Oh Holy Night

At first glance it will seem that this post is about Collin Raye, a singer who ranks in my top 10 right along with John Denver, the Carpenters, Dan Fogelberg, Barry Manilow, Josh Groban, Paul Simon, Julie Andrews, Mika, Olivia Newton John, James Taylor, Secret Garden, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (Yes, that is more than ten.) It might seem that I am obsessed with him but I'm not. He does have an incredible voice and he sings beautiful songs. I like country music but even if I didn't I believe that Collin Raye transcends the genre. He is just a gifted performer and I thing that he is universally appealing. That being said let me move on to the main point of this post which actually took place last December.

My daughter, Samantha, attends college at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. I love that she goes to school there. I think that it is a great school. She gets to have the living-away-from-home experience but she is close enough that we can have her home for holidays and special events (unless she opts to go home with one of her roommates instead.) She started attending there last August. She is in the orchestra. In about October of last year she called to tell me that Collin Raye was going to do a concert there and that the orchestra would get to play backup for a couple of his songs.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I immediately called my brother who I thought loved Collin Raye as much as I do (it turns out that he doesn't) and started talking up the roadtrip that we would take. That didn't work out. I appealed to my husband for what I assured him would be the trip of a lifetime but to no avail. As the day of the concert approached and I had no takers for a fabulous, fun-filled roadtrip with me to see Collin Raye and Samantha in concert I truly tried to convince myself that it would be okay to miss it. I decided that it was much more mature to sit this one out. It wasn't economical to make the trip not to mention the time away blah, blah, blah.....The day of the concert dawned clear and sunny. A perfect day for a drive. About noon I just knew that if I missed that concert I would regret it for the rest of my life. Really. No, REALLY. So, I convinced my mom to let me use her car (much cheaper on gas than our suburban) made sure all of my other children were situated, told my husband that I absolutely HAD to go to this concert (which was not a surprise to him) and headed for Cedar City. I got there shortly before the concert started. What a great night. The concert was absolutely fantabulous. This is the prettiest version of Oh Holy Night you will ever hear. It will probably be the worst sound quality you've ever heard and the visual quality isn't too great either but I am not the technical one in the family so I just did the best that I could. Don't get freaked out by the fact that this is an 8 minute movie because you don't need to watch the whole thing. I have taken the time to point out the highlights (the you-can't-miss-this-part sections, so to speak.)

1:00-"Sweet hymns of joy" This was Samantha's favorite part because the strings are playing this absolutely, incredible, harmony part. I know that their is a musical term for it and I am going to ask my friend Leslie, the violist (at the library) what it is . I could listen to this part over and over. Oh yeah, I already have.
2:05-The piano guy just goes nuts. He is amazing and I think that he was truly having a wonderful time. 2:40-2:54 Collin Raye proves that he can still sing. 3:30- Collin Raye acknowledges the SUU symphony orchestra (That's my girl!) 3:45 The stage lights come up and you can sort of see the orchestra director, drummer and the pianist better. Samantha is not visible at any point. Even if I had had a better camera she was almost behind the conducter.

At this point you have seen the most important part but if you are still interested he sings "Love Me" as an encore. Another great song although not one of my absolute favorites. I do need to point out here that the orchestra played back up on almost every single song. They were amazing. Samantha tends to either understate or overstate things so it is very important to pin her down on what she really means (i.e. "I failed my Spanish test" translates into "I got a B" when you pin her down.)

After the concert I was able to purchase T-shirts, which I hadn't ever done at a concert before. (I bought shoelaces at the Barry Manilow concert I attended in 1983 and drinks or something at the Dan Fogleberg concert in 1985ish and that is the extent of my concert going except when I worked custodial at BYU and heard parts of the Billy Joel concert in between cleaning the bathrooms.) Then I had the chance to visit with Samantha for a little while before I headed for home; just me and Collin Raye singing at the top of our lungs all the way home. I was hoarse the next day.

Now, you may think that that was the main point of this blog post but it wasn't. The main point is that I trusted my instincts when I went to that concert and I am glad that I did. To quote the words of a Collin Raye song:

If I were you I'd promise to live life for all it's worth. Take all that you've been given and leave your mark upon this earth. Trust your heart to show you everything you'll ever need.

I'm working on it.

Happy Birthday to Gerry

None of these pictures of Gerry are very good. Some
are too dark, or his eyes are closed, or he is not the
central focus of the photo but they'll have to do for now

because they are the only ones I have on my computer and

I am tired so I am going to bed. Goodnight!

My brother's birthday was October 21st. In honor of that I wanted to write my most spectacular post ever but I didn't. Instead I came up against the worst case of blogger's block ever. I have been trying to get this written for TWO months. You see, I thought it would be cool to copy my brother-in-law's idea. Tom created a quiz in honor of his brother's birthday last year. The quiz was about shared family, literary, music, and artistic experiences that they had had. It was 19 questions and had quotes from Tolkien, Tolstoy, Taylor (James), family members, etc. I thought that would be a great way to pay tribute to my brother so I tried to come up with some quotes like Tom's. That is when the writer's block hit. At first I thought that the reason I couldn't come up with a quiz like Tom's was because we didn't have any quotes that Gerry would recognize and that made me think that our family didn't have any shared experiences. Finally I have realized that the problem was that I was trying to make my quiz like Tom's when in fact the Tippetts family culture is quite different (and vastly more intellectual) than the Skousen family culture. So the problem wasn't the idea of a quiz it was the questions I was trying to come up with.

Here goes:

1) "I know nothing, NOTHING!" (German accent)

2) "Love. Love will keep us together.

Think of me babe whenever

some sweet-talkin'girl comes along...."

3) Use your head.

4) "He loaded some bags

And some old empty sacks

On a ramshackle sleigh

And he hitched up old Max."

5) western, westerner, westerners

heroine, heroines, heroin,

6) I'm not dead yet. (english accent)

7) "Wanna know why I carry this tape recorder? To tape things. See, I'm an idea man, Chuck. I got ideas coming at me all day... I couldn't even fight 'em off if I wanted. Wait a second... hold the phone! Hold the phone!"

8) "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..."

9) 963-8303

10) It's the chance of lifetime in a lifetime of chance

and it's high time you joined in the dance...

11) Smile every mile for wherever you roam...

12) The name of the brand of ice cream Mom used to buy most often.

13) "you are not a kid. Goats have kids..."

14) He's got the action, he's got the motion....

15) "Get out of my way kid"

16) The best place in the world (or Provo, Utah) to play tag/hide and go seek.

17) Name three different types of competition in a swimming pool.

(Only one has an official name the other two we made up.)

18) A show that you watched and worshiped to such an extent that it apparently entered into our poor little sister's subconcious mind so deeply that it affected her later in life.

19) Mom's favorite joke.

20) "To find the truth you've got to read between the lines...."

21) "Don't save the best for last because if you do your brother may end up eating your sweet and sour shrimp. Especially if he has a very charismatic personality and can talk you into doing just about anything he wants you to do."

Good luck with the quiz Gerry and Happy Belated Birthday. You are a prince among men.

Fiddlin'

For the past several years Samantha, Johnathon, and Amanda have been involved in a fiddle group with the High School. Last year the group really spent a lot of time playing together at a lot of venues outside of the high school. After Johnathon graduated in May we thought that his participation in the fiddle group would end but they played several times during the summer and then Mr. Tsugawa the orchestra teacher who started the fiddle group asked Johnathon and Spencer to return to play in one more concert with the group. So I recorded this Wednesday night. Johnathon has a mandolin solo. Amanda is playing the electric bass. Sorry it isn't a better recording but the solo comes through pretty well and if you listen for the bass you can hear it too. I love this group. They are fantastic.

This is the mandolin that was Johnathon's great Granddaddy Baxter's. It has been so cool to watch him learn to play it. I have been so amazed by his abilities and by how much he enjoys it. He has also taught himself how to play the guitar and the penny whistle. His ultimate goal is to learn to play the bagpipes.

Okay, I decided I needed to add one more song. This is from a performance this summer at the Springville Art Museum. In this one, Back up and Push, they sing and Amanda Lynn plays the Mandolin along with Johnathon. Amanda is on the far left and she has an incredible voice. I am her mother and very biased but she really does have an incredible voice. Enjoy!

I wish I had a good video from the year that all three of my big kids were in this group together. I'm on the look out for one.

Happy Birthday Scott

48!

On October 13 my husband of 20 years had another birthday. 48 seems impossibly old and yet we do have a 19-year-old daughter. This year I have reached the point where I have known him for over half of my life (he has a few more years to go before he gets to the half-way point). This is both weird and cool. I remember as a child being unable to comprehend that there was ever a time that my parents didn't know eachother. Now I am finding that I can't really imagine my life without Scott, He is a good man and a good dad. He may not appreciate the wish that I am about to bestow upon him but here it is: Scott, I hope that you live for another 48 years and that you find joy and happiness at every twist and turn along your path. Happy Birthday!

Scott and Corban with Johnathon at graduation in May

Love the beard he grows in the wintertime!

At Timp cave with some of our kids and cousins during the Crosby reunion which he attended last summer, without me (I had to work) but with all of our children. What a man!

Utah State Fair

Corban and Caleb

On September 10th Sydnee, Caleb, Autumn, Jeremiah, Corban and I went to the Utah State Fair. The weather was perfect. We went on a day when admission was free for 12 and under and the all-day ride passes were buy one get one free. So it was reasonably affordable and lots of fun. I think that it was a perfectly legitimate way to spend a school day. Talk about a field trip! Here are some of the highlights.

Jeremiah in the farm exhibit. He was very wary
of the large, loudly-mooing fake cow.

Autumn and Sydnee

We had some great educational opportunities at the fair and we learned some interesting things but let's be honest, the kids loved the rides. It wasn't crowded until evening so they got to go on all the rides they wanted to several times. Corban and I didn't do many rides--he didn't really like any except for this one (which happens to remind me of the old Arizona State Fair, back in the day).




Here is just a little more footage of us. The four bigger kids came back to refuel and check in before heading back to the rides.




There were a couple of pictures that I didn't get that I wish I had. One was of the incredible Corn on the cob that I had two of, roasted with butter and lemon pepper. Mmmmmm! And one of the absolutely ginormous (that word is in the dictionary now) cotton candy that we bought right before we left. I didn't just want a picture of the cotton candy but a picture of my very estatic children with their cotton candy.



This just about says it all. Corban and I chased each

other all around while the kids were off riding the rides.

Now I remember what it was like when I had little ones

without helpers! Where's my wagon? I needed a nap too!


Ta ta for now!

Autumn Arlene Gay is 8 years old today!

Reflecting on the meaning of life or how to get the front seat next

time we go somewhere. (Perhaps they're the same thing.)

Hanging out with her little brothers at the duck pond.

Enjoying the wonders of digital photography by taking
pictures of herself. (The weirder the better.)

Jumping on the tramp.

Enjoying the summer sun at perhaps THE ultimate vacation
spot in Utah. We had such a great time swimming and canoeing.

She was born in a car, this year she survived being hit by one.

Life with Autumn is quite a ride! I wouldn't have it any other way!

She is the best!

Happy Birthday Autumn!

Dreams Do Come True

I have such a fabulous reason for not having blogged regularly. I have a job. Actually I have many jobs but the job I am referring to in this instance is a paying job. This isn't just any old job either. I am now employed (very part time) at the Springville Public Library. It is such a great place to work. I feel like Brer Rabbit being thrown into the briar patch. "Don't you throw me in that briar patch!" I know that I looked positively, ridiculously happy the whole time that I was being trained. I really have to make a concious effort to not look overjoyed which actually doesn't work well because my efforts to not look too happy just result in me looking sort of goofy.
One of the ladies that has worked for the library said "I know you from the other side" which another one of the librarians mistook as some weird reference to us knowing eachother in some previous existence but she was just referring to the other side of the check out desk.
I was hired as a substitute clerk so I fill in when someone is sick or out of town which is just perfect. I am entertaining big plans of a master's degree in library sciences someday but for now I have my foot in the library door and it feels pretty good. These are the actual statues by the entrance to
the Springville City Library.

Corban George Gay

I have had several things that have been rattling around in my head lately that I have wanted to write about. Corban is the theme of this particular post. He is the youngest of our Crazy Eight and he turned 2 this week. Let me interject a little warning here. Writing about one's youngest child at 12:30 a.m. with the soundtrack from Sense and Sensibility (which is one of the best movies ever) playing in the background could cause melancholy if one is prone to that sort of thing.
From the time Corban arrived on this planet he has been making life a little better for all of us.

He is almost always happy. He adores and is adored by his siblings. Until he came along I had never had two little boys close together in age. He and Jeremiah are great friends and I love it.

I love that my life has been crazily out of control. I love that this little person has come and made my world different then I thought it would be. I love that he laughs and that he cries. I love that I know he will be smarter than me and better than me. I love that he has a twinkle in his eye. I love that he communicates so well and does it without uttering a word we can recognize except for "HEY" and "No". He is so cool.

It is my birthday wish for him that he will apply this great advice to his life,

"Take Chances!

Make Mistakes!

Get Messy!"

Ms. Frizzle

(the Magic School Bus)

A Cry For Help

I have pretty much always been a game player. Many people have heard the story of my brother's first day of kindergarten but for those unfortunate souls who haven't I'll recap. My mom and I walked Gerry down our street in Scottsdale, Arizona to Miss Ingalls kindergarten class at Paiute Elementary School. My mother and I left Gerry and walked back home. We were going about our business when the door slammed and Gerry called out, "Dona, do you want to play a game of Parcheesi?" This incident took place when I was three or four years old. I believe that the adage "train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" seems particularly applicable in this situation. I was trained up to be a game player. It is not my fault. I cannot help myself.
I sound like an addict. I am an addict. Through the years I have experimented with various games and have had a pattern of zeroing in on one game for a period of time until noone else can stand to play it. It is sad really. There were board games: parcheesi, clue, masterpiece, yahtzee, trouble. There were card games: Battle (or War), Fish, slap jack. My Dad was always good for a late night game of gin rummy. We used to play "Spoons". (This was my mom's favorite, which is surprising because it got pretty dangerous sometimes and she usually frowned on violence.) My brothers taught me how to play chess but this was not a game that I excelled in. I always wanted to keep my horses at all costs (who cares about the king?) Risk and Monopoly ---not so much. Then there was Scrabble. Ah Scrabble. My inlaws introduced me to Master Boggle and I was hooked on that one for years (despite that one time that Gerry beat me with the words western, westerns, westerner, westerners. I might never get over it.) I made my poor, non-game-loving husband get up at 3 o'clock in the morning when I was pregnant with our first child because I needed a Rummikub fix. There was Pictionary, Phase 10, Quiddler, Five Crowns, Rook, Cranium, and more.
I thought I had seen it all but then I was introduced to the Settlers of Catan. The obsession has bordered on madness. We have played this game for the last four years. Two years ago I played all night long while I was in labor with my last child and noone even knew I was in labor until we went to the hospital. I think that qualifies this game as a drug. It looked for a time like we might never play any other games. But as a group we have recently ventured on to "Ticket to Ride" and "Blokus". I felt hope that I could escape the addiction which had culminated in Catan but then one day recently I thought I would just check out the internet version. That was a big mistake. I am hooked.
I have recently been quite concerned and thought that I needed to address this on my blog, get some emotional support for my addiction/obsession. So I went looking for an illustration for this post I checked ''flickr " hoping that I would find a random shot of Settlers of Catan. Guess what!? It turns out that I am not obsessed! I am A OK! Get a load of a couple of these pictures. THESE people are obsessed. And while it is true that I entertained the thought of naming my youngest child Catan the fact is, I didn't. These people, however, are crazy. So I'm good. Anyone up for a game? It doesn't even have to be Catan.

Happy Birthday Grant!

August 27th, 2007 was my oldest brother's birthday. It was also my birthday. We had a family birthday party the night before which I was unable to attend due to what turned out to be a very unpleasant strain of some intestinal thing. (Let's just say I stayed close to home for several days.) Even though I was unable to celebrate with Grant on his birthday I want to pay tribute to Grant in this belated blog.

Five Things I Admire about Grant

1. He is quiet. This is a great quality that I wish I had in some small measure. I am convinced that he and I never had a conversation before I turned 14. It is not out of the realm of possibility because he really does not talk much. Yet, I have found that he generally speaks when something really needs to be said. He also generally says what needs to be said in a straight forward way but is not unkind.

2. He loves nature. Grant appreciates where he lives. So many people don't really pay attention to what is around them. Grant notices nature. He spends time in the mountains and outdoors around his home.

3. He has the soul of an artist. He loves beauty. He sees it in people, and nature, and music. He expresses it through his photographs. I love to see the pictures that he takes.

4. He has empathy for others. He was actually unable to sit through an episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" or "Gilligan's Island" or any other show where someone might embarrass themselves. He would have to get up and leave the room. He was always great at listening to me, especially during my first couple of years of college.

5. He is constant. Grant doesn't get swept away by situations or emotions. He lives life and enjoys it but he doesn't get distracted. He has always been a great brother and a good example for me.

So, Here's to you Grant! I am going to try to be a little more like you this year by getting outside more and not talking so much. I figure that is a good place to start.

Look at me, I'm blogging, I'm blogging

It turns out that I am a person who is motivated by external rewards (who knew?) I have been working on starting my blog since May. I would look at it occassionally and wonder how to make it all work. I would think of how cool it would be to have a blog but really I just couldn't make it happen until this week. You see, I need to win a free prize being offered by a fellow blogger. (It is wrong for me to say "fellow" blogger because that implies that I am in her league somehow, which I am not.) This woman is quite possibly one of the funniest women I have never met. She is my sister's friend and I have been reading her blog for several months now. She has offered a free prize for recommending her site. The free prize is a stupendous refrigerator magnet which I have not even seen but has motivated me to sit down and spend several hours figuring out how to enter this brave new world of blogging. Amy is the name of my sister's friend. And while I am recommending great blogs let me also say that my truly brilliant little sister, in who's shadow I alternately shiver and shine, has an equally fabulous blog. Her name is Sarah. She is great. I would know.