Wahoo! What a Week!!

This has been a very busy, but fun and rewarding week. Whooee!

It started with my Keynote concert at the tabernacle last Wednesday evening. I was pleased with how well it went, especially since I found out just before that one of our altos was too ill too attend. We each have narrations and solos and play instruments, so we had to figure out who would do what. Plus, Sue always knows every note and every word. She is solid as a rock. We all depend on her. I think it's the only time in over 15 years that she's ever missed, too. But anyway, we got through, and I don't think most people even knew anything was wrong. Kristen, Jared and family arrived just as it was starting. It was so good of them to rush to make it. They found out that afternoon that they are expecting another BOY! Kristen, Jared and Nathan left early the next morning for Vegas to fly to Wisconsin to find housing. I got to keep Brielle here with me. It's a grandma's dream to be one on one with a grandchild. We had a good time together. Ken also left for a couple of days on Thursday and Friday for work, so it was just Brielle and I. Then, Saturday and Sunday were stake conference with a general authority. We had Elder and Sister Lund. It was nice to have dinner with them and get to know them. It was a great conference. Ken spoke in the priesthood session. Brielle was amazingly good for that long Sunday meeting. Well, here's a review of our week with Brielle:

We watched movies (especially Care Bears, Land Before Time, and Dumbo)

We made cookies

We tried grapefuit juice (pretty good with extra sugar)

Played at the park

Played Sesame Street computer games

Ate doughnuts

Made a Care Bear puzzle

Ate treats

Colored

Went swimming

Went to Pirate's Pizza

The cannons are a little scary

Decorated the deck

Went shopping (and scrubbed the shopping cart car- the entire thing - all you Gabrielsen germaphobes- it's gone to another generation!)

Helped Grandpa thin peaches

And just all around had a great time!

Then last night was my vocal student recital. It's always so stressful getting everyone ready for that and solving all the problems that come up. Kristen and Jared got back at about 4 in the morning, so got to attend that, too. It ended up being a wonderful recital. I was very pleased with how everyone did. I lose two of my star students as they graduate and move on. I have worked with them a long time, and that's always a bitter sweet time. I love my job.

So you've made it through a long post of a busy week. Here's Brielle's review: "I liked going swimming. I liked going to the park with Grandpa. I liked going swimming with Grandma. It was fun to go to the Pirate pizza place. It was so much fun! The end."

Idol 3

That's right- two reviewers tonight: Me and Brielle. Brielle didn't have a lot to say, but her two comments have value, I think. The first was after Casey's first performance: "I thought it was quite funny." Her other comment was after Lee's "Hallelujah" "Why do they keep clapping and clapping so loud?" (She was very tired by then.) The rest is up to me, I guess.

3rd: Casey. Obviously, the judges think he's going, and were trying to direct us that way. Randy's oopsie slipsy comment, "This is the kind of music you should do as you leave the show" was, well, an oopsie slipsy comment. I kind of liked Casey's first song. It was "okay and alright with me." Casey needs to learn to sing on his air and improve his diction. Just sayin.

2nd: Crystal. Again, I'm right with the judges on who took 2nd place. I wasn't crazy about her "shouty" tone on her choice song, and agreed the arrangement was bigger than she was. I really didn't think she did great on the 2nd song, either. She looked SO uncomfortable without her guitar and had a seriously flat time. I was a little uncomfortable with the "man" lyrics, but that wasn't her fault- it was the song she was assigned. But she did wail good.

1st. Lee. He was a breath of fresh air from the first note of "Simple Man" Man, he sounded good tonight. I also loved "Hallelujah" I even voted. Should be a Lee/Crystal finale, but I've been wrong before. I won't be here again next week, so . . .until next year!!!

Michelle, Just so you know . . .

. . . all that time and effort you spent answering Brielle's questions about baby Gabbi really paid off. She knows EVERYTHING about baby Gabbi: She knows what she likes to eat, how many naps she takes each day, what makes her smile, what makes her clap her hands, how she moves across the floor, how much she likes her binkie, etc, etc. Michelle and Brian tended Kristen's kids all last week while we were on the cruise, and in Michelle's words, "For Brielle, any time not spent in entertaining Gabbi or asking questions about Gabbi is wasted time." We're tending Brielle this week as her mom and dad are house hunting. One of her favorite subjects of discussion is still, you guessed it, "Gabbi."

Happy Birthday, Blake!

I don't know how we totally scored when it comes to son-in-laws. We have three of the best available. Well, I guess they aren't available anymore. Blake is an amazing guy and perfect match for Shonna. His grand entrance into fatherhood was anything but easy, but he never blinked an eye and jumped in with both feet. Before baby Caleb came home from the hospital, he did all the cooking, cleaning, caring for Shonna (including all the running up and down the stairs- even packing her a lunch in a cooler in the morning before he left so she wouldn't have to climb down the stairs to eat.) He got very little sleep. Then when Caleb got home, he still did a lot of the cleaning, cooking, changing, feedings (including night) and got very little sleep. Things are much better now, but he still does so much and gets very little sleep. His grandma told me a story about Blake when he was a little boy(you know how Grandmas do!) She said they were in the car together once and he told her, "I can't wait til I am married and have kids." He kept his eye on that goal, and is now a great husband and father. We're so glad you chose our family, Blake! Happy Birthday!

We Be Cruisin!

Last week, we went on a cruise to Mexico. It was a celebration of Jared's graduation. We had a wonderful time. Our favorite activity:

Eating, We also enjoyed having our own "church" Which was interrupted by the arrival of a school of dolphins- literally hundreds of them- came to play with the boat!

We also enjoyed beautiful scenery,

A 22-mile ATV Tour on Stone Island (can you say AWESOME?),

Bird-

watching, Snorkeling, Shopping, Partying, Laughing, and having fun,

Getting closer,

And did I mention EATING? What a great week! Thanks Lu and Jar!!!!!

(I must have done something wrong- the left side of my collages aren't showing up. You can click on them to see them, then use back arrows to get back to the blog.)

Most Memorable Mother's Day

No, it wasn't yesterday. At least I hope not. Yesterday wasn't my best day ever.

Mother's Day, 2001. Miyakonojo, Japan

Background: Ken served his mission in Fukuoka,Japan in the 70's. Over twenty-five years later, Kristen was called to Fukuoka, Japan- the same mission. We HAD to go pick her up from her mission in May, 2001. It was just too great an opportunity to pass up. It was a wonderful trip.

We were in Miyakonojo on Mother's Day. It was Kristen's last area. We met so many wonderful people there. Church was a cultural experience. Usually Japanese people are very soft-spoken, but their absolute joy at reuniting on Sunday morning makes them greet each other loudly. "Ohayo gozaimasu!", "Ohayo gozaimasu!" was shouted over and over. Sacrament meeting was first, then Sunday school and Relief Society . . .all in Japanese. I was touched that one of the sisters found the RS lesson in English and copied it for me, so I could follow along. After RS, the fun began. No one left. The RS room/ cultural hall/chapel was transformed into a banquet hall with tables and chairs. And, get this, the MEN made lunch for everyone. They did little prepared packages of noodles and sauce, but they did the work while the women visited. It literally brought tears to Ken's eyes to see the men prepare and then clean up. That is NOT Japanese culture. Women are subservient and do all of the domestic work in Japan. His experience twenty-five years before would have indicated this would NEVER happen in Japan, and yet here it was, happening. Watching Japanese men do dishes was tangible evidence of the change the gospel brings in people's lives. Turning from time-honored, but incorrect traditions, living as Christ teaches. Each sister was presented with a rose and me, with a glimpse into the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ . . .making for my most memorable Mother's Day.