We enjoyed attending an organ recital given by my new organ teacher, Don Cook, at the Tabernacle on Christmas Eve. I think organists love to show the full range of all the sounds organs can make and this recital was no exception. Afterwards, he invited us to come up and see the organ and talk about it. The Tabernacle organ is the 12th largest in the world and has 206 stops and 11,000 pipes. It has  5 volume pedals. The 6 big pipes in the front are the only speaking pipes and they are made of gold plated wood. The console is electric. The original organ had a facade built into the pipes. Now it's connected electronically somehow. The Montre pipe is the lowest pipe and it's 32 feet long. The highest pitched pipe is one foot long and it kind of sounds like a dog whistle. There are 8 divisions and 5 manuals (keyboards). (I'm a little fuzzy on what divisions are on the organ.) In the back of the Tabernacle are some stops that sound and they are good for echoes and antiphonal eff...

 Jan had a birthday a few weeks ago! Here are some pictures from his early high school years. After we got home from Germany, Jan decided to get involved in more stuff, so he participated in some plays. First he did Beauty and the Beast and then he was cast as the father in "You Can't Take It With You," in the 9th grade play. Once Jan got to Orem High, he participated in marching band, jazz band, and concert band. He got to play in the All-State jazz band. He had a brief foray into track and then decided that wasn't his thing. 14-year-old Jan with his 2-year-old sister. Graduating from junior high, wearing his jazz band shirt: The first day's work on his Eagle Project! Post-Scout camp, I think it might be dirt: Visiting Carthage: Earning a merit badge and varsity letter: Jan's in the front on the far left, playing a trumpet, in the 4th of July parade: After we planted some plants at the Eagle Project right before Camille was born: Singing "I'm Peanut ...

NOTE:  Here is another really old post that I found (written 12-13 years ago). I added a few pictures of my cute 5-year-old at the time. Does it sound like all we do is work?  Well, yes.  Sometimes it feels that way.  Summer vacation is definitely over. So here's another post about work! My sister asked me recently how much work I expect of my five-year-old.  She has a five-year-old too and wanted to know what she should expect.  One of my highest priorities as a parent is teaching my children how to work.  But I definitely don't have it all figured out... My five-year-old is a little delayed because of health issues so she is not quite as capable as other 5-year-olds.  She has a pretty hard time staying on task. Plus, she's the youngest.  I don't need as much help from her so I really have to force myself to let her do the work and not do it for her. So here's what I expect: A successful morning really starts the night before....