Abi is talking

Abi is saying lots of words and Grandma and Grandpa in Russia haven't heard her talking yet so I thought I would video her saying a few things.  Can you tell she threw up on me at church today.  We were in the Logan Tabernacle for stake conference and I caught most of it in my hands and some got on the bench and my skirt. Luckily we knew the family in front of us and she helped me open the ziplock bag we keep our crayons in and I carefully deposited the stomach material in the bag.  I took the bag and the coloring book to the bathroom and threw it all away.  (sorry if that grossed you out!) I washed my hands and came back to clean off the seat with diaper wipes.  What a mess!   Devin had Abi outside where she threw up again.  I decided since I had throw up on me and her we would go home.  Devin had nothing on him so he stayed with Samantha.   After she got that out of her system she has been great.  So I hope her stomach was just upset and we don't have the flu.

Pictures from Celebration Concert

 Traeden out in the lobby before his dress rehearsal.  Grandma Ballard watched the other kids for me so it was nice to have some one-on-one with Traeden.  He is really ready for this concert.

 This is the dress rehearsal but I decided I better get pictures because I could get a lot closer.  

The Bow.  

Goofy boys.  This was concert night.  I had my hands full since we got their an hour before the concert.  We took a walk to get the three younger kids' wiggles out.  The missionaries at the conference center are not used to having small children at that venue and I thought a few of them were going to have a heart attack when a two year old was running in the lobby!  I could see them on their walkie talkies "Young child in dress running without an escort"  After a few looks from the security we went outside to walk.  My poor feet wished I wore my flats and not high heels.

Daddy made it from Logan 15 minutes before the concert.  The girls were so excited they had to give him kisses.   Samantha below looks like she is eating his nose.  =)  

THANK YOU!!!  I just want to thank Mom and Dad Titensor for watching Traeden for four nights!  That was such a huge help.  Deonne took Traeden down on a Saturday Practice.  My mom went to several of his rehearsals and then drove him home one time.  I had a fellow piano mom take Traeden to the Wed. Night rehearsal, thank you Emily!  Traeden's teacher, Ginger was so helpful at rehearsals with my kids.  Grandpa came to be with Traeden, thanks so much for rearranging your work to be their with him.  Thanks for Grandma and Grandpa Ballard for watching the kids Thursday Night.  And thanks to David for bringing them home today!  This concert was a huge time commitment and we couldn't have done it without help from so many!
Traeden worked so hard to be ready for this.  He did really well and he told me he didn't make one mistake!  Way to go!

Homeward Bound

In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning -
I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing
If you're hoping I'll return,
To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,
And in the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing
As my journey nears its end
And the path I'll be retracing
When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

(softly)
In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
I'll be homeward bound again.

I wanted to share with you my favorite song we sang last night.  (It was also sung this morning on the spoken word) It's one of those songs that speaks so directly to my heart.  I feel so connected to the song on many levels.  First I think of the first time I heard the song.  I was working at USU in the music therapy program in 2005.  During this year there was a tragic accident that involved several agriculture students.  The teacher who was driving died and I believe 8 students also died.  It was a terrible time for USU.  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was asked to sing at a memorial services in honor of those involved in the accident.  The choir sang this song and it touched me very deeply.  

When I was learning this song this year I had many other emotions surface.  I thought of my own children who I will need to set free as they grow up.  I also think of family members or friends who have chose to leave the church sometime in their life.  They call out, "Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow."  Just a beautiful song with symbolism that really sings to me.  

I'm finally sitting down!

This has been such a crazy busy few weeks.  It's after midnight and I'm de-stressing right now even though my house is a mess!  Why is my life so crazy
Traeden has a 10 piano concert next weekend.  He has been having one or two rehearsals for that in Salt Lake every week for the last few weeks.  He goes tomorrow, Monday, Wed. Thursday (dress rehearsal) and then the concert is Friday.  This only happens every three years so I figured we have to do it.  It will be a great experience for him but he is tired of practicing and working "SO HARD" on these songs.  He is playing Ecossaise and Minuet in G minor.
I have a concert tomorrow night, we had rehearsal Wed night for three hours, Tonight for three hours, and Saturday we have a dress rehearsal in the afternoon and then the concert at night.  We are singing Mack Wilberg's pieces.  I had no idea he has composed as much as he has.  They are all so great too.  Lot of variety and some are just so much fun to sing.  We even get to do a couple Christmas songs.  Mack Wilberg will even conduct three of the pieces.  He rehearsed with us tonight, I really like his conducting style.  He was just a very nice and humble man.  Craig Jessops says he has had the privilege of knowing and working with two geniuses in his life, Robert Shaw and Mack Wilberg.  That is quite the complement.
Preschool has kept me really busy.  This is my typical M-Thursday I get the boys off to school then I madly clean up the house to get ready for preschool, then I do preschool, then I clean up after preschool, feed the kids lunch read stories have nap time, then I chart and do data for preschool and plan for the next day.  I have been blogging for the parents.  That has been a great way to communicate with them.  I really like doing it though.  It keeps me busy but I see so much improvement with my own girls who get preschool four days a week.  Samantha has really caught on to letters and can read some simple words.  Today we went to Macey's and she was trying to sound out the big Macey's sign.  Abigail has so much fun with the kids.  She tags along and knows all of their names.  The cutest thing happened on Thursday.  It was show and tell day and she chose a stuffed pink bear all on her own to show the kids.  When I called her up for her turn she came right up and held her bear up.  I asked her a couple questions and then I touched it and said this is so soft, can you let all the other kids touch your bear.  She went to all the other 7 kids and let them feel her bear and she was just so grown up about it.  It was way cute.  The other fun thing is my girls are singing all the time now.  It's been great.
Traeden has been in soccer this fall and his coach thought it would be good for me to help out at practices.  So we do that two times a week when I can make it.  The other kids have been really great to play in the park while the kids practice.  Traeden has improved so much this season I'm really happy he is catching the vision of hard work at practice = better at your games.
Conrad started playing with the Middle School Orchestra.  He leaves his 2nd grade class and goes to orchestra and then comes back to his class.  He is loving the music and it's challenging for him which is what he needed.  His 2nd grade teacher has been so great to work with and she helps catch him up when he gets back.
Traeden has learned how to whistle and he is doing it constantly.  I have had to tell him a few times to stop whistling, like at church, during my piano lessons, and at the dinner table.  But he is getting really good at whistling in tune.  I can't whistle at all so I think it's pretty neat!
Devin is keeping busy with scouts lately.  It seems like the last two months he is gone with scouts at least two nights a week.  Between extra meetings, campouts, service projects he is busy a lot with that.  He just got a fun game to play with the kids on the Wii it's called NBA Jam.  We haven't been able to play it all that much just because of our schedule but when it slows down, that will be a fun one to play.  It's just like the old one he had growing up so he is way stoked about it.
Well I'm sorry about the long post, it's been so long since I've written their is a lot to catch up on.