|
| caedmons call
derek webb
andrew osenga
front row seats
babysitting
somehow john and i end up in the front row of the caedmon's show. front row. we only arrived 15 minutes before the doors opened, stood in line for a few minutes, and literally strolled casually up to the front row and filled 2 of the last 3 front row seats. insane. little did we know..this would really be a special night. course this entry will interest all of two people...but well, at least those two people will feel me on this!
the show starts out with a k love rep throwing out two free shirts, and john managed to nab one doing a tricky tip back in the seat and snatch maneuver. so shady! to be fair, he didn't really want the shirt, just wanted to see if he could catch it. tried to give it away to no avail. oh well.
then mr. white undershirt and black jeans himself walks out. was so great to hear wedding dress, lover, she must and shall go free from his debut solo album, and savior on capital hill from the ringing bell. course, sandra's ten thousand angels was snuck in at the end. speaking of sandra...i want to marry you again was a special treat to hear. even got to hear some chit chat on his political views...it sounded a lot like "try investing in your neighbors, it will bring more change than any president." just a classic d. webb opener.
then the army of caedmons marched out including andrew osenga (so great seeing him live for the first time). heard offerings from overdressed and to the thrill of old time fans, they went through songs as far back as their demo to their newest release. they were just having a party on stage, and somehow everyone in the house was a special guest. danielle and derek brought their voices together again for climb on, and there were so many oldies like coming home, faith my eyes, not enough and even april showers for crying out loud! i could go on with the set list, but will end with this...they did an amazing hope to carry on and some song with a four man power chorus that literally put me in awe for what felt like an eternity of frozen music heaven. i know, i know...it was so great, i can't remember what song it was in!? all i remember is being awestruck and thinking "THIS is caedmons": the harmony, the energy, the collaboration.
hearing and seeing andy perform for the first time was just a cherry on top; such a great singer/song writer. his electric guitar solos were from another world, and besides being a really funny guy (andy, lets not talk about chinese food on stage again, okay?), he really shared from his heart and that added a depth and transparency to his music that you just don't get these days.
besides the music, the stage banter was a riot with so much nonsense and people just trying to talk over each other...which is what made it feel so personal. i guess they had a lot to say to each other since it had been seven years since derek left to do his solo gig. wow, and the things that happened just couldn't have been rehearsed! danielle gets called away by their new five month old baby right before the last song which totally made the finale so loopy and chaotic! of course she comes back just as they have said that the show was going to end because they sang the only song they had left, and it was their encore. so everythings out of order, but shes back and we get to hear about three more songs, because derek's guitar loses a string with one song left to go! so cliff goes to change the string while derek plays ten thousand angels with his other guitar. and as the grand, grand finale, they call up their first ever fan on stage to play drums on thankful.
being THAT close to the band, i was even able to see the sparkle in their eyes as they smiled and laughed with each other. seemed like special smiles and laughs...maybe just because i was actually close enough to see their faces. it was almost disconcerting to think every time derek looked in my direction he could actually see me! i mean, i've shown up at the cd signings, and babbled like an idiot while shaking a hand and getting an autograph, but none of that involved music. before yesterday, the musical relationship was strictly a one way experience. to be in visual range of the band while they jammed and knowing they too could see me singing and bobbing along...just felt so surreal.
this show really took me back, back to first becoming a christian and being introduced to their music. i remember practically gagging at these "country bumpkins" and never wanting to listen to christian music ever again. hey, i was a teenager submerged in my generation of pop music/culture. caedmons just seemed so completely out there. little did i know, those songs would only be the beginning of a long romance with amazing lyrics that comforted and encouraged, and beautifully challenging ideas that provoked my very soul.
coming up on my 11th anniversary of meeting Christ, i'm so thankful for these great years of caedmons music. it could have been any other band...but God chose this one, these guys to speak to me through. they've been nice companions in my journey through life.
heres to 11 great years of listening to You, Jesus...its been music to my ears.
| | |
| beautiful truth
ugly world
pretty lies
will you address me as ms please?
self help
poverty
sanctuary
how do you know me?
pretty ugly world lies; poverty: self
help
beautiful sanctuary: truth
| | |
| Roenne loves to hum. its the silliest thing. she also loves to sing. just bursts out in loud baby noices, sometimes singing quietly and then throwing in a few more loud notes. she does it most often while eating and sitting in the car. i guess when she started cooing at john (and only john) at 1 month, we should have known she wouldn't be a quiet baby. when she's really excited or happy she throws her head back like she's trying to look at the ceiling, opens her mouth wide and and makes a deep, breathy "ahh/uhhh" sound. she'll start waving both her arms, bending at the elbow like she's trying to say "keep it down." she has a spontaneous grin where she scrunches up her whole face, so that her eyes are shut and her nose is really crinkly, that she does at odd times for no particular reason (that we can see). oh, she also usually makes a deep, breathy "eee" sound with it. she loves being around people, and is so happy when we sit down and play with her (and gets super mad if we try to use the computer or do stuff in the kitchen when she is trying to get our attention). she also has really great alone time in her crib. sometimes singing, or just talking and playing with her crib toys, bearbearjr, mr. elephante, and rattle bear. she has given up her afternoon nap, but still gets really cranky around 2/3. so i started giving her a bottle and putting her in her crib to just hang out by herself for a while. she doesn't sleep, but always comes out fresh as a daisy. a few months ago, she started doing the craziest thing--we gave her john's old cell phone, and after a few weeks of just chewing on it and pressing the buttons, we witnessed the phenomenon of roenne walking around with it pressed up to her ear saying "eh, eh?" and that is what she always says when she plays with the phone "eh, eh?" and she always adds a little inflection at the end to make it sound like a question. i guess thats what we sound like to her! reminds me of charlie brown and his "wah, wah" mom. when we go to her room to do/get something, the first thing she always does is go up to her crib and tries to rescue one of her animals through the rungs. if we hold out our hands and say "please" she hands over whatever she's holding. when i try to do stuff in the kitchen, she tries to squeeze her body between the counter and myself, and then starts pushing me away from the counter with both hands. she loves grandmon saddington, sometimes will chose her over john or me. she cries sometimes when she's with haraboji saddington, but "haboji" was one her first words. she can now say: umma, appa, itsappa/jappa (its appa), haboji, ba bye, oweja (whats that, is the closest guess), itsoogoo (lets go, also a guess). she loves fruit, but hates vegetables and anything with weird texture (meat) so i have to mash everything together. example: shredded spinach, mashed pear, pureed chicken, scrambled egg, mixed with a little bit of rice and water. sounds so gross, but she loves it! oh yeah, its atleast 50% fruit, usually more. when we pray with her before eating, she always smiles when we say "amen." maybe she things we are playing "peek-a-boo." =) wow. this is getting long. i don't know why i wrote this random entry..i think i just wanted to think of happy things...and these are definitely some of my happiest thoughts. year one was crazy...but i hear the teen years are the best. heh.
if you don't facebook, click here for some new pictures..
| | |
|
pausing to think about life and how to describe it seems like such a difficult task at the moment. maybe its simply that too much has happened and its hard to know where to start. all i know is that i've been at this for 15 minutes now, and this is all i've come up with!
john and i sometimes wonder how we were catapulted into our lives here in austin, tx...often times just shaking our heads with no better response. its a mystery how these things work out and come into existence. the many tests and obstacles we've gone through since moving here (well, i guess the move itself has to be included in that lot) have taken us to many steep cliffs of uncertainty and strain. we've felt time and time again that we were not up for the challenge. lots of ugliness comes out when pushed to the brink. what matters most, however, is that little else matters in this world but our purpose in Christ. everything else means nothing, and will expire into nothingness when all is said and done. poverty, riches, scandal, respect, they are all things that can change at a moments notice. approaching our second anniversary, we have learned that we've got to hold on to Christ as if our lives depended on it, because they do. holding on means life, letting go is certain death. fortunately for us, we grip onto hands that hold us back. and its nice to have small hands and feet that cling onto us; especially when they are so cute and good for tickling, clapping, waving, and walking! Roenne, we are so proud of you! its such a privilege to watch you grow up and learn all these little tricks of life (this week!), and nothing but pure joy to see you take your first wobbly steps today. Thank you God for all the innocence and beauty you show us through baby roe. we are not worthy of any of it...
| | |
| i hate to be a complainer...but wow...our house seems to be
malfunctioning inside and out all in one week. probably nothing
special, but as new homeowners, we feel like we have been getting the
"special treatment" from the bad house fairy. some of you who are in
the know will wonder "what else?!?" please find the following news in
order of discovery.......(beginning this past sunday to present)
ants in the pantry (apparently they like honeynut cheerios as much as john and i do....)
mold on clothes (nothing to do with the house, but a minor disaster none-the-less)
ants in the garage (turned out to be acrobatic--they eat wood!)
termites in the mulch and chopped wood (i'm sure they can't wait to dine on the front door...if they haven't already!)
ac breaks down (but thanks to two secret summer santas, a new box fan will be cooling us down tonight)
finally....(or is it?!?)
dishwasher breaks down (it is COMPLETELY full of dirty dishes. sad forever!)
all we can say is,
PRAISE THE LORD FOR HOMEOWNER WARRANTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
in every situation there is always reason to praise God.
"oh no, You never let go, every high and every low..." | | |
|
