Condensed Blog

Hi!  I have about a million things that I could blog about right now.  Seriously.  But I am going to ATTEMPT to make it semi-brief.  I would say brief, but lets be honest.  Have you ever met me?  I am not so good with brief.

Anyway, Sunday before last was our Primary Program (I am the chorister), and our kids were WONDERFUL.  Enough said.  Seriously, they were AMAZING!  Usually when I have been chorister before, the Priesthood bretheren will sit on the stand for the opening/sacrament and then go and sit in the audience to watch when they turn the time over to the Primary.  But not this time, they stayed up there THE WHOLE TIME.  AND because of the placement of where I was sitting/standing to lead the music, they were literally RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.  Like not even 10 feet in front of me, staring right at me, while I am being all goofy and trying to help the kids remember the words and remember to smile, etc.  I don't know why, but having all those adults (our 3 bishopric and 2 stake pres members) made me SO nervous.  I was literally shaking.  But whatever, the kids did GREAT, so who cares if I am a total nerd and 5 guys know it?  They probably already did.  I just felt like I was singing and making cheesy faces RIGHT in their face.  Oh well.  Maybe next year they'll move.  Seriously they could probably smell my breath from there.  Ok, not really, but it felt like it to me.  Alright, sorry about that, I KNOW!  I said BRIEF!  DANG!

Then this past weekend we made the trek to Thatch.  It was SOOOOOO great!  Some of my peeps were performing in a benefit concert for my friend Kameron on Friday night, so we really wanted to be there to support them, and also help $upport the Haban Family.  Anyway, the concert was AWESOME!  Here is a pic that I stole from my friend Jordan's blog.

{Jordan, Cindy, Ryan}

For some reason not included in this picture is Jason Spencer, who is a ROCK GOD.  Yeah.  He is SICK.  It is out of control.  He played guitar and sang, and it was DISCUSTING it was SO freaking good.  I remembered how good he was from like 6 years ago or whatever at EA, but MAN I forgot.  And of course All the other acts were awesome.  My friend Jordan, is still bringing the same spunky attitude to his wonderful performances that just make me smile.  Ryan sang alot of Jazz/bluesy music and you could really see how much he has grown since EA (and he was a ridiculously talented kid even then), he is amazing.  The Acappella choir sang a few songs and it was SO good to hear them sing.  It made me miss Dr Bishop and singing in choir, WAY too much.  Really.  Kinda painful.  But we did all circle up and sing "The Lord Bless You" at the end, which was great.  They also had a little folk group, who were really good.  They suprised me and I was impressed.  Dr Lunt played Bass for the band that backed up the soloists, and some guy I don't know was on drums.  Sorry guy, who ever you are that I can't give you a proper shout out.  But BY FAR (in my opinion :) my friend Cindy (one of my all time BFFs) stole the show.  All of her songs were world class.  I mean honestly, to hear that kind of performance I would have paid the exact same kind of $ that I would for Christina or Kelly or Micheal Bubble or any other performer out there.  Her performance of the song "Gravity" literally brought me to tears.  She gets better everytime I hear her sing, and it just BLOWS MY MIND.  The next day, I spent some time convincing her to get out there.  I looked up audition info for America's got talent and American Idol (who isn't auditioning again until next year).  But seriously she is SO good.  I am making her at least try for some of this stuff.  If I had her talent, you wouldn't be able to shut me up!  I would be that guy from singing in the rain, knocking on door and stopping people in the streets "gotta dance!"  And I know you might be thinking, Jenn your opinion is probably pretty scewed, I mean she is one of your all time BFF's.  But honestly, I have ALOT of talented friends.  That is how I roll.  This concert proved that to me.  Alot of people who are my good friends have been blessed with extraordinary talents.  But if you know me, you know that when it comes to talent and actually saying that somebody "could make it", I am extremely judgmental.  WAY TOO judegmental.  I have a hard time not judging when I see people perform in any compacity.  It is a character flaw of mine and I am working on it (especially because I am not really that talented...but I have a critic's eye :).  Anyway, getting back to brief, Cindy is PHENOMENOL.  End of story.

They next day (Saturday) we went to my nephew Riley(8) and Tanner's(6) football games.  It was SO fun to see them play and to sit with my family and cheer for them.  Tanner plays flag (riley play full padded tackle), and T is AMAZING.  Seriously, he score all 5 of his team's touchdowns, leading them to victory, it was great.  The games were at Safford middleschool that week and that was right by the Salsa Festival that was going on all day Saturday- booths, activities for the kids, music, salsa tasting, jalepeno eating contests, etc.  They had main street in Saf closed down for it.  THAT is why I LOVE small towns, there is always something going on.  Small town community culture.  I love it.  I also went to my sister Ang's new house since it is right in that same area (we walked) and played her Wii to get out of the heat between games (so fun).  I spent the afternoon at my Grandma's with my mom and Izzie working on a sewing project.  It was great.  I miss my grandma, SO much.  Everytime that I am there, I wish that I could just stay with her.  She took care of me so much of my life and I just want to take care of her.  I LOVE HER. Period.

Then that evening Matt and I hung out with Cindy for a while, we walked back to my mom's (another thing I love about small town life!) and I left Matt there to watch a movie while I went to Walmart and bought some flowers to make an arrangement for my Grandpa's grave.  The next morning I met GG(my grandma) there early (like 7am or something) and we cleaned out the few weeds that were there and I put up my flowers and we sat and talked.  It was nice.  I feel like I haven't had enough quiet, alone moments with her.  Then she left and I got to be alone at my Grandpa's grave for the first time since he passed.  Usually someone asks if they can go too, and of course, I say yes.  But it was SO good to be alone there.  I just really felt like I needed to talk to him.  To say everything I have wanted to say to him since he's been gone.  I know that it's a little cliche to sit and talk to a grave, and I know that it is just the resting place for his body and that I could talk to him anywhere, but I really felt his spirit near me.  It was a beautiful experience.  I still miss him everyday.  And I pray for my GG everyday.  I love those people.

Anyway, it was a GREAT weekend.  It did make me miss home so much though.  It is always so great to be there and a little depressing to come home :)

But we are home and back in the busy swing of things!  I CAN'T believe that it is Oct already, we are going to have a CRAZY busy month (really-I probably won't blog again until Nov :), but it is going to be a GREAT month!

Brief.  Right.  I'd better go.