Saturday is a Special Day......

....It's the day we get ready for Sunday.

Chase's first Sunday going to church

Let it Snow!

Professional Musician?

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have a lay ministry.

I received my first assignment, or calling, in the church, when I was in high school.  I was asked to teach the Sunbeams (3 year olds) in primary.  Since then, I have had many callings in all the organizations of The Church.

For the past 3 years I have been able to serve as the primary pianist.  I have waited all my life to be able to serve as primary pianist.   Finally after years and years and years of practice and the lack of a more qualified available piano player in our ward, I was called to serve as the primary pianist.

About 1 1/2 years ago Brother Sandoval was called to serve as the primary chorister.   Brother Sandoval LOVES music.  Brother Sandoval LOVES to sing.  Brother Sandoval LOVES children.  Brother Sandoval has had NO musical training, but that doesn't matter because Brother Sandoval was born with musical talent.  Below is a youtube clip of Brother Sandoval, who is a limo driver, singing for one of his clients.  

Like I said, Brother Sandoval hasn't had any musical training.  I have had piano lessons on and off  since I was in the 2nd grade, so I kind of  know how to read and count music, and I know what a measure is, and I even know what a fermata is.

When Brother Sandoval was first called, we got together and I taught him the fundamentals of how to be a primary chorister.  I taught him things like how to figure out if a song has 3 or 4 beats to a measure.  I taught him what an upbeat is.   I even taught him what a fermata is.  And over the past year and a half we have had practice sessions at the church before primary so he can be ready to teach the children the primary songs each week.

I must say,  it has been a  joy to serve with Brother Sandoval.  He is full of  enthusiasm  and is so excited to sing and teach the children their primary songs.   He even has the children, including the  11 year old boys, VOLUNTEERING to sing solos in front of everyone in primary after they had learned a new song.

With that background, I wanted to share the text communication between Brother Sandoval and me this morning:

Bro. Sandoval:  Kathleen I've been practicing "HE SENT HIS SON" I want to review that hymn.  Opening hymn "I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE & we'll finish 3rd verse of "AS A CHILD OF GOD"....THANK YOU KATHLEEN FOR ALL YOUR PROFESSIONAL HELP.

What I wanted to reply:  Professional help?  lol

My reply:  Thanks for the list of songs that we are going to sing today.  I don't know how professional I am.  I guess in the church we are all professionals.  In the church, you too are a professional chorister!  

Jesus Christ Is the Way

This is an amazing story!

Too Cute!

Welcome Chase!

8 lbs 3 oz

December 29, 2011

The Year, 1994

1994 was a very good year.  

It was the year we bought this TV.

It was the first and only TV we ever bought

in our 34 years of marriage....

 ...until today.

The kids were shocked!  

We told Sam we weren't going to get a new TV 

until after Scott and I served our mission in a few years.  

I think we all got tired of watching the TV screen with all the "snow" on the picture.

The Best Christmas Gift....

 "It´s good to be on a mission and help people access the greatest gift anyone could ever receive--the blessings of the atonement."

Lisa Magnusson

A Song of Thanks

Today I helped serve a Christmas dinner to all the missionaries (about 250 of them) serving in the Arcadia, California Mission. When the meal was over, Pres. Becerra invited the servers into the cultural hall where we could be recognized and thanked for serving the missionaries their meal. After Pres. Becerra said a few words of thanks, he invited the missionaries to stand and sing, Called to Serve. As we listened to elders and sisters sing, we were deeply touched and moved to tears as we listened to all 250 of them sing to us. It will be a moment I'll never forget. Of course, I thought of my own Hermana Magnusson serving in Argentina.

You can also see the video by clicking here.

Christmas Music!

Thanks to my parents, I love Christmas music. I have discovered the Mormon Channel has a continuos stream of Christmas music on their web site. Click here to listen. ( you might have to click onto the music link) There is a good variety of musical artists from the Carpenters to the MoTab Choir. And the songs are more about the nativity, and less about Santa.

I have the music going during the day as I putter around the house. We don't have our decorations up yet, but the Christmas spirit is here with the music going on.

Enjoy!