Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sunday's Reflection: Coming soon to a Catholic Church near you! :)




I sort of stumbled on this by accident while looking for a YouTube video of a song... ANY song our choir sang today. I really wanted to find Michael Connolly's "Where o Death is your Victory," but after searching all over the internet, the closest thing I could find was a download of a sound file, and the link didn't work. :(
Giving up on that, I tried to find any of the others. No luck. Frustrated, I decided to look for the "Mass of Angels and Saints" that we are using... then, I found this! This is the new version that the Catholic Church will be switching to within the next year. So, instead of posting the past, I am posting the future! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJy8X5c3Mls&feature=BFa&list=PLCBA3B32000F9455F&index=19

I think I like it!!


Saturday, May 21, 2011

The end of our family's percussion era




As everybody knows, the Putnam City High School Band has been a central part of our lives for many years.






It started with Jimmy. He actually trail blazed the way for his younger siblings, as I had never been a band parent before. There was a lot to learn! Marching competitions, equipment needed, expenses, time consumed, fund raising, practicing before sunrise, coda tryouts, drumline tryouts... WOW! I had no idea what being a band parent entailed!



Next, there was Shelby. I already knew the score by that time, and it was much easier... except perhaps the year she broke her ankle in the middle of marching season.



Finally, there is John. By this time, it's a given that band is a part of our lives... except for one thing...



John has decided to leave the band. I can't believe it!!!! But, last week he sat down with me for a serious talk. He has a number of reasons for wanting to leave, all of them valid; the main one being he is working very hard to graduate with honors.

It's probably silly that this whole thing has made me cry the past few days, because it really is up to him. We band parents are supposed to be there for our kids, not the other way around! I keep hoping he will reconsider, but ultimately the decision is his.

Here are a few other memories from the years John has been in band and even before...

~~~~~~~~~~~


John seemed destined to be a percussionist back when he thought that Jimmy's practice pad made a great toy.



Here he is as the Band Queen crown-bearer back in 2005, when Shelby was a Sophomore.



From some of the football games:








It's been a good time being a band parent, now it's time to rest. :)


Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday's Reflection


This is a song our choir sang today, but it's a much more complicated version. This arrangement really is worth a listen!


"Love is Come Again," aka "Now the Green Blade Rises"



http://youtu.be/Mu-JPsfQs9A


Sunday, May 8, 2011

A few of my favorite "Being a Mom" photos...



This is what I'm celebrating today. :-)

































Not only am I celebrating these blessings, but I am also lucky enough to have a few "bonus" kids that may have been to big for me to carry by the time they came into my life, but I carry them in my heart.

Happy Mother's Day to everybody who is somebody's Mom, or is a child who blessed the life of a Mom, like all of mine have blessed me!