The adventures of Carrie and her lively, smilely crew.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
So it has been quite awhile since my last post. This seems to happen every January. With the rush and business of the holidays, I always think that January is going to be so calm and uneventful. In reality, all the things that get put on the back burner as Christmas approaches need their attention in January and then there are the new things that begin with the start of the year. James is now in a Lego club which Mark is helping to lead. They are meeting on Tuesday nights when Claranna and I are at Claranna's dance class. Now Tuesdays are just as full as Wednesdays and Mondays with multiple activities for the kids which we juggle with our own meetings and activities. Each week just seems to fly by as we move from one activity to the next. I'm afraid summer will be knocking on our door before I am ready!
Just a few days before Christmas we went downtown to see the the giant gingerbread house that was built in one of the locally owned hotels. The house was constructed of real gingerbread bricks and tons of candy. It was pretty amazing and the lobby of the hotel smelled just as Christmas should, all cinnamony and sweet. We can't wait to see next year's creation!
I set up the tripod and the timer on our camera last night and caught two pictures of Santa in action at our house. The kids were so excited to see the pictures, but now Ella is concerned that we all might be on the naughty list next year because we took Santa's picture!
Yesterday was a very busy, very perfect day of Christmas worship that we and Ella will probably remember forever. At the beginning of November, the director of our adult church choir that I sing in asked me if I thought Ella would sing the children's choir part as a solo in our Christmas Cantata called "Celebrate the Season". I told him I would ask her and let him know what she said. That night, I explained this unique opportunity to Ella. I told her she'd have to sing in front of the whole adult choir at practice and then stand in front of the whole congregation and sing into a mic all by herself on the performance day. A year ago, I know her answer would have been an immediate, "No!". So, I was honestly a little surprised that Ella said yes without too much hesitation the day after I asked her if she would sing. What sold her on this opportunity was the word microphone. Ella REALLY wanted to sing in a microphone.
Ella learned her part by practicing with me at home. After Thanksgiving, she had her first sing thru with the choir and pianist. She did great and her enthusiasm never wavered. On Saturday, she practiced like a pro with the full choir and mini orchestra. Yesterday, Mark and I were over-filled with happiness and so very proud as we watched our little girl spread the message of God's love through music. She brought smiles to faces and tears to the eyes of many (including, but not limited, to Grandma Judy and Grandpa Jim!) while singing her solo so beautifully. She was poised and seemed so calm, like this was the most natural thing for her to do. The entire choir was so supportive and encouraging of her and helped to make the entire process a very positive experience for Ella, for which I am very thankful. Ella was so excited to have so many of her special family and friends there to share this experience with her. It meant a lot to all of us that you could share in our delight and celebrate the story of Christmas together with us yesterday.
I wish that I could have bottled up all the beautiful music and all the Christmas love and energy that filled our sanctuary yesterday to keep forever. Instead, we are grateful and blessed to have lived the moments together and will forever cherish the memories we made. This year will be hard to top, but I am looking forward to singing with my children at more Christmas concerts for many more Christmas seasons to come.
Our friend captured this video at the first service. You will hear the narration, choir, orchestra (piano, synth, bass guitar, cello, violin, oboe and flute) and I think you won't have any trouble figuring out when Ella is singing. If you look very close at the beginning, you will find me sitting second from the left in the second row wearing red. Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Ella's dress is hanging at the front of her closet, her shoes are set out and her nails have been painted a sparkly color. She is very excited for her big morning tomorrow and Mark and I couldn't be more proud of her! It's our annual Christmas Choral Worship Service tomorrow. Ella will be singing two solo verses of "Away in the Manger" that are arranged into the song "How Quietly" that the adult choir is singing. We were at church for practice all morning today and she did an amazing job singing her part. She sang right in time, even when the adult choir started their counter melody. She is pretty excited about singing with a microphone and has loved all the extra attention the other members of the adult choir have showered on her. I am just so thrilled that Ella is singing tomorrow and even more excited that she loves music as much as me! I think I was about her
age when I sang a duet up front for a Christmas service. It's pretty
amazing that my daughter will follow down that same path tomorrow.
Not to be out done, both Claranna and James had to step up to the mic at practice this morning. James tested out the sound a bit and then Claranna sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for everyone. Hopefully little Claranna won't try to steal the stage tomorrow!
