September 27, 2009
Dear Family,
Happy Birthday to our Brent today!! 10 years old—believe it or not!! He is a great and determined young man, and we’ve had a fun week celebrating for his birthday. In between, I took Spencer and Anne’s over to our Bishop’s “farm” to pick green, yellow, and red peppers to freeze, went visiting teaching, and hosted 2 bookclubs Tues and then Thursday mornings—we loved Guernsey Literary….Society at one, and discussed Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Little Prince at the other.
For Brent’s birthday party, I said it would be okay when he asked to do something w/ some friends this year (he hasn’t had a friend party since going to the park w/ all the Sept. birthdays when he was 4!). We made a list of 6 boys, and planned on taking them to a local fun center, where they have “$2 Tuesdays” where each activity is only $2/person, and they have an inflatable slide/bounce zone area he wanted to try out. We looked at the Tuesday before and after, and I chose this week, since our Ward Temple Night is the last Tuesday of the month. I was also up all night one day when I realized that piano was on Tuesdays, and how did I forget that would coincide w/ Temple night?? Between my being sick, and the craziness of summer, we’ve had a hard time making it to our ward temple nights, and I was really determined not to miss this month, since it’s the one chance Brian and I get to go together. I sat sleepless for a while, figuring out options w/ piano lessons, so that I could be back in time, felt resolved w/ my plans and backup plans, as well as planning on getting a sitter good and early, and the went back to focusing on Brent’s party. We made some invitations, printed them off, and then delivered them around the neighborhood to the boys on Saturday.
I was playing the organ on Sunday, and nearly fell off the bench when they announced Temple night as this (the same as the party) Tuesday!! I couldn’t believe I’d had the days wrong!! It turns out we go the 4th Tuesday, not the last, and I also couldn’t believe Brian hadn’t noticed my error, since he’s in charge of Ward Temple Night! I tried not to panic, and just called the boys after church to tell them we’d move it up half an hour so as not to interfere (we also had the JS lesson on Temple Work that day, so I was renewed in my determination!). Then I noticed on the bounce place ad, that their $2 deal was only advertised from 5-9PM!! (we had to end the party at our house, having eaten, by 5:30, and the fun center is at least 15 minutes away!—in other words, it wasn’t going to be possible!). Brian suggested just moving the party to the next week, but that seemed ridiculous, given that I’d just called everyone to reschedule once already, and their piano lessons, that were off for this week, resumed next week, and would make things too late! I checked around, and found some coupons for the bowling alley, that’s also closer to us (practically across the street), and figured, so long as they let me use a coupon for each boy, that we could do it for $3/person. I was also figuring only about half of the boys would be able to make it, but we had 6 out of 7 able to come!!—good thing we had the big van! After printing off all the coupons, and getting all the boys here immediately after school, it turned out the bowling was all halfprice before 5 anyway, and I didn’t need anything. Being not the party person that I am, I was so nervous about being in charge of all of these 10 yearold boys I scarcely know, and can hardly seem cool to, but it all turned out beautifully! They were all sweethearts, and still just kids, really, all just talking to me like a Mom, telling me funny stories, or their favorite things, etc., etc.—I fell in love w/ them, and was so glad Brent has some good boys to be around! I was so worried too, about bowling taking too long w/ that many, but we were done just in time to go over to the pizza place, where the owner is a client of Brian’s, and has loaded us up w/ gift certificates. We got pizza, opened presents, ate cake, and they boys had fun w/ the place to themselves, watching football replays on the big tv’s there. It turned out great—Brent had a blast, and I got home just as Brian had picked up the babysitter—we made it to the temple as early as we ever had, and all was well, or better!! Our lesson today was on Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk on not getting distracted by the small things, and when they quoted Nehemiah from his story of rebuilding Jerusalem amid so much adversity, I knew just how he felt, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down! (or put off one more month of ward temple!)”—and his miracle of finishing in 53? Days was as good as my miracle of a smooth temple night!
Brent got an extra surprise when Brian got tickets to the BYU football game for Sat. night, and was able to go w/ his Dad to the game, since I was clearly tied up. I was a bit stressed at first, that Brian wouldn’t be home w/ the children while I was gone all day (we had to leave at 12:45), but just left it up to Brian to get a sitter, etc., and handle it all, since I didn’t want stress to ruin this day I’d been looking forward to for so long. It did all come together—Masina, our niece was able to stay w/ the girls and Spencer, which they loved, and they were all in bed by the time we got back—close to the same time! We even fit in a free hayride and pumpkin patch visit that morning! I also got in a run and Institute, since I could NOT sleep in w/ the excitement of the day! I had butterflies (and a baby kicking!) all day!
Singing in the choir for the RS Broadcast WAS such a highlight! The rehearsals alone, were always such an uplift, and that last practice the afternoon before the meeting was a thrill. Sis. Beck dropped by to speak and visit w/ us a bit, the whole general board was in and out—we even got to see them prep in front of the camera—and get coached on which pearls to wear (made us feel better to know they get help!). We practiced for about an hour, and then the Conference Center provided sack lunches for us to eat in the “Little Theater” in the free time before we had to be seated. The 4 of us from our ward snuck back out to the main area of the Conference Center to find some artwork of an old friend of one of their husband’s. We also ran into some other sisters from our ward just getting there to watch. We freshened up in one bathroom, and then, not to miss any experience, we went like giggly schoolgirls into the “Backstage Dressing Rooms” to pin on our corsages, just before our prayer meeting. It was neat to be led through all of the under-routes of that vast building up to the choir loft, and then to walk in to CROWDS of people, and see Sis. Dalton’s face, and Sis. Dibb, and all of those other great women a few feet away! We had a perfect view of Bonnie Goodliffe on that amazing organ, and felt like we were sitting just behind the first presidency as they came in! This was my first meeting ever in the Conference Center, and what a seat! They told us at our first practice, that Sis. Beck had chosen white for all of us to wear, after seeing a women’s choir in Brazil, singing many different tones, etc. but unified by all wearing white. They carefully chose celebratory hymns from the hymnbook that are in every translation of our hymnbook, and then Sis. Allred had the assignment to narrow down the list to those people knew and loved the most. They wanted a feeling of unity and celebrating sisterhood. They told us how they had visited sisters during other broadcasts, and what a connection they feel as they hear—and sing along to—favorite hymns that we know. We all fell in love w/ our vivacious choir director, Kathy Jolley, and she told us of a daughter and daughter in-law, not at all active in our church, who were planning on attending a broadcast of the meeting, and what a neat opportunity to share the Spirit through that music. There was a unique feeling of unity and sisterhood—no competitiveness or contention (most of us barely knew each other to start w/ !), and it made me appreciate sisterhood even more, and feel a connection w/ all of our sisters more than ever. SUCH a great experience!!—and no, for all of our nervousness about our shirt buttons being white enough, and our lipstick dark enough, etc., I wasn’t ever on the camera close enough to be recognized! I showed the children (they now ALL sing “As Sisters in Zion”) the video of it online, and pointed out my seat when the cameras would get close. My seat, and up to my neck were on camera during the opening song, but the insert of the director and words just covered up my face . Still, I got a picture of where I was sitting there in “G3,” and I’ll never forget being there! (I’d forgotten the rule that cameras weren’t allowed, and even asked one of the security volunteers to take our picture when we got there!—they didn’t seem to mind, but I wasn’t anxious to make the obedient people upset!).
Besides Brent’s birthday today, which we celebrated w/ grilled burgers and nobake cookies for dinner—we also had our Primary Program. It was the best year I’ve EVER heard of singing!!—those children SANG EVERY word to EVERY song, and it was beautiful!!—all testifying of the importance of Eternal Families in our Savior’s plan. SO much was quoted from that great Proclamation, and how could anyone hold it together, when 5 of those same bowling boys (including Brent) got up in their white shirts and ties to sing confidently, the second verse of “Families Can Be Together Forever.” They even volunteered for it!!—to sing, “While I am in my early years, I’ll prepare most carefully, so I can marry in God’s temple for eternity”!! It was a great day—even Anne (though she cried at the beginning of Church) didn’t shed any tears for Nursery today! We are certainly geared up now for General Conference this next week, and so glad for that opportunity! Spencer keeps singing to my belly to see if it will make the baby “dance” and Anne still has SUCH a fettish w/ babies—loving to say “BABY!” whenever she sees a carseat or stroller, and carrying around a doll to feed or rock most of the day! Emily’s put in lots of piano practice time this week, Maddie’s now learned violin posture—we’re hoping she may be able to play a note next week, and Brent is already getting the hang of the new “Ripstick” (crazy skateboard) that he got for his birthday!As long as you don’t count sticky floors and still undusted blinds, we are doing great! Have a great week! Love, The Duncan’s
Party at the sports themed pizza parlor
Here's the bowling crew:
Derek, Jordan, Brent, Cortland, Joey, Bryson, and Karston
This is our ward's lucky 4: Becky Snarr, Linda Barney, me, and Janice Pierce
from Becky 3 little ones at home, to me w/ mostly school-aged, to Linda w/ her youngest in JrHigh, and Janice w/ all of her children grown--we were a mix!, but became great friends just riding to all of these rehearsals together and enjoying the experience together
Here's my nervous smile at Seat G3 (now that I knew cameras were illegal!)--but I was there!
