Mennonite Choral Singing - personalized!

A most recent treasure my mom showed us is her choir notebook from when she was a teenager. Although I had seen it once a long time ago, Monika had not and she was amazed at how mom's memories of younger days are so clear. We leafed through it, not wanting to disturb these beautiful fragile pages of hand written music.

The first pages of music were copied by her father, who was the choir conductor in her village in Paraguay and also taught music.

The music was written in Ziphern (numbers), which were musical notations that the Mennonites started in Russia in the mid 1800's, when four part singing was introduced in the church. More about these numbered musical notations can be found here.

What I found interesting was that each song was dated, so you could follow through and see when they were practicing for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. The date on my grandfather's last piece is 1948. It was the year he died of complications from a well digging accident.

Mom was 13 years old and she continued using his book that year, after he died. She explained how everyone would get their music to practice for the following Sunday. The conductor wrote out the music and then sent it to the choir member closest to his house. That person copied it into his/her notebook and then ran it over to the next person and so on until everyone had their handwritten copies of music to practice. Talk about commitment! 

Mom told of how she first started singing in the choir while her dad was still alive. She was the youngest in the choir, but they had asked her to sing because she had a good singing voice. When she began, she sang soprano and she remembers the conductor telling the choir that when the high soprano notes come up, they were not meant just for Erika. This made me smile. She later became an alto because she had a good ear and could easily adapt, while others were more timid.

One thing that caught my attention was her "youth" that came out in the pages. Although her writing was incredibly neat, she loved to doodle. I had to smile about her writing Schluss (The End)  at the end of many a song. She was, after all, a teenager! And writing out music like that was work! I cried myself to sleep the night after I saw all of this! There was something very emotional about seeing a part of her life from when I did not know her. Four or five years of music in this book alone . . . and she could sing all of it still.

Mom has sung in choirs pretty well all of her life, and even to this day she sings in small groups and trios. I remember, as a child, we would stay home with our grandmother, while mom and dad went to choir practice. It was their night out. We came to Canada and one of the conductors she sang under was the man she is married to now. These days they often get asked to sing at Senior get-togerthers or retirement homes. He brings his accordion and she, her voice. 

Furniture - Before and After

This spring, the china I've had since before I could cook a thing got a new home. 

 Well, not a totally new home, but a home re-done!

We purchased this set early in our marriage and though

it may look perfectly fine . . .

for years now I've wondered what it would look like in cream.

I need wonder no more!

The photo makes it look white, although it is actually a cream color

with some distressing on it.

The old

and the new.. . . we decided to have the table painted dark

and the chairs got new upholstery.

The old coffee table and end tables all went into the paint shop

I can't  take any credit for doing any work on it myself . . .

I do the dreaming and give instructions.

and then enjoy setting it up again!

The old done new. 

The sentimental part of me is very happy.

Happy 10th Birthday, Natalie!

Dearest Natalie,

On this your tenth Birthday, can we tell you again why you are so special?

Very well we remember your mommy's dreams to one day be a mom,

and it happened when you came along.

On the day you were born we got on the plane . . .

wishing everyone could know the reason for our rush!

I remember watching your tiny form sleeping through that night,

thinking you'd wake any time -

then helping with your first bath,

when you kept falling asleep.

Over the years, there were many more trips south,

holding you, humming you to sleep,

watching your first steps, hearing your version of  "Grammy" for the first time,
swinging in the park, playing in the pool,

baking and even getting room service as you got older.

Nothing was too much for you to do.

Your passport became a vital necessity in your life

as you traveled to your mommy's home in Canada and even to Indonesia.

You loved the baby swing under the tree, with grapes on the tray in summer,

sledding in the winter, smelling flowers in Spring 

and playing in the playhouse when it rained.

Then, much to our unexpected joy, you moved here!

I held my breath, afraid to believe it could last,

but here we are with so much of life to enjoy . . .

your stories in the car, after school dates

 jumping in the leaves or heading to the candy store,

berry picking, washing the car, concerts,

sleepovers, movies and cousin cooking classes.

You have been your Mimi's biggest MGCC fan

. . . making sure your teachers know

and it's always made me smile how proud you are.

We see tenderness, appreciation and so much energy and life in you,

doing whatever you set your mind to do.
We love that you never fail to come into the house without  a greeting
and won't leave without a hug, or two, to be sure.

Natalie, we are so proud of you!

You are beautiful inside and out - caring, fun loving, 

a wonderful sister and example to your brothers and baby sister.

Our prayer is that you trust God to help you 

in all the things He gives you to do

and please don't grow up too fast!

We love you!

Papa and Mimi

Easter Around the Table

It's been a few years since we've celebrated Easter dinner around our table

and this year was special because we were able to accommodate the growing family

by having extra leaves added to the table.

Many years ago we bought our set with two leaves, never imagining

that one day we'd need much more space.

But, as you can see on the photo here . . .

by now we have a line-up of leaves. Five of them.

It was so much fun to set it with new pale yellow place mats 

and thoughts of why we celebrate this special day.

These little chocolates were not something I was looking for

but when I saw them I also saw they'd be the  easiest thing to add name tags to.

And, on the back, a verse about a sheep or our Shepherd.

Everyone read their verse out loud

and Lacey so beautifully explained how we connect a lamb to Easter. 

This butter lamb idea comes from my blog friend  Rosella

and I knew I had to try it . . .

if only for one child who especially loves butter.

With my H behind the camera and

five smiles still across the ocean . . .

for all reasons to do with Easter . . .

we have so much to give thanks for!

After dinner, with the sun still out, there was the traditional basket hunt

and fun expressions caught to remember after the fun is over.

And then we had Paska.

Easter

I brought home some spring clipping from the park where I walk regularly.  I've done this before, yet every year I'm amazed at the first sign of buds and then, maybe a week or so later the green hue, creating a natural arbor over the path as leaves begin to open. It is an amazing sight to observe bare trees and straggly, lifeless bushes planted in a mulch of rotten leaves come alive again. I marvel at the birds flitting about and the ducks pairing off, all creating their little nests for life to go on.

In the first verses of Genesis I read,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

We know what happened next. God created out of nothing. He spoke and it came to be. He has left his fingerprint, His word in the skies and on the earth below, pointing to Himself. And if that is not enough, He sent His one and only Son to show us His love by allowing Him to die on a cross for our disbelief and rebellion. And from the dead, God raised him up.

Just like He will raise up all who believe in Him. The One who makes something out of nothing. The One who makes life out of death.

The Wonder of One

 While her mom has gone back to work, 

my weekly visitor has me in awe of how she learns by simply observing.

One day she walked around the kitchen pointing to the chairs around the table 

where each person sits. 

It's not that we have told her . . .

she simply knew where Papa always sits,

where Mimi sits,

and where members of her family sit.

Who would have guessed that a one and a half year old would notice?

It made me smile and ask for more.

We know that she does not like sitting in her highchair,

so I asked her where Evy sits.

She pointed to Papa's chair. 

Hhm... either she likes sitting on his lap 

or she has claimed that chair because we let her sit there once with a booster.

Another thing I noticed just last week 

was that while we read stories I usually point out the

animals as I count them.

Suddenly she was pointing as I counted. 

Repetition and tradition are her friends.

If I'm not sure what she is saying.

I repeat it as a question

and she says, "Uh huh," nodding her head.

And then there is the Tupperware shape puzzle!

Up until recently I would hold the ball and simply turn it to the shape she was holding.

Then I'd angle the ball just so that her shape would line up.
A little bit of cheating.

Not any more.

 I sat in wonder as I saw her check out the shape

 find the matching opening

and twist it until 

 it fit!!

 Her favorite is the "tar"

 Again, it took a few quick clicks with the camera

 and I missed her big smile of accomplishment.

It's all happening so fast!

Really such a miracle to see what she is all taking in

even when we are not aware that she is watching.