Wednesday, February 26, 2025

A Look Back at College Concerts

Oh my - more lasts 

It's hard to believe that we are walking one senior through her lasts and another one at the same time. 

Lots of emotions. 

Lots of big decisions. 

Lots of change. 

I am so grateful for the rhythm of my 'regular days' that are so much work (teaching) but so wonderful to begin to forget all about big things, ha!

I am typing as we are headed up to Anna's college for one of her last concerts. It's not the - last - , but close to it. It will be her last playing in this venue. I was there for the opening in 2022.  It's a wonderful auditorium and I will miss it. 

I really am so blessed and grateful that Anna chose to play in her college orchestra. For us as parents it allowed us to visit often and be a part of something beautiful. Music makes things more beautiful in the world, I am convinced. 

I thought I'd try to get all of Anna's concerts on one post. So here they are: 

Freshman Year

November 2021 (masks were still a thing) 


December 2021 ~ Lessons and Carols 

March 2022



May 2022




Sophomore Year

November 2022

December 2022 ~ Lessons and Carols 




March 2023




April 2023 





Junior Year 

November 2023 



December 2023 ~ Lessons and Carols 



The spring semester she was in China 

Senior Year (so far) 

November 2024 


December 2024 ~ Lessons and Carols 




Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Chocolate Cafe

The first of so many 'lasts' this spring! Filled with oh so many emotions... 











Senior speeches 





























 

Monday, February 24, 2025

February Book

I posted back here about some reading I'm doing this year. And back here was my January book review.  

I love books. Oh my goodness, I surely do! 

💖I love the book in our family room 

💖I love the picture books in our playroom and the 'chapter book' library that grew and grew as my girls grew and grew

💖I love reading aloud to them still {in the summer when we are finally all together, the girls and I dive deep into two books, one fiction, one nonfiction}

💖I love my classroom library and something wonderful that I call 'Open the Magic'

💖I love my Bible, my devotionals, my saints books, my prayer books

and... I love my Sally Clarkson books. 

I was a little bit worried about the book I chose for February. Although I whole heartedly agree with her concepts and ideas, I felt that this one might just be a bit too 'past' for me. My girls, after all are 21 and 17... so maybe it was a stretch to read this one. But I believe, oh boy I surely do believe that there is no 'done' with parenting. I want to shape and guide, support and nurture, disciple and pour into their hearts until my very last breath. My goal is to get them to Heaven. 🌟

So with a little, 'I'm not sure this is applicable anymore' feeling, jumped in. 

And oh boy I was wrong... it was wonderful!

Uniquely You by Sally and Nathan Clarkson

This book follows one that was written a while ago that I read last year after Abigail was diagnosed with clinical OCD. It's called Different. Different is raw and Sally really opens up about what could be thought of as embarrassing details from her life raising an ADHD, OCD child. I wept reading this book because I finally felt that someone got it. I also raised an ADHD, OCD child and forever Scott and I kept to ourselves the details of just how difficult parts of parenting were. But finally we felt heard, seen, justified in the challenges we faced. {we also raised a child with Attachment Disorder and trauma from adoption} 

What I loved about this book, Uniquely You: 

 "There are three principles that will guide you through the journey in this book: to learn how to accept, affirm, and delight in your children

- to accept your child is a radical act. It is learning how to see them with unwavering eyes, no imagining them as you want them to be or trying to fit them into a particular mold, but genuinely seeing what they are in their capacities and limitations, their hopes and fears." 

Well, I could just have stopped reading right there in the introduction. How many times did I try to change, wonder how I could mold my girls? Too many to count. I believe that it is a lifelong journey to accept your child for who they are. 

- "to affirm our children is to go a step further... This step requires a willingness to use words of life and to make them a central part of your relationship with your child. You go beyond simply acknowledging in a neutral sense what their unique makeup is; instead, you make them feel that what they are is acceptable." 

- "to delight in your child is step that happens in your own heart... unconditional love paves the pathway to delight where we learn to celebrate our precious child." 

There are several chapters and topics covered: 

💙 Fearfully and Wonderfully Mads

💙Personality Types

💙Learning Styles

💙Big Unique Dreams

💙Love Languages

💙Heartfelt Discipline

💙Outside the Box Minds

💙Friends and Relationships

💙Lifegiving Community 

I wish I had more time tonight to dive deeper into all that I starred, circled and underlined! Just trust me, if you are a parent {of any age} read this book. I know I will again and again! 

Sunday, February 23, 2025

This Week At Just Add Faith Trust and Pixie Dust

This Week at Just Add Faith Trust and Pixie Dust Blog 

 Monday

February book review

Tuesday

Chocolate Caffe

Wednesday

A Look Back at College Concerts

Thursday

A Peek into Spring

Friday

Anna's Concert 

Saturday

Senior Photos in the Snow

Sunday

Sunday Surprise (photos from my phone) 

Valentine's Day and Anna Plays in the Pit in her College Musical!

I do really love Valentine's Day. But golly, it can kind of be a tricky and tiring day for me with twenty-one nine and ten year olds. They S U R E are excited about passing out and getting a box full of those little notes and cards. They come in the classroom so thrilled to give me the sweetest little heart boxes of chocolate (and I don't tell them that I don't eat chocolate so into the teacher's room it goes). They are darling and oh so sweet and I try my darndest to remember just how my girls were in fourth grade so I can be the teacher they need me to be that day. 

But it does leave me wiped out a bit. And I hate that my family gets my 'leftovers' on Valentine's Day. I know now of course they my girls are older and don't need anything special that day but I think that's why it makes me want it even more for them. So I shop, picking up little things here and there right after Christmas is over. I sent Anna back for the spring semester with a bag to open on February 14. I love that she waits all of those weeks even though no one would know that she opened it as soon as we dropped her off in January. And I wrapped up Abigail's things the night before and set the table with as much pink as I could find. 

Dark, and oh so cold on Friday, February 14th. This is basically the way our kitchen looks after I come down in the morning. But that bit of pink and tissue paper had me all excited that I took the time to find a few things for sweet Abigail. 


We decided it would be a better idea to open in the afternoon maybe during dinner since we had to get going but she did let me snap a cute picture of her in her hearts sweater. 


So after coming home I was glad we waited since the light was so much better!


Abigail had a viola lesson and it gave me a chance to get ready for our evening. I so wanted to shower, get in pjs, and go to sleep (holidays as a teacher will do that to you) but I had another 'little' girl waiting for me in another state that evening so up we went! 

And boy was I glad we did! Anna played in the pit/orchestra for a college musical and it was the last weekend. I was so proud of her for that! And we were so excited about seeing it! 


During intermission we were able to get a peek into the pit! 



And after we hung out in her dorm room for a bit (even though it was like 11pm at least) before heading home! A long but happy week!