutely gorgeous outside, and Caeden and I went for a walk around the village.

Love this teenager!

This afternoon, Sylvia spent some time with her skateboard.

While she rode in the road, I pulled last fall's leaves out of the flower beds in front of our house and filled a whole trash can.  It was such a beautiful day to be outside!

This evening, as Caeden was getting warmed up for his guitar lesson, he played a few songs for me.  I love how slow and mellow this one is!

vs. PC

The Mustangs traveled to Fairbury tonight to wrestle Prairie Central.

It was a rough night for the team, with only 3 individual wins.

Caeden had a good match.

And was one of the victories!

Back at home...

I convinced Annah and Ryan to stay for supper before going back to school Sunday evening by making them soup.  Only a couple weeks (and finals) to go until the end of their first semester of college!

Caeden has been playing a lot more guitar over the past months, but I don't always get to hear him and more often than not it's not his classical lesson music.  I just like that he picks it up and plays on his own every day now.

Been on a Celtic weave crochet kick lately...

Last Day of School

Sylvia's last day of 10th grade

Caeden's last day of 8th grade

a.k.a. The Last Day of "The Worst Years of My Life"--although, he has actually enjoyed 8th grade much more than 6th and 7th!

Annah got her violin out today!  She tuned it up and practiced!

Gram and Krampa came over today, and Gram wanted to hear Caeden play his guitar.

I really need to get video. He plays so beautifully!

Guitar lesson

I was able to sit in on Caeden's whole guitar lesson this evening, and it was so nice to hear him play.

VIDEO:  a little snippet of Caeden and Mr. H playing together

He has progressed a lot.  I love to hear him play!

Surprise gift from Dad

This afternoon, I asked Jeremy to pick up some piano books for my students at the music store across the street from where he works.  I called and had them put the books aside so all he would have to do is walk in and ask for them in my name and pay for them.  He came home tonight and called me from the kitchen into the front room.  He gave me the books, then told me to look at them.  When I took them out of the bag, 3 guitar picks fell out.  I knew something was up, because Caeden doesn't use picks for his classical guitar.  Before I could assume what was happening, Jeremy carried an accoustic guitar and an amp into the room.  Then we called Caeden in...

VIDEO:

Needless to say, he is pleasantly shocked.

It was really fun for me to watch Jeremy watch Caeden check out the guitar and amp.
He was so excited to give Caeden this gift completely out of the blue.
Happy early birthday, Caeden!  

He was still playing a couple hours later when the girls got home from marching band.  

Worship at Mahomet

Today was our 3rd/last Sunday to lead worship at the Mahomet church.  We'd been wanting to do more with the kids' string instruments, and we finally got it together for today.  

I feel like I always need to give a disclaimer when I post videos of music in this building.  The acoustic situation is very, very difficult to deal with as musicians.  Both the makeup of the space and the sound system cause a lot of echo and extra sound, but make it difficult for the people on stage to hear each other and stick together and stay in tune.  So, you may hear that a few times, but overall, I am amazed with how well the kids did feeling, hearing, and making music in this space.

The kids started the service with Safe Retreat.

VIDEO:

We only did 2 songs for the worship set--Tis So Sweet, and Oceans--because Oceans is soooo long.  

And, for the reflection/response, we did a song I've wanted to do for years, because I think it's one of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard. I also love it because the St. Patrick's Breastplate is spoken at the end of it.  I had to piece together music from several places to get an arrangement we could all do together, but it was so special to get to play Holy Spirit with Gabriel's Oboe with the kids.

Pastor Karin gave the sermon today

We have really enjoyed our time with the Mahomet folks this summer!

Bach Festival

Caeden had the honor of playing his guitar in the prestigious annual Bach Festival in Peoria today!

Trinity Lutheran Church is incredibly beautiful!

This was the Young Musicians Concert, one of the first in the festival.  Caeden played with his teacher's Bella Corda Classical Guitar Ensemble.

It had been a couple years since he had performed on his guitar in a recital/concert setting,
so he was excited.  He really likes playing in a guitar ensemble.

They played 2 songs:

VIDEO:

VIDEO:

We didn't get to the performers quick enough to get a group photo, but Mr. H and his kids Evie and Nik were up for a photo op!

It was a really neat opportunity, and we girls enjoyed watching Caeden be the performer!

Guitar class and Dia de los muertos

I got to sit in on Caeden's whole guitar class this afternoon.  It was so nice!

VIDEO: They played Silent Night

VIDEO: and Carol of the Bells

Also this evening, our favorite play director and Spanish teacher held a great Dia de los Muertos celebration at school!

Some of the Spanish club members had made sugar cookies, and people attending the celebration could decorate them with special markers to look like sugar skulls.

All Spanish students had to make an altar celebrating the life of someone who made an impact on their life.  They were displayed on long tables around the gym.

Annah is in Spanish 3 this year, and she made an altar celebrating the life of her Great Grandma Crabill.  She wrote about her love for Jesus, reading, crocheting, and family.

I didn't get a picture of Sylvia and her altar about the cellist Jacqueline DuPres.

There was face painting!

Flor, the mother of 3 Ridgeview boys spoke in Spanish about how she celebrates the holiday and is passing along the tradition to her sons. She shared a presentation, including photos of her decorations, and foods.  It was really beautiful and interesting!