"Happy Birthday to Momma!"

This is what I woke up to this morning: A special message from Lauren on the computer wishing me a Happy Birthday! (Now I feel like I don't want to mention my age-kinda funny). I'm very happy to be alive and for all the many blessings in my life.

Thanks Jim, Lauren, and to everyone-I had a fun day!

OCMCO Concert this Wednesday!

I've gotten a little behind in my blogging. I've considered giving it up due to how long it takes for me to keep it up. I suppose, since I'm still undecided, I'll catch up soon. ;)
But first since it's coming up this next week: the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization (OCMCO), we have a concert this week on Wed., June 11th at the Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County celebrating the spirit of America,"The Land That We Love".
http://ocmco.org/TICKETS/tabid/116/Default.aspx
I wish all of you could attend. I feel am not very eloquent or very proficient in my writing, but I wanted to just express that I am so grateful for the God blessed land in which we live. I probably live more days and weeks than I'd like to admit taking living where I do for granted.
As we've rehearsed the Patriotic music we're performing, it has reminded me of and increased my gratitude. I'm grateful for a land where we have the Liberty and Freedom to do choose each day what we will do, who we worship, and who we want to become. So many have sacrificed and are currently sacrificing their lives and their own freedom by fighting for what we enjoy today. I pray and hope that we will always show respect for our freedom by being a little more grateful, remembering and showing our individual allegiance to our Country, hold firm to its founding values and principles by not trying to modify them or change them with the sways of society, so that we can continue to have the joy of being a 'Nation Under God', blessed by Him, living in this great land of Liberty, the land that I love. God Bless America!
I love Victor Borge. He is a Pianist and Comedian. Here is a silly orchestra joke/clip I found on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXDEDClfZhc
Here's to a great and fun concert!

Lauren's 2nd Birthday Party!

Happy Easter 2008!

Easter weekend was so wonderful to put it simply.

The weekend started with being able to share my gratitude and testimony of the Lord's amazing Atonement and glorious Resurrection, and pay tribute of such, through music. In a spiritually powerful and uplifting concert combined with the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization (OCMCO)-(see link on our Blog side bar), I was able to perform my first concert of the 2008 season with the Orange County Mormon Orchestra at the Renee Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County. It was really beautiful and spiritually uplifting to hear and play in harmonious sound together songs of gratitude and praise for the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am grateful to have been able to play with them. I still thank Jim for letting me participate(course he just wouldn't say no ;) as the rehearsals take up a good amount of the mornings of 5 Saturdays before the concert. It was a personally fulfilling experience to play in an orchestra again, especially an orchestra that performs arranged hymns and sacred music for choir and orchestra (a dream I've always had-fulfilled). I also really enjoyed performing with my favorite stand partner (my long time dearest friend and violin buddy-to say the least), Marie Luedtke. I look forward to our next concert coming up on June 11th. Here is a shot taken the day of our concert that is in the Church News: (week ending March 29,page 14)

The rest of the weekend just really was icing on the cake (sorry Caitlin about my hot potatoes sliding into your icing on your cute and delicious cake). This year we had a lot of fun (I know I always say that) spending Easter Sunday together with family. We had such an over all beautiful day. (Lauren was feeling great, finally) ;) I say that because at some point in each month since January we've been sick. Then it takes 2 weeks to get better, one week well, then sick again. So it was nice to enjoy that weekend feeling healthy and well. Here were some precious moments captured from Easter Sunday:

Family going to church (Lauren in her Easter dress) ;)

"Look what the Easter Bunny brought"...however we caught an unforseen small Easter meltdown as she asks for some cake(we're not sure why?), but quickly recovers as Daddy drew her her attention towards what the Easter Bunny brought for her this year:

(Don't forget to MUTE the music on the side bar when you watch the videos.)

and Lauren's first Easter egg hunt with the cousins

There were so many great pics I need to spend more time to find out how to do a slide show.