John loves his job. He's entering the big bucks time, so he's looking for every delivery and surgery he can get until May when he becomes a full partner.
With all of the snow we've been getting, and looking at the hours we have spent shoveling our 1/4 mile long driveway, he finally broke down and bought a blade for our tractor. What used to take hours now takes minutes to do. He let Ethan try it too, and within minutes of that, Ethan had bent the blade. Back to Tractor Supply for a new and improved (translation=bigger) blade. Secretly, I think John was glad that Ethan bent it :-)
Ethan turned 18 last week and celebrated with a road rally party. It was great fun with about 15 other teenagers. Ethan has now been accepted to two colleges, and has received 1/2 tuition scholarships to both. What a testament to all the studying and hard work he has put in over the years! We're hoping after we turn in the FAFSA, he'll literally have his choice of colleges to attend. He and Mark both tried out for Beauty and the Beast at their highschool, and both got parts. Both also went to PMEA District Chorus and made it to Regionals (Ethan got 2nd chair!)
Mark is busy too. Besides making it to Regionals in chorus, he also made it to Regionals in band (1st chair on french horn). We went to his district band concert this past weekend, and despite not being band music lovers, it was an excellent concert. There's something really beautiful about seeing all these kids making great music together. Mark also sent in all his audition materials for Interlochen Music Camp this summer. We'll wait to hear if he made it again.
Speaking of Interlochen, John applied for and got a job as a physician there this summer for two weeks. When we visited Mark last year, we just fell in love with the place. Northern Michigan, lakes, beauty, music, camping. What more could we ask for? So, John got a job so we can actually live at the camp. Ethan is applying for a counselor job there too, and if the girls get in, I'll find something to do up there. We're really excited! I'm sure it will be a nice break from our gardening adventures here!
Johannah also made it into County Choir. She had to decide if she wanted to go to County Orchestra on viola, or choir, and despite all the lessons and practicing on viola, she chose to use her very natural talent in voice :-) She auditioned to be in a production of Oklahoma! and was cast.
Glo is also busy in special orchestras and choirs, but she spends every free moment taking care of our new puppy, Cherry. Yes, we now have a 3rd Australian Shepherd, and this one is proving to be just as great as the other two. We really have fallen in love with the dogs, and John decided to buy a 4th which will be coming sometime in the next few weeks. Ethan worries that we are becoming animal "freaks" but we always point out that we don't show any of the symptoms yet, the main one being that we still view PEOPLE as more important than ANIMALS. Plus, what else are we supposed to do with our 11 acres of land? Buy a horse? (No way, Johannah, in case you are reading this!) Buy buffalo? (No way, John, in case you are reading this!)
This week, I will be the accompanist for Craig Jessop (the former conductor of the Mormon Tab) when he comes to State College. Last year, he was the conductor for Ethan's high school choir when they went to Carnegie Hall, and he asked to return to work with the choir some more. I have been doing quite a bit accompanying for several choirs at the school, so when they needed one for Dr. Jessop, they asked me. I feel completely honored, and yet completely intimidated. 40 pages of music to learn in one week, and it's in 7/4 meter at 120 per quarter note. Ugh... Also, Mark was chosen to sing a contra-tenor part which comprises the entire 2nd movement of the piece, and to do that in front of Dr. Jessop. Okay, maybe I won't be the most nervous person in the room :-)
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