Thoughts about My Calling as a Pianist

It's been 3 months since I became a pianist in Primary. I know many songs and where they are in the book now. I still cannot say that I play well, but started to really enjoy my calling.

My background is this: my mom has always taught the piano at home as far as I can remember. But I have probably taken lessons from her maybe 10 times. I was busy with other things and when I injured my finger at 8, I completely stopped. I always heard the sound of the piano at home, but playing the piano wasn't my thing.

Then after I got married at 25, I was invited to my friend's house. When I saw her piano by the door, I really missed having a piano at home. But it was not until 2 years later that I found a beautiful piano at a yard sale. How I missed the sound of the piano! Having a piano completed my HOME.

Once in a while, I asked Jacob, "Do you think I can become a Primary pianist, maybe 5 years down the road?" Jacob always said, "Yes. Keep practicing." Ha! 5 years? I got called in after 2 years. If you add up all the years I played the piano, it is not long. The first 4 weeks, it was a miserable struggle.

In the past 3 months, I played at baptism, Christmas program, Primary program, violin accompaniment, choir practice, and Primary for 1 hour every week. It still makes me nervous to play in public, but I finally started to enjoy it.

It was especially fun to play it for our family friend, the Nelson's 5-year-old girl playing the violin today. She is a very beautiful and talented girl and she is so small! I really enjoyed people's reactions :D I was very thankful for her grandparents to pick me as her pianist, because they did not know how well I was going to play. Her mother and my good friend, Jenny, did a wonderful job putting everything together for us. I was very thankful for the wonderful opportunity.


Here's an insert. I have been taking a BYU class on Doctrine and Covenants. I just thought the following was very interesting and "challenging."

D&C 101: 6 The Sins of the Saints in Zion: Note that the sins committed by the Saints in Zion do not include murder, adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, or cheating. But these people were trying to live the law of consecration, and jarrings, contentions, envyings, and strifes are serious infractions of that law. Remember that such sins were not found among Enoch's people nor among the Nephites after the Savior's appearance to them. These are the very sins that will keep us from establishing Zion.

Christmas Eve

Wow, it's only a Christmas Eve? It feels like we had more fun than we could take already. Jacob was working a TON this week changing tires, so it has been very nice to have him back. We all slept in this morning, made pancakes together, and headed out to Jacob's grandparents' house in Yakima. There we met Jacob's uncle, Ken, who was visiting from Finland. I wanted to take pictures of Jacob and his uncle together, but I didn't... They look a lot alike. I remember yelling at Ken at our wedding one time because I thought he was Jacob peeking my wedding dress. They are that alike. Emma and Lydia were painfully shy at first with Ken or Great-Grandpa, but over time, they became reasonable and eventually running in a circle around the kitchen... We didn't have enough time with them today, so we are planning to go back again tomorrow.

Then, we served dinner at the Women's Shelter in town. I felt uncomfortable so many of us just watching a few sheltered women eating, so I started talking to one of them. She got in car accident once, so she became disabled. She gets some SSI, but it isn't enough. She came to this shelter a week ago, and doesn't know when she can get out. Those sheltered women sleep on stretchers in a basement, and have to get out of there at 5:30 AM. Then they kill their time until 9 AM in a cafe. Then they spend their time in a library...without a choice. I have spent a Christmas and a New Year's Day in a women's shelter when I was going thought a divorce in Pullman, but it was a nice one. When we were done, I was ever thankful to have a house, friends and family to spend Christmas with, and all the nice presents under our tree.

At the Nelson's house, oh my goodness, I don't know if I can describe how wonderful they are. Well, let's start with food. Sister Nelson made Enchilada casserole and fruit salad. Brother Nelson made a Korean meat dish with rice. They had all kinds of chocolate treats I could imagine. Our children were enjoying their bananas and go-gurt while waiting for dinner. Then after the dinner, they put handmade head bands on Christine, Dallin, Emma, Garrett and Lydia. Brother Nelson read aloud a story of Jesus' birth while those children looked into Miguel and Brianne in a manger as twin baby Jesus. Brother Nelson read more stories such as "Little Boy's Blue Blanket" with tears in his voice. As he bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and the Savior's life with more tears, I was deeply touched. Few things are more touching than men's sincere testimonies.

Then Sister Nelson started handing out presents from the "3 Wise Men." There were presents even for us individually. I don't know how they knew what we really wanted, but they knew. They were very thoughtful, wonderful gifts to us all. That time, our engaged friends, Julie and Tyler walked in. I have known Julie for years and seen her often, but had never heard her sing. Oh she can sing beautifully!! She can also make cute faces here and there when she is trying to remember the lyrics :) She is modeling, singing, and cutting hair. I hope she will reach her stardom someday soon.

As we were walking out the Nelson's house, saying good-bye to everybody, all I could think was "What a day! What a day!" I was holding back my tears, being so thankful to everything, everybody and every oppotunity to serve.

We were coming back to our house several times today, but we finally had time to let our puppies out and play. They were so excited to see us again! Then we opened more presents from my family in Japan. Some clothes were new and others were hand-me-downs from my niece, but they took such good care of clothes, so everything was as good as new. I don't know how we deserve all these blessings. Really. And I can't believe this is only a Christmas Eve.

師走

久々の更新です。クリスマスだから忙しいというわけではありません。今年は氷点下２０度（例年は低くてもマイナス３度）まで下がって、風も強いし、めちゃめちゃ寒いんです。色々イベントはあるのですが、寒すぎてどこに行きたいわけでもなく、一日中家の中で子供と犬と仲良く遊んでます。ラッシーはやっとセーターにくるめて四六時中３時間おきに外のトイレに連れて行くことがなくなり、夜はちゃんと寝てくれるので、だいぶ楽になりました。（家の中のトイレもトライしたのですが、慣れてないのでしてくれなかった！）やっぱり犬でも人間でも、赤ちゃんを連れてくるのは、春が一番です＾＾
　どうしてエマがぼけてしまったのか分かりませんが、これ一枚しかないので、とりあえず。教会のクリスマス会の後、サンタさんと写真撮影。毎年エマとリディアはサンタさんが怖くて泣いていたのですが、今年はエマは喜んでひざに座りに行き、最後まで降りてきませんでした。日本のサンタさんはプレゼントの袋を持っていますが、こっちのサンタさんは持っているのもいれば持っていないのもいます。持っていない場合は、クリスマスの日に欲しい物を告げる、と言う習慣があります。私の友達は「優しい旦那さん連れて来てや～！」とお願いしていました（笑）エマは「船がほしいのと、パパとママとリンリンが好き」と伝えてました。
　今日の午後のお昼寝。外は氷点下１０度、暖房をつけていてもまだいつもよりちょっと肌寒い気がします。
　これはエマが毛布をかけてあげたんだと思うのですが、（ピンクの足がかわいい　：D）
　これは！！犬のくせになんて寒がりなんでしょう。
　秋といえば夕焼け。もう冬ですけど、最近やっと夕焼けがきれいになってきました。見てるだけで心が温かくなります。１８０度夕焼けになったときは忙しかったので、撮れませんでした、すんません・・・。
　ラッシーは先週まですごく甘えたで眠たくなるとくんくん鳴いて、セーターの脇や袖に入って寝たがるんです。普通に抱っこしてても、首のところに入ってきます。もうほんとに赤ちゃん！でも、かわいい～。

Lassie is Coming!!!

The blurry black object is Molly, who is meeting Lassie for the first time :)




My girls!!

This is my most favorite picture of this month, if not this year. We invited Cadence over yesterday because she plays very nice with Emma and Lydia. She is the middle of Emma and Lydia by age, so she becomes a good mediator between them. In this picture, they were playing dress up in Emma's tent. I peeked in, and they readily smiled at the camera. How gorgeous they look!
Emma likes putting Lassie in the basket, and Lassie does not mind it at all.