Grandpa Stauffers get the prize

Well, our visitors arrived for the weekend.  They deserve some kind of a prize, let me tell you. 

On Friday night they slept at the Stauffer family cabin in Juniata County, about half way between their place and ours.  On Saturday morning we woke up to a mini-blizzard, but in an hour it was all past and the sun came out.  At 8:45 AM they called, having just left the cabin and wondering what they should do, because it was really snowing there.  I told them we had had heavy snow earlier, but now the sun was shining.  They decided to  keep heading our direction.  After we hung up I checked the weather radar on my computer, and was dismayed to see a band of snow heading east between Harrisburg and State College, right where they were driving.  We were just above it.  I tried calling them back, but they didn't answer and I had to leave a voice mail.  You'd better believe I was PRAYING!!  I felt so terribly responsible for telling them how sunny it was up here.  (Actually, that sun was quite fickle, showing up sporadically between snow showers all day long.  And WIND!!)  About two hours later they arrived, but it had truly been a horrible drive.  Their windshield would get splattered with wet, sloppy snow as trucks passed them.  I can hardly stand to think of Arlene driving in such conditions.  PRAISE GOD for protecting them, because we had a wonderful weekend together.  

Anthony, Lori, and Austin were able to be here Saturday evening and this afternoon.  Dad and Arlene enjoyed getting to know Austin better than they can at all our big Stauffer gatherings.  Austin invented a new game (now that's a true Stauffer trait.)  He loved when Lori would throw one of our heavy, feather throw pillows at him and try to knock him over.   Here he stands, ready for the hit.  Look at that delighted face!  

And he stays standing!!

Sometimes for a trick he would cut and run just before the pillow hit.

As usual he had fun with the candle and stone arrangement on the coffee table.  He just loves to fill the candle holders with stones and then give them to people like some kind of prize. 

We enjoyed taking Dad and Arlene for a drive on Saturday afternoon, showing them where Dick works, also downtown State College and hilly, historic Bellefonte.   This morning they went with us to both of our churches.  It was especially meaningful for all our friends at Fillmore to meet Dad, since they  had prayed for him so many times during his heart valve surgery, stoke, and long recovery last year.  Which, by the way, is soon going to be a year ago!! 

Austin enjoyed getting to know his Great Grandpa and Great Grandma.

Four generations of Stauffer men.

Today was cold, but very sunny and beautiful.  They left around 2:00 to go back home to Manheim.  I'm so glad they came.

Prepping

Now that the project I've been slowly working on is no longer a secret, I can let you in on a little more of what I do with my days.  In addition to preparing music lead sheets, etc. for our praise team at Houserville I also am spending a good bit of time preparing lesson plans and worksheets for the next DVD in my Music@Home series.  It will be entitled The Musical Staff.   Even though I taught this stuff over and over again countless times over the years, it's an altogether different story teaching it to just the camera and Anthony.  It takes a whole lot more planning and attention to detail.  Besides, there are things I have to change simply because my students are "imaginary".  

Here's what my dining room table usually looks like as I sit and plan and do my nails and check FB and email on my phone all at the same time. Oh, and drink tea and coffee and water.

Of course I spend a good bit of time here at the computer as well, making worksheets, flash cards, etc.

This morning I tried my hand at making a brochure for the first time.  It almost gave me fits.  But Anthony said it wasn't bad.  He'll finish it off for me.  I couldn't do any of this without him, let me tell you.  

I've had a nice number of orders for my first week, from as close as a couple of family members to as far away as Wyoming.  

I was happy with my weigh-in at Weight Watchers on Tuesday.  I did better this past weekend than the one before when Jeremy was here.  (That delicious chocolate chip zucchini cake did me in!)  I'm down 6.4 pounds in three weeks.  I confess that I was so happy about that, I came home and finished off the peanut butter rice krispie treats I had been avoiding for three days, hahahaha!  

We're looking forward to Dick's parents coming up here for the weekend.  I think this is Visitors Month!  There are snow showers in the forecast for Saturday, so I hope that doesn't mess up our plans. 

Sammy, Sammy, Sammy

As I promised in my previous post, I have pictures!  With Sam, Jenn, Sammy, and Destiny here for the weekend, you probably have a pretty good idea which one is in almost every picture I took!  Oh babies!  I think we feel compelled to take so many pictures of them because everything they do is like a milestone, and they keep growing up so dreadfully fast.  We just have to capture everything or we'd forget what they were like.  

Anyway, I'll start with a couple of pictures that were not taken here.  Ray and Thyda were in Lancaster County this weekend, but did not have enough time to come up here.  They were, however, able to spend Friday evening at Sam and Jenn's.  Here are two cute pictures that Thyda sent to me.

And before I leave the subject of Ray and Thyda, I just want to say that Saturday was a rather momentous day for Ray.  On Saturday evening he met numerous biological relatives for the first time in his life.  It is quite a story.  Maybe sometime with Ray's permission I will tell that story.

On Saturday afternoon our "company" arrived.  I made lasagne, caesar salad, and garlic bread for dinner.  Unfortunately, in the process of talking, I let the first batch of garlic bread burn - I was doing it under the broiler.  So we had to do with pretty much one slice per person.  But everyone forgave me!  Anthony, Lori, and Austin also came for dinner, and we had such a fun evening together.  I love this picture of our kids and grandkids enjoying each others' company.

I made sure to remember to get a picture of Destiny this time.

And now for the Sammy show!!  Sammy eating:

Sammy sleeping:

Sammy bathing:

Sammy playing:

Sammy being charming:

Sammy cracking up:

Sammy with Mommy:

Sammy with Grandpa:

Sammy watching Anne of Avonlea with Grandma:

Sammy with Anthony and  Austin:

Sammy with Destiny in their sleepers:

I'm sad I didn't get a picture of Sammy with Sam or with Lori.  They certainly each did their share of holding and playing with him.  Apparently Lori got him laughing so hard Sunday evening.  But I missed it, because we had our monthly praise service at Fillmore.  

It was so nice that today was a holiday and they could stay over an extra night.  They left around noon today, planning to stop in at her folks near Harrisburg, then taking Destiny home to Reading before getting back home to Ephrata.    

Both evenings they were here Sam and Jenn went out on a "date" while we kept Sammy for a few hours.  They seldom get the chance to do that because they live so far from both their families.  One other thing we did this weekend was watch a few lessons on my Notes, Rests, and Rhythms DVD.  Sam said he wanted to see the real thing, not just read about it.  So we all sat down together and watched lessons seven and eight, responding where I give children a chance to respond.  When we were finished Sam said,  "Wow, Mom, that's more music than I ever learned in my whole life!  I want to watch all the lessons."   So they bought a DVD!   I consider that a very high compliment!  By the way, I now have a link to my Music@Home website on my sidebar. 

Time flies, feeling like old people, big week

Sorry, it looks like I didn't take any pictures since Sunday.  But don't worry, I WILL have pictures after this weekend.  Sam, Jenn, and Sammy will be arriving later today for the weekend, and will be bringing Destiny along.  I'm SO excited.  

Last evening I babysat Austin and we had the most fun.  Sometimes when I'm with him and realize how much he's grown up already it brings tears to my eyes.  Time just goes too fast.  And speaking of that, I'm reminded that I do have a cute picture to share!  Last Friday Sophie and George went to their first Father-Daughter dance!!   Would you just look at this!  Do you think she is a little bit excited??

Dick and I have felt like old people this week.  I'm nursing my shoulder pain, which probably resulted from things I was doing while working out with my exercise video,  and he's nursing extreme wrist pain that resulted from something that happened while playing basketball last week.    I think the moral of the story is:  we should just stay sitting, hahahahahaha!  But we're both seeing some pounds come off on the scales once again, so I guess we'll keep moving, slowly but surely.

This was, of course, a big week for me with the introduction of my Music@Home project.  Anthony got my website up and running yesterday.  The web address is very simple:  www.jeanstauffer.com  Take a look at it, and if you or anyone you know is a home school parent, feel free to spread the word. 

And now, company's coming and I have a house to clean up, groceries to buy, and food to make!

Introducing Music@Home

In May 2009, when Dick accepted a job offer in State College, which meant that I would need to leave my much-loved, long-time position as music teacher at Manheim Christian Day School, an idea was born in my heart.  I could make music class DVD's for home school families!  We would be living near (actually WITH, at first) our son Anthony who makes music lessons on DVD for blues guitar players as his vocation and would be able to help me accomplish my idea.  The idea needed to simmer on the back burner for a couple of years as real life got in the way, but this past fall, with strong encouragement from Lisa and George, we were finally able to get started.  Real life still gets in the way for both Anthony and me, but the first DVD is finally ready to sell for $25.

As you can see from the back cover, there are 12 lessons on this DVD, each about 10 to 15 minutes long.  Also available are worksheets to go with each lesson and a test for lesson twelve.  I had first through third graders in mind as I taught these lessons (to Anthony and the camera across the room!).  However, the last few lessons may be a bit too complicated for the younger ones.  

Here's a little sample, taken from the beginning of lessons seven, reviewing what we had learned in the previous lessons, just before introducing the sixteenth note.

In deciding how to do this project, I first of all considered making a DVD for each grade level.  However, when running this idea by a seasoned home school mom, she mentioned that it would be great for several children in the family to be able to do music class together.  Thus, I am making the DVD's by subject matter.  Each one will start with more elementary lessons and progress to more advanced.  Others that I plan to make are:

The Musical Staff

The Musical Keyboard

The Major Scale (which will include ear training)

Time Signatures; Notes, Rests, and Rhythms II

Key Signatures

Markings (dynamic, tempo, expression, and flow) 

Chords

A few weeks ago I sent copies of the DVD and worksheets to several home schooling families for their evaluation.  Below is some of the feedback I have received.

 It is a fabulous DVD!  I was really impressed.  I will recommend it to the families that I evaluate, and to my home school cooperative.  It's just what home schoolers need for their music instruction.  

Bonni Greiner, Manheim, PA

Home school mother of 8, Home school evaluator

Aimee and the children are loving these lessons!  The pronunciation is very good and the audio quality is very sharp so that you are easily understood, and that is an excellent factor when someone may be watching these on a portable DVD player. We used ours on our digital projector and thus it seemed like you were right there in the room, and the children were all ears and eyes to what you had to say.  Auntie, you have a gift of teaching and you do it very well!  The children are wondering when they can go meet you!  Blessings to you and thanks for filling this void in our education of our children!

Japheth Stauffer, Bemidji, Minnesota

Nephew, Home school father of 8

I am thrilled to see a DVD music course being offered to home schoolers.  I think your course is very nice so far. There is not much like it out there. You have a heart for music and a heart for kids and that is evident in your DVD.  I would be most happy to recommend it to my homeschooling friends.  Love your logo too!

Cynthia Schnee, Manheim, PA

Home school mother of 3

When my husband asked me if I wanted to try the Music@Home DVD, I was a bit hesitant to spend more money when I wasn't sure we needed another music program. But after going through each lesson with the children, I'm all for it!!! Jean does a superb job of teaching young children, and I even learned some stuff I hadn't known before! Music class doesn't have to be boring, and these lessons surely aren't. They are thorough and fun! Thanks, Jean, for the opportunity to learn from all your expertise at home! The children beg for music class now.

Aimee Stauffer

Home school mother of 8

Time wise, I am hoping to have two more DVD's ready for the beginning of next school year and three more by the beginning of the next school year.  

If you, or someone you know, home schools and would like to have something that fulfills the requirements for music education in addition to instrument lessons, this may be just the ticket.  In fact, I believe that if they learned some basic theory before taking instrument lessons, they would have an edge that would help them to learn to play more quickly.  Naturally, my goal is also to prepare children to be better congregational and choral singers.  Just like learning to read is the key to education, learning to read music is the key to musical accomplishment and enjoyment.  To order one go to my website at www.jeanstauffer.com. 

By the way, the logo was Anthony's idea.  I like it!

Hanging with the guys

I spent a lot of time the past few days hanging with the guys.  Lori had a conference in  Tampa (yes, she got to spend an evening with Lisa) from Wednesday to Saturday night.  So I got to be with Austin more than normal, picking him up from daycare, eating dinner with him and Anthony, either at our house or theirs.  He just gets to be more fun every day.  One time he said, "I need your phone, Grandma."   I asked, "What do you want to do with my phone?"  "Angry birds," was his answer.  As most of you know, that's a very popular game app for smart phones. I, however, have never gotten into it, so I don't have it on my phone.  However, later he was playing it on Anthony's phone.  It is just too funny how he knows how to turn a phone (or iPad) on, find the app he wants, and play games without any help.     

But don't worry, he still likes to do lots of other things.  Like carousing with his daddy,

playing with the blocks Jeremy gave him for Christmas -actually these are his favorite toy,

playing with the unique chess game that was a souvenir Jeremy brought home from Zambia for Anthony many years ago, 

and just being nixy and cute!

On Saturday the male population increased even more with the arrival of Jeremy and his friend Mike from DC.  Jeremy's 32nd birthday is coming up this week, and he said you know you're getting old when your favorite place to go for your birthday is home to your parents.  Awwwww.  That's so sweet!

So some of the guys kept busy like this......

but Jeremy and I were in the kitchen making the birthday meal he had planned - sausage and creamed potatoes (with soy sausage) and chocolate chip zucchini cake.  Yum and yum!  

Oh, I almost forgot!  I was not the only girl in the house.  Sweet Molly had come along.  Bless her heart.  She was born in Florida, has adjusted to a mild winter in DC, then came here for our coldest weather of the entire winter.  She was traumatized when they took her outside to go pee.   Here she is in the fashionable coat that Jeremy made for her, cuddling her favorite stuffed elephant. 

Lori arrived at the State College airport around 10 last night.  Imagine coming from Tampa to the cold, snowy, windy blasts that we were having last night!  Dick picked her up and took her home to her boys. 

After church(es) this morning we all ate lunch together.  Jeremy made delicious baked tilapia.

Mike's not in this picture because he was probably in the kitchen cleaning up.  How I love hanging with a bunch of guys that don't expect me to do all the work!   Notice how all the pictures I take are either at the table or here in the living room?  That's pretty much what we do in the winter when the kids come home.  We eat and then we crash.  

This was such a fun weekend, but there were a few downers.  We will always remember this as the weekend that Whitney Houston died.   What a VOICE!!!!  What a sad, sad loss.  

And another downer was that I injured my shoulder on Friday.  I have had issues with my right shoulder for at least ten years, have had coritzone shots several times, have been taking Valtarin for at least 8 years for my shoulder as well as my lower back.  I've been noticing that it's been getting more painful again, especially at night, for the past six months or so.  As I worked out with the exercise video the past several weeks, I tried to be careful how much I expected of that shoulder.  

On Friday afternoon as I shopped for groceries I was thinking how good I am feeling since eating carefully on the Weight Watchers plan and getting regular exercise.  I felt stronger and  more energetic and happy about that, looking forward to the weekend.  And THEN.  I carried the groceries into the house, several plastic bags of them in each hand, and lifted them up to the counter.  And I heard and felt something tear.  So my weekend has consisted, in addition to all the fun, of keeping my arm down and close to my body, ice, heat, ibuprofen, and Icyhot.  I hate to say something so vain, but my main concern was how would I do my hair?  But I've managed to do it by lifting my arm with the help of my other hand.  I even played piano at church this morning, keeping my arm against my body.  

Yes, I know I need to go to a doctor, and I will do that this week.  I just mostly feel angry about it.  I don't feel like I can afford the time or the money right now to have anything wrong.  Maybe it was that, or maybe I was tired of being good, but I ate terrible these two days.  

Tomorrow is a new day, praise God.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Dad

February 9.  My dad's third birthday in Heaven.  How many times do I still, when feeling unsure and needing counsel,  wish I could go to him?  Many, many times.  I trusted his wisdom and his heart so much.  

I love this picture taken when he was in his mid sixties.  Now in a few years I'll be that age.  I wish I had half his wisdom and heart of compassion. 

I know I have a number of readers now whom I did not know when he left this earth on October 1, 2009.  So I'm going to repost what I had written at that time.  Part of me does not want to remember the journey that led to that day.  But there were things in that journey that I never want to forget, especially the beautiful way it ended.  

Reverend Paul M. Witmer went home to meet his precious Lord and Savior face to face on Thursday evening, October 1, 2009.  His passing was the anticipated end of an intense journey that he and his family walked  together the past few months.

In 2008 Paul began having pain and numbness in his left leg, which led to a search for answers and relief.  In September 2008, a surgery to unpinch a nerve in his spine brought welcome improvement.   However, the improvement was short-lived, and along with increasing pain and numbness in his leg came a dramatically increased PSA count and disabling fatigue.

This past summer the search for answers continued with numerous appointments and tests, ever increasing pain and weakness, and added equipment to improve his quality of life.

On August 10 he was given the results of a bone scan which showed cancer throughout his bones.  The search was over, and Paul and his family sadly enlisted the services of Hospice, committed to caring for him at home, doing everything possible to make him comfortable.

The past five weeks the Witmer and Zimmerman families have worked together to help Mary provide around-the-clock care for him.  Paul never ceased to have a grateful spirit.  Mary never ceased to give Paul her most loving care and devotion. Singing together became more precious than ever before. Many times the family felt that they were on Holy Ground as they were in Paul and Mary's  home.

The evening he died was the holiest of all.  As loved ones surrounded him, the hired nurse aid, a sweet Nigerian angel, stood at the foot of his bed and sang a song from the book of Revelation.

I see the Lord,  I see the Lord.

He is high and lifted up, and His train fills the temple.

He is high and lifted up, and His train fills the temple.

And the angels cry, "Holy!"

The angels cry, "Holy!"

The angels cry, "Holy is the Lord!"

Family members joined in song, and as the beautiful harmony ascended to the heavenly throne, Paul's spirit left the room and was received into the arms of Jesus.

Packed to the hilt

Well, it was another packed-to-the-hilt weekend for us.  We left Friday right after Dick got off work, drove to Reading to pick up Destiny, then went to Dad Stauffer's to sleep.  

On Saturday morning my sister Doris and I went to our sister Mary Ellen's house for our annual breakfast together.  Mary Ellen had made a scrumptious, healthy baked oatmeal and Doris brought fresh fruit and made a fruit smoothie for us, so I was good to go with my Weight Watchers plan.  Here's our annual breakfast picture!

After breakfast we went to a nursing home in Lancaster to visit a very much-loved Uncle Paul, our mother's brother, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  We had such a sweet time with him, and of course we sang for him too and prayed with him.  Our hearts ache for him and his dear family.  

By the time we left there Dick had texted me that he and Destiny were at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Lancaster, so my sisters took me there to meet them.  We got some lunch then went to spend a few hours with Sam, Jenn, and  Sammy.   Look at this big boy!!

Seriously!!  How did we go from this...

...to this......in just four months????

Look at these baby blue eyes (which neither his mommy or daddy have!!)

And the cutest thing is the way he often clasps his hands together, even when he's asleep!

He breaks into a winning smile when you look at and talk to him.  However, it's harder to actually capture that smile on a picture, because as soon as you put a camera in front of your face, he stops smiling.  But one time I caught him.

I had so much fun with him, playing, singing, talking, feeding.  And then he just settled in and fell asleep before I even realized it.

Family picture time.  I guess it was stripes day at their house!

In the evening Destiny hung out with my sister Mary Ellen while Dick and I went to a 50th birthday party for our friend Linda.  

We and Linda go back a long, long way.  Dick grew up in the same church as Linda's family.  I went to school with Linda's older sisters.  I so clearly remember the day we were out on the swings at school and her sister announced that her mother was going to be having a baby.  We were SO jealous!!  And that baby was Linda.  Years later when she was in middle school I was her music teacher.  And when she was in college she sang in our Freedom Singers group.  Here's how we looked back in 1982!

And here we are thirty years later!  Linda, me, and Dick's brother Steve.

And Dick, our guitar player.  Don, who used to play bass for us, lives in Texas, so he wasn't at the party.

Dick handed his iPhone to somebody to take a video of our last song, and here it is.  I have absolutely no idea what the guy did with the camera, because part way through the video turns sideways!  Sorry about that!

Later when we went to Mary Ellen's house to pick up Destiny, they were engrossed in a game of Dominoes.  Apparently they had played lots of games.  I wish I had taken a picture of the elaborate trails of Dominoes.  And of Destiny standing beside Mary Ellen, because they are the same height now!  In fact, I realized now that I did not take one picture of Destiny!  What??????  She looked absolutely adorable this weekend with her new hairband.  Where was my head?

  

This morning I dropped Dick and Destiny off for Sunday School at Grace, then I went to a nearby nursing home to visit  Miriam, a dear friend from Grace.  She also was recently diagnosed with cancer.  Her daughter Elma was also there this morning, and we had a wonderful time together.  

Then I went to church, saw many of our friends there, went to Dad Stauffer's for lunch, packed up, stopped in at Grandma Mary's house for a short visit, took Destiny back home to Reading, and drove home to State College.  Thankfully Dick was able to tune in the Superbowl on the radio until we got home at 7:30.  

And for a weekend on the run, I think I did quite well controlling my food intake.  No exercise though.  Gotta get back to that tomorrow.