marvelous things.

well, there are so many things i could write about this month. the deaths of my grandparents. the ever changing lives of the Henbests. the holidays. music. love. school. emotion. grief. turmoil. but the truth is, i don't want to write about any of them right now. ok? ok. instead, i would like to focus on a few marvelous things i have inherited as of late.

--my grandpa Lewis willed me his collection of records...a few hundred strong. after all, there really is no other way to listen to Bing at Christmas time.

--my grandma's shoes. i received a lovely collection of shoes, jewelry, and dishes...hence the milk glass picture at the top. i inherited all of her milk glass collection (about 30 pieces) - and real milk glass at that. if you know me, you know this excites me so!

--from m'man's great aunt Rae (whose nephew is Johnny Horton, by the way...which also makes him my cousin, somehow) we inherited this incredible couch. it was an antique when she bought it and she is 86. also, it is in mint condition. unheard of! there is also a chair that goes with it. we also received an adorable table and chairs with every kind of fabric you could imagine on them. quirky. just my style.

i titled this post "marvelous things" for obvious reasons, but also, Eisley was just in town. this must have been my 6th or 7th time to see them. i adore those gals, and their song "marvelous things" gets me every time.

cheers to you!

my sweet grandparents.

when i get up the courage and emotion i will write a blog about my grandma and grandpa. my grandma passed away about a week ago and my grandpa isn't expected to make it through today. until i write on these dear ones who have meant the world to me, i will direct you to my sister's blog. she writes about grandma and her experience with the grieving process. i couldn't have said it better, sis.

sidenote: you might shed a tear or two.

http://karafranklin.blogspot.com/

Halloween.

as indicated in my last post, we love Mad Men. because of this new found love, we decided to try and be Don and Betty Draper (emphasis on try). the suit we had picked out for Derek to wear ending up looking way too modern so he threw together another Mad Men-ish outfit which looks like a cross between a Mad Men character and a beatnik. it's cool. we went to a party at Ric and Joanna Shewell's and it was oh so fun. here are a few pics.

lately.

The Morning Benders new record is fantastic. they were in Boise last night. with Twin Sisters...who are also great.

Sleepy Time tea. my favorite. this picture looks like spring but i love it regardless.

songwriting. m'huz and i have started a side project. our first show is Nov. 5th. we are called A Humble Tumble. it has been a joy to write together. also, it's fitting that i post Charlie writing music to signify songwriting - being that LOST is our favorite show of all time.

Settlers of Catan.

Mad Men. Derek and I started watching a few weeks ago...just finished Season 1. I'm surprised it's as good as it's hyped up to be. Donald Draper, you are a mystery.

Flying M Coffee Garage.

brilliant.

so i have this friend, Rebecca Canlis, and she is a brilliant writer. if i could write half as well as she, i would post more. her last post is one of my personal favorites she has written and is definitely worth sharing. Rebecca's post on her experience with Lady Gaga is also intriguing. read away...you won't regret it.

http://otherwisedelightful.blogspot.com

cheers!

fall.

just a few of my fall favorites. all of these pieces via www.modcloth.com

David Bazan.

sorry for the mini photos...courtesy of my iphone. this is David Bazan. for those of you who don't listen to this incredible songwriter, he is the genius behind Pedro the Lion and Headphones. he is now touring as David Bazan.

the first time i saw Bazan perform was with Pedro the Lion about 8 years ago i think? i do remember that up until that point in my life his show was one of the most wonderful things my ears had ever heard and eyes had ever seen live. to say that i became a fan instantly is an understatement. i own almost every record he has ever made between his 3 projects. i have studied his lyrics for hours...trying to piece together a story or trying to understand what in the world he could possibly mean by this or that. one thing is for certain, Bazan is quite the lyricist. i had the privilege of seeing him live this last Friday night (for the 8th time). what an interesting man. you can sure tell he's been through some crazy stuff and although i don't agree with some of what he has to say, i am intrigued by his conclusions on life and love and religion. the performance last Friday was wonderful, as usual. i belted along to "Indian Summer," swayed to "Options," and danced to "Bless This Mess."

thank you, David Bazan, for writing great music. for being vulnerable and real but not compromising creativity and true art. music needs much, much more of that.

new indeed.

Last week I started my 6th year teaching music - 6th?! I'm old...which reminds me that one of my favorite parts of the first day of school is having the kids guess how old I am. The answers this year were anywhere from 10 to 42. Close. I am so excited for this year. I feel incredibly privileged to teach at my school. That being said, some changes are accompanying this year for the Henbests...

Derek and I moved to Nampa a few weeks ago. I know, what?! We already miss Boise but we could not pass up the amazing deal we were given. A wonderful family who live in Alaska for 9 months of the year and Namps for the other 3 asked Derek and I to rent their huge, wonderful house for almost nothing...so we said yes of course! The biggest issue in the move is this: I went from a 10 minute commute to work to a 45-50 minute commute. The school I teach at couldn't be farther away from the house we are in. It's comical really. However, other than waking up at 5:45, I'm fine with it. I have actually been enjoying the drive...listening to some great tunes (lots of Carney, The Waiting Kind, Madi Diaz, and Broken Social Scene lately) and talking with God.

Derek quit his job on worship staff at Capital Christian Center to pursue his dream (and my dream for him). Derek's band, The Waiting Kind, signed a 3 year contract with a booking/management agency (Faith Artist Agency) a few months ago. Whoa. Faith Artist Agency is truly an incredible agency and we are in very good hands. TWK takes to the road for their first tour tomorrow! You can imagine how excited we are! God has opened door after door after door - it has been laughable. Now, obviously I'm not going - 6th year teaching remember? That will be the hard part - not seeing my man for weeks at a time...but I cannot describe to you how much peace I have. I believe Derek and I will grow in our relationship, even when we are apart. I also believe both Derek and myself will grow in our relationship with our Lord and Savior. Also! How wonderful is it that I am a teacher?! On my breaks I will be able to tour with them which will be wonderful. Oh man, I can't wait.

As my dashing man said it so perfectly the other day - "I've never had to have this much faith. I've never felt so blessed."

Sidenote for our friends and family: thank you to all of you who have been SO very supportive! We feel your love and prayers daily and appreciate them so much. The Waiting Kind would LOVE to see you out on the road...go to www.thewaitingkind.com for tour dates and more information! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you.

The Waiting Kind takes to the road full time.

exciting news for TWK - so proud of these guys! read here:

www.thewaitingkind.com

The Waiting Kind. new ep. yes.

The Waiting Kind is back in the studio. i have heard Derek playing these songs over and over and over at home and i'm telling you, this ep is going to be great. they are currently recording Love Rises. oh man i can't wait for you to hear it.

summer and a Good Time banjo.

tomorrow is my last day teaching before summer break. cheers to that! it has been a fantastic year. i adore my job and love teaching what i'm passionate about. that said, summer is ahead of me. i have decided to work this summer, kind of. i will be working with a 10 year old girl for a few hours each morning of the week. other than that, here are the things i will be doing: reading, writing new tunes, recording new tunes, playing tunes for peeps, spending time with my adorable niece and nephew, family, vaca to Disneyland/Universal Studios/Six Flags with my huz, iced tea by the gallon, friends, aaaaaaaaaand, learning to play the banjo. i cannot tell you how excited i am about that last one. i have this amazing teacher named Gary that sounds pleasantly grandpa-like on the phone. he has 60 guitar/banjo students and has been teaching for 30 years. i start next week. in the meantime, i need to find a banjo. looking into getting a Deering Good Time Banjo. sounds like i might need to start a folk band. Marc?

watch out Bono.

I start songwriting workshops with my kids when they are in the 2nd grade. Once a month we focus on songwriting, talk through the process, and I let them create. I adore this process. Last week we focused on writing a song based on a color. I wish you could hear them sing their songs. Here are a few of my favorites:

Green and Blue

Green grass, green trees.
Blue river, blue sky.
Green and blue are part of nature.
Green paint, blue eyes.
Green shoes, blue dress.
Green and blue are part of us.
Green and blue are part of nature.
Green and blue are part of us.

Lavender and Blue

Lavender and blue,
Oh how I love you.
Deep beneath the sea,
Happiness and glee.
Lavender and blue,
Oh how I love you.

Lavender

Lavender sweet, lavender sad.
Lavender you make me glad.
Lavender you are with me.
You comfort my sorrow.
Lavender, oh yeah.
Lavender sweet, lavender sad.
Lavender you make me glad.

Yellow Jello

My yellow fellow does not like Jello.
What shall I do with my yellow fellow?
I saw Lingo with my fellow,
And he got stuck in Jello. HA!
Yellow Jello, yellow Jello,
We all love yellow Jello.

I hope these made you glad. Happy weekending dear ones!

read.

if you have a heart for adoption, read this.

http://aaronhalemusic.blogspot.com

also, check out his music. he writes some great tunes.

lately.

this list could be very long but here are just a few artists that have been inspiring me lately. some new records, some old.

We Could Be Happy.

new song...played for the first time last Wednesday at my NNU show. and, before i go on, cheers to Two Girls who opened for me. i thoroughly enjoyed your set!

writing music is truly one of the greatest pleasures. i adore it. those who know me well and have been to my shows the past year know that my writing continues to change and i believe it has developed. i have finally found my sound. my songwriting journey is a long one so if you'd like to know the story in it's entirety, just ask! lately, i've been writing about people. mostly people i know well, some i do not. people inspire me. here is my new song/story...i hope you can picture it like a movie.

We Could Be Happy

verse 1:
All the answers floating in the air
All the heartache waving to despair
In the morning you will pass me by
But I will wait, I'll wait for you to try
Oh, when will you see that I am the girl for you

verse 2:
In the warm sun skies begin to grey
And the flowers all begin to fade
On the doorstep you will stop and sigh
But I will stay, I'll stay another night
Oh, when will you see that I am the girl for you

chorus:
You are all I have, you're all I have
You are all I see, you're all I see
Oh, don't you see, don't you see
We could be so happy

verse 3:
Past the meadow out into the light
We will wander in eachother's eyes
To the old house set upon a hill
And we will write, we'll write about the thrill
Oh, when will you see that I am the girl for you

bridge:
Backward and forward the time races on
Moving and pacing, stumbling upon
Another world where my heart isn't worn
Take me and place me in love evermore

--it is so much fun to play! added excitement: me and some hip video dudes will be making this song or Sweet as the Morning Sky into a music video - we are going to start shooting in a few weeks!

"Hide and Seek"

I should start by saying that Jr. High isn't my favorite age to teach...Kindergarten-6th grade? Bring it on...love it...but Jr. Highers are just hard. They are in such a different season than the young ones. Everything is such a big deal to them, and some of them are just too cool for music class, which is lame really. However, I have learned to love and appreciate them throughout the year more than I expected to. This week has been the best week yet with my Jr. High...

...I am currently going through one of my favorite lessons of the year with my 7th and 8th graders: musical analysis. I love hearing their opinions on music - what they like/dislike - what they notice first in a song or listen for - what emotion it evokes in them...and so on. And what's crazy is that it has brought each class closer together. I could write pages and pages of stories I have heard this week...and all of them have come out of discussions about music. Amazing. Here is an example:

Being that this is the intro. week to the lesson, musical analysis, we have been listening and discussing. I comprised a playlist of 17 of the most "popular" songs in the last 5 years. We have been going through the list and analyzing each one - genre, instrumentation, lyrics, guitar tones, and so on. #13 on the playlist is "Hide and Seek" - Imogen Heap. Yesterday morning the 7th graders and myself were listening to this song. After we were done listening and were discussing the emotions in the song, one of my favorite 7th graders raised her hand. She had tears in her eyes. This is what she said.

"One of my good friends did a dance routine to this song last year. Her mom had died the day before, but she danced anyway. She wanted to dance and she knew her mom would want her to. No one said a word while she danced. It was a very sad, beautiful moment. All that to say, this song makes me think of my friend's strength."

I have a feeling analyzing music with the Jr. High is going to be more meaningful than I thought. It has already moved me.

sweet as the morning sky.

ok, so a few people have requested i post the words to one of my newer tunes..."sweet as the morning sky." i start by saying that these words aren't deep, nor are they meant to be. i was simply writing a song about my dashing man and the words just came. it's one of my favorites to play live.

verse 1:
there was a time when i was sure
doubt and love were one
that starry night, that old, old town
memories undone
then you came and filled my heart dear
words can pray to tell
of love so wonderful, so sweet of
how i fell for you

chorus:
love of my life
sweet as the morning sky, are you, are you
love of my life
all i do is sigh, for you, for you

verse 2:
flowers growing in the yard
birdies sing our tune
a brick cottage, an old, old town
a bright red balloon
oh the love that fills my heart dear
words cannot express
your vest, your smile, your gentle voice
our love will stand the test

"all you need is love"

the past week has literally felt like a month in length. so many important decisions...so many different emotions. i will share one of them with you.

Derek and i were so excited to get into our first home. we had been praying and praying for the right home, and knew it was an important decision. after making 3 offers that did not go through we made a 4th - and our offer was accepted! we began to make arrangements to get out of our apartment lease and prepare to have a home of our own. the inspection was supposed to happen today and then we would have closed on it in a week's time. we have been a bit confused through this process because there have been so many open doors and closed doors - we would have enjoyed one or the other really. but sometimes things don't work that way. what seems perfect might be the wrong decision. Derek and i pulled our offer on the house on Friday for many reasons that i won't get in to. it was an emotional decision for us for a few reasons:
1. we had grown to love this house and were excited to have our own place
2. the 8,000 tax credit - options are endless
3. investing money into something
4. many i can't think of right now

yesterday was Valentine's day. i spent it with the love of my life. we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, had romantic pizza (but the best romantic pizza ever), slept in, went to coffee, talked about love, hope, and life. it was truly incredible. i was reminded of God's love. his endless love...the love that wants the best for us. He has a perfect plan for Derek and i.

as i right this i am listening to my sweet man write a new worship song. a few of the lines are resonating in my soul - "Savior of the world you hold my gaze. You've taken all my words to sing Your praise." He loves us. i love Him. i love Derek. i love my life.

"all you need is love."

!

this is in the mail on it's way to me! isn't it lovely???

i found it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovenostalgicwhimsy

shopping for new things for my lovely new home!

so, Derek and i will be moving into our very own house in 2 weeks! wow that's crazy to say. we got an amazing deal on a house and our offer was accepted soooo here we go! new house of course means new furniture and decor - which thrills me to no end. here are a few of the pieces i have been adoring today. all these images are from etsy, Anthropologie, and craigslist.

adore.

i don't think i can put into words what my family means to me. how much i love them and how much they have taught me to love. how they influence my every day decisions...how they influence my faith. when i think of how blessed i am, all i can do is cry and thank my amazing God!