The Choir in Williamsburg

Right now, my dad is on tour with the choir.

In Williamsburg, Virginia they did something a little different.

I think you're going to like it.



Happy Father's Day

I was so happy to be able to come home for Father's Day this year.

I started out the morning to hear my dad sing with the Tabernacle Choir.

At the broadcast, the message was so beautiful that I thought I would share it with you.

"When we hear the word investment, most of us think of investing our money in hopes that it will grow and yield a large return. Some of us feel lucky to have enough money to meet our daily basic needs, let alone to invest any. But in one way, we are equally rich: We all wake up with 24 hours in each new day. How will we spend those hours? How can we get the largest investment?

The story is told of a boy whose father once gave him a box with a note inside promising the boy one hour of time every day, right after dinner. And it was good for a whole year. For 365 hours, the boy could spend time with his father playing, talking together, whatever the boy chose. And every year, the father renewed that promise. Now a successful attorney, the son looks back on that as the greatest gift he has ever been given--the gift of time from his father.

The wealthiest people in the world cannot buy a gift as valuable as that. But everyone, no matter how wealthy, can make such a wise investment of time. When a parent spends time with a child, together they forge a bond of love that transcends anything that could be purchased. The toys and other things parents buy for their children eventually break down, wear out, and are forgotten. But those precious moments spent together will live forever.

When we invest our time in our relationships, we are building a legacy beyond description, a treasure that will outlast all material gifts. Time is truly the best investment--in our children and in everyone we love. Nothing else even comes close."

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Spoken Word

 By now you might have figured out that I love quotes. The best quotes and stories shared are on Sundays from "Music and the Spoken Word." I thought that  I would like to continue sharing those great thoughts that I love to listen to every Sunday. Some stories may be current and I may choose some from years past. But either way, I promise it will always be uplifting. Please join me every Sunday for The Spoken Word.

A Good Christmas

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

At this festive time of year, we go to great lengths to assure that we have a happy holiday. Family traditions take on special meaning as we prepare favorite foods, light candles, hang ornaments on the Christmas tree, and sing the carols of the season. We do all this because we want to have a "good” Christmas. But how do we really judge the quality of our celebration? We might consider the cost and number of gifts we give or receive. We could compare our elaborate decorations with those of our neighbors. Is our Nativity scene larger than the one down the street? Does our Christmas tree have more lights? Or maybe we could judge the quality of our Christmas by things that are harder to measure but more important. Do our friends and family feel remembered, included, and cared about? Are gifts lovingly given without exceeding the spending limits on the credit card? Is the focus only on fun or on the real meaning of the season? Successful holidays are determined not by the size and expense of the production but by the little things that may even go unnoticed—the light in the eyes of a child as he wraps a homemade present, the smile and laughter of one who is often lonely, the joy of lovingly serving someone in need. When the material gifts are worn out and forgotten, the memories of love and the feelings of joy will still be cherished. He whose birth we celebrate never asked for much in the way of material things. He spent His life giving gifts of life and love to all who would receive them. The first Christmas was a relatively quiet celebration with a modest guest list. It was heralded with a message of peace, love, and "good tidings of great joy ... to all people” (Luke 2:10). And that was certainly a good Christmas.

Day Eighteen

Support my Daddy by going to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

I hate to admit it, but I didn't really want to hear the choir sing this year. Reason being was that they had the largest number of people request tickets this year. Over a million people requested tickets with only eighty-eight thousand people being able to attend each one. We even had neighbors begging my mom for tickets but she didn't receive that many as she did years past. I felt a little bad and had offered to give up our tickets for another family. However, when my dad heard about it, he was really sad and possibly a little disappointed. After that, I knew I needed to go to support him if anything. It really does help to know that your family is cheering you on (plus some 21,997 people because they all came too).

The crowds were enormous and I don't ever remember it being that crazy even for conference. Kevin agreed and we stood in the freezing cold looking up random facts on google from his phone. I'm glad that we didn't try to drive there and just took trax. Parking must have been a nightmare if you could find a spot. Luckily, my mom saved us seats and we were right up front.


Lloyd D. Newell the choir's announcer and gives the spoken word, came on stage and stated, thank you for coming with it being so cold outside and all the crazy parking. We know that all of you made an effort to be here tonight. Let me assure you, you're in for a real treat.


That did it for me, we were in for a treat. The concert began it was FABULOUS! Then again, it's 
always grand.


I tell everyone that Christmas really beings after the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert for 
several reasons:
1. It puts all of us in the Christmas Spirit.
2. My dad comes home after lots of rehearsals, recordings and concerts.
3. It means that my dad and I will take an evening to go Christmas shopping the next week. 
4. In my family, we start singing Christmas songs everywhere we go.
5. We have long discussions about guests from years past and then re-watch all of the concerts on DVD in the family room with hot chocolate and popcorn.


And did I mention again that we get our dad back? :)


We love having him sing in the choir and it has blessed our lives. However, it does take a lot of time and effort for a 360 member choir, an orchestra, a bell choir, Michael York and David Archuleta to put on such a big performance. Thank you.


I was touched by the story shared this year. It was about how the choir started and those early pioneers who never lost hope. I had no idea that the choir started as a Welsh choir who came all the way from England on a ship and then crossed the plains to Utah. They sang beautiful songs to guide them such as this one, "Guide us O Thou Great Jehovah, guide us to the Promise Land." 


I will make sure to post a video of it next year when comes out. In the meantime, look for Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Natalie Cole that just came out. You'll love it and want to listen to it every year.


For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.
~Doctrine and Covenants 25:12

Day Twelve

Share the joy of music and make a homemade breakfast

I had to make sure that Zoe had the chance to hear the choir sing. Kevin and I took her to see Music and the Spoken Word. It's absolutely beautiful and the longest running radio broadcast. Plus, in my family and many others, it's a tradition to listen to the choir every Sunday.

The choir is now singing in the Conference Center all of December. It's really something inside with all the decorations.

My Daddy on the second row. He was especially happy that we came to hear him sing.

The message was what I needed. I'd like to share it with you too and hope it will touch your heart as it did mine.

"During this season we celebrate "peace on earth,” yet some of us find it the most busy and stressful time of the year. We worry about decorations and decking the halls, gifts and gatherings—and the many other things we feel we need to do. And, very often, amid all the hustle and bustle, we have a quiet sense that we want to make our celebrations a little different, a little more meaningful than they have been in the past.

This year, rather than focusing on everything we need to do, let us consider what we can offer. Some offer talents in singing carols or playing musical instruments; others offer time as they visit loved ones and share memories of Christmases past. Some offer resources and labor, doing acts of service to help the less fortunate. No matter what our offerings are, if our intent this season is to make someone’s life happier, Christmas will be for us a time of peace and joy.

Children teach us much about making heartfelt offerings. Not long ago, a little girl stood to tell her class some sad news. Her grandmother passed away, and as she related details, she became overcome with emotion. Not able to say anything more, she walked toward her chair. A little boy got up from his chair and sat down beside her. Filled with compassion and a desire to make her feel better, he gave her the only thing he had: a little toy that he had smuggled into class. He did not pause to wonder whether it was good enough. He simply and selflessly gave from the heart.

Something deep and meaningful happens within us when we make such offerings. We feel connected to those around us. We feel a love that we may not have known we had—the love of that babe in Bethlehem, whose pure offering, given so long ago, still fills the earth with "peace, [and] good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)."

Me and Zoe by the tree at the Conference Center

I love this picture of the two of us. I'm going to miss her when she goes home this week.

{source}
Those of you who really know me, I'm no cook which is a little sad. But I really wanted to make a nice breakfast because Kevin and I hardly have time to eat breakfast, let alone make it. Zoe came with us back to our little apartment and I made my favorite, french toast. Something interesting? People in England don't put syrup on french toast. It's not supposed to be sweet. Mine on the other hand, is supposed to be VERY sweet! 

{source}
Along with our french toast, we watched The Bishop's Wife. What a fun classic, here Dudley (Carey Grant) shares a story with little Debbie.


"Singing loud for all to hear is the best way to spread Christmas Cheer!"
~Buddy, The Elf

My little Project

I really want to keep this Christmas Christ centered. Remember Christmas is Christ-mas; meaning if you take the mas which is more in Spanish, you get more Christ. 

That's what Christmas should be, more of Christ to help keep us focused and refresh our outlook on life.

My little Project:

31 days of Christ-like Service

There's no bucket list here. Nothing is planned. Everyday of December starting tomorrow, I'm going to be looking for service and then share it all with you.

Join me if you will, it's the Season of Giving. But don't forget, the most important gift that we give is to the Savior.

What Shall We Give?

My kind of heaven

Last Sunday I was sitting in church with my family. Literally, with all my family. Now this may seem normal to everyone else; it has hardly ever happened. Allow me to explain. My dad sings with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. While I love the choir and am really happy that my dad has the opportunity to sing, we hardly ever saw him on Sundays because of the morning broadcast.

When I arrived at my parents house that morning, Katelyn and

Aiden were there and had spent the night. My mom had managed to get them in their clothes and I tackled their hair. Katelyn was the first. She sat still while I managed to get her hair in a pony tail but she had to be the one to brush it. I thought something was missing when we were done. I ran upstairs and found my old hair bag. Inside were some pink rose bows with light green leaves that matched her dress perfectly. I laughed because they were my favorite when I was her age.

Next was Aiden and I wasn't sure how that was going to work. Luckily, Katelyn had a clip from the day before that matched her polka dot shirt. I won the "keep the clip in your hair" war for about an hour, she won it in the end. Silly girl. She's getting so big now.

Nate and Jen then arrived and we were set to go, all of us. We all sat together on the second row to the right. We've been sitting there in every chapel as long as I can remember.

The first hymn began, my mom leading the whole congregation. Aiden starts screaming "YAY!!! YAY!!!" We can't stop laughing. My mom has a cheerleader. Nate and Jen comment, "Well, it doesn't matter if everyone follows her or not, someone is happy."

After the hymn and opening prayer, I can't help looking up and down the row. I kept thinking to myself, this is my heaven. I envisioned this is what it must be like, having all of your family together in one place.

I realize that Mark was not there but in a way he was, in spirit. I also then came to understand that is the promise that Heavenly Father gives us. That our Families can be Together Forever. That means that in heaven Gracie will be with us too.

It will be my heaven.