Music Recital and Slip n Slide

How wonderful is it, for a parent, to see your child walk up to the front of the room and present what they have worked so hard on. Their little bodies full of nerves and anxiety but they get up and go knowing how hard they have worked to learn how to play.

There is no ease in playing for my boys, it does not come natural to them like throwing a ball or catching a pop fly.

Everyday they sit down either at the piano or by picking up a violin and they work their behinds off to get it just right, to rememeber what their teacher has taught them.

Then they get up with the satisfaction of knowing they played their best, they didn't quit because a piece of music was to hard and they have the joy of knowing they can play.

Sometimes I will see one or both just go sit down and start to play a favorite piece, their sisters dancing or waving streamer sticks around and I think...this is worth the struggle, they are learning to love music, one day they will thank me.

There are no dreams for them to become great musicians, more to become baseball and football players, but I know that somewhere down their long road ahead what they are learning now will be enjoyed.

So as they each took their place. John playing "Little Indian John" and "Morning has broken" and Jacob with his bow in the ready position to play "Old Mac Donald" and "Blow the Man Down" I could not have had a prouder momma moment. Thank goodness there was no picture taken of me because I know I had this huge dopey grin on my face. I saw them up at the front of this beautiful church and then I could see them at home in our small, dusty music corner with books all over the place preparing for this day and my heart was overjoyed.
I thought of all the times Corey and I have talked of them quiting and thanked God that hasn't happened. That our money can be invested in them, that this is our gift even though they don't see it that way most of the time. Thank goodness they have a daddy that thinks that learning an instrument is beneficial, even though he can't play.
I watched them during the more advanced students playing and I saw their faces at the beauty they were hearing. The awe and amazement that maybe they too could play this well someday. I listened to their whispers at how the music sounded coming from the other students, their intriguing questions that I couldn't answer of how a viola and a violin are different, and then when their teacher played I saw love in their eyes. I am sure she will be flooded with questions like always when they see her next.

Thank goodness we have Ms. Ella Lou Weiler, oh how my boys love her. She is patient with them when they mess up repeatedly and encouraging when they think they can't play what she taught them. I love how she teaches them, not only how to play music but where the music came from, who wrote it, she teaches them about the instrument they are playing, how it is made, what the materials are it comes from. They have a music history lesson every week it seems because they are learning from someone who loves what she does and from that John and Jacob are loving it.

I am thankful at the end of the hour that I have to wait sometimes because she isn't through teaching them, that she has to go over at times to finish up. I am so thankful that we can give my boys, Ms. Ella Lou.

So after the recital and refreshments the boys got to go pick out a slip n slide

and enjoyed the rest of the day outside.