Music

I suppose I don't love music more than many others, but it feels like I do :). I love, love, love it. Brandon's piano playing was definitely part of the draw to him for me. (deep sigh).

This past weekend we were able to go to a concert with Marvin Goldstein on piano and Jenny Oaks Baker on violin. We arrived early and were third in row..such nerds. But we could watch Marvin's hands move and that was amazing. He did a couple of medleys of hymns and then more modern lds music, both beautiful. He finished with Phantom of the Opera and my did he finish. I didn't know anything of Phantom until my early 20s and fell in love with the music. I have never the production in person, but saw the movie. Not so in love with the movie. Anyway, I wish I had a recording of Marvin's rendition to share.

Then Jenny Baker comes on with a beautiful dress and she first played my very favorite hymn, Come thou Fount. I was glad I sat close too due to the fact that there was prerecorded music that was loud and it made her playing hard to hear and her playing was very good.
Then she played a suite from one of my favorite movies, Far and Away. She also played Over the Rainbow, and All Creatures of our God and King (my kids like a hip hop version of this I have on some deseret cd). One of the very best pieces was one I had not heard before. It's from a movie called "The Mission", titled Gabriel's Oboe.....beautiful, beautiful. Maybe you had to be there, but you should try it out on youtube and see what you think. I loved it.

I left wanting to buy a violin for all of us to learn at home and anticipating the next time Brandon sat down at the piano. I'll probably put off the violin purchase for a bit, even though Jenny Baker picked it up at four, but I didn't have to wait long for Brandon. He got Phantom fever too and played a couple of pieces. (Deep sigh). Nothing like a concert at home! It wasn't Marvin Goldstein, but, for me, watching him, it was better.

Grandma and Grandpa Great

Grandpa and Grandma Great - they prefer this title over Great Grandpa/Grandma

I'm on a roll....

Last month, Susan's (Brandon's mom) siblings and parents gathered for the Adamson reunion. Part of the entrance fee was to bring a memory from childhood and a miracle from the past year. All of the Adamson "children" are great storytellers which they apparently get from their parents. Below is Susan's memory.

Some of my favorite parts are Grandpa saying, last one asleep is a rotten egg and I'm asleep already - it reminds me of something Brandon might do with the kids, if he's not too tired. And Susan remembering the touch, smell and instruction from her mom. The sheet comment recalled a memory of watching my grandma hanging clothes out and the smell good off the line sheets.

Hopefully, Cole, Laura and Hannah will someday appreciate the glimpse into the "simpler" days. Years down the road or when video games are obliterated.


Sleep Time Memories
from Sue
As you are a parent for awhile, and again as a grandparent, years later, you think about sleep differently than you did as a kid or even as a teenager.
As a child you fight going to sleep until you just can’t fight it any longer. Later you put off sleep in order to do things–usually selfish things–involving fun, but that isn’t too great a problem because when you ARE asleep you can sleep through anything and well into the next afternoon.
As the parent of a newborn you begin to crave sleep and long for a full night’s uninterrupted sleep. After a few more children arrive you become accustomed to getting by with far less sleep than you thought you needed, and it seems easier after a while. However, an afternoon nap, even just a few winks, especially when you have been working hard, is precious. You realize that sleep is a necessity.
My memory is of having a nap with Dad. He was still farming at this time, in the days when farmers really worked hard physically , and we had our large meal, dinner, at noon. Afterward, Dad would usually ask, “Who wants to have a nap with me?” Of course, none of us wanted to sleep, but we did want to be with Dad as much as we could. What kind of response he got I can’t recall, but we’d all (I think there were at least 3 of us then) go into the Master Bedroom and lie down side by side, laughing and giggling. (We were such good kids. I wonder if we all usually fell asleep and gave Mom some much needed rest time. I hope so. I can vaguely recall waking up once and seeing that Dad was gone back to work.)
In order to get the sleep he must have needed so badly, Dad would always say something like, “Last one asleep is a rotten egg.” That was followed by absolute silence as we each tried to go right to sleep or, more likely, fake it better than the others. Dad must have gotten a real chuckle out of that.
On this particular day, Dad broke the silence and his chance of getting some sleep by creating total pandemonium when he called out, “I’m asleep already!”
Thanks, Dad, for a happy childhood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mom had ways of making bedtime pleasant, too. How many of us can remember marching off to bed to Mom’s piano rendition of “March of Norma”? And an introduction to opera, too! We always had clean sheets (smelling so fresh- off- the- clothesline good) and nightgowns (undoubtedly home sewn by Mom–Where did she ever get the time?) on Saturday nights.
Probably one of my very earliest memories is of some of us (at least two) dressed in our pajamas or nightgowns, lining up along the couch. Mama must have been tired at the end of a long day after caring for two or three little kids, but she sat on the arm of the big, maroon, overstuffed sofa, waiting, watching, as we each took our turn. I remember loving her touch and even the sweet, warm smell of her. I remember how warm and good and safe and loved I felt. What I know about the Peace and Love of God I learned first from the peace and love of Mama as I knelt at her knees and she taught me how to pray.
Eternal thanks, Mom.

Perfection

See that silly reminder post reminded me...and it's not anything grand, mainly inspired by the shoes.

We went school shopping and have a few finds that were just...perfect!


Perfect Shirt for Cole...all about gaming















Perfect shoes for Laura, and perfectly not school shoes.



And we're walking through wal-mart not looking for a backpack for Hannah. Happened upon this one and it couldn't stay hanging on the rack when it truly belonged on the back of my three year old. Talk about representin'? Perfectly.



You know us Porters, settling for nothing less than perfection!

Things to Blog about

cause not much time to blog about them and don't want to forget
perfection
my talk
Grandma Great's heritage
The Bod

some things to look forward to?

Lists

Laura was very excited about doing school lunch shopping with me. She made lists three different times because of misplacement, each had check boxes and the desires of lunch munchies for her and Cole. She wanted just the two of us to go shopping and take care of this important responsibility.

Well yesterday was the day, cause ya know when else at this point? We had to drop something off at the church and decided to drop Cole off as well, kept Hannah, logistics just didn't pan out for a mommy/Laura shop. So we're close to a Publix (campus Publix) and I ask Laura if she wants to go to the Publix closest to us or closest to home.

I knew she'd pick closest to us, but I like change and yes I considered that FSU students were back in town, but I brushed it off.

We go in and we are in the thick of it....moms, dads, students. When I see the parents bringing their kids to school I think it's so sweet and it was, we just weren't in the mix. We were the only group with anyone under the age of 17. It was tight and Hannah's singing may have annoyed a few. Laura's basket may have hit a few people, her taking the time to check her list may have tried someone's patience.

I watched at one point as Laura checked her list, and I could see behind her a freshman and mom discussing spices. I thought of the different stage they are at in their lives and how very far away it seems and reminded myself not to rush it.

I'll be sending my babies off for a few hours tomorrow that I have trepidations about and those moms are dropping their babies off for months....with thousands of other interesting, differing, whateverelsing, very young adults.

I'll wait for that thanks.

Then we come to the end and I see another odd man (couple) out. Representin' the older generation is an elderly man and he is pulling the cart with and even more elderly gentleman who's shuffling his feet, having trouble breathing. And it seems to me that the son is helping his father shop for his groceries, (probably not for school lunch munchies). It was sweet and made me think.

I have bittersweet emotions about tomorrow's freedom for my child, I have larger issues with someday leaving her at a university/world's door and visions of further down the road, when a time comes, where Laura is taking me shopping and a hope that she will slow down for me to check my list.

Time goes by

Tomorrow marks 11 years since Brandon and I tied the knot.
I still remember - ya know cause we're so old :),
the first time we really spoke to each other - those blue eyes
the first time he brought me flowers - beautiful tulips
the first time we kissed - a typical us story
the first time he told me he loved me - took my breath away
the time we almost broke it off - not fun
getting back on track - ahhhh

Nothing like the firsts right?
While they were wonderful, they are long gone. Replaced by days, weeks, months of being married. The ups, the downs, the in betweens.

It's much more than I could've hoped for.

I love the fact that we have built a life together. How comfortable I am with him. That we helped create the most fascinating, beautiful people I know. That he leaves and comes home everyday with a kiss.


So those butterfly firsts have come and gone
but I still get
those blue eyes, the beautiful tulips (sometimes :) ), always a typical us story, my breath taken away, the not fun and then always the ahhhh.

He is the best, I couldn't have asked for more. I love that I am so in love and feel loved in return.
Happy Anniversary Sweetie!

Our Hannah nanna

turns three ....
she's been waiting for at least a month. I'm not sure she really expects anything huge to happen, but we make a big deal of it, so she figures its gotta be great.

We had a family bday party last week while Anya was still in town. I asked her who she wanted to come to her party (fullying expecting a guest list for her "friend" party...we like to party) and she listed her cousins and Aunt Carmen, Grandma, Grandaddy..and they were leaving town, so we had an impromptu get together, balloons and cupcakes...all she talked about in relation to a party.

Tomorrow she gets to go on a date with mom and dad and she wants Wendy's. When I reminded her she asked all hopefull, can I get chicken and fries annnndddd, Sprite? and of course she can. So so precious!!!! If I could bottle her up I'd make a fortune!

this past year's hi lites for her.....

loving gymnastics
surviving her siblings' swim lessons
the mountains and the mountains again
helping dad bring tomatoes from the garden
swinging and begging to swing some more
learning that she might like the water
surviving potty training (maybe)
forgetting that her belly button was her best playmate
singing, singing, singing, singing (Don't Stop Believing, Eye of the Tiger, Christmas Bells are ringing....just a few) thankfully her fave right now is Book of Mormon Stories :)
talking, talking, talking, talking, talking, talking
discovering the stove and cooking in general :O
more talking...for real

I love my Hannah nanna, might go waker her up....and maybe not
I hope it's a wonderful birthday!

Here's a pic from last year and then this year, growing growing