You Won't Be Sorry part 2

We enjoyed a rousing Community Band concert today, with America the Beautiful, Stars and Stripes Forever, three medleys (Thanksgiving, the Twenties, and Western themes) and Bugler's Holiday with three excellent trumpets. The big story for us, though, was Sarah playing flute and "keeping up" with her fellow band members, most of whom probably played in college - twenty years ago or more.

At the end of the first rehearsal back in September, Sarah was in tears. "I'll never master this music! It's way too hard! These people have all been playing forever! This is the worst day of my life!" Etc., etc., etc. I must admit to a little fear that perhaps she was right, but I clung to her flute teacher's assurance that Sarah was ready to play with this group. Day after day she practiced and improved little by little. When the Kraemers invited her to St. Cloud two weeks before the concert, and she felt she could miss the rehearsal because "my teacher says I'm amazing!" I knew she had achieved the impossible.

I hope Sarah will remember this milestone - achieving something she thought she couldn't achieve - and attempt other "impossibilities."

Lots to Do

I don't have time for any philosophical thoughts this week, because our graduation and confirmation party is Sunday! We try to do double duty when we can, so the family doesn't have to make two trips in one month for celebrations. Since Sarah's Confirmation is on Sunday, we are having Joel and Daniel's Graduation ceremony and open house on Sunday as well. It also has the benefit of saving money. :)

I'm so thankful that Michelle is home; she is so fast at what she does that I couldn't have a better helper. Yesterday we all accomplished the following:

finished the power point "slide show"
finished the picture poster
finished the guessing game
selected pictures for the photo album from 2011
ordered the pictures online
scoped out the church and found the stuff we will need
practiced a flute lesson and a piano lesson
cleaned out the car, inside & out
tidied up the main floor
threw away 27 things
weeded the perennial bed
dug up the daylilies by the house
made dinner & cleaned up the kitchen
coordinated rides to town
did a task in the barn
tilled the garden
practiced graduation speeches
several more things that I can't remember now

And this was all before and after a trip to town for Sarah's practice and watching Joel's softball game - his team won, and he had some nice hits, good base-running and excellent play at shortstop after he settled down.

We also got to see Saul Cuevas, a Riverside friend, who was in town with Youth Encounter, performing at Central Christian School in Willmar. I wonder if our nephew Joey recognized him?

Thank You, Lord, for the energy necessary to do what we have to do!

P.S. Today I didn't delete the completed list, so here's what we accomplished today:

x K - blog

x K - crop pictures for albums

x 9:30pm - critique grad talks

x check bathroom supplies

x ALL - **Haul stuff up to church:

x ALL - fold clothes & put away

x 9:25pm ALL - sign confirmation cards & grad cards

x A P - **4 chores

x A P - *praise music into folders

x A P - *water seedlings

x S A P - *wrap grad gifts if they arrive

x S A P - TUE:**print confirmation cards

x K - **Find VASES?

x K - **Katie gift card mailed to her

x K&A - *get maple syrup from Susan

x M - **"proofs" from photographer matted & on posters

x P - Philip practice recital piece

x S - **make bread

x S - *wrap any confirmation gifts that we already have

x S - Sarah practice flute

x **check lib due list

x check obits

This was all before 2:20, when we left for an orthodontist appointment, running a bunch of errands, a softball game, a baseball game, and a track & field competition. Daniel pinch ran in the bottom of the last inning and scored the winning run! What a thrill!

I'm beat! Good night!