dear friends and small steps

Sorry about the video on my last post. When I posted it it worked and now it doesn't. 

Don't know how and don't have time to fix it :( 

I did want to post about my wonderful friends that came to dinner Monday night. 

It was so good to see them and be with them.

 I think a trip to Illinois is going to have to come sooner than I thought.

 I don't want so many years to pass before I see the Blasi's again.

 The Blasi's came for dinner. I ordered Chinese food because that's the kind of hostess I am.
 The Blasi's are from Illinois. I met them when I was a missionary.
They were members of  the small branch in Monmouth Illinois.
They were my best friends on the mission.
 They made the hard times easier to take.
When I was there Eli was a baby. He is now 16. He is the one wearing the funny BYU hat.
All 4 of my girls fell in love with the 3 Blasi boys.
 Especially AnnaKate and Gwenyth. Our kids had so much fun together.
 I was a little surprised that their 16, 15, and 10 year old boys had such a good time with all my girls and my little boy. 

Here is Noah practicing his braiding skills on AnnaKate's long hair. 

She isn't enjoying his attention at all. ;) 

When she got home from school the next day she showed her best friend Erin his picture with a twinkle in her eye. 

I can't wait to take my kids on a church history tour in Nauvoo Illinois and stop for dinner at the Blasi's. 

After dinner they asked me to sing them a song.

 I went sweaty and cold. I haven't been practicing or playing my songs.

 I am forgetting many of my songs. (don't panic, I have them all written down and recorded on my iphone) 

I had to struggle to remember how and what to play for them.

 If I can't even play my own songs I think that presents a problem, what do you think? 

I played them  The News and  my kids begged to hear Messy House. 

Messy House is my kids favorite. 

I don't know why it's their favorite, I'm just complaining about how they trash the place.

 After I sang Messy House the Blasi's were off to Park City but Ezra, their youngest suggested they clean up the basement before they leave. 

He must have been listening well to the words ;) 

My pride and fear issues are keeping me from taking little steps forward.

 I was talking to a very dear friend and she told me some things I didn't want to hear and didn't believe at first.  

My pride and fear got in the way of understanding. 

 But after experiencing how uncomfortable I get to even be asked to sing for dear friends as the Blasi's I realized my friend was right. 

  I have not been taking the small steps to progress, I have been hoping maybe I could skip the small steps.

 I was hoping I could skip the hard parts and have this whole process be easy and fun.

I was hoping I could skip the small, seemingly not as crucial steps.

 Nope. 

Every step is crucial when you are climbing a mountain. Not one step up the path can be skipped.

Just like my Gwenyth can't skip her 4th, 5th, and 6th year of life because she just wants to be a big girl, I can't skip the many small steps I must take to progress in music. 

So in response to my need to take small steps I went to the nursing home down the street and set up a time for me to go once a week to sing to the residents while my twins are at preschool. 

Another small step I was privileged to take...

Tuesday night was our Young Women's night of Excellence (it's where we celebrate the girls and all that they are doing in their life.) 

at the last minute Cindy asked me to sing one of my songs. 

I whipped up a band real quick. We went to one of the class rooms in the church and "rehearsed" 

Kaytlin played soprano ukulele, Emmaline sang back up.

Up their with my impromptu band it was all fun and no sweat.

I feel so much better physically and emotionally now that I'm trying to take the necessary small steps forward.

Emotional pain and stagnancy can result in physical pain for me and I think for all of us. 

It's Thanksgiving today. I am thankful for so much.

 My life is bursting with blessings and I'm ready to over eat and nap in celebration of these blessings.

Hope you are having a wonderful day. 

Love, 

Kristen