Final Piano Recital

       Kayli and Mark just had a piano recital and this was Kayli's last official one.  She would have really liked to have skipped it if she could have but I insisted she do this one last performance before she takes a break from piano lessons and recitals.  This does not mean she's off the hook from playing piano altogether but I thought it was time to end the lessons so Isaac can start up since I can't really afford for three kids to have lessons all at once so now it'll just be Mark and Isaac taking lessons and Kayli will hopefully still practice daily to keep her skills fresh. 
      This really is a weird thing for me because I don't play the piano and never had lessons but I remember begging and pleading to have lessons and I've never met an adult who regrets taking piano lessons when they were young.  All I ever hear from adults is how they regret they quit piano and how they wish their parents would have forced them to keep going so I'll take my chances with my kids and keep forcing the issue.  Mark is one who I could easily let quit if I didn't have such a strong conviction about this because if anyone can argue and manipulate me to give in it's him but thankfully I'm still winning this argument for now.
    I'd post their videos but I'm not going to lie, Kayli did not do her best (She's a lot like her dad and the nerves really got to her.) and Mark did ok but I hate to show one and not the other so I'll just settle for the photo I took of both of them in front of the piano.

   Last weekend we spent a little time up in the canyon at Mutual Dell for a Garrett Family get together and I took a couple shots of Greg with Brock and McClane.

McClane was loving this "lift" from Dad and couldn't stop patting his head.

    Also this last weekend Greg agreed to give the kids "Father's Blessings".  Now if you don't already know, Greg is not comfortable doing things like this and I was actually quite surprised when he didn't put up a fuss when I brought up the subject.  We had hoped to do them sooner in the week when the kids were actually starting school but it never worked out but Mark brought it up after we'd mentioned it so Greg knew he wasn't going to be let off the hook so after church we sat them all down and he gave them all, minus McClane a blessing.  I won't go into details but it was, without a doubt, one of the most spiritual moments our family has had to date and I don't think Kayli or Mark will soon forget the spirit they felt.  Mark even mentioned it afterwards how strong it was.  It was truly a testimony to me of how powerful the priesthood power is and how blessed we are to have access to it in our home.  It is also clear that priesthood blessings don't need eloquent speech or special phrases to access the spirit and I'm so grateful to a husband who is worthy to use this power.
     As for the rest of the week it's been pretty normal.  Today we've been busy moving and reorganizing a few things and of course this always leads to changes we're not prepared to do.  Right now it's obvious we need a different set up for the books in Mark's room but building shelves is not in the budget and really not on Greg's weekend agenda but I'm going to do my darnedest to convince him to do something with what material we have on hand even if it means disassembling the cheap bookshelves we're currently using and refurbish them into hanging shelves some how.  I hate all the wasted wall space we have in some of these rooms and especially in the garage but unfortunately I'm not a builder and don't know all that is required to hang shelves and such so I have to take Greg's word for it that my ideas won't work.  For now I'm happy to have a little more space in my storage room and to have all the toys in there so Mark's room won't be such a magnet for kids and messes.  I'm sure some day I'll miss having toys all through the house but at this moment I wish I could pack them all up and give them away but that dream will have to wait and then it won't be a dream but a sad event I'm sure.