NCC Honor Chorister, 2013!

Each January, the choristers in the Nashville Children's Choir vote on who among their ranks exemplifies the qualities that NCC holds most dear: focus, knowledge of music, attention, good attitude, commitment, kindness & leadership being just a few.  Each year, there are anywhere from 1-5 kids chosen from among the 85 choristers, I think depending on how the votes shake out and including some director input.  The requirement for a chorister to be considered for the Honor Chorister distinction is that they be at least a 7th grader and that the current year is not their first year in the NCC.  We are so proud of her, and we are just so pleased that her awesomeness is being acknowledged by her peers and directors.:)

  This was a really big deal in our family.  So big, in fact, that a certain set of sweet grandparents sent a lovely congratulatory bouquet:

Moo on the phone with Mimi & Bucky.

January Jubilee 2013

Every January, the NCC has an overnight event where the purpose is to introduce the choristers to their new spring music and have an intensive time of study and immersion into the new material.  For as much rigor as this choir requires, they sure do balance it out by showing the kids a real good time.

Some videos of the game time:

Holiday Travels & Celebrations 2012

Well, here it is...my colossal post full of pictures from over the month of December, 2013, which includes Moo's birthday celebration, some of our Hanukkah celebration (these two overlapped), my sister Danielle's wedding (which missed overlapping with the failed Mayan prophesy by just hours) and Christmas at my sister Kristen's and my parents house.  

First and foremost, we had our usual Hanukkah celebration.  Steve was determined to make fried donuts, and I...being the submissive and encouraging wife...was determined to help him succeed.  :)  Just kidding...I actually had no part in this.  I was happy to watch him and the girls work, and then taste-test the results. 

Don't even try to challenge Belle in a game of dreidel.  She's a bit, um, competitive.

This is a hannukiah that my Aunt Swede got for our family.  I LOVE that it displays the heart of why we celebrate this feast at all, the Hebrew name for Jesus-- ישוע --the Light of the World and the way of our Salvation.  It is because of our messiah that during this Feast of Dedication we dedicate ourselves to the One who sent him.

The girls and I went up north before Moo's birthday, so we had a little party for her the night before we left.  Poor girl--she had a birthday pie.  :-\

Once in Illinois, we continued the tradition that we started last year, and brought the Rothrock boybies into our candle lighting celebration.  Jaiden is quick to point out that the center candle is "the God candle".  We let him know last year that the center candle is lit first...and it is called "the servant candle", as it lights the rest of the candles each night.  He, being a little sponge, remembered the most important part. We see the shadows of our Messiah and his role in our lives clearly displayed through this imagery.   

We also had the birthday celebrations of my Dad and Moo (I was ALMOST a good enough daughter to have my eldest on my Dad's birthday.  Missed it by a day.  Argh.)

 

 

This very special gift--Bubbles the Giraffe--was given to Moo by Drewbie.  Now that he is gainfully employed, he went shopping with his very own money and picked this out himself.  She treasures it.

After we had been up with my family for about a week, Steve joined us for the weekend's festivities--Dani & Josh's wedding and the holiday festivities at my folk's house.

 

 First point about the wedding: the Mayans were wrong.  Second point: On December 22, 2012, my sister was able to pull off a very nice wedding ceremony for almost no expense at all.  She got a little help from friends who donated cake baking services and photography and other sorts of things that made the day not only go smoothly, but without major expense. 

She and Josh were very happy.  Well, yeah, even in this picture below...I mean, silly, but happy.  :)

 Dani & Josh, we wish you peace and love and happiness for the years to come.

Other general stuff that happened this month:

I did it.  I broke down and bought myself some readers.

This is my Dad watching a video of himself on Facebook.  My sister had "elfed" him, my mom and my nephew. 

This was one of my knitted gifts.  Yes...for my Dad.

My Mom's church Christmas program. 

My sister Kristen's gift to the girls: taking them to see Annie at Paramount Theater in Aurora. They loved it.

Visiting the Merrys.

Watching the boybies open gifts.

A sweet visit with the Kennedys.

Drew and Steve being hypnotized by Bob Ross.

Decorating cupcakes.

During our stay at the Rothrock B&B, we visited the Naperville Public Library. The girls and Auntie Sissy all checked out a copy of the same book so that they all could read it together at the same time.  It was Madeline L'Engle's Many Waters.  Challenge: Can you find all 4 dogs in this picture?

 A very busy, but very good month was had by all.

Nashville in January

This past weekend we took advantage of the beautiful springlike weather by going downtown and hanging out for the afternoon.

We stopped by the Nashville Convention Center to view the RV Super Show.  We like dreaming about ditching all of our possessions and living on the road for a time.  Then, we wake up.  But I digress...

Lunch outside Panera. 

A few blocks away from the convention center was the Nashville Public Library.  Seeing that my girls would rather visit a library than most other places, we checked it out.  Okay, we checked out just the first floor (we were running short on time).  We stayed just long enough to be impressed by the size of the place.

Love me some hardwood floors...

...as well as granite floor tiles.  Nice.

I swear that every time we visit Nashville, it's a ghost town.  That suits us just fine. :)

Too bad that you can't really see the mural on this building that faces the library entrance.  It's neat...take my word for it.

Now that's a stack of books.