December 25, 2009 - Posted by danielle- 3 Comments
Merry Christmas!
It is Christmas morning and HB is still asleep, so we haven’t had our usual Christmas morning cinnamon rolls yet.
Christmas Eve was so very special yesterday.
Even with the snowstorm, all of us on the Worship Team made it to the services. The quartet that I was in practiced our 4 songs really briefly. They were a capella, so it was important to “remember” the songs. Once everyone arrived, we had a chance to run through the first verse of each of the main songs in the service. But we ran out of time for the worship leader and I to practice our duet. Thus, at the first service it wasn’t quite as relaxed as the 2nd and third, but I’ll get to that in just a minute.
Here is how the evening progressed once we finished practices.
The quartet that I was in sang 4 songs out in the lobby to welcome people into the church.
Lo How A Rose Ere Blooming – 1st verse only
Angels from the Realms of Glory (chorus is “come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn king”)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Joy to the World
During the first service (3:15), I didn’t sing up in front with the group. I just went up for the special music. My solo verse was not as good as it had been at practice, but that is sort of how it goes for me when I have to sing solo in front of people. But the harmony part was really terrific and my voice was all it could be.
Between first and second service, there wasn’t much time, but a few people from the Worship Team told me that we sounded good.
During the second service (4:15), I sang up front with the group. The service was as follows (this is more for my sake)
Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
Litany of Lights (lighting of the Christ candle) and responsive reading
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
The Christmas Story – Luke 2:1-7
O Little Town of Bethlehem
The Christmas Story – Luke 2: 8-12
Away in a Manger
Children’s message
The Christmas Story – Luke 2:13-20
Our special music – Babe in the Straw by Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong – Caedmon’s Call version from album City on a Hill
(this is the one that was recorded)
Message
Candle Lighting
Silent Night
Scripture Reading John1:1-5
Joy To The World
During the second service (4:15), my voice was right where I wanted it to be during my solo verse. I felt like it went as well as it had ever gone before. Afterward, four people or so from the Worship Team told me how well it went and how great we/I sounded. The sound team also told me that it sounded really great.
The recording is the raw version with the levels not mixed – but I had asked them to put it on a flash drive for me. When I listened to it last night, the keyboard (accordion setting) is overpowering, our vocals are the next loudest part, and you pretty much can’t hear the guitar. So, I am not going to share it until I get a version that has the levels evened out.
I’m hoping they will do that within the next few weeks!
For the third service (5:15), everything went as planned. This time, our song sounded even better!
Now, for this next section, I’m not trying to brag. But this was the first time I did a good-sounding solo for church. And I need to write these things down so that when my confidence is so-so in the future, I can read these. Plus, this is the sort of thing my parents will enjoy reading. 
Afterward, I heard from more people. A woman (didn’t know her) specifically came up to the front while I was gathering my things and thanked me for sharing my gift. She said it was a Christmas gift to her to get to hear me sing.
A friend who is in theater found me too to tell me how pure my voice sounded and how beautiful the song was.
The wife of one of the sound people also told me how wonderful it was.
The pastor stopped me and told me how she thought it sounded wonderful and thanked me for singing and for sharing. She mentioned too how the song fit with the children’s message and the main message just perfectly. We hadn’t planned that ahead of time.
Those compliments really had me floating and really made me glad that I stayed here for Christmas Eve. There was a day or so where I’d contemplated flying to TX early to spend this time before Christmas with my sister’s family and my parents. I’ve been sort of weepy these past few days and somewhat regretting my decision to stay, which is a pattern for me at this time of year when I’m away from them. And of course this year, I’ve been missing out on these extra days with my nieces!
But I stayed, and I’m so thankful that I did.
And I fly to TX tomorrow night! (assuming that I can fly out of here with the way the weather is right now)
I’ll be there for 2 weeks! (I come back the weekend before classes start)
I’ll be writing more in the upcoming weeks. And hopefully finding a way to put our song in an accessible place once it is re-mixed. I can guarantee that I’ll be posting tons of photos to Flickr!
May the blessings and joy of Christmas be with you.
I send a hug to you,
Danielle
December 22, 2009 - Posted by danielle- 9 Comments
This is my wee niece at approximately 1 week old. She is being held by my mom (Grandma) and Texas Seestor (her mom), respectively.
I get to see all of them in less than a week!
December 20, 2009 - Posted by danielle- 2 Comments
Hello!
I haven’t been writing much, because it seems like no one is really around. But I did have an email from a friend who has read some of my blog in order to keep up on things. So, I suppose it is worth a bit of an update.
As you have guessed, I call Texas Seestor pretty much everyday to see how everyone is doing in their household. TS’s blood pressure shot up the other day, so she is now on BP medication, but this is far better than when she gave birth to my first niece. So, it is great that she is doing better in that sense.
Baby niece – still no nickname – although my mom suggested Squeaky – is doing well. She eats a lot (to be expected) and is slowly getting her sleep schedule flipped around from being nocturnal to being more awake during the day.
Older niece – I suppose she needs a new nickname too! – hasn’t shown a whole lot of interest in her younger sister. She has always been pretty scared of small things that are animated. She was scared of the Elmo that giggles and moves and the same with a doll. So, she is still pretty cautious of her sister.
In news about me, we had a decent practice for the Christmas Eve special music duet with solo section on Wed night. The guitarist and keyboardist who played with us for the first practice cannot be at the Christmas Eve service (to my knowledge), so on Wed night, new people had to learn their parts. I am assuming it will come together. I know that our vocals sound good.
The only thing that is a little worrisome is that I woke up with a sore throat/cold this morning! eek!
I’ve been sneezing a lot since Friday, so I’m praying it will pass and that I can participate to the full extent at the services. I’m part of a quartet that is going to sing some carols before the services too. AND I am part of the usual group up front leading service for the last 2 of the 3 services which are my favorite – the candlelight ones.
*big breath*
So, my voice has to be up to par!
Otherwise, I’m doing a lot of grading. I finished all of my shopping for presents that have had to be shipped. Now I just have a few easy things to pick up for family where I will hand them their gifts.
I’m grading finals all day today. I’m (obviously) avoiding doing them right now. They shouldn’t be too bad once I get started. I just have a bit of a mental block about doing them, unfortunately.
I have been to two choir concerts in a fantastic church in downtown Mnpls. One of them was by all of the choirs at our school, which was just fantastic!
Tonight, I attend the concert of a woman and her sisters who have formed a band called Redpath. The lead singer, Lauren Redpath was the worship leader at our church for a while. We stupidly didn’t hire her permanently, because people thought that she didn’t have enough experience in working with instrumentalists. She also didn’t bring in any new songs while she was with us. BUT her voice is so outstanding, it is a real shame, in retrospect. However, the church that she is at now is huge, and she is obviously getting more exposure.
I like to think that this is all part of God’s plan for her and her sisters.
I think it will be a great concert since it was so terrific last year – and that was when she and her sisters were just starting to form their group. So, they ought to be even better now!
I’ll tell you more about it once I go.
For now, I suppose that I need to get some grading done before I go to church. I’m looking forward to church. We’ve been singing all of the traditional christmas songs this Advent. And the children’s messages for the lighting of the Advent candles have been particularly good this season. Finally, the sermons have been spot on too!
Okay. Now I really am going to go. See you!
December 13, 2009 - Posted by danielle- 3 Comments
She is here!
Texas Seestor and Trainwreck went to the hospital yesterday morning when TS’s water broke. And come to find out, this was the real deal!
My new niece was born last night and ended up only being 1 day premature (full term was today). So, all of that boring bed rest paid off.
She was 7 lb 6 oz and 19 inches long when born.
I hear that everyone is doing well. But I haven’t actually gotten to hear much in the way of details now that she has been around and kicking for part of a day.
I guess she was just a little bigger than Texas Baby Bunny/Munchie when she was born.
Can you see the differences between their photos?
I think that my new baby niece (haven’t come up with a good blog name yet) has slightly different lips. Her nose might be different too. But since baby noses get sort of smushed when they are born, it is hard to say for certain until it has a chance to sort of bounce back.
Here is one funny little thing. So, I was at this Christmas concert when TS gave birth, and the music was all about the birth of Christ, Mary giving birth to the son of God, celebrate the birth, etc. etc.
And here TS was, giving birth.
Maybe all of those good vibes were doing the trick.
I can’t wait to see everyone!
I’m an Auntie twice over!