I Am Thankful For...

Today was Brittney's first Thanksgiving. I am sad that her daddy wasn't there to share this wonderful day with us, but I know he was in our hearts. I know that he loves us more than anything else in the world, otherwise he wouldn't be in Afghanistan right now. I am so thankful for him! He is the most amazing man in the world. And, he's pretty excited that he's gained 12 pounds. Haha, one of the many reasons I love him, but just one. I love him so much and now that we have started to make a decision on our future, I feel even better about everything.


I am thankful for my wonderful parents whom without, I wouldn't be able to be doing the things I'm doing. They are the best grandparents in the world, any child would be lucky to have them! Luckily, they're Brittney's grandparents. They love her more than anything else in the world. She loves them too. If they weren't here helping me out, I wouldn't be in school and doing all the things I've been doing. They are such amazing people!


I am also so thankful for all my friends. Ah, I believe that I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ask for. I am so lucky to be so blessed in so many ways. I don't know how I ended up so darned lucky in life. My friends are the bomb. I have such a wide array of friends too, it's great. I am glad to be near my Oregon friends agian, but I find myself missing my Virginia girls too. Anyway, I love you all and hope today was wonderful for you guys!


Finally, I am sooooo thankful for the beautiful little gift I was blessed with known as Brittney. She is the sweetest, most adorable little creature in the world. She brings so much joy to my life and fills me with happiness! She is growing rapidly and I can't believe that she's already half a year! Man oh man does time fly. She is one of the greatest blessings ever. I am so happy that she is my daughter. I am so happy to be her mommy. Her smile just makes any day better, I love it! Anyway, that's all for now. I love you all!!!

BIRTHDAY!

Oh my goodness, I am sooooo excited for my birthday!! At first I was like, eh, whatever, I don't really care...now that Maegs and I have been doing some planning I'm getting stoked. I know it's going to be so much fun!! My actual birthday night is going to be low key. I am inviting whomever wants to/can make it, to have dinner at La Fiesta from 5:00-6:30. Sadly I have rehearsal at 6:30 so it's going to be pretty short.


The real festivities will be taking place Saturday December 5th around 9PM. Or whenever the Holiday Music Festival is over. Who knows, but I'm excited. THEN...Maegs and me are going to hit the bars. Nothing crazy Alan. Just walking around and being carded mainly. I think for any drink that I have, it's like 2 glasses of water...we've been carefully making sure that I'm well paced and don't drink too much too fast. Or just not to drink too much in general. Plus, I do have another concert on Sunday afternoon, so it won't be a really late night. Mainly just pictures, and clean, happy, SAFE fun with Maegs.


I got some fun clothes to wear...out and just in genearl. I got a couple of cute skirts that are knee length so that's cool! I'll have you know babe (ALAN), that everything is very modest and NOT slutty in any way shape or form. There are no boobies hanging out, no clevage--not that I have any--no ass showing. So you won't have to worry about that!


I'm pretty stoked about these awesome looking zebra glitery like pumps I got too. AH, they are awesome. And surprisingly comfortable. I have definitely been getting into wearing heels all the time again. Ooo, I have a lot of preparation to be doing in terms of my looks between now and then. My legs are SOOOO pasty white. I think I'm going to have to get some self tanner or something, lol. Even though it'll be dark. I might even wear tights or something, who knows.


But the excitement is definitely starting to kick in! Tomorrow night Maegs is coming over and we're going to eat dinner and watch Twlight and start doing some planning. I'm pretty excited. It'll be a girls night with just the two of us, lol. But it'll be spectacular and great fun catching up. I am hoping to go to a Hockey game with them too on Saturday, but I don't know if I will be able to, we'll see. I would fee bad leaving Brittney, but I don't know yet...


Anyways, I'm still exhausted and I really want to read more New Moon. This one is kinda more boring, but still the same, it's good. Anyhow, good night!! I love you all much!!! XOXO

Sunday Manicure's

Ahh, I have finally done my nails agian on Sunday. I love it. It's always a great way to start the week. Even if I only have two days of class...OMG, I am recording soooo soon!!!!! I don't think I'm ready for this, shit! Ahh, sudden wave of panic coming across my mind. But I am too tired to let it get much further than a fleeting thought.


Anyways, I can't wait for Thanksgiving break!!! It is soooo close. I am ready for some down time. I am happy that the concerts are over...for now. Ahh, I realized when I get back from Thanksgiving break, starting on Sunday the 28th, I have to play for the Festival of Trees, then Tuesday I have a youth orchestra concert, Wednesday is my birthday/quartet rehearsal/orchestra rehearsal, Thursday is more last minute cramming for quartet, Friday we play at the president's house, and Saturday and Sunday is the holiday music fest. It's going to be a busy next two weeks. Oh well, very excited for next term.


I can't wait!!! I am pretty stoked about my classes, but we'll see. I think I'm going to be really busy; however, I am going to make time to work out religiously. If there is anything that I am determined to do...it's get back into shape. It'll be hard and take time, but I'm going to do it. Anyhow, I'm exhausted. Love you all. I will write more later!!


xoxo

Many Performances!

I find myself playing in more and more performances than I really want to. Ahh, it's so much of a commitment. But it definitely keeps me busy and out of trouble--not that I'm up to no good to begin with : ) I have felt very much over played though! I have a lot of homework still to do between now and Tuesday though. I absolutely HAVE to get to the library tomorrow to finish my research for the KEOL broadcast.


I am soooo ready for this week to be over!! I can't wait. I'm soooo excited for Thanksgiving break, it is going to be a glorious time. I feel like I need to see a massuse or something for my back, lol. Anyway, I think Thanksgiving break will be amazing!! I can't believe a year has passed since Alan and I made our first Thanksgiving meal together. It was actually pretty fun. I have found that although I am very happy to be back home, I miss Virginia. I miss my friends that I made and I feel like I'm missing out on so much! Marquet had Alex Jr, Marian is going to have Alexander soon, and I definitely miss my workout/panera dates with Jessica!! I will definitely be visiting when finances allow!!


Alan and I have been talking a lot over IM and not so much over phone. He has been VERY busy so we haven't had much time. Well, what am I saying, I've been really busy too!! Haha, I guess we're so together, but so busy. I miss him something fierce some days, and there are other days where it seems like he's still here. I know it seems weird, but it does. I got new car fresheners for my car...the same ones I used to have in my truck; man it brought some memories flooding back into my mind. I definitely thought about our first sorta date in my truck, hanging out, him steering for me when I was learning how to park...it seems like a completely different life. In some ways it was, but it feels like I was just so young then. I know it wasn't even two years ago, but boy have things changed.


I have been busily reading the Twiligh series now. Heather definitely had been talking about it so much that I broke down and started reading it and I haven't been able to put it down since. I have been soooo sleep deprived because I can't stop reading the darned book! It's kind of nice though to have found another series to read. My favorite series still I think would have to be "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeline L'Engle. Those were definitely fun books!


Anyways, it is really getting late and I should get some sleep. Have another performance of "Hello Dolly" tomorrow night, then another orchestra perfromance in Baker on Saturday...wooo hoo!! Anyhow, much love to you all. Good night!!

Overdoing it leads to being sick :(

I have been doing great on avoiding the dreaded "sick." Sadly, with all of my rehearsals and late nights--see tonight--I have managed to get a cold. I have been taking cold medicine and drinking so much water I am always going to the bathroom! I suppose that's a good thing though.


The concert went surprsingly well! I managed not to make a complete fool of myself and it was rather enjoyable. I am glad that it's over though. The wind is howling like crazy so I don't really want to be driving back and forth over the pass.


I just talked to Alan for a good amount of time on IM. It's great having the best husband ever! I have found that all of my friends have "The Best Husband Ever." I feel so great knowing that me and the ones that I love dearly have great spouses too. We are very blessed to have amazing men in our lives! This deployment has helped our relationship in more ways than one. Yes it's hard sometimes, but where our relationship needed the most work it seems to be helping.


Communication had never been our strong point. I mean we could talk, but that was after a disagreement over when to cook dinner. We were never entirely open about our feelings and would argue over petty things a lot. Now, being away, we can't wait to share everything with each other! I feel our openess with our feelings has jumped so much since we've been apart. I guess since that's about the only way we know how to stay super close...be 110 percent honest with each other. Overall, it seems to be working out great! I love him so much and am thankful EVERY DAY for all that he does.


I got together with Erika tonight and we did our theory homework at Denny's. Call me crazy, but it was kinda cool! I felt like a real college student...studying and doing homework! It was great :) Luckily we both understand 7th chords really well so figuring out the inversions wasn't hard at all. Although, we will know for sure how well we understand it once we get the assignments back...ahh! I don't know , I have just been trying to not second guess myself.


Okay, the wind is REALLY howling and it's kind of scary. I used to be terrified of the wind when I was younger, I'd always end up in my parent's room scared to death! Now I'm just totally freaked and cold. Well i really should get some rest since I have a very busy week ahead of me still! Anyway, good night everyone! Love you all and am definitely thinking about you! Ahh I have the greatest friends ever! Love to my Virginia ladies whom I miss very much! And of course lots of love to my Heather and Maegs, both who know me better than anyone else. Ooo, almost forgot, the most important person of all, my Alan!! I love you soooo much babe and I can't WAIT for you to come home on vaca!!! Good night : )

The end of one friendship is the blossoming of another.

Somehow, a friendship that I thought ment something has ended. It ended abruptly with no prior signs or hints. I guess I am hurt, shocked, numb, and just don't care. I don't know how to explain it. All I know is that I am more in love with Alan as I ever have been. I don't know, something has gone off in my mind and it was like...*I have the best husband ever and I love him* ...yea, it was something like that.


Even though one friendship came to an end, I have found a new, even better friendship. [Besides the one I am finding in my hubby] It's strange how friendships occur. I have known this person since our freshman year at EOU. We lived down the hall from each other, but we never really talked. We exchanged words, but other than that, nothing too exciting. Recently, we have become really good friends! It's amazing having another person to talk to and such. We hang out and motivate each other to study, stay focused, and work out. Strange, but true. We are definitely good influences on each other.


We talk about everything! We ask each other for advice, gossip, babble about nothing, watch South Park, eat random food, text about absolutely nothing, and just hang. I have missed having a friend like that. Alan and I have also been getting along really well. Not that we have been having issues, but I feel like we're communicating much better.


This sounds crazy, but even though the distance sucks, I feel as though it is bringing us closer together. We are talking a lot more, and it seems like we're more honest with each other. That seems weird, but I guess it's because we are forced to talk a lot more if we want to keep close. We don't take things for granted, such as conversation times. We actually cherish the times we get to talk via IM or whatnot. And we both wait impatiently for emails from each other. I feel like we have things to talk about and I know I love him more each day.


Emailing is great. I feel we're more honest that way because there is no "tone" so we don't get upset over nothing. Being across the world from each other is not a time where you want to fight or get in little disagreements over a tone of voice. Haha. Believe me, we did that a couple times and that just wasn't cool!! Email, we can say anything and if the other person is upset, then we have to write an entire email first lol. By that point, we normally calm down and can have a good conversation. If it was purely a disagreement on the phone, we'd be hanging up, redialing, and hanging up again several times! That's just how we work : )


We have gotten a lot better though about getting along. I don't know, I love him, he loves me, that's all there is to it. Anyhow, I am soooo exhausted. I will write more later. I hope you all are having a great week! Love you all and miss you guys! xoxo

Music Is Where My True Passion Lies.

I have been at war with myself for a few years. I never knew what I wanted to do. When I look back on the little girl that first learned how to play, I realize that I do love playing! It was always such a thrill and something I was good at. It wasn't until later that I actually appreciated the talent I was given. I wasn't sure if that was what I REALLY wanted to do. There are so many other areas of study I am interested in--Astronomy, International Relations, Math. I guess part of my thoughts on becoming a music major was all the time and money that was invested by my parents. I know that's a horrible reason to choose something, but I was so lost.


After moving back to DC and taking a year off of study, I realized that music is where I am supposed to be. It is my one true calling. I love playing, I am growing to appreciate practicing, and I still love performing. I am finally ready to buckle down and be the responsible music major, haha. It just makes me so happy to be playing again. I have also found a great deal of change in my practice sessions and how quickly I learn things.


Yesterday I had my first rehearsal with Mio, the staff accompianist and she's phenomenal! I was really nervous, but once I relaxed and everything, it sounded amazing! It was great to perform again, even if it was just a rehearsal. It was great just playing again. You don't realize how much you love something until you don't do it for a while. I am so thankful that I have realized how much I love playing, and that music is my calling!


On a lighter note, my improvistation skills still aren't the greatest and today at 3PM the Fiddle Ensemble is supposed to be recording the Jig that we wrote...ahh, lol. Anyhow, hope everyone is having a good week so far, even though it's only Tuesday. Xoxo

Slight Disappointment...Extreme Happiness

I am very excited to play in the Oregon East Symphony, and I love what we're playing. I was very excited to play Symphony No. 8 by Antonio Dvorak. I LOVE this symphony. Anyway, I had thought that I had played second violin on it, but I had actually played first TWICE. Now I'm actually having to learn this music. On top of that, being principal second, I'm slightly scared...lol. I know all will be fine, but it's still kind of intimidating. Needless to say, I was slightly disappointed about playing a part that I hadn't played before, but at the same time, I was intrigued!


I am loving my car a lot. It's great having my own transportation! I can't even explain how amazing it is. I was definitely worried about not knowing or remembering how to drive...lol. Ahh, it's wonderful. I have named her Felicity. Yes, it's werid naming your vehicle, but I'm weird :) But I do love the meaning of Felicity. It means "Happiness". I think it's perfect!


Anyhow, I am exhausted and slightly stressed. I have hit a soft brick wall in my practicing. Ahh, I need to focus. Everything is coming up SOOOO soon!!! I am soooo not ready to record my broadcast for EOU's KEOL Radio, haha. Oh well, we'll see. I am very ready to be done with this term! Don't get me wrong, I'm loving it, but yea...lol. Okay, well I'm going to watch BONES, so I'll write more later, lol. Plus Brittney is stuck on her stomach haha. Night!