5th grade concert

After a snow day cancellation, Claire's 5th grade band and chorus finally

got to show their stuff.

And they are good!

I mean seriously, I was really impressed with the band. 

They sounded like a HS band!  

Oh no! I think I've become a band mom!

Claire loves playing percussion. In fact, I have noticed that 

piano practice seems to take second seat to percussion practice.

Every morning I hear, rat-a-tat-tat, boom boom!

Our girl has rhythm and we are so proud of you!

I like this next video because I think it's so cool how the 

band 'follows' the director.  They all move in unison

when she stands up and then again when she holds

her arms up.  Pretty cool!

Best Birthday Ever!

Thank you to the best friends ever for helping me celebrate my

3_th birthday! Ok, it's my 38th and I'm totally okay with that!

I had the best time ever.  Really.  We combined three of my favorite things:

Living History Farms, Eating, and Friends.

It made for one of the nicest nights I've had in a long time.

As I sat around that farm table, looking at my dear friends,

I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude.

I have not always had good friends.

There have been times in my life that I have not always surrounded 

myself with good, faithful, honest people.  There have been

times in my life that I have felt incredibly lonely, even when

surrounded by people in a loud, crowded room.

Today, I can count on many people to call me a friend and
I them.  I trust them.  I love them. I know them. I support them.

And they do the same for me.

So often my life is focused around kids, schedules, driving and 

maybe the occasional date night.  I don't always take the time

to enjoy the great friends I have.

So, thank you for blessing me on my birthday, and all the days in between!

It was bit chilly and a bit dark, but we loved the lantern lit
tour of the 1900s farm

We were blinded by the flash, but it was worth it!

Happy Birthday!  I have a silly face because I was trying to hold
still, and not laugh, for the forever 'no flash' pose!

My crew! My life-long friends and village!