The Last Year!

Yesterday marked the first day of my last year of school! As you can imagine, I'm eagerly counting down this year towards a much bigger event than graduation. :-D

As usual, the first week is quite overwhelming. Trying to find my classes, and on time, can be difficult with all the construction obstructing the very center of the campus forcing everyone to go the long way everywhere. But, all is going well and I think I'll enjoy the many classes. I've also been given two jobs on campus! I'm now the Aide for the Social Science department and the Aide for the Music department. It will be nice to have a little income but also have the convenience of working right there for my instructors.

Also, amidst the craziness, I found time to make Zucchini Bread today. By far, THE best recipe I've ever found! You can find the recipe HERE...

Now I'm off to Pilates class.....I have to say that working out for college credit is pretty awesome. :-)

Spring '12 Recital

Here are the results of my work this quarter at school. God's been so good to me in so many ways and I've enjoyed learning all these new things!

The End.....Almost!

The quarter is coming to an end. That means that the school year is coming to an end! *insert huge smile here* It's neat to look back throughout the year and see what I've learned! I praise God for allowing me to go to school and get an education in something that I love dearly, in something that can be used to glorify Him. I hope He'll continue to show me ways I can do just that.

Next week: Recital, Choir Concert, preparing for finals and.....
The next week: FINALS!

Piano lab at school.

Sage wisdom from Dove.... :-)

Many a cup of Starbucks have accompanied me to school this quarter. :-)

I'll be so happy when I can settle back into my "free from school" routine: House work, church print shop, baking, etc. AND when I can actually think about all my summer plans and let myself get excited about them. :-) I'm looking forward to all the different events and how the Lord might use them in my life to grow me closer to Him.

What do YOU have planned for the summer?

Pictures from Concert

My friend, Hannah, and myself performing our duet at the Emerging Artist Concert in La Conner.

With our teacher, Marilyn Brossard.

All the performers! (Haha....the angle makes me look SO short!)

Upcoming events....

It is April 2nd. The beginning of a very busy month. Spring break has been wonderful! I've enjoyed a good amount of rest balanced with much busyness. My main accomplishment was working in the print shop, which I loved! I really miss working in there with the hum of the machines, the music to sing along with, and the books to pray over concerning who might read them in the future. 

Now that April is here I'm looking ahead to what comes next. First, school starts tomorrow. I have a LOT on my plate and will only be able to handle it with the Lord's strength. My classes are: Intro to Sociology, English Comp.III, Music Theory III, Ear Training III, Choir, Small Vocal Ensemble, Piano lessons, and Voice lessons.  My little elephant eraser buddy in the picture is to remind me that the only way you can eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  The same with this quarter...one day at a time.

 Next up on the agenda is a Wilton Cake Decorating class!! I've been wanting to take this class ever since I started decorating cakes several years ago.  Being self-taught I have had to learn a lot of things the hard way and I'm sure there are many of the basics I still don't know. I don't have a lot of time to get into decorating at the moment because of school but I know that if I don't take this class I might never do it. It's such a good skill to have! I can't wait to learn how to use all those tips I've had forever. :-)  Plus it will be a fun time to spend with my mom as we do it together.

Lastly, on April 14 I have been asked to play at a concert in La Conner! It's the Young Emerging Artist Concert. "La Conner Institute of Performing Arts is proud to showcase the talents of this year's outstanding young artists from Skagit and surrounding counties.  This concert promotes interest in music by offering free admission to everyone under age 18.  Concert participants receive honorariums and certificates recognizing their achievements" A friend and I will be playing a duet and I will also be playing a solo. It's going to be an interesting experience as it will be my first time actually "performing" so to speak other than recitals. But I think it will be fun and I'm looking forward to it!

Well, that's April-to-come in a nutshell! We'll see how this goes....

Winter Recital '12

Another recital has come and gone. I'll post my solos, but I'll wait to post the duet because Hannah and I are playing it at the Emerging Artist concert next month in La Conner so I don't want to give it ALL away! :-)

**The lighting was horrible the first half of the recital. They finally fixed it during intermission but that explains the funny glow. Yes...I do actually have a face. haha

Fall 2011 SVC Recital

The Strength of My Heart

I'm still here. Glad to have a moment to breathe and share with you some things that have been going on.  When I reflect back on the past month (ok....five weeks) I realize that I've pretty much been doing the same thing each week day: Go to school, come home, piano practice, teach piano (a couple days a week), do homework, go to bed.  Each day is a new start to this vicious cycle.  To say it's been stressful would be an understatement.

But I'm not writing this to tell you how crazy my life has been or how stressful things are.  I want to let you know that God has proven to me over and over again that He's in control of every situation in my life.  When I feel like my seams are coming loose and I'm about to fall apart, He shows me through his Word and through others in my life that it's ONLY with Him that I can accomplish all that's necessary.  There is NO way that I could make it through each day without Him holding me up to keep me from falling flat on my face.  Whoever says that God is not active in the lives of His children has never experienced what I have these past few weeks.

Psalm 73:26  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Psalm 18:1,2  I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Home Again

As you may have noticed, I went a period of time where I did blog posts, blog posts, blog posts....SCREECH! The last time I wrote was in the airport in South Korea.  As not to leave you hanging (I'm sure you've all just been biting your nails wondering if I was kidnapped in Korea. :-p), I did make it home safe and sound.   Praise the Lord, jetlag was minimal.  I think going without sleep for a few days did it for me. Got some great REM sleep my first night back.  It was really great because I had a crazy weekend awaiting me then school started that monday.

All is well and I am fully loaded with school (8 classes!).  I am in the midst of organizing my desk (tossing junk papers, clearing off things I don't EVER use, etc.) Although I have quite the school schedule this quarter, I'm thoroughly enjoying my classes. My favorite and most practical class is Piano Pedagogy.  It is EXACTLY what I've needed during the few years I've been teaching.  Today I received in the mail my textbook for the course, and I am debating whether or not to read the whole thing in one week. So many of my questions will be answered! (Cue Hallelujah Chorus) :-D I'll have to restrain myself and remember that I DO have homework in my other classes.

There is so much I want to write, but I have to warn you that time for blogging is limited at the moment.  I will conclude by saying this.  God is good! Even when times are difficult. Even when we don't understand why things are happening, why He is allowing them to happen.  God is still good. He will ALWAYS be good. One of the many reasons why I love Him. :-)

Countdown: Six Days

Here it is, Thursday.  I leave next Wednesday.  Am I feeling like time has flown by? Definitely. I feel like I barely have time to catch my breath after finishing up school.  It's amazing how the moments fill up.  I have all these things I want to do before leave, people I want to spend time with.  I'm having to realize that I can't do EVERYTHING one. last. time.  It's just not possible.  BUT I will do all that I am able to.

School is officially over for the quarter, as of today.  I had finished finals and such, but today I had my last class period.  There is such a feeling of accomplishment when you've finished a quarter.  I am beginning to love that feeling.  In fact, I still love school! Is that weird, or what? haha. I get an amazing sense of satisfaction from increasing my knowledge in new subjects.  I always considered myself terrible at public speaking.  I now have the skills to speak in public and to do it well!!  Who knew?! I now look at art differently, and have a better understanding of the history of western civilization over the past 250 years. I have also explored compositions by Mendelssohn, Debussy, Bach, and Chopin.  While it may seem overwhelming and frustrating at times, I always remind myself of what I am gaining and it renews my vigour. :-) 

On a different note, I have really enjoyed getting in a bunch of last minute get togethers with friends.  On Tuesday this week, a group of friends and I went to Friday Harbor to have lunch and to do some window shopping.  I had SUCH a fun time!!  I feel so blessed to have so many good friends.  I can't even begin to explain to you what a blessing it's been to me the past several years to have these friends that have the same goals in life, that have the same desires.  Looking forward to having lunch with Linnea tomorrow then with Mom on Saturday. :-)

Piano Duet

Spring Recital

Tonight was my Spring Quarter Recital at Skagit Valley College. I have to say that I felt SO much more at ease since I had one recital under my belt. I knew what to expect and that helped. I also felt more confident in my song which made a difference. I absolutely LOVE this song! Not only is it a great song but it's really fun to play. :-)

So school is just about done. I have two classes to attend, but no assignments, no exams. YAY! Now my mind can really get in gear for leaving for Thailand next week. Yup you read that right. NEXT WEEK! 8 days to be exact. Time certainly flies...

A Blessing and a Lesson

Recently I wrote about my scholarship audition.  I found out about it kind of last minute and felt rather rushed to put the whole package together.  Especially since I had never done anything like this before!  It involved an audition, an essay, and much more.  My thoughts were, "There is NO way that I am going to receive this scholarship.  After all, I am not all that great at the piano (Comparitively) and part of my college is paid for."   I knew that even though I most likely wouldn't get the scholarship that it would be a good experience for me to perform in front of judges.  Let me tell you, it's WAY different than playing for a recital!!

The Lord proved He can do anything when I received a letter last week telling me that I was to receive an honor or scholarship and wouldn't find out what it was until the Honor's Reception on April 28 (today).  I assumed that it was the scholarship but I wasn't sure.  Tonight's reception confirmed that I DID receive the Lillian McDearmid Music Scholarship!! Praise the Lord!!  It was for the amount of $600.  While that may seem like an insignificant amount, it truly helps in the long run.  For different reason I now have to readjust my plans for fall quarter but this is SUCH a blessing! The Lord has certainly taught me through this that I should not say "never"...He obviously knows what's best even when I THINK I know what will happen. :-)

Wednesday in Pictures

Here was my day:

Started out with my devotions then studying before class...

 Then I went to my Public Speaking class....

 Then I piano practiced for approximately an hour...

 Then I worked in the print shop.  Finished printing a book today.  Tomorrow I will be collating.  I don't know what the dealio is with my stacks. They always seems to lean! haha

Studied again....

 Went to church (don't have a picture for that)...
Then celebrated Christopher's birthday with gifts and an icecream cake!

 Now I'm off to study again and work on scholarship application stuff.....fun!

What An Opportunity!

School has resumed and so far..well...it's been a tad stressful. I wasn't too concerned beforehand because usually the first week is pretty light. Generally they go over the syllabus, get to know everyone, etc. Not with these classes. Nope! Full blown in the first week. This has made it pretty tricky in trying to juggle "motherhood" with school. LOL! But it's working out. Anyway, speech class started yesterday. I was a little nervous but excited at the same time. I don't have a problem playing the piano or singing in front of people, but I am apprehensive to speak in front of people. I'm looking forward to gain the necessary skills in this area. My first speech for the class is next Wednesday. It has to be 1-3 minutes long and it has to be about an artifact that means something to me. I have to explain what it is (by showing it) and tell why it's important to me. My first thought was "My Bible!" What an opportunity! I can totally give my testimony in speech class! At first I thought, " Well.....hmm. It's a secular college and I don't know how that will blow over." Then Romans 1:16 came to my mind. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;..." There is NO way I am going to pass up this awesome opportunity that the Lord has just plopped in my lap! I am super stoked about it. :-D Please pray that the Lord will give me the exact words to say. I've already had a couple of opportunities to speak with people in the class which didn't happen in my previous classes. I am praying that I'll have opportunities to have spiritual conversations with these people. After all, the quarter has only just begun so who knows what the Lord will open up.

Finished!

This is out I feel right now....
My first quarter of school is OVER! :-D It went by oh so fast. Onto the next! Next quarter's classes include Speech, Intro to Humanities, Western Civ, and piano lessons. It's more credits than I took this quarter but hopefully the load will be a little lighter since I won't be commuting three days a week.

Spring break should be exciting. It holds for me a snowboarding trip (I've never gone before!) and having my wisdom teeth removed. Before I know it, school will be back in session. As much work as it is, I have thoroughly enjoyed being back in school. I am a very goal-oriented person so I love having something to work toward each quarter. It's very rewarding. Not to mention the long-term benefits!

Well, I'm off to enjoy the evening with NO school to think about! *insert HUGE grin here*

Recital Time!

Ok...so I know you've all been sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear about my recital. :-p Just kidding. One thing is for sure, I was riding on wings of prayer and I thank all those that were praying. This was the most nervous I have ever been for a piano performance. I repeat, EVER!!! As I was backstage waiting to go out I was literally shaking but praying. And praying hard. As I sat there I briefly reviewed my starting notes before I began playing. I then realized, "*gasp! I've forgotten what comes after that!!!" Relying on the Lord, I just began. With a few minor blips, He helped me get through and I was even halfway satisfied with the piece. That's way more than what I expected! Playing a piece from memory is sooooo different from playing with music. ahhh! So now the first college recital is over and hopefully it's smooth sailing from here. Enjoy!



The lid was left down from the performance before of me and I didn't even notice till I was already playing. Very frustrating...

Is It A Monday?!

For those of you who read my post last Monday you probably thought when you read this title "Oh no...what happened this Monday? " Don't deny it! You were thinking that! :-) But that's ok. I can definitely tell you, today didn't feel very Monday-ish (Is that a word?). It was totally opposite from last Monday! I don't have much time (Paper due by tonight and I haven't started!) but I will share with you some of the blessings.

I woke up this morning praying to the Lord about my day. Afterall, without his help, it would end up just like last Monday for sure! I left the house at 8:30 and went down to the church to piano practice. I've been practicing SO much this week preparing for my recital. Let's just say, it paid off! I went to lessons today kind of hesitant. After all, this is it! I played for my teacher, and she barely critiqued it! She had nothing but good things to say about it! Praise the Lord! Also, I had shared with some of you my reserves about going to school as a piano major. I feel I am not going into this with tons of experience, and with my ignorance, thought I was WAY below most of the other piano majors. This is not a competition thing for me, rather the insecurity in my level of ability and really what's ahead for me as I go to college. I mentioned this to her and she assured me that most of the piano majors aren't even at my level when they first come in. Boy, did that make me feel better! That in and of itself boosted my confidence. (Insert huge smile here) I didn't do much playing at lessons today, mostly talking. But it's what I needed. She really helped me focus on where I want to go with my piano education and how I can get the best education for what I want to do, which is teach piano. I'll explain more about all that in another post.

As I walked out of Hodson Hall I breathed a whiff of freshly cut grass. Oh, how I love thee!!!! SPRING! Well, almost. I then headed to choir which was so fun. Not the heading over part. :-) But the choir part. I was able to get acquainted with another girl who is a piano major (There are only six of us) and we seem to have a lot in common! She is also a new teacher so that was fun to swap stories. I look forward to getting to know her better since we're doing a duet this next quarter. Praying for the Lord to open up a door to talk about spiritual things.

I then went to my Oral Surgeon appt. This was not a good time of my day. Learned it's WAY expensive to have my wisdom teeth extracted. But...it needs to be done. And soon! It's really getting painful.

(In between all these things there are numerous little busy things filling in the time.) To end my day I went to the Ladies Bible Fellowship. Mrs. S. taught a wonderful devotion on friendship! It just brought my day to a wonderful close as I talked with friends and was encouraged by them. Now, I am off to write a paper. Only three papers left to write in this quarter! Woohoo!!! :-)

It's A Monday....

I could just tell you it's a Monday and that would explain my day. However, let me ellaborate. I'll start with last night. I had a headache for the last half of the day on Sunday. Not just a "oh it will just go away eventually" headache....it was one of those "oh boy, am I going to be sick?!" headaches. I was able to be coherent enough to do a video chat with Maggie and Kali after church which I was grateful for. I really miss them!! After that, I didn't even really get ready for bed. I put on pjs and crawled right into bed. Nevermind that I had piano lessons in the morning and that I didn't know my scales. Nevermind that my room was a mess (I'm still moving back in from when the Teales were here). All that could be taken care of in the morning. THIS morning.

I woke up and my first thought was "SCALES!!!!". So I quickly went through my routine and dashed to the piano. I'm pretty sure I drove my mom crazy as I played my scales SO many times. At last I finally felt confident in them. (Ironically she never even went over them at lessons!) I sat at my computer for a few minutes and lost track of time. I looked at the clock and realized I had 15 minutes to finish getting ready, fix a lunch, and pack my school bag for the day!!! AAHH!!! So I quickly did all of the above and dashed out the door, almost forgetting my choir folder. Whew! Stopping for gas and coffee (of course....it's Monday!) I made it to school a few minutes early.

Piano lesson begins. At the beginning she referenced the recital that was next week. I asked "OUR recital????" She replied in the affirmative and I'm sure the look on my face was humurous. I had no idea that MY recital was NEXT WEEK!!!!! I was a nervous wreck, to say the least. I think that affected my whole lesson. All of a sudden I couldn't remember certain parts of the song and my fingers got jumbled. Why was this happening to me?!?! Needless to say, I have A LOT of work to do and I will become best friends with the piano this week. I don't normally struggle that much with my Mozart piece but I think it just took me by surprise. After lessons and good time of practice I went to Choir. Actually, choir was uneventful and I am grateful. And of course, I did remember that our choir concert is two days after my recital. Oy....three performances in less than a week. I'll be stretched, for sure!

Getting back into my car to head home I realized I forgot my lunch!! Oh well. It was just the icing on the cake. So now here I am, sitting in my room that I still haven't finished, about to leave to go play wallyball, thinking about the two papers that I have to write tonight, and fretting over the performances coming up.

The Lord brought a verse to my mind. Isaiah 40:29- "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." This is a huge source of encouragement for me!! The ONLY way I will get through these next couple of weeks (which also include finals) is with the Lord's strength! Otherwise, I would be toast. :-) I hope your Monday has been a blessing. If it hasn't, I hope that verse helps!

A Snow Day?!?

Most people around the country right now are sick of looking at snow. Dirty snow that's been plowed more than once and has refrozen even more. I know how you people feel! However, here in my neck of the woods, we enjoy getting a few flakes now and then. This morning, this is what I woke up to! Beeeeautiful!
I woke up at normal time, looked out my window, then went back to bed. School was canceled! YAY!!! I got a few extra hours of sleep which was great since we got home from the concert so late last night. My first thoughts were, "Now I can take this time to get extra school done!" Did I do that? Well....no. Not exactly. I decided I would let myself have a little down time and watch a movie. It was nice to just relax today. Yes....I did school work as well. Speaking of which, I just registered for classes yesterday, and the Lord worked it out where this next quarter I will only have to commute one day a week instead of three! PTL! I should be able to really save my gas money now. Having to fill up my tank more than once a week is really starting to add up! :-/ Especially with gas prices the way they are right now. Hoping for more snow tonight. I still think the Mainers brought it with them. :-)