Amazing Days

Our kids are at the ages where, with all the activities they're involved in, our days are filled with excitement, some unpredictability, and fun!

Yesterday was no exception.

Looking toward yesterday on the calendar, we knew it was going to be a busy Sunday.

First of all, Sunday was our oldest son's sixteenth birthday! This kid has turned into a responsible young man with an analytical mind, a love of laughter, a deep care for others, and gifts in many areas (including music and athletics).

My oldest daughter had scheduled the recital for her ten piano students, plus she scheduled her own senior recital immediately following. She took care of the details such as printing the programs, baking a ton of food for a reception, and all that kind of stuff.

My wife was on tap for teaching the Sunday School lesson at church that morning, and she prepared for that.

I had been asked by our music director at church to set up the music for two of our worship services, since the choir, the organist, and all associated music people were performing at Duke University that morning. I put together a quartet to play the hymns, a duet (trombone and tuba) for the prelude, a tuba solo for the offertory (accompanied by oldest son), and a piano solo for the postlude (performed by oldest son).

So all this stuff was scheduled to happen on the same day. In addition, we've been working hard on building a chicken coop in the back yard for our (now) eleven baby chicks (who are getting bigger every day), and we had an end of year celebration Saturday evening with the homeschool history co-op in which my kids participate.

Looking back on yesterday's activities, I'm amazed that we survived! We were all so exhausted last night it was almost comical ... and yet there was a sense of peace and a euphoria of having experienced such a wonderful day.

It's not that everything went smoothly.

My oldest son and I had decided to go to church early to get everything set up for the church services, and to warm up. We got to church shortly after 7am and ... well ... it had never occurred to me that the church wouldn't be open by that time on Sunday morning! I guess our music director is usually the first one there, and since she wasn't coming on this particular day ... Anyway, we got our instruments out and sat out in the courtyard (outdoors) playing duets until someone showed up to let us in. I hope the neighbors didn't mind being serenaded with a tuba - clarinet duet at that hour.

The church services went well. I really enjoyed playing the tuba solo accompanied by my son -- that's one of those golden memories I'm going to always treasure -- and he did a sensational job with is Beethoven piano solo for the postlude. And all the other music went well too.

My daughter's piano recital -- both that of her students and her senior recital -- were wonderful. She played brilliantly, and many in the audience who were hearing her play "the hard stuff" (not the music they usually hear her playing, accompanying the youth praise band at church) were stunned.

There's more to tell, and much more that we laughed about, but I don't have to "tell all" online.

Suffice it to say that the time spent together as family made it one of those special days that we'll always look back and cherish.

It was a cold and rainy day, but it was a happy day.