I have a lot to do this morning but yesterday I had something exciting happen that I need to write about.
When I was in 2nd grade I started piano lessons and took them all the way (on and off, I did skip some years now and then) through to college (1 year as a college student). I have always played for the joy of it–I can lose track of time while sitting at a piano. I never had desires to achieve any sort of level . . . I simply love to play. My parents bought me a piano to practice on as a young girl and when Rich and I got married, I took my piano from my parent’s to our new house.
However, when I was expecting Grace, Rich got a job offer that we could not refuse and so we moved away from our little first home and my first piano! We would be living in apartments for the next few years so we sold the piano with the house. I still have the photo that I took of it when the house sold.
Needless to say, I haven’t felt quite the same without easy access to a piano. This year I had a special request, I asked my husband for a piano for Christmas. . . I’m not a choosy type of person, any piano would do as long as it played okay. Honestly! However my husband likes to spoil me and I did have to talk him out of a baby grand! LOL
I was hoping to avoid the dirty work, but I did submit to his desire to travel an HOUR and a HALF yesterday to the piano showroom. . . . .
Here we are in the driveway, about to leave on our trip. We took all the kids with us but in the picture you can only see three of the boys. . . . .
It really was a beautiful night to go, we traveled into the sunset and David kept yelling, “Take a picture, mom!”
We had to stop at a McDonald’s drivethru. Caleb started singing as we waited in line, “Old McDonald had a farm, E I E I OHHHHHHHHHHHHH”.
We found the piano place. The man (can’t remember his name at all but he had wild curly hair and was a fun guy) showed us the pianos, talked to us about them, played them for us. I couldn’t decide between two and so he would play on one and the we would race over the other other one and he would play that one. Meanwhile, the kids were all over the place touching everything. Ethan disappeared and we found him in the other room with a lady who was giving him a piano lesson! Anyway, we finally decided on this beauty:
The top and front both prop open and the quality of sound is absolutely amazing and rich. It’s still way too much for lil’ ol’ me, I felt so strange and out of place when Rich said I could pick out anything I wanted.
It’s so beautiful and it’s all mine! I’m so grateful. . . . .
The piano mover already called this morning at 7:15am! He is going to deliver the piano this Friday, Lord willing!
Now we just have to figure out the perfect place to put it. I dreamed about pianos last night and I’m so excited to see if years from now, one of my children will be able to play amazingly well. If so, that particular child will have to live with us always, so I can have live music at any time!
I can’t wait to start practicing again! I want to go online at some point to see if I can find some easy piano/violin duets to play with Jacob!
I’m so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to be Home 
I’m so happy for you! I can tell you are very excited! Congrats on a wonderful Christmas present. You are very blessed.
Ohhh… she’s simply beautiful!!! I played the piano and took lessons for years, but I haven’t had a lot of time to sit down and play much recently. I still “tickle the ivories,” as mom says, every now and then. I understand your joy, as I, too, can appreciate a beautiful piano. No two are the same!
He does spoil you! It will be so good for the children to see you enjoying your instrument, practicing and playing, I think it will inspire even more of a passion in them! When it is delivered can you have one of the kids take a picture of you playing it?
What room are you putting it in?
The sky picture is gorgeous!
oh wow, I can feel the excitement!! =) I took piano lessons for a little bit, but never became an accomplished player, would love to hear/see you play it…=)
What a special gift! Wish we could hear you play!
The piano looks so nice congrats!!
Congrats! What a wonderful Christmas present! Very excited for you. Music is so important in life and now you’ll be able to make it more of a part of your life.
awwww congratulations! i can feel the joy in your blog today 🙂
What a beautiful gift! That is so great for you and your children!!
How exciting Shanda!!! That’s a wonderful present.
My family growing up was never very musical, so when my husband and I started dating and I would spend Christmases with his family they always sat around a piano and played and sang, what wonderful memories!! My mother-in-Love is giving my girls lessons and my youngest also plays the french horn, I plan on continueing the tradition of having music in the house!!!! Blessings.
I can totally relate to this post! I’m so excited for you!
I grew up with a piano in the house too and always loved to play…..although I don’t play well. I find it to be so soothing and relaxing to just sit down at the piano and play music. My two oldest daughters both took lessons for 8 years and when they come home they often will sit down together and play and sing. It’s so beautiful! Now Natalie and Chrissie are both taking and they’re getting better every day!!! I’m really thankful to have music in the house again.
I have to tell you our little piano story…..I prayed for years that the Lord would bring a piano into our home so Heidi and Brandi could take lessons. One day some close friends of ours called and told us they were moving out of state because the husband had been accepted to Bible school. They needed a place to store their piano while they were gone…..and they would be gone for two years. Well, we had the perfect storage spot! I was so excited that God had answered my prayers! When they came back two years later, God had blessed them with another piano so they said we could keep the one we had been storing. It’s a beautiful old upright that was in the Edison school district in the tiny little town I grew up in…..for proobably 20 or more years and it even has names carved in the back…..like: (Johnny loves Susie) LOTS of character, that’s for sure!
I’m just so excited for you! That your hubby is spoiling you and that you can now begin to give your family the gift of music again and hopefully some of them in turn, will take lessons and begin to give the gift of music to others as well!
(((((hugs)))) and congraulations!!!
Jana
I’m glad for you! Every once in a while I think about getting a piano for my girls.
I like that Caleb sang the McDonald song…Marissa has always called McDonald’s “Old McDonald’s”. She will even ask to go to “old McDonald’s” for supper every once in a while.
Colleen
How wonderful! Reading your post made me feel happy, too!
Oh, Shanda! That’s a beautiful piano, it reminds me of the one in my grandparents’ house. My grandmother and mom both played the piano, and I have lots of memories of being small and picking out “Chopsticks” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on it.
You and your kiddos will get so much enjoyment out of this gift. I can’t wait to hear the stories.
What a beautiful instrument!! I’m sure it will emit beautiful songs in your home for lots and lots of years. Enjoy!!
That is just absolutely beautiful!!
Oh I’m just thrilled for you! Your home will be filled with the joy of music~ the piano, violin, guitar and sweet voices…I wonder which child is going to want drums!
My mom was a piano and organ teacher. Somehow, I never learned theory. But, I was self taught and LOVED to get lost playing our Hammond organ for hours on end. Jesse recently asked me if I’d like a piano and I’ve decided to get one, but wait until the girls are a little older. Maybe we can take piano lessons together. I’m SO happy for you, and hugs to your wonderful husband for blessing you in such a way!
It will be so nice to have a piano in the house. Your kids will love it… and I KNOW you will!I expect to see you playing in church… SOON!
Woohoo!! Rich, this present rocks! 🙂 Congrats Shanda! I have a piano back home at my Step-Mom’s house. Its mine whenever I want to come get it. Therein lies the rub…. Its downstairs in her basement (condo) and dh isn’t motivated to bring it all the way here. His parents have offered to store it at their home, but I really want it with me. *sigh*. Maybe someday! Enjoy your piano and play a little song for me! I’m partial to classical 😉 hint hint. lolMerry Christmas!!!
Oh, Shanda, I am soooo happy for you and can relate to your excitement. I began piano lessons at 4 years old and took through my first three years of college. I also began playing regularly for church at 11 years old, and this led to my taking my first piano students at 13. I had 50 students by the age of 19 and until last May, when I got married. Up to that point, my life had just revolved around the piano! When I married, though, I moved away from my piano and students, and have missed them incredibly. Terry and I will move in a couple of weeks, and, if all goes as planned, I will be able to take the old piano I bought while living on my own for about two years. (It has been in storage at my parents’ home.) I just can’t WAIT to begin playing again!You mentioned wanting a book with some simple arrangements for piano and violin, and I have one for you: BEGINNER PRAISE FOR VIOLIN, (with piano accompaniments), by Ellen Banks Elwell. I have enjoyed using this book with my younger siblings who play the violin, when they are not yet advanced in their level of playing. If you’d ever like any other ideas for music, I have some! Growing up and through my teens I spent most of my spare money on music – piano music, accompaniment music for violin/flute/trumpet/voice to use with my siblings. I have a HUGE library of music, worth thousands of dollars! It will probably stay at my parents’ home for the next few years, but I look forward to the day when my husband and I have a home large enough for a bookcase where I can store all my treasures of music.
P.S. What kind of piano is that? (Baldwin/Yamaha, etc.?) Also, is it an upright baby grand?
That’s one lovely piano you have there. 🙂 What an awesome Christmas present. Fabulous!! 🙂
WOW! what a beautiful piano! It has been so long since I sat down and just played my little heart out. I love the piano. I hope they have pianos in heaven! 🙂
Merry Chrsitmas to you, you blessed girl! Your husband is very sweet. I hope all of you enjoy many years of beautiful music with your new piano!
I remember how excited I was when we got our first piano a couple of years ago. It was a used one from our church, but we got it for free and it was the first instrument I had ever owned! Since then it’s been replaced with my mother-in-law’s upright, which is even more meaningful. I’m always thankful that our children can grow up with music in our home, and they both already love to sit at the piano and ‘play’.
Enjoy, dear friend! I’m happy for you. 🙂
What a beautiful piano and wonderful gift! Our first few years of marriage, I didn’t have a piano, so I can understand your desire to have one at home. I can’t imagine not having one now. I love to play! I’m so happy for you! May you have many happy years of music filling your home.
How beautiful — the piano and your story! Have you read Edith Schaffer’s book Forever Music? I think you would enjoy it. 🙂
Yay! what a blessing. I am sooo happy for you, and glad that you took us along on your shopping trip! The excitment of driving through the twilight, sunset, dinner out (yes, even drivethrough lol), and then all the pianos. Yours looks lovely….so rich and brown.
I too love the piano because my grandmother would play and I would sit next to her on the bench and sing. We took piano lessons at her house and then she had the movers bring the piano to our house….now I think what a sacrifice that was for her to not have it there with her. She was really good at making it fun because she and my grandfather sold pianos and she could play so many songs. I enjoyed it as a child even though I didn’t become that good. I still pick out tunes. Our friends gave us their piano, a beautiful upright baby grand, to store for them. I enjoyed teaching David to play simple little songs, and we would play hymns and sing them. It gave me a deep inner happiness that I figured out was because I remembered and felt those times as a child practicing in the evening while dinner was cooking. Once in a while the boys would bring someone home from college who could really play….what a joy. Both of my daughter in laws play. Now we have moved to this lovely apartment ….but it is small and up a narrow flight of stairs….so the piano is at a friends house. I miss it and would have made room for it but they didn’t think they could get it in here.
blessings, Jenny
Awww….BEAUTIFUL! Hope your Christmas Season is just as grand! So happy for you! ~Amelia
Ohhhhh it’s BEAUTIFUL! I know you will have many, MANY hours of enjoyment!
I had an old upright “player” piano, although the insides of the “player” were taken out and it had this wonderful sound to it. I SO enjoyed that piano (it was at my Grandma’s house). I took lessons for years and actually played for church services when I was around 10 or so. Sadly I moved to live with my parents at 13, and my Dad said if I learned to play Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino, he would get me a piano. I did and he didn’t. By the time he had a house with a decent place to put a piano, I had moved out and was married. Last year, DH bought me an electronic one for Christmas – full 88 keys, but it just isn’t the same as a piano. One day…and while I would love a baby grand, I’d love to also find an old upright that has that special sound to it!
Suz
How wonderful! I too play just for fun… after years of lessons… I have my piano that was my grandfather’s. The year he bought his, he bought our family one and I learned on that. It is sentimental to me . Congrats on such a wonderful gift!!
I know what you mean about being able to lose track of time playing the piano. I too, love to play. I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy your beautiful piano.
What a special, special gift from the heart! It’s beautiful! You’ll have to record yourself with a video camera and put clips up on your site for us all to see and hear! Have fun with it!!!
YEAH!!!! Your husband spoiling you rotten is never a bad thing! LOL I am a piano girl too. I took lessons for many years growing up. My parents gave me the piano I learned on a few years ago. I love it. There is nothing better than 24/7 access to a piano! Congrats on your new piano! I hope this becomes a great family heirloom as mine did! 🙂 God bless!
How wonderful Shanda. I am so happy that you got something you truly wanted. I know that you are going to make beautiful music and enjoy playing with Jacob! How sweet for your husband to do that for you. 🙂
A beautiful piano. I would love to hear you play it!
Congratulations, you are so deserving!
How exciting!!!! I am so happy for you!!! What a special gift! How sweet of your husband…and to choose whatever you want! WoW! What an undertaking to decide!!!! The one you picked I have to say is beautiful! How fun! Can’t wait to see pictures of you all standing around it in your home singing! 🙂 How sweet that your son wanted you to take a picture! They are wonderfully beautiful! What a night! Merry CHRISTMAS!!!
OH, and that profile picture of your daughter! BEAUTIFUL!!!