This is the story of a girl who loved music....

There once was a girl who loved music. Her older brother played trombone in middle school and high school. When it was her turn in middle school to pick an instrument, she chose the flute. Not the piccalo, the flute. She loved her music and learned to play well. She learned to read notes, count and play in the band.  She played in the high school marching band before she was ever in high school.

When time came to become a freshman in high school where she had to pick classes, she did not realize that she loved the flute. She chose wisely and picked typing classes in lieu of music. Time passed without regret and she grew up.

Then she married a handsome young man. She finished college. They had four beautiful children. Times here and there she considered playing with an orchestra. Sometimes wishing she had a hobby outside of the home, but she never really pursued it.

After the birth of their third son, she realized that there is no music in their home. They homeschool, so "What will they do?" with musical instruction for their children? This was something that from time to time, hung heavily on her heart. For she had a desire for her children to have a love of music as well. They would visit friends and see the evidence of music in their home, and yearn for it in hers as well.

Occasionally, her children would listen to her play flute in the living room of their home. Though she realized that for real life activities after high school, it would be pertinent for her children to learn music such as guitar and piano. Guitar is the instrument of choice in small group, home worship. Piano on the other hand is a pillar of our musical society. So she decided that she would really love for her children to learn the guitar and the piano.

Some time later, she began to look for a piano. The cost was prohibitive. With sadness in her heart, she gave up looking for an inexpensive, used piano. She gave it to the Lord. If He wanted music in their home, He would need to provide it! She had visions of a family, her family, gathered around the piano on Christmas Eve singing the songs of Christmas. What a beautiful dream....

Then, through a mutual friend, she was reunited with an friend from years gone by who desired to give their piano away. She found out about this and inquired about the piano. Her old friend gave her the piano. What a bulky, hard to move, blessing, in disguise!

Then she thought, how will my children ever learn to play the piano that we now possess? Her husband had been laid off from work, so she knew that they could not afford a teacher for music lessons. What was she to do?

She bought a piano instruction book. Borrowed a few more. And she began to play. All of her music lessons flooded back to her. It was like riding a bike! It all was still there! It may not be shiny, delicate or light-weight, but the basics were all the same! One still counts, reads music and learns to play by ear. Her heart sang!

Thereto lies the future of her family. A family that plays (music) together; that sings together. This is a story of a dream come true! And one day, she will teach them to play the guitar (and the flute as well).

This is something that I wrote about myself. I'm taking a digital scrapbooking class where we were to come up with something written in 3rd person, story-ish. It needs some revisions, yet I hope you like it... I do!

Oct 2008

There's a lot that's been going on in my neck of the woods lately. Sept. 22nd, Rod started courses at SVC for Computer Information Systems. If all goes as planned, he'll end up with a CIS certificate. Still waiting for unemployment to approve or not approve an unemployment extension. He's begun, and he's enjoying it.

We just got a used piano. Someone through our co-op posted on our First Class Google Group that she had a friend who wanted to get rid of her piano. I've been wishing I could get my hands on one for years. Even going to far as to look through craigslist to see if I could find one for free. But I was really reluctant to get one that way. I've thought about getting a keyboard, but I just didn't want my kids learning on one.. even though, i'm sure we'll end up with one eventually.

We were able to get ahold of the piano lady & it must have been ordained. I actually know her! Well, I did in highschool anyway. She was the mom of one of my very good friends! So we were able to talk & catch up. A few days later, we went to her house to look at it. Turns out, it was the same 'kind' that I've always wanted. It's an upright grand. Heavy as the house, though! We have another friend, Mike, who owns a party rental business (www.airplayrental.com). He has a lift truck! So him and another friend Matt went with Josiah and Rod and moved the piano. So I didn't pay anything for the piano or to move it!

A couple of gals from Friday School have loaned me a couple of kids piano books. I don't know what I did with the one that I used to have from when we lived at the church. I suppose i'll find it eventually!

Kids have officially begun school. We are also doing swimming lessons. Looks like I will be adding music lessons to that as well. I played flute for years, and we've only had the piano a few days and I'm quite surprised with how much I've picked up. The boys have been teasing me saying things like "I thought you didn't know how to play piano, Mom!" I'll take that as a compliment, thank you!

Friday School started a couple of weeks ago as well. I'm making espresso. I have definately gotten better at it. Rod's teaching three Rockin' classes: Extreme Toothpick Engineering, Pop Bottle Explorer and Let's Play Chess. All three of those is going well. It took quite a bit of prepwork to get the toothpick class together! Josiah is taking Faith's spanish class and loving it! I was hoping that would be a good choice for him. He loves his name translated into Spanish Josias with the emphasis on "si".

Personally I've been taking a couple of Digital Scrapbooking classes online through www.jessicasprague.com using my Photoshop CS3 that I got not too long ago. One of the layouts I've done is at the top of this post. That's been going well, my new layouts are really fun. I'll have to post a few more. I really have been enjoying it because it's challenging, fun and making me use the digital materials and photos that i have. Definately curbs the creative bug that I have!

I guess that's all for now....