Ah, the Finer Things

The mundane is always with us here...Sinks full of dishes waiting for our new 'dishwasher' (me) to take care of, a variety of debris scattering the floors, oatmeal on the walls (don't ask, please), tasks to complete, laundry, etc.
In spite of this, and maybe more so because of it, I have been finding great satisfaction in opportunities to enjoy the finer things...things of beauty that God has given...small and grand. Of course there are beautiful moments throughout the day: a shared laugh with a husband or child, a game or a special moment shared, Tomasi's incredibly appropriate use of 'thank you' at every opportunity, love shown between siblings, hugs from my children.
In January Nu and I were beyond blessed to get away for 2 nights and enjoy some solitude in Vancouver. We walked (or ferried) everywhere we went and were spoiled by an amazing Keg dinner, crisp, sunny walks around Granville Island and a Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performance at the Orpheum. The guest pianist was Freddy Kempf, and here is a video of him playing one of the pieces that we got to enjoy:
Freddy on the piano.
I've been playing a lot of piano at home too. That, combined with my gardening habit, has saved us a lot of money in therapy over the years. It's such a great outlet and I believe it enriches family life too...double bonus! Thanks to my Dad's gift:

my piano repertoire has increased and I get to play my favorite dancing song from childhood (that he used to play for us), The Happy Farmer - which is far more sophisticated than it sounds. Beautiful music is good for the soul!
I've also been painting a bit for the first time in about a year, all birthday cards. A good friend has lent me two of her watercolor painting books so I hope to have time to learn more about technique in the near future. Unfortunately, 'near future' seems to have become between 2-6 months away most of the time at this stage of life.
Lesina gets to participate in beautiful music every Monday night, with the choir she sings in. Tonight we will get to hear them sing in concert with the Watoto Children's Choir, which should be amazing! I'm so glad that music is an important part of our family. Here's another choir singing one of the songs they'll sing tonight:
For the Beauty of the Earth
Time with friends in community has been amazing lately too...definitely one of the finest things of life. We are so blessed to be part of a care group that is committed to building each other up, calling each other to what God has for us, and is genuine, honest and unpretentious. What a gift. I'm also back to meeting up with an amazing group of women who have a real desire to grow and love for the Word...we've started memorizing Scripture together and that's been really great.
Speaking of memorizing Scripture, the kids pastors at our church have connected us with an amazing organization that has loads of resources for teaching your kids the Bible. It has Scripture put to music that is actually pleasant to listen to (you may find yourself putting it on even when the kids are not around!). Don't take my word for it, check it out -
Seeds
If you go to the Media page, you can listen to all their music online. Sorry, I think the link was broken before, but it works now!
Here's another resource, with credit to my friend Sylvia, for teaching kids what the Bible says about many positive character traits, including lesson plans and lots of other ideas:
http://www.kidsofintegrity.com/
If you are a Christian parent, have you come across any helpful resources/strategies in training your kids up in the Lord? I would love to hear about it...please leave me a comment!