Update—December
2006
It
has been four years since the article from the newspaper was
printed and we have kept busy since then with many harp programs
and producing more harp recordings. Alex still teaches school
part
time and builds harps the rest of the time going full time during
the summer months. Since the time of this article, Alex has developed
his own line of Italian harps, and a new line of more affordable
harps. A ten-string Davidic harp was also added to the variety
of harps that are now available. A new book was just released
this fall
by Alex titled: “Morning Meditations” and is a real
inspiration to Christian musicians.
Dena & Joanna are still at home busy teaching private music lessons and
have enjoyed taking their harps on mission trips in the last few years (Belize,
Grenada, & Haiti). They just completed their eighth recording this fall
titled “This is the Day” and have lots more plans in mind for future
CD’s. Joanna’s tendonitis in both hands (which started at the end
of 2005), together with a house fire in February 2006 (which forced us to move
out of our house for six months), slowed us down for most of 2006. Joanna’s
condition improved, so we started our family harp programs again in December
2006.
The
other children have grown in their music skills, and enjoy participating
in family programs. We have combined a number of instruments with the
harps to make for an enjoyable program. Sue continues to home school
the four youngest
children and enjoys being secretary for the harp business and program
manager for the family.
The Marini Family—December, 2006
Left:
Anthony (16), Emily (12), Joanna (21), Sue & Alex, Paul
(14), Dena (23), Mark (10)
Update—December,
2007
Only a year has passed since the last update, but our family
life is very different these days..... mainly due to a double wedding.
Dena started a courtship with Nathan Hochstetler from Tennessee
in January of 2007 and Joanna started a courtship with Stephen
Dindinger from Colorado in April of 2007. By July both couples
were ready to take the big step and decided to get married the
same day. So on Saturday, September 15, 2007, the girls were married
in the Chapel at Garden Spot Village (which was a nice facility
close to our home). After the wedding Dena and Nathan spent a week
in Virginia and then headed west for three weeks.... they are now
living in the New Holland, PA, area.
Joanna
and Stephen spent the first two weeks on Union Island in the
Caribbean and then came to PA for a week to pack up her things
and then headed for Colorado where they are now living.
We
started up our family programs this month—losing one musician
(Joanna) and gaining another member of the group (Nathan). Dena
was able to reorganize
our programs, and we have been busy ever since early December. We have also
scheduled some time at the studio in mid-January so that when Joanna and
Stephen come for a visit we can finish a “family CD” which
we had started before the wedding. We hope to do some of our
family’s favorites and
polish it up before the spring conventions.
Anthony
(17) is looking forward to graduating this spring, so that
he can pursue other interests... like visiting his sister Joanna
and working at a cattle
ranch in Colorado, and perhaps making another trip to Tennessee. He continues
to work part time farming, driving tractor and looks forward to fall harvest
time. He enjoys playing the guitar in our programs and also plays the cello.
Paul
(15) is quite skillful in many different areas, like music,
painting, and juggling. He sings and plays a number of instruments
in the programs like
hammered dulcimer, flute, piccolo, pennywhistle, mandolin and guitar. He’s
a sophomore in high school and looks forward to completing high school as well.
Emily
(13) is in eighth grade and has developed her skills in harp
playing and has been hired this year to play for special events.
Besides harp, she
helps in our programs with singing now (since Joanna is gone) and plays the
pennywhistle.
Mark
(11) has also progressed in his skills as a musician and enjoys
entertaining people. He also plays harp in our programs, as
well as the mandolin
and pennywhistle. He is in sixth grade and does well in his schoolwork,
but would rather be reading a good book on a cozy chair.
Sue
continues enjoying her responsibilities as homemaker, home
school mom, and secretary to the harp business. There were
some adjustments to be made
after the older girls were married, but life has returned to a normal routine
now.
Alex
still teaches at a Mennonite high school half time, and enjoys
harp making in his free time.... trying to develop new styles
of harps and does some writing
any chance he gets. He also started learning the harp himself—after making
harps for over ten years, he thought he’d try learning to play them.
You’ll often find him quietly playing a tune in the late evening after
the children have gone to bed. A sweet way to end the day!
Update: December—2008
Another
year has swiftly passed by and we find more changes have come
upon us... we are now grandparents! We are happy to announce
that our second daughter, Joanna, and her husband Stephen had their
first baby (Nicolas Stephen) on Wednesday, October 22nd weighing
6 lbs and 15 oz. Grandma and Aunt Emily arrived in Grand Junction,
CO, the night before Nicolas was born and were glad to be a part
of the welcoming committee.
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Nicolas
Stephen Dindinger
Born: October 22, 2008 -- 6 pounds, 15 oz. |
Joanna,
Stephen & baby Nicolas
December, 2008 |
We
are also happy to announce that our oldest daughter, Dena, and
her
husband, Nathan, are
expecting
their first baby (a boy!)
the end of February. They just live 15 minutes from us and have
continued to help us in our music ministry. We averaged about 4
to 5 programs a month this past year—but this month alone we
had 12 programs; which kept us “harping” around a lot.
We’re not sure what our music ministry will be like in 2009,
but we plan to continue with whoever is available. Paul and Emily
are really progressing in their music abilities and have recently
been hired to play at weddings and special events as a harp & flute
duet, so there is a lot of potential with them. Mark is also progressing
in his music abilities and people who have come to our programs
through the years have noticed a big change in his skill level
lately.
Anthony
(18) is at the end of his high school studies, and looks forward
to working some for his brother-in-law, Nathan, in construction
and also making
harps with his father at the shop. He also has done some farming this past
fall, but his most recent adventure was herding cattle in the mountains of
Colorado the old fashioned way on horseback. He just loved the wide open
lands
and the beauty of the mountains. We really appreciate Anthony’s contribution
to our harp programs... he plays cello and guitar which adds a special touch
to the songs.
Paul
(16) just got his driving permit and is looking forward to working
this summer for his brother-in-law, Nathan, in construction and
then graduating
from his high school program here at home in the summer of 2010. He juggles
many instruments in our programs.... you’ll see him go from the hammered
dulcimer to the mandolin, to a penny whistle, guitar, flute... and then sing.
He really enjoys recording music on his computer and putting together home
videos.
Emily
(14) is now a 9th grader and has really put her heart into her
music lately. She continues with harp, but also plays flute,
penny whistle, bowed
psaltery, and sings with Dena in the programs.
Mark
(12) is usually the champion at ping pong here at home, as well
as many other games. He impresses people at the programs with his ability
to play
not only the harp, but the mandolin, penny whistle, and the bowed psaltery.
Mark
is an active guy, and flies through his 8th grade school work, so he
can
go outside or play a game.
Alex
took on a full time teaching schedule this fall which has been
a challenge as harp orders have increased. Recently his ten-string
Davidic
harp became
popular with those using harps for ministry to hospitals, and orders
came in for his Roma Rosa harp as well. So this year he has been stretched
a
bit more,
but seems to be on top of it. He looks forward to taking the seniors
from his school on another trip to the island of Grenada this spring,
and was
given
the responsibility of organizing the whole event. Sue continues as
usual at home giving her energies to home schooling, home making,
and the home
business.
She enjoyed her first trip out west to Colorado to meet her first grandchild,
and to spend time with Joanna and Stephen. We are truly grateful to
the Lord for good health and strength to continue in the work
that God has
put before
us.... until He comes.
Marini
Family—December
23, 2008
From left: Anthony, Emily, Alex, Mark, Sue, and Paul
Update:
June—2009
On Sunday, March 1, 2009, at 4:59 p.m. Craig
Alexander was born to Nathan & Dena Hochstetler. Dena was
hoping to have a home birth, but needed to be transferred to
the Reading Hospital, and
after 41 hours of labor had the baby C-section. Craig weighed in
at 8 pounds and 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. Both mommy and
baby are doing fine.
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Craig
Alexander (1 month old)
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The Hochstetler's—March,
2009
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At the end of May, we enjoyed a family reunion when
Joanna, Stephen, and baby Nicolas came from Colorado for a two-week
visit to PA. We took four of those days while they were here, and
all of us (including Dena, Nate, and baby Craig) piled into our
large 15-passenger van and headed to the Marini reunion in Massachusetts
where Great Grandpa Marini got to hold his two new great-grandsons
for the first time. It was a special occasion to be at the home
where Alex grew up in East Bridgewater and to meet with all the
relatives again. While in MA, we enjoyed the ocean and toured Plymouth
Plantation and went aboard the Mayflower II before returning back
to PA. It was a blessing to be all together again and watch the
two cousins interact with each other.
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Dena
(with Craig), and Joanna (with Nicolas)
June 5, 2009
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Craig (3 months) with cousin Nicolas
(7 months)
June 7, 2009
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The
Marini Family (left), Dindinger Family (center), and Hochstetler
Family (right)
Photo taken: Sunday, June 7, 2009
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Update:
December—2009
The
month of December is always a busy one for our family with all
the music programs that we do, although this year we did not
do as many as other years
(only 8 events compared to 15 some years). Many of them are company dinners,
and we still have a couple more programs next week to wrap up our Christmas
season. Then we will be putting our focus on the next event…. we’ve
been asked to provide music for the “We Care Prison Ministry” in
Alabama during the last week of January which will be something new for us.
Alex
continues to make harps in between teaching classes at Faith
High School, and this year he was asked to take on the administrative
position as principal.
So far it has been going well and God has given him the extra grace and wisdom
needed for that job. He’s working on a new harp design this month that
already seems to show potential (a 38-string Regency style with a Roma Rosa sound
chamber) and has a number of customers waiting for it. His waiting list for harps
keeps growing… which keeps him and the boys on their toes.
Since
Anthony graduated high school, he has been busy with farming,
and helping his brother-in-law, Nate, with roofing in between
his trips to Tennessee
and Colorado. The other children continue on with their home schooling,
and Paul
will be graduating this coming spring…. which will leave us with two students
for next year. When Paul’s not doing school work, you’ll find him
at his computer editing photos or creating a new advertisement for someone. He
has great interests in photography lately, and enjoys going with a couple friends
on “photo shoots.” You can see some of his creativity on face book.
He continues to enjoy music and developing his skills on the guitar, flute & dulcimer.
Both Anthony & Paul have been active with our church youth in helping with “Clubs” on
Wednesdays twice a month, which is an outreach to city children in a local town,
and they also go weekly to the city of Reading with another group on Thursdays
to help with a youth outreach to city teens.
Emily
has enjoyed the opportunities she’s had to volunteer at a local private
elementary school where she assists a second grade teacher once a week, and she
also has been giving private harp lessons in the home here. She amazes us with
her harp & flute skills….after Dena & Joanna got married, she rose
to the challenge and filled the needed position. She recently bought herself
a piano, and you’ll find her often playing it. Mark has been creative at
making his own flies for fishing… now he just has to find a market for
them. Mark goes with his other two brothers to the shop on occasion to help his
father build harps…. but he’d rather be fishing! He continues to
develop his harp playing, and many people who have seen us through the years
marvel at his abilities. He has also picked up guitar and enjoys playing some
new tunes with his brothers. All the children (including Dena & Joanna) have
been working on a new family CD for some time now… and we hope to get it
finished soon.
Mom
keeps busy behind the scenes juggling her many roles as home
maker and secretary to the harp business. It’s a challenge sometimes to teach school, invite
customers into the living room to try out harps, and keep the laundry going and
meals on the table – but it’s a fulfilling job that I wouldn’t
trade for anything. This year I have found great joy in being a grandma and look
forward to watching my little grandsons grow. I am inspired as I read in the
Bible of Timothy’s grandmother, who transferred her faith to her grandson
who lived a life that honored God.
As
we look to the beginning of a new year, we wonder what this coming
year will bring…. happy times or sad times, financial gain or loss, health or sickness – all
we can do is trust in the God who is in control of it all and who gives us the
grace and strength to face whatever comes our way. One of my favorite verses
from the Bible is: “And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans
8:28)
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The
Hochstetler Family—December, 2009
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The Dindinger
Family—December,
2009
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Update: Summer—2010
Since
the last update, we’ve had lots of opportunities
as a family to minister with music. In January, we took a trip
(with Dena, Nate & baby Craig) in an RV to Alabama to participate
in the “We Care Prison Ministry” for a week. It was
a wonderful experience for the whole family.
We
provided a harp program in four different prisons… they
made for some of the best audiences we’ve ever played for
(very responsive and appreciative).
This spring we were back to the studio working on a family CD
which we hope to be finished by the end of this year.
This CD will be special, as it will have many of our family favorites
and will include all the children.
One
special event that took place this June was when our family took
a trip to Colorado (with Dena,
Nate & baby Craig) to see
our other daughter Joanna, her husband Stephen and baby Nicolas.
We had the privilege to do a harp program for Joanna’s church
in Grand Junction, CO, where all the children were together again
playing instruments and singing.
Presently this summer, Alex is busy catching up on harp orders
and the boys have been regularly coming to the shop to help. Alex
continues to make harps at the wood shop at the school where he
teaches, but we are looking into starting a new shop location in
the town of Blue Ball so that the boys can work full time on harps
this fall and winter. Pray for us.