heaven’s eyes

This wonderful song from The Prince of Egypt has been stuck in all our heads for the past three days, making R and I spontaneously break out into hora-esque dance steps on occasion. The core message of the song has taken root deep in my heart, and on Sunday night, I thought up this little wall hanging as a future reminder.

I’ve been thinking about rainbow quilts and mini quilts and embroidered quilts for a while, so it was nice to see it all come together. Although I clearly need some help with thread color choice, because you have to be standing about 12 inches away from it to see what it says.

I spend so much of my days and nights looking at my life “through the eyes of man,” where I usually find dissatisfaction, frustration, and selfishness. But during those quiet moments when I’m mindful and present enough to “look through heaven’s eyes,” I feel a quiet, smiling tug — a gentle pull — a friendly little elbow in the ribs, reminding me to sit down and read with my kids. To make my voice kinder. To carry on, making the pathway bright as I go.

If it doesn’t make you jump up and do the hora, I hope you’ll at least tap your toe and sing, “Lie la lie la lee-lie-lie…”

healthifying

Last night R and I tried to get a last-minute babysitter, but failed. Then he had just about the best idea ever: “Let’s just lie around and play games and gorge ourselves on junk food.” Word.

It hasn’t been all junk food around here lately, though. Yesterday we blew some Macy’s gift cards we had on a fancypants juicer. I have been wanting a juicer for-ev-ah, but have had a hard time convincing R that we need one (I get an appliance itch every couple of years or so; R’s usual rebuttal is, “But dear, where will we put it?”). So far we have made carrot/apple/ginger juice and carrot/apple/cucumber/ celery/lemon juice, and both were delicious. I also used the juicer to juice the limes for my icebox key lime pie today, which was awesome. Check out that practically dry pulp!

Some more thoughts, in no particular order:

There are no words to describe how much I love Dave Matthews’ solo album, Some Devil. Every time it comes on Pandora, I rush over to the computer to see what on earth this awesome song is. This may need to be my next iTunes purchase.

I hate exercise. Hate. But my sweet friend Diane recommended the Turbo Jam videos, and I absolutely love them. I actually look forward to doing it every morning, and I feel awesome afterwards. It’s not like running or biking or any other number of exercise regimens where every moment I’m thinking to myself, “I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.” Love Turbo Jam. Except that I am a sucky dancer and am therefore can’t do it in front of R, even though he doesn’t care that I have no dance moves.

Have you seen the Swagger Wagon video? Seriously, if you have kids, and especially if you have a minivan (we don’t), you really need to see this. If you don’t pee your pants, you will think about peeing your pants. Here, I will even put it right here so you don’t have to go to another web site.

I leave you with some recent sewing for the Littlest Miss. It won’t fit properly until she starts walking full-time, but she is well on her way!

I used the Molly Peasant pattern with AMH Little Folks voile. I heart.

cory evans in monk’s robes — oh my!

The American Festival Chorus and Orchestra will perform Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on Saturday, March 28th at 7:30 in the Kent Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 (free for students) and are available right here. The Cache Children’s Choir, USU Chamber Singers, and USU Ballroom Dance Team will also be there to join in the fun. Serious rockage and rollage guaranteed.

a new look at abe

The Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration on Saturday totally rocked. The Kent Concert Hall was jam-packed and sold out, the guest stars were amazing, the orchestra played thrillingly, and the choir sang really well, if I do say so myself!

One of my favorite parts of the concert was Pam Laws’ a cappella rendition of “Nobody Knows da Trouble I’ve Seen.” Pam is a true-blue gospel soul singer; her voice moves and tremors and aches with the sorrows and the joys of generations past. Her solo performance was heady and riveting stuff.

The highlight of the evening for me, though, was a piece called “A Lincoln Portrait,” orchestrated by Aaron Copeland and photochoreographed by James Westwater. The stage was dark while Civil War-era photos flashed by on three big screens above the orchestra, and Senator Robert F. Bennett was there to provide the narrative encompassing quotations from and reflections on old Honest Abe (the setup looked something like this). It was an extraordinary experience that touched me deeply and reaffirmed the connections between our nation’s past, present, and future. You can watch the presentation here (it takes a while to load, but it’s worth it).

party with lincoln, next saturday

It’s going to be awesome, not least of all because we’re singing this lovely little ditty, which makes me feel like dancing a jig and organizing a quilting bee. There’s also a piece that details the history of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, complete with narration and Civil War images on big screens. Each piece (lots of spirituals and patriotic songs in the mix) was chosen with the idea that it would have been something Lincoln would have known in his time – heard, sung, maybe tapped his toe to. So come and celebrate! We’ll have a grand old time.

Tickets here.

snow day

Today found us in a white world with foggy windows, a far-reaching and delicious stillness, and second thoughts about whether that errand was really so important.

Three things were important enough to me to lure me out of doors: 50% off of baby outerwear (a snowsuit!) at Old Navy, the sudden urge to make a Christmas stocking for Lizzy (I scored at Red Rooster; the fabric is burning a hole in my kitchen table), and my little chica’s first time playing in the snow.

Last night I started listening to Jim Dale’s reading of A Christmas Carol on CD. It is wonderful, and is getting me so into the Christmas spirit (thanks for the idea, Megan!). Other wonderful Christmasy things right now: Soule Mama’s delectable photo post from today, Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong, Pavarotti’s O Holy Night, and the holiday potpourri recipe at Little Birdie Secrets (I just used one tangerine, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves, and it still made the house smell fantastic all day long).

One last thing: tonight I was getting some ribbon out of my stash and found a box of jingle bells I’d forgotten about. Lizzy went totally nuts — and so did I.

small and simple things

We listen to the songs from the Primary Children’s Songbook a lot around here; Lizzy always seems a little happier when there’s music playing, and it’s nice to listen to something so full of truth and light. Besides, there are five CDs — it takes a while to get through them all.

In a quiet moment today, it struck me how all of life’s most basic questions are answered in these simple, beautiful songs: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why are we here and where are we going after we die? (Find answers in the songs here, here, and here.)

I love that the truths of the gospel — of life — are sweet and simple. They aren’t clouded with doubt and shadow; rather, in their simplicity, even small children can learn them and feel of their truth for themselves. I love those simple gospel truths, and I also feel them myself every time I listen to those songs. Hooray for the songbook! Find the text to all the songs and download MP3s here.

first prenatal, first concert

Today I had my first official meeting with our midwife, Chris Miller. I love her already; she is warm, understanding, and empathetic, but also seems pretty no-nonsense, which I like. We talked for an entire hour about my hopes, feelings, and expectations for this birth — and my feelings about Lizzy’s birth, which are difficult to talk about without getting upset. She said she wants to help us heal from that experience, and at that, I totally lost it and burst into tears, then she cried too, and we cried together for a minute. Consider us on board for homebirth.

Thanks to Chris, I also learned that I have a retroverted uterus (TMI?). Apparently that makes it more difficult for her to hear the baby’s heartbeat at this stage in the game; she couldn’t find it, so we’ll have to wait a few more weeks. While she was searching for the heartbeat, though, Lizzy had a fantastic time playing with Chris’ spare doppler unit. She thought it was particularly hilarious when I pretended I was using it on her (Lizzy’s) tummy.

The Veteran’s Day concert tonight was FANTASTIC!!! We sang to a full house in the Kent Concert Hall, which surprised all of us; the only other time I’ve seen the KCH completely full was when President Eyring came to speak at USU (why they didn’t put him in the Spectrum, I’ll never know).

Singing with a full orchestra was absolutely thrilling. The USU Symphony Orchestra is top-notch, and I have to wonder what it would be like to play the violin/flute/bassoon/piccolo/trombone/etc. like that. (And Jentry, I freaking miss you. Loves!) The best moment of the night had to be during the medley of armed forces theme songs; for each division’s song, they had the veterans from that division stand up to thunderous applause. The audience got totally into it, and it was a blast. Thank you, US Armed Forces Veterans!

Other than the fact that I am totally addicted to Nancy Turner’s These is My Words (thank you, Amber!), that’s all my news for today. And since a blog post just isn’t the same without pictures, here’s one of my all-time faves of Little Miss, back from the days when her body just naturally sprang into the fetal position all the time. Awwww.

come see me sing!

favorite things

1. Last night’s 10 pm McFlurry. I got home from choir rehearsal at 9:45, remembered my earlier craving for a vanilla soft-serve something, and hmmed and haaed for a while before finally getting back in the car and heading straight for those golden arches. I think Richard was trying to give the impression of neutrality on the subject while secretly emanating pro-McDonald’s vibes; he didn’t say much while I was trying to decide, but on my way out the door, he innocently asked, “Oh, and could you get me a hamburger?”

2. Sissel’s gorgeously clear, delectably piercing, hauntingly lovely music. I succumbed to some early Christmas CD checkouts at the library this week and scored MoTab’s Spirit of the Season, on which she is the guest star. And although she doesn’t sing in it, Wexford Carol (watch it here) is a piece I could listen to all day, every day, until Christmas comes. Or just about.

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Pie Society, a new novel about life and love on the post-WWII Channel Island of Guernsey. It manages to be light without being trivial — and serious without being too grave — a nice balance. AND it’s totally clean, which, as you know, is not always something to be found in your average bestselling novel.

4. Richard’s idea for a high chair: The Baby Cubicle. It has high walls of plexiglass with a small sliding window at the front, through which you can serve your child food. No more food on the floor — just on the cubicle walls! We could totally get rich off of that.

5. President Monson’s recent General Conference message, Finding Joy in the Journey. I re-read it today and felt so encouraged by all the little reminders to savor life, just as it is, right now. A favorite snippet: “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.” I love the word relish.

6. Midwives, midwives, midwives. What a warm, wonderful, courageous group of women! I’ve been talking and e-mailing with a lot of them over the past few weeks; the final decision has yet to be made, but things are shaping up for a home waterbirth (barely contained squeal of excitement)! I’ve been meeting more and more women who have chosen or plan to choose homebirth — and are so very happy about it. For a great source of information on the safety and benefits of homebirth, check out this site or watch this documentary.

7. A new record: 115 hits on Wednesday!!! WOOHOO!!! Thank you, loveys!