You know what they say about "all good things..."

I'm playing catch up here... back in October we received a letter (dated on the 27th) from the Stake Presidency stating that we were to attend a special meeting with them the following Sunday (November 3rd) to discuss some important changes that would affect our family.  I knew almost immediately what this was about--boundary realignment.  Over the next few days, and in talking to a few other people in our ward, we figured out exactly what was happening.

Sahuarita has been steadily growing since we moved here.  When we came, there were two wards, which were bursting at the seams.  Now, eight years later, we have five wards and our own stake (which includes a ward from Tucson and two branches).  But boundaries have been moved a bit here and there, especially when new wards have been formed.  About two years ago, (I think) the newest ward was made--the Madera Ward.  I think it has always been kind of small and has struggled a bit.  The boundaries are actually only in Green Valley, which is for most intents and purposes, a retirement community.  So the Madera Ward is mostly made up of older people.  To my understanding, there are really only two areas in the ward where young families live.

So, as all of us who received the letter figured out, the meeting was to inform us that our neighborhood, and only our neighborhood, was being moved out of 3rd Ward and put in Madera Ward.  There are only about five other active families, in addition to us, in our neighborhood.  I of course, feel like 3rd Ward is the best ward in Sahuarita, and it is full of very good friends and people we have known since we moved here.  When we bought our bigger house a little more than a year and a half ago, we didn't even look at houses in other ward boundaries, even though we knew we might find something better.  That is how much we loved our ward, and how much we hate big changes.  So I probably don't need to tell you how we felt about this boundary change.  And I don't want to go on about it too much, but it was hard.  Two months later it is still hard.  And I suppose it will be hard for a while.  We really don't know anyone and it takes a long time to build friendships.  And the whole dynamic of the ward is different, which is to be expected when you go from a large ward where almost everyone has a bunch of kids to a small ward full of retirees and only one nursery (I don't think we've ever had less than three).  For example, the ward Christmas party was a dinner and a spiritual program with scriptures, speaking parts, musical numbers--similar to what you would expect from a sacrament program.  And there was no Santa.  I get it, I do.  But it was anything but kid-friendly.  I went to play the piano for the musical numbers and actually left the rest of my family at home. 

I was asked (an assignment, not a calling) at the end of November if I could put together the music for the Christmas program, including a choir.  Their ward had never had a choir before.  I said yes, and then got somewhat worried.  I only had four Sundays, including Christmas Sunday to get a choir and then get them ready to sing.  I was the choir director in 3rd Ward, which is why I think they asked me to do this, and last year it took me two and a half months to get the choir ready to sing two songs for Christmas.  Fortunately, a decent amount of people showed up to be in the choir and a friend from 3rd Ward agreed to be our accompanist.  We really only had two good practices, and a 20 minute now-or-never-learn-your-parts crash course before sacrament meeting started.  But somehow, it ended up okay and I think people enjoyed it.  I also played Sally DeFord's piano/organ duet of "Angels We Have Heard On High" with the ward organist.  And I had Natalie and another girl sing the first verse of "Silent Night" before the choir then congregation joined in on verses 2 and 3.  I think it went pretty well.

Nate and I do not have callings yet.  But after being told that they are "musical talent starved" by several different people, I think my 8 year banishment to music callings is not going to end any time soon.  It's not that I mind doing music (however, the choir thing is not my thing), but I would like the chance to do something different.  Who knows, maybe I will be surprised. 

So we will see how the new year goes in our new ward.  :)