My wife and kids are awesome. Saturday afternoon the ward music coordinator called in a bind needing a musical number for sacrament meeting. My idea was just to have Chip play a piece on the piano. This was the easiest and painless was to go. There would have been nothing wrong with except Rachel had another idea. Rachel lives so in tune with the spirit and so in touch with our kids that she knew what they could do and what would be good for them.

I will have to admit I was only overhearing the rehearsal from the other room where I was watching USC v. Notre Dame. Jakinstien was being a monotoned insubordinate pain, Chip would go back and forth between his assigned "If you could his to Kolob" and "My Name is Jonas" on the guitar, and Hannah was mostly sitting with the 'I'm dealing with ammatures' look on her face. I would opine from my seat in the other room how good it would be if Mom and Hannah would sing a duet, and after being rejected I could justifiably continue with my game because they didn't want my help anyway!

As the day went on the sounds from the front room became more harmonious. That evening we took the them down to the ward house so they could try it with the microphone from the pulpit. There was still some apprehension, but they sure had come far in a short time.

In the morning Jacob was beyond nervous. It is common for him to worry about things, but he had a double dose of nerves and anxiety. I told him to say a quick prayer, and he told me he already had, mom told him to already...of course she had.

Chip and Hannah deal with things more internally, so for an insensitive dad it is harder to tell what they are feeling but as the stood up from the pew to go up to the rostrum, they were showing signs of nerves. Then I got nervous. Nervous for what? They are where they are supposed to be doing what the need to be doing. They will not be judged on their performance, only their willingness and heart. Maybe I thought Chip might play another weezer song, I don't know.

They sounded beautiful. I will admit I was a little surprised, but I shouldn't have been. Rachel was not surprised, she takes her job as mother very seriously she knows that hard things bring great rewards. And she knows just how much she can ask of our children so they have opportunity to work and accomplish things that they didn't know they could. I'm so blessed.