Freude, Shoner Gotterfunken...zzzzzzz

Well, the concert is over, but I keep singing the fugue all night in my dreams! I wake up with Ode to Joy running through my brain! I love Beethoven! He was truly a genius!

This was definitely one of the greatest accomplishments in my life! My friend Farhana, who is also in the choir, said that for her it ranks right up there with giving birth, but I'm not willing to go quite that far! It was an incredible feeling, though, to be a part of something so wonderful, and it was a lot less painful than having a baby!

The performance was a huge success! It was a completely sold out show, and since the Stephen's Performing Arts Center holds about 1300 people that's pretty impressive! We performed the next night in Idaho Falls and that was pretty full, too, so the attendance was great!

I am on the far right, in front of the timpani, next to my friend Gwen Lloyd.

When we went to practice yesterday, Dr. Anderson told us that Kristine Ciesinski, the professional soprano who was originally scheduled to sing with us, was sitting in the audience that night. She told him after the show that she has performed as a soloist in Ode to Joy all over Europe and the United States and ours is the best choir she has ever heard perform it! I've had SO many people tell me how much they loved it! It's been fun hearing the reviews.

My own family's reviews were a little less glowing, but they all said they loved the part with the choir singing. The kids weren't as thrilled with the 2 hours of symphony music before our 20 minutes of singing! Here are Maren, Megan, Ellie, and Emma right before it started. Devin and Chris found the third movement very relaxing and confessed to sleeping a little during the music, but they say they woke up during the choral ending. I believe them because nobody could sleep through 150 voices singing fortissimo, not to mention the booming timpani! My friend, Gwen, had her cell phone with her on the stage and her daughter texted her immediately after we finished and said that the entire floor was shaking! It was awesome! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this, and I'm even more proud that I stuck with it even when it was scary (the tryout) and hard to learn (the entire piece)! Yeah me!

Genius!

I have now heard (and been a part of) Beethoven's 9th Symphony 4 times (2 full rehearsals and 2 performances) and every time I'm more impressed by Beethoven's genius! It is so amazing to me that someone can create music like that, so complex, with themes and parts weaving in and out. It's just incredible! The most amazing thing is that he was deaf when he wrote and helped conduct it. At the end of his performance, the audience was cheering wildly but he had lost his place in the music and was still conducting an orchestra that had stopped playing. One of the soloists had to turn him around so he could see the crowd, who waved handkerchiefs and hats so he could see their appreciation. He wrote that piece through his memory of the sounds, and once it was finished, he never really heard it. How sad but how amazing!

See, I Told You He Was An Adult!

Last Tuesday, Devin voted in his first election! How cool is that?! The volunteers who got him registered were so nice. They cheered like he was a rock star when he dropped his ballot in the box and then gave him candy to celebrate. He just turned red and smiled a little, but I knew he was dying inside! Then a man came up to him and asked if he could interview him for the Idaho State Journal! The man asked him a few questions, which Devin answered with as few words as possible. I saw the editorial today and was impressed with how good it turned out. Here's the part of the article with Devin:

"All of the poll workers broke into applause after Devin Symons cast his vote. Symons, who turned 18 in September was voting in his first election. In addition to the "I Voted Today" sticker he applied to his jacket, he was given a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup to commemorate the event.

A senior at Century High School, Symons is no stranger to homework and said he had done the requisite studying in preparation to making his selections.

"I've seen some information about the candidates," Symons said.

And how did he feel about his choices?

"I feel good about it," he said."

That's it. He's a man of few words. He's a regular Nielson male.

We wanted to make a big deal out of this momentous occasion (another conservative voter is always something to celebrate!), so we got him a cake!

He thought we were a little crazy, but he loved the cake! Hurray! Another patriot is born!

All Shook Up!

When do you get too old to dress up? We're not quite there, yet, I guess! Here we are as Elvis and Priscilla Presley.

It took me so much work to convince Del to wear the wig! It took NO convincing, however, for him to sing "All Shook Up" all night long in his best deep voice! He was quite entertaining at our ward party! I tried to get him to do the hip swinging action, but he claimed that the moves would have to be censored, so he couldn't do it.

The boys were boring and would not wear costumes and the girls changed into pajamas the second we got home, so we have no pictures of them! I am going to make the girls dress up again in a few days so I can take pictures. Maren was Elfeba from Wicked and Emma was a medieval lady, and they both looked fabulous, so I'll have to add pictures later!

She's Running Wild!

To my total astonishment, Maren decided to join Franklin Middle School's cross-country team this year! She has never been interested in running before, but she decided to give it a try. She turned out to be quite a natural! At the final all-city meet, she came in 7th out of the 4 middle schools in Pocatello and got a medal!

She hasn't decided if she wants to try it again next year but I'm sure proud of her! Good job, Maren!

What A Lotta Cabbage!!!

Emma grew this cabbage with her Grandma Nielson for a class contest. It was huge and beautiful, but she forgot to enter the contest. Oh, well. We know she's a winner!We didn't have a scale big enough so they created a counterweight system with cans of food. Quite ingenious! I think it weighed 2 cans of green beans, 3 cans of chili, 1 can of pumpkin, and 3 cans of corn! It was around 10 pounds but I can't remember the total. All I remember is that Mom and Emma spent at least 30 minutes trying to weigh it and having a great time every time it fell! Grandmas are great fun!

I'm Singing With The Symphony!

Last fall, Del and I went to the Symphony and watched the combined ISU choirs and the Symphony perform, and it was SO incredible that I decided I had to be a part of it! Well, since I can't play an instrument, that leaves the choir. A friend of mine talked me into joining, but in order to be a part of the Camarata Choir, you have to audition for the director. I have been so scared for the past 3 weeks and practicing "Oh, Beautiful For Spacious Skies," the song he assigned, every time I get in the car, the shower, or anywhere else no one would hear me. Last Tuesday night was the moment of truth. Would I make it or be cut? Would I live through the audition or die in the attempt? This is how I felt.

OK, you know those experiences that you worry and stress over and then you do them and think, "OK, that wasn't so bad"? Well this wasn't one of those times! It was really bad! I was sitting outside his office listening to the person ahead of me and I wanted to sink into my seat! She was Junior Miss Idaho a few years ago and probably won because of her amazing voice! When the next person went in, I realized it was the woman who has been directing the musical productions my girls have been in at Mystique Theater! She's amazingly talented and currently teaches the choir at Franklin Middle School! I knew I was so far out of my league, and I was thinking about walking out and just telling my kids (who were rooting for me at home) that I didn't make it. I knew I couldn't do it, though, because I had just taught Family Home Evening about how Satan uses fear to keep us from doing things that will help us grow. Dang! Bad timing!

Just then some friends came up to the office to give me moral support, so we went out in the hall where I wouldn't have to hear how wonderful everyone else was and talked. I made them practice the song with me because I kept going blank about how the melody went. How many years have I been singing "Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies," but I was so scared that I kept forgetting how it went! Finally, everyone else was gone, so I had to go in. I was SO scared! At first it all went well. My voice was warmed up and I sounded pretty good and confident while we were doing scales, and he actually told me I have a good range and that I would sing Alto II in the choir. Then he had me try to sightread, which I absolutely cannot do. After fumbling through it, I told him that I would sit by strong singers and listen really well in practices. I told him that I had lots of enthusiasm going for me if not talent! Then I sang the song, that blasted song with all of its high notes! The first two lines were great, but after that it gets really high. Basically I squeaked out the final high notes, picked up my music with a red face, and said "Thanks! I'll see you next week!" without waiting for him to tell me if I could be in the choir! I don't know what he thought, but I was out of there! I don't think I will ever be able to sing "Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies" again without feeling completely ill, but I'm singing "Ode to Joy" (in German) from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in November! Yeah! I'm so proud of myself for doing it! I'm going to be performing with an amazing group of the most talented people in Pocatello! Wow! I did it!

Devin Is An Adult?

Happy Birthday to Devin! He turned 18 on the 23rd and I'm having a hard time believing he's that old. Sure he's helpful, responsible and mature, but an adult? Wow! It just hit me that we only have 1 year left before he leaves on his mission. That's so exciting but so soon!

We celebrated on Wednesday with his favorite Mushroom Bisque. That is what he requests every year for his birthday, mostly because he loves it but partly because his little sisters cry when he picks it! Brothers love that!

Tonight he's going out with some friends to see a movie, go to Farr's ice cream, and then come back to our house for games and an assortment of pie. It sounds fun!

We're so proud of Devin and the terrific man he's becoming! It's really been fun and rewarding watching him grow up. Especially considering the little stinker he used to be:)! When I think of all of the horrendous messes and "science experiments" I cleaned up over the years, it makes me cringe! It's a good thing he was so cute and smiley or I might have gotten rid of him years ago! Imagine looking into this adorable face surrounded by mounds of potato flakes (a ski slope), Tide (more snow), ketchup footprints on my carpet (he was being a detective and looking for clues) and on and on and on.........................................................................big messes then, but just good memories, now. Sigh.

My New Baby Has Arrived! It's Time For Blithemeat!

I have waited so long to have my own copy of the Oxford English Dictionary! It's finally here! I could have bought it on CD-ROM, but I really wanted a hard copy I could flip my fingers through. Plus, it's so fun to use a magnifying glass to read it!



This amazing dictionary was started in 1857 and took over 50 years to finish! When it was originally published it had 10 volumes and 15,490 pages! That's a lot of words! I love that it shows the history of words, where they originate, when they first appeared in print, and how their meanings have changed over the years. And, of course, I love to find new words, especially if they're ridiculous!

Did you know that if someone called you 'fatfaced' during the 17th century, they probably meant you were fertile, but if they called you a fathead, it just meant you were stupid, the same as today!

Did you know that blithemeat is food and entertainment provided when a baby is born? Basically an Old English baby shower!

Did you know that you are a fissiped? At least, if you have toes that are separated, you are!

Did you know that giraffes were also once called camelopards?

Well, now you do! I'm having fun!

The Phillips Are Here Again!

Last month when the Phillips cousins were here, the kids entered a birthday card contest for the bear at the zoo. Well.......Emma and Megan won! Yeah! The prize was a behind-the-scenes tour of the carnivores at the zoo. Laura's family happened to be visiting this weekend, too, so we had lots of fun with all of the little girl cousins (sorry, Katherine! You're not one of the little girls anymore!).
The girls loved spraying the bear and he loved being sprayed! He danced around at first and then just came closer so they could get him wetter. If bears could purr, I swear he would have! We got a great view of the bears and cougars as we walked up between their cages to see how they feed them. The cougar hissed at us constantly! She did not like us being in her territory!
The kids loved watching the zookeeper, Shawna, play with the coyotes. She has raised them since birth, so they think she's their mommy. They acted just like puppies with her, but they're far from tame!

It was 96 degrees and a two-hour tour, so by the time it was over, we were a little tired, but it was a great day.

Girls Camp 2009---West Piney

Maren and I had an awesome time at girls camp this year! This was Maren's 1st time, which was exciting! Luckily for her, we had another 1st year girl who was visiting her aunt in our ward, so Maren wasn't the only greenie! Tara is from Colombia (the country), and the two of them hit it off really well. We're sad that she flies back home in a couple of days and then Maren will be the only Beehive again. Sad. Maren is with Tara in the picture on the right.We have a small group of girls, but they really love each other! They're great!

Our stake had a western theme, so the girls got to learn to line-dance, ride a bucking bronco (made out of a barrel!), and perform country songs for the group! There were rodeo contests and our ward won 5 out of 9 events! Our girls also had a day of water-skiing with the ward and had a great time!

Maren's farmer tan matches mine! So Cute!

There is an incredibly steep slide at West Piney that the kids loved, but most of the adults avoided. Maren loved it. I avoided it. They didn't nickname her Darin' Maren for nothing!

A Princeton Ward tradition (but a first for Maren)! Every year our girls love to take pictures of themselves with nylons on their heads! They think it's hilarious, and they stay relatively quiet in their tents, so the leaders like it, too!
We had a great time, and Maren can't wait for her second year!

A Close-up Look

Several months ago I blogged about my mother and all of the unique things she likes and dislikes. We had been discussing our quirks one weekend, and I wrote it all down (for blackmail and blogging!). Becky accused me of being a coward since I didn't blog about myself, but really I just lost the paper, but I just found it, so here goes:


I LIKE:

Taking (and making other people take) all kinds of personality quizzes. I love them! It's always fun to answer questions and find out what color, shape, or letters you are and then read about yourself! I'm a red/yellow ESFJ if I remember right, but I don't remember the shape (hopefully not pear-shaped or chubby!:)


New squishy socks.

When men kiss my hand (not that it happens often)! Why has this tradition gone out of style? An older man was shaking hands with a group I was in a few weeks ago and when I held my hand out to shake, he kissed it. It was so sweet!

Looking up words in the dictionary. I LOVE to read about word origins, pronunciations, etc. My kids get tired of hearing "Why don't you look that up?" when they ask me a question. I own at least 8 dictionaries, but I've just ordered the one I've wanted for 15 years, the ultimate in dictionaries.....The Complete Oxford English Dictionary! I'm so excited for it to get here! I've asked for it for birthdays and Christmas for years, but Del doesn't share my fascination with words, so I usually get a sweater and some books. Those are great, too, but can they tell you when and why the British first started saying "clem" to mean "starve" when you run across it while reading North and South? I don't think so! I'm dying to look that up!


Playing trivia games where my otherwise useless knowledge comes in handy! When I can shout out the right answer and win the pie wedge in Trivial Pursuit, it makes me feel that my 7 years at ISU were well spent.

Smelling lilacs in the springtime. There is no yummier smelling flower!

Making detailed lists of things I have to do each day and then crossing them off as I finish them! So satisfying!

Sorting socks. I love to save up my laundry so I can watch a 5 hour movie (thanks, Jane!) guilt-free! I think this habit started with my mom. I still remember dabbing our eyes with clean socks while we watched The Champ.

Looking at my calendar and seeing a square that has NOTHING written on it! No meetings, no responsibilities, no orthodontist appointments. Nothing! That lets me know it's going to be a really good day!

Singing in the car! The accoustics are great, and I can sing everything as loud as I want! I know I probably look a little loony to the person parked next to me a the light, but I don't care! When you're playing Queen, you've just got to sing it loud!

Plastic totes! Normally, I hate to clean, but I love going through closets, drawers, and storage rooms, throwing things out and putting the rest in nice, compact Rubbermaid totes. So neat!


I DISLIKE:

Sitting still. I just can't do it! As soon as I know I'm supposed to be still (or worse, reverent!) that's the minute I start fidgeting! Since I can't get up, I start crossing and recrossing my legs, doodling, adjusting my bra strap, making mental lists, etc. The only way I can really focus on a speaker for more than 10 minutes is if I'm taking notes. I love the Saturday session of General Conference because I can fold laundry, wash dishes, or organize my bookshelf while I'm listening. I like to multi-task!

Violent movies. Del and I went to see the James Bond movie, Casino Royale, a few years ago and I about died! The opening scene was so intensely violent I had to close my eyes! I don't like to see people being mean to other people, and beating them to death in a bathroom counts as being seriously mean! I prefer to stick to happy movies!

People standing or talking too close. Del claims my bubble is quite large, but I do like my space!

Showering! I know that it is weird to dislike showering, but it seems like such a waste of time to have to shower, shave, blow-dry, style, and do make-up! It takes too long! Since I don't like to stink and have bad hair, though, I will continue to shower! I'm sure Del and all of my friends appreciate that greatly!

Being talked to while I'm on the phone or using the bathroom! Hello! Can't my kids wait 2 minutes!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So that's my weirdness in a nutshell! Not so bad, huh!? I'm sure it get's a lot stranger than that!

***By the way, Devin thinks he needs credit for the fun picture he took of me on the Oregon Coast taking a picture of him. He said he was tired of having pictures taken of him, so he was getting me back. Good job, Dev!

The Phillips Cousins Are Here!

Wow! It's exhausting having this much fun! For 10 days we've played and played! Becky was going to girls camp and Dave had to work, so we got to spend some time together! Here's a recap of major events!

Saturday the 11th was Charlie the Grizzly Bear's 34th birthday party at the zoo. The kids got their faces painted, watched the bears eat their cake (frozen fish and fruit), and got to eat some human birthday cake! Mmmmm!

Anna had an adorable lime green caterpillar painted on her face that last about 2 minutes. Then she just looked bruised! John learned all about tortoises. Did you know they can go a whole year without drinking anything?

They also had a birthday card-making contest that the girls entered and Emma and Megan won! Now they get a behind the scenes tour in August! They even get to help feed the bears! They were both so excited to get the news!

Next, we went swimming at Jensen's Grove in Blackfoot. It's a fun little spot where people can boat, jet-ski, swim, or just hang out on the beach. The kids had a great time having seaweed fights and burying each other!
After that we celebrated Pioneer Day with a parade (Devin and Chris were carrying flags in it) and activities at the fairgrounds. It was incredibly hot (we think it hit 100 degrees!), but we managed to stay cool and have fun!

During our week, we also went swimming at Dave's hotel and Ross Park, saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and a really dumb cartoon called "Igor", and had sleepovers with grandma that included staying up late and shopping sprees at DI for every child. They brought home lots of "grandma treasures"! She's too good to them! We had a great time together, and my kids are already asking me when they're coming again! I'm thinking that next time mine will go to Boise! It's only fair that Becky and Dave get to enjoy some of the excitement, too!