One last thing

I thought that this week was going to be a breeze without running around all day long, but I still have one paper hanging over my head before I leave Thursday morning and stuff to do everyday. I have to go down to Irvine tomorrow to pick up my paycheck which is crappy bc I already drove there twice this weekend! I have a rehearsal for my flute quartet tomorrow afternoon which will be fun, though! It is not good that I am tired of driving here bc we are driving to Baton Rouge and Alabama when we fly in to Houston. I think it is mostly the crazy drivers and shoppers that are hard to deal with here. Everyone is even more rude and selfish during this time of year. I am trying not to fit the stereotype of everyone out here! Well, almost done, and the I will be flying to Tejas! Can't wait!

I also don't think Jared and I are going to be able to fit all of our stuff in 3 suitcases. We might have to bring 4....yikes! Too many gifts to bring home!

1 week from Thursday

I am so excited to be leaving town 1 week from Thursday! Jared has not been to Houston in a year and I haven't been back since March. We are going to my brother's graduation in Baton Rouge and then are going to spend some time with my grandparents in Mobile. I haven't seen my Meme and Poppy since our wedding and I am so proud of Andrew for graduating from LSU! We are going to have a long drive home from Alabama, though! We can't wait to see family and friends when we get back!

I am almost done with school stuff....Teaching in Irvine, Masterclass, and a rehearsal with the percussionist I am playing with on his recital Wednesday, Jury, last Theory class Thursday, and I am playing on an oboe jury Friday. My last accomplishment will be a paper for my theory class due before I leave town on the 18th. I auditioned for the concerto competition last night and didn't win...bc wind players never have a chance against pianists and violinists....two winners from each of those categories again...oh well....but I had fun performing my piece! :)

So exhausted

I am wondering why the world works by way of deadlines, due dates, pushing to utter exhaustion, and activities that all wrap up at the same time. This is one of those times for me and everyone else in the world (the end of the semester, year, and the holidays). People are forced to loose sleep and become hermits, working till they can't work anymore, or until they finish what they started. So the question I keep asking myself...Why do we do it? I feel most people don't have a choice unless they want to loose their jobs or fail out of school...I mean there are things we can choose not to do (tons of parties, activities that aren't required to make a living or pass school), but what about the stuff that we can't control. It is always hard for me to accept that God has His best for me, and Jared, during these exhausting times. I don't want the following to sound like I am trying to get a sympathy vote, but Jared has a deadline coming up and has worked till 12 every night this week. I have had tons of schoolwork and practicing to do so we have been staying up late to see each other for an hour or two until 1:30/2:00 in the morning. It is hard because the only thing we both want to do is spend time together, but sometimes the best thing for us would be to get sleep so we can function the next day at work/school. I hate feeling like we have to "push" through these times. Don't really have a conclusion to this post....just want you to know you are not alone if you feel this way about life. I guess if everyone revolted against this American way of life we could change it, but not likely to happen in my lifetime! In the meantime, I will continue to function with my philosophy that these times are growing me into a person that looks more like Jesus. That means I will have to reflect on my journey through this craziness later! Someone remind me! :)

No way!

That's right kids....I know you are wondering what I am so happy about!

I paid $26 for a FULL tank of gas today! Looks like that gas column in the budget is going to look a lot smaller! This is so bizarre considering I almost paid $75 for a tank this summer? Who knows! But I love it!

On another note, I am so excited it is December! I have so much work to get done before I can officially celebrate Christmas time, but I am trying to get in the spirit by drinking some hot chocolate and buying some gifts! :)

Have a lovely night!

Thanksgiving Pictures!

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving! We had a great time cooking and everything came out great! My favorite was the sweet potato casserole....more like dessert...For those of you who didn't know, I stayed in LA for Thanksgiving and shared it with my good friends Katie and Andrew and some of our new friends Scott and Heather who are also from Texas! They went to A and M so it was fun watching the game with them afterward. Also, another friend from Texas, Spencer, and his parents came over for dessert and the game. It was a good time had by all. I can't believe I have so many friends from Texas in Los Angeles that I didn't even know when I lived in Texas (except for Katie and Andrew)!

I know you can't see it, but Katie made me wear her "domestic diva" apron! Thanks Katie! Haha!

Me and the hubby! So nice to spend Thanksgiving together! Our second married Thanksgiving!

I ate that! Yummy! So much food! Rolls, green beah casserole, turkey, cranberry sauce, jello salad, pineapple salad, dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes...did I miss anything?

All of our desserts! The pumpkin pie crust took me 1 and a half hours to make! But it was worth it! It was raining in LA that night...I will blame it on that! Apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp!

Spencer with Rufus (Ryan and Becky's dog that Katie and Andrew were dogsitting) What a cute couple! Haha!

Katie's pretty pumpkin candles!

Scott and Heather watching football and eagerly awaiting food! We love that they are in LA!

Pretty table!

Our beautiful table decorations and place cards! Thanks for the artsy pictures Jared!

Don't you wish you were at our Thanksgiving?

Sr. Moments

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

This is the funniest thing I have seen in a while! I don't know if they realize what they are singing??? What do you think!?

Blah!

Hey everybody...

I have been at a loss for decent blog posts that anyone would actually want to read lately...so I just haven't been posting anything...but I feel like I should post something...

So, Thursday is going to be a blast! We have our entire meal planned and purchased! All Katie and I have to do is cook Wed. night and most of it Thursday! Everyone should be jealous bc this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever! It will also be incredible bc UT is currently #2 and is going to kill A and M Thursday at 5:00 while we eat some delicious desserts! (Jared is making the pumpkin pie so we are very excited!)

As for today and the rest of this week before Thanksgiving, I am overloaded with a ton of school work which I should probably be doing right now instead of typing this stupid post. Well, you can all waste some time by reading this!

Happy early Thanksgiving! I will post pics after of all of our delicious food and decor! Let me know what your Thanksgiving festivities/traditions are!

Peace out!
Robin

Weeds

Jared and I started renting Weeds from Netflix about a month ago. We are currently on Season 3. I don't feel like I should recommend this to anyone due to excessive cussing and some inappropriate yet hilarious material...however it is so funny and has a great story line. So...I am not officially recommending this show, but I will tell you I love the characters and I think you might like it! :)

Guilty of my own accusation...

I wrote a post last week about how Christmas was starting to make its' way in so early this year (in stores, etc.), but I was looking online today for Christmas cards...guilty...I really like Christmas, and I can't wait to get our tree at Thanksgiving because we will be in LA this year. I am thinking about getting a real one. Are there thoughts on getting a real one for a small apartment. Will it smell too strong?

I am also thinking about making my own Christmas cards this year. I saw some cute designs at swoozie's www.swoozies.com that I would love to make even cuter!

Well, back to doing my laundry :) I am also going to go for a run with Jared tonight...hope it isn't too cold! We are shooting for 3 miles tonight. I am hoping Jared brings me my new tennis shoes tonight, too!

Election Fun!

My friend Kimberly came over yesterday to help set-up for an night of election fun with friends to see the results! We made some delicious chili (which I will def be making again...sooo yummy!!) as well as guacamole, and these cute little cupcakes! As you can see, I took a bite out of McCain first!
We had all just sat down to eat our chili at about 8:30 when after a commercial break, NBC cuts to a shot of a flashing sign that says, Barack Obama, 44th President of The United States with cheesy music playing in the background. It was so funny, we were all like, what just happened! They didn't even build it up or anything! They didn't even say "and because of the west coast, the electoral votes have come in, etc."...nothin'! Well, I guess I was hoping for a little more suspense than that for the party's sake, but I will take it! Congrats Obama, and we are looking forward to see how you will change America in the coming years. I know the fact that we elected the first African American Preseident is change enough for me to enjoy and be excited about for America today.
P.S. Are his kids the most adorable things you have ever seen or what? :)

P.P.S. Something you may not know about me...I was born on election day in 1984 and prevented both of my parents from voting for Reagan that year...

Here are some pic's from the Halloween Party! :)

Brad and Angelina...Lots of babies and a cool tattoo!...Were you guys able to return those dolls??Joe six pack (Jared), Hawaiian overboard, and Emo boy
A cruise passenger that had abandonded ship and none other than Sarah Palin...Maverick...aka...unbranded range animal...yes, I went to dictionary.com and realized that is the definition of Maverick...
Emo girl and Sarah! I am trying to look political...is it working...Brient '12?

I have now set a standard for Halloween parties for myself! We will have to outdo ourselves next year ladies! :)

Christmas in November?

So, when I was shopping for Halloween decor, there were Christmas items for sale already at multiple stores. I am shocked and a little annoyed that we can't enjoy one holiday before they sell crap for the next one. I mean, I love Christmas, but someone told me that they heard Christmas music in a mall this weekend. Sad...I think the stores are hurting for business so bad that they want to get people to buy their presents now...gees...

On another note, our good friends Mike and Catherine Haskew are coming to visit us next weekend on the 13th! And our good friend Guillermo Carreaga is coming Dec. 5th! I love when friends come to visit!

I didn't take any pictures with my camera at our Halloween party, so I will post them as soon as people send them to me! I had a blast, and we had a great time decorating! Thanks Ryan and Becky for letting us have the party at your house! :)

Oh, and my birthday is Friday! I have my flute teachers' recital to go to Friday which is sad bc I can't plan anything fun for the night of, but my cousin invited me over for dinner Saturday to celebrate, and I think we are going to go out to Korean BBQ and Karaoke Sunday night :) Let me know if you want to come!

Love to Laugh

I don't think I have laughed so much in a long time....Last night Jared and I were trying to come up with costume ideas for Halloween, and we were dying laughing! I didn't know Jared had so many good ideas floating up in his head. We came up with some really great costumes that I hope we can pull off! I wish we had more parties to brainstorm for because it was so much fun! Anyway, if anyone has any party ideas that I can come up with costumes for, let me know! Haha!
:)

Concerts Concerts

So this week I have two concerts...One Wednesday night for Woodwind Quintet and one Friday for Orchestra. I am excited because I think my cousin, who lives in Pomona, is going to come out for Friday's concert! The downside of having concerts is that I have to stay up at school all evening waiting for the concert to start. It does give me time to practice, but I am usually too tired to put a ton of energy into it before a concert. I also made the mistake of eating Chipotle before last Wednesday's concert and think all of the blood from my brain went to my stomach to digest my food and I was completely out of it during the concert and had a ton of mental errors!!!
Anyway, I am sad Jared can't make it Wednesday bc he is leading community group, but he will be there Friday! I love looking out and seeing him in the audience! :)
Well, I hope to get a lot of practicing done this week....for some reason lately I have been really motivated to prepare music for some competitions! :) I just made a big purchase at flute world which was sooooo fun! I also wish I had more time to hang out with people this week, but I will be up at school a lot!
Have a great week everybody!

Advent Conspiracy

So a friend sent this link to me last night.
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/
I always get nervous when someone points out a new way to get involved to give my resources over Christmas. I am not really sure why. I always loved following the example of my parents at Christmas in buying presents for underprivileged children and taking them to their house. It was so rewarding knowing some of the presents you could have had went to someone else (sometimes your age) who weren't going to get any other presents that Christmas. There are always so many ways to give at Christmas, and I never know which one to do. I am also skeptical of some websites that want you to give online, b/c I am not sure if the money will actually get the the people I intended it for. I am also selfish...not just that I want more presents for myself for Christmas, but I like to buy presents for other people (friends/family), which can also be selfish (feeling great about what I bought someone). So this Christmas, I really want to think about who I am giving gifts to and if my motives are right. I also want to consider what organization I should give any extra money to, instead of just doing what everyone else does. I was also thinking yesterday that I want it to be something within my community of Los Angeles. Not so that I can get something out of it or even that they would come to church, but that they would feel God' love this Christmas. I saw on a link to this same website for the living water organization. They have a picture of someone looking up at a wall that says God is Love. Jared made a really great point to me yesterday that we are sometimes looking at what we can get out of someone when we love them. Jesus never had those motives. I will stop rambling, but I hope you can get something out of my jumbled thoughts.
Much love <3

Fall Decor!

Here are some pics of my fall decor I got from Crate and Barrel this Saturday! I had so much fun! When I walked in, the guy that was working in the store was the same person who helped us exchange some things from our registry when we moved here, and helped us buy a dresser. That was over a year ago. He remembered who I was and was like..."oh ya, you are the one who had moved here and bought the loop dresser." What! He remembered the exact dresser we ordered! Crazy! Also, he spent 45 minutes with me figuring out what would work best on my table! It was a very fun day for me! I love making my home look nice, and am appreciative when I have some extra mulah to spend on that type of thing! Come over and check them out! I might even make you some dinner! :)

Aunt Becky!!!

For those of you who don't know, I go to church in a movie theater in Century City in LA. When I walked out, who did I see???....none other than Aunt Becky from Full House...aka Lori Laughlin.
She looked the exact same as on TV, very small though, and was with her kids. She wasn't dressed fancy and looked like a normal mom...Unfortunately they were going to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua...I will forgive her! Hehe! She was one of my favorite characters on Full House, and she is now appearing on 90210 as many of you know.

This is my second "star" sighting at this mall (the first was Hillary Swank). I can't believe I see famous people going to the movies where I live...Weird...Anyway, there you have it.

I am going to post new pics soon of my new fall home decor I bought at Crate and Barrel this weekend! :) Sleep well all!

New Haircut!

Here is my new haircut! Let me know what you think! Likes or dislikes...
I cut off about 8 inches!!!!! The yucky bright blonde hair is all chopped off now too! Thanks to my new hairstylist Christine! Thank you!!!
:)

My parents came to town!

Hello anyone who reads this!

My parents were in town this past weekend, and Jared and I had a great time with them. Jared and I instated a rule a while back that when the parentals come to visit, they will stay in a hotel. It definitely works out better for everyone b/c our apartment is small and it is nice for everyone to have some space. Jared and I have some time to debrief the day when everyone is not around each other the whole time. I reccommend this to anyone who feels like they can't get any spouse time when his/her parents are in town.

I had an orchestra concert Friday night for school and we went to a ridiculous concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday. And by ridiculous I mean a very bizzare concert entitled Sights and Sounds of Mystic Persia: A tribute to Rumi...so I guess I didn't clue in to all that title implies. I was trying to stay engaged during the concert, but not much was happening...The singer kept droning on the same note, and the lady reading the poems was really creepy. I kind of felt like I was involved in something I shouldn't be...you know that feeling...anyway we later realized we were glad we missed the first half of the concert because the will call line was so long...the second half alone was 2 hours.

My parents came to church with us Sunday which was great, but it was hilarious when we went to take communion, she came back to her seat and said, that's not grape juice! Haha! No mom, this is not a baptist church...we use actual wine here! Hehe!

I was sad when they left, and realized that this distance is not going to grow any closer between us. I do not want to move back to Texas, but I do miss seeing my family everyday. I know God wouldn't have Jared and I out in LA if it wasn't for a reason, so I have to trust that this is the best for us right now. I am learning a lot by being so far away from them, but I still love them and miss them very much!

Jared and I had a movie night Sunday night after my parents left and watched Lady in the Water. It never got good reviews, but I kinda liked it. It had some good themes...if you haven't seen it, check it out!

It was 100 degrees in Long Beach today...where has the hint of fall gone?

P.S. I chopped all my hair off, so I am going to post pictures soon!

So today I had lunch with my sweet friend Eliza and our conversation was revolving around how we are slowly but surely getting to know everyone at church in a deeper way. But sometimes, it is difficult to figure out how different people work. It occurred to me later how much more I understand people who are not like me now than even a year ago. In undergrad, everyone (including me) had a fend for themselves attitude because it is a difficult adjustment, and most people are trying to figure out "what they want to do". After college, I feel like I "know what I want to do", whatever that means...hehe, and so attitudes change. I have been placed in a church, school, and neighborhood with people who have completely different personalities than I do. In college, it was really easy to "pick" your friends. I surrounded myself with people who had similar interests as I did and who were as equally as excited about being my friend as I was to be theirs!

So, should college students be expected to have more of an outward view when there is so much life change going on in their own lives?
Should I still be able to "pick" my friends? My mom actually called today and told me she had invited someone over to stay with them who doesn't have power yet bc of Ike, but she is having a hard time being ok with them coming over to stay because they are not best friends. Should she just have not invited them, or is that God's way of stretching us by giving us that instinct to invite someone over even though we don't necissarily think it is going to be the best time you have ever had?

So there you have it...a random thought!

Concert week!

Hey everybody! I haven't been blogging much since I started school because it has been a whirlwind of fun and exhaustion!

We went to the Vampire Weekend concert Wednesday night at the Wiltern in LA! It was so fun and they sounded just like the CD! The opening bands weren't all that great, though. It was a really cool venue, though! I am glad I found tix on Ebay! This made for a long rest of the week bc I didn't get much sleep that night! Tonight we are going to the Beck/MGMT/Spoon concert! I am so happy! It will be a great night with the Feistel's!

I had my second week of teaching at the preschool and that is going well! Pray for some more enrollment for the classes, though, because if the classes don't get bigger, I am not sure what will happen!

I also had my first day of teaching flute sectionals at Irvine High School! It was so fun to work with good high school players who are excited about the flute! I am looking forward to going there once a week!

I am also trying to keep on top of getting my thesis ready! I have to file for graduation in less than 3 weeks and have to have a proposal for my thesis and decide on my committee of readers!

I am excited for the fall! It can't get here fast enough! I love any baked good with pumpkin, so if you are ever craving it, stop on by...there will probably be something on the counter in the kitchen! I also love the cooler weather! I can't wait to go shopping for warm clothes! If you want to go call me!

Crappers

My throat started getting sore on Saturday night, and unfortunately it still hurts. I think it is just a result of allergies, but I did start teaching at a preschool, so I am hoping it is not something the kids gave me! I started taking Zyrtec, which helps to keep my ears clear and not get the itchy eyes/throat, but I have a very dry, sore throat instead! Anyway, I am wondering if going to an allergist is worth it. If he finds out what I am allergic to, it won't really mean much unless something is bad enough to treat with something stronger than Zyrtec or Claritin....I digresssssss

I am trying to get back into the swing of school as well as my other jobs I have started. I am very tired after today, but I think that is partly because I am not feeling that great. I am about to make some tea, and make soft tacos for dinner!
I ran into a new friend from church today at the store (so random) and heard that she hadn't eaten lunch today (neither had I...unless a cookie counts) and it was already 4:45. I was inspired by the similar situation (not a great one per se) to create some healthy, quick lunches I can fix before I run to school. I got lettuce, blue cheese, grilled chicken, apples, and walnuts for a yummy salad, and I can also use some of those same ingredients to make wraps! I am excited about my new lunch creations!

P.S. Some dumb couch delivery people for the apartment next door dented the screen on one of my windows, and I let them know that I would not be paying for it if the landlord gets mad...bc he is uptight and would charge me for the damages...not happening...the guy looked a little surprised that he had "messed up" anything. Duh people....I heard you cuss when you lost control of it and was sitting right by the window when you dropped it! People are so funny....I hope I don't try to act like something didn't happen when it did! But I know I do!...

P.P.S. I am going to go see Vampire Weekend on Wednesday! Sick or not!

So Precious!

So today was my first official day of teaching preschool music at Launching Pad! It was the cutest thing ever, and I definitely was assured that this is something I want to have in my life! Teaching those little kids how to love music at such a young age is great! More to come!

Tax cuts and such

Hey everybody! There has been a lot going on lately! Hence the non-post in a week!

So, all my life, my parents have always told me how the Democrats always give a tax increase to the middle class. Well, regardless of whether this is true or not, I received this link from Stefani Wilkinson's facebook recently, which shows otherwise to those in and around my income bracket.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html

I am still weighing all of the pro's and con's of each candidate. I don't like the fact that McCain is giving a tax break to people who make above 600,000 a year and above....

So, on Tuesday I auditioned for the principal flute spot in the Pacific Symphony. It was such a great experience to see how a professional orchestra holds their auditions. I have never been that controlled over my stress/nervousness, and was able to play the excerpts to the best of my ability under pressure. I also worked up a lot of the pieces that I had previously been afraid of because they were "hard". I now feel great about taking any audition and "not knowing the pieces" will not prevent me from trying out for something! I learned a lot more, but that would just bore you!

School started Tuesday even though I don't have class on Tuesday this year which is nice. I get to play principal flute in orchestra which is also great! I am also going to be playing in the University Woodwind Quintet (which means I get another scholarship! Yay!) I like my theory class and I also am excited to start coaching chamber music and masterclass for non-major flutes!

I will start work Tuesday at the Launching Pad Preschool attached to Northrop Grumman every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings teaching music! I got to meet some of the staff yesterday and see the room, etc. and I am very excited about it! I will also start teaching flute lessons Tuesdays and hope to get more students soon!

Jared and I are going to try and rest this weekend and catch up! It feels like every night this week has flown by and we haven't gotten much talk time! I am excited about our mostly free weekend starting Saturday morning bc we have band practice for church tonight.

Well, there you have it!

Attacking the Firebird!

As most of you go about your day, you are wondering how to please a certain client, are working on the computer, or wondering how to solve a math problem, but I am wondering how in the heck I am going to get the flute excerpt from Stravinsky's Firebird up to tempo by Sunday morning for my AYS audition!

I would wager to say that this is the hardest excerpt to keep in time when playing by yourself because it is in 6/8 and has a lot of short rests.And it goes FAST!!!!!!

I can play it well at dotted quarter=66 but it needs to be at 76!!! I am having a really hard time focusing because it takes so long just to get it up one click!

I am sure I will be able to accomplish this today if I put in the time!!!

On another note, I have more to say on politics in a future post, but...I love how McCain and Obama were so strategic in their picks for V.P. Since Hilary is out, McCain decides to pull a woman in for V.P. I love it! (She is a hunter and has 5 kids...one who is in the army btw! Haha!) Also, the cheesy music they play for these conventions, etc. crack me up!

Anyway, more on this later!

Beverly Hills Cop

I just flipped on Beverly Hills Cop and realized that is has a kick-ass soundtrack that goes with it! Jared just called on his way home and I told him I was watching it and he starts singing the theme. I knew the theme I just didn't know where it was from! Dun Dun Dun-Duh Duh-Dun Dun-Dun Dun...

The Heat is On by Glenn Frey
Do You Really Want by Junior
Alex F. by Harold Faltermeyer - theme song!

Anyway, I considered buying it for a second, but I think I wouldn't really listen to it! Although you can get it for $3.33 at amazon!
Check it out at:

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1103172/a/Beverly+Hills+Cop.htm

Lame

So yesterday afternoon, Jared had parked his car in the spot of the vacant apartment downstairs, but later on we realized that the new tenant was moving in. We decided to move the car before we left for dinner so they could park in their spot (Even though we didn't have to move it bc she was already parked in another neighbor's spot that wasn't home). We had to drive around forever because there was a concert in the park going on. We finally found a spot, and Jared's bumper was hanging over into the driveway not even a foot. This morning when he went to his car, there was a ticket for blocking a driveway.
Sad :(....

The worst part about it was that the ticket was written 30 minutes after we left, so the people probably called the cops right when we were walking away...instead of walking outside and asking us to move it...cowards...

And the worst worst part was that they took dirt from the ground to write ass hole on his car. How lame is that...who gets dirt to write on someone's car. They knew he was going to get a ticket! Why bother with that childish antic? I want to go throw a rock at their house! Did they not realize we would know which house called to ticket us? Hello! What if we were gangsters or something! They don't know!

Furthermore, I am frustrated with how rude people are here! Yesterday we were leaving church and the credit card machine was broken at the mall so Katie didn't know what was going on, and the lady behind us got out of her car and walked towards her car shaking her head at us...because we were holding her up like 2 seconds longer in getting out of the parking garage...I mean really...it was 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon....where did this old lady need to be!

Anyway, gotta love the selfish LA people! It just teaches me to be more non selfish!

Klutzy Katie

Hello all,

I am taking the time to recognize my dear friend Katie who was able to spill 3 different items at our friend Susan's birthday party last night, which was really fun by the way! I played Rock Band for the first time and loved it! This is not good bc those drums take up a lot of room in an apartment! We will have to think about that purchase!

So here goes...

Spill number one was not so bad. She dropped a lime off of her mojito glass onto the floor.

Spill number two was when she opened up the pizza box which had a plate of watermelon on it, and spilled watermelon juice all over the wall!

Spill number three was when we were playing rock band and she backed up into the end table with her drink on it and it spilled all over the floor!

Am I missing one?

Congrats Katie, that's the most I have ever seen someone spill in one evening! Can you brake your record? I will give you a thousand dollars! Haha!

Tonight is a party for our friend Lindsay who is moving back up to San Francisco. We will miss her, but at least that gives us another excuse to visit San Fran!!!!

Have a great Saturday night everybody!
Peace out!

Interesting?

Casey Cease tagged me to write 6 random things about myself bc he is jealous of my 75 degree weather year round! It's not 75 all the time!

I don't know how random my life is...so here goes...

1. I always find someone on facebook that I know about once every few months that has moved to LA! I think it's great!

2. I always have to tidy up the apartment before I go to bed. I can't leave any shoes/dirty dishes/clothes/mail out...

3. I usually do laundry and clean on Monday morning (starts off the week right!)

4. I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday! (Homemade granola, plain yogurt, maybe fruit with it, and a 1/2 cup of freshly ground coffee...makes everyday happy!)

5. I always feel bad when I practice in my apartment even though no one has ever said anything to me. I need to get over this, or maybe ask them if it bothers them...but I don't want to stir anything up!

6. I have to move my car for the street sweeper because there are no drains here bc it doesn't rain! I didn't understand when I first moved here!

Ok, So I don't really know who to tag bc I dont have that many blog friends, but here goes...

Bri Westbury
Catherine Haskew
Mike Haskew
Kimberly Eide
Jenn Crouse

You have to write 6 random things about yourself and tag 6 people at the end... :)

Beacuse no one else has a new post

So, I was checking my Google Reader and was upset that no one has posted recently, so I decided others may (or may not) be sad that I haven't posted in a while.

There has been a lot going lately.

The following are thoughts that I have had about people lately and then what God is teaching me through it....as rough as it is to learn that the way you were raised and think about everything isn't always what should end up happening....rats!

1. Not everyone is as organized/clean as I am. This is ok, except not when it is putting other people at risk for allergy attacks and health hazards. How can people live like this! I still don't believe that anyone can have a 100% clean house if they have animals, and I pray to God that my kids don't want any. I am severely allergic to cats and allergic to dogs too. Maybe a fish? But they kinda smell too...I digress...God is showing me how to love everyone regardless of what a mess they are on the outside! :)
People, for your own health and the safety of others, please vacuum and dust atleast once a week! Cleaning the bathroom isn't a bad idea either! Anytime I see someone else's mess, I want to help them find a system and a way to be clean, and in turn, want to go straight home and throw out anything I don't use as well as reorganize everything! I found a cabinet behind the bathroom mirror today! yay! I re-organized all our bathroom stuff and threw out a lot of junk! It is amazing how fast you can collect stuff!

2. Some people have no awareness that they are asking too much of you...Although, I figured out this is God's way of stretching me past what I think is a comfortable and reasonable amount of time to help someone out. Growing up there was always a selfish part to helping people out...limits on how much you should have to help someone...when it starts to inconvenience you, you should stop...Is this always right, though? Unfortunately, I am having a hard time defining this boundary along with many other boundaries that go along with giving time to others versus taking time for yourself/family. I am learning to seek Jesus in every situation and not just take the practical road...which is hard for me (those of you who know me and my mother!)

3. People move out and people move in. Recently, I had a dear friend move away, and I know that God has a great adventure planned for her and her family, but it is hard for me to accept that God would take a close friend away so soon after meeting them. I know that this will continue to happen often as I live in a city with one of the highest turn over rates! I will try not to shut people out and not grow close to them just because I am afraid that they will leave...Who knows, I will leave someday, too!

4. Community is hard...All of the above situations are just a few examples of what makes it so difficult to create a community centered on Jesus that allows everyone to help each other grow closer to Him...Pray as our church continues to figure out what this looks like!

There is a lot coming up, too!

1. Starting school in 2 weeks (last year of my master's...which means I have to do my thesis and recital!)
2. Starting my new job at Launching Pad (Preschool for Northrop Grumman) teaching music Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for 2 hours each!
3. Audition, Audition, Audition! (3 to be exact...pray that I will do as best I can!)
4. Hopefully getting more than one private flute student to teach on Tuesdays! (Atleast I have one, but I need to go recruit at the local middle and high school!)
5. Want to do something fun on labor day, but it is the day before an audition, so not sure what will happen with that!

Peace out! Congrats if you made it this far in the post!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jared!

Today is my wonderful husband's 25th birthday!

This seems really old to me, but I know it is still very young!

Can't wait to celebrate tonight! I am making his favorite...strawberry cake!

Yummy!

:)

Hummus and birthdays

So I have definitely found a new food that I love! Hummus! It tastes so great with pita bread, and the garlic and chive flavor from Ralph's is so yummy! I made a picnic dinner to go to the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday to see the LA Phil. I have been twice, and have had a blast! It is so fun to eat delicious food and drink wine while watching the symphony! I wish it was like that every time I heard classical music!

Well, I have also been practicing for my auditions coming up. I am feeling good about the progress I am making with all of my excerpts. It will be so fun to audition on so much great music!!!

Jared's birthday is on Tuesday and I am soooo excited about celebrating with him for the second year in a row in LA! He is turning 25! I can't believe it! That sounds so old, but it is for real!

Why I hate religion by Mark Driscoll

This video is so great! My friend Amy posted it on facebook and I had to share it! This guy is Mark Driscoll who I think is really amazing and I try to listen to a lot of his sermons via podcast.

I am working toward having a humble joy in all circumstances. I know I am a long way off!

Happy watching!
;)

August?

Ok, so again, I have fallen behind on blogging with everything that is going on! I can't believe it is almost August! That means that I only have one month until school starts. So much for doing more work on my thesis! Haha!

I had a few friends in town this past weekend which was really fun! We went to 3rd street promenade, Disneyland, the beach, and of course shopped! We had a fun time and I always love when people come to visit me!

My cousin is coming to see me today (she lives east of LA) and we are going to the beach. I hope it isn't too cold! I also have another lesson interview to see if a student wants to take lessons with me. I hope I actually end up getting some of these students.

I also have a mock audition Saturday that I am practicing for as well as 3 other auditions coming up in the next month! I am really looking forward to seeing how I do, and also preparing for the future!

P.S. the earthquake was crazy! I have never felt one before. The whole house was shaking and then after that, is was swaying for a few more seconds. I was like, is this apartment going to topple over? I am amazed that the building can withstand that amount of shaking underneath them! Yay architects (keep up the good work dad!)

Peace!

Batman!

So I went to go see batman at 10:30 this morning which felt very strange because we got out of the darkest movie ever at it was a beautiful day in California! So, naturally I spent the rest of the day at the pool with my friend Koni while Jared was at work.

The movie was so tense, but it was definitely well made and Heath Ledger's performance was incredible! The graphics on two-face really creeped me out, though!!

Well, I won't spoil it any more for those who have not seen it!

I am currently trying to get motivated for a week of practicing before my friends get here so I can kick butt on some upcoming auditions! I am still so tired from the last two weeks of camp and should have slept in today, but seeing batman was sooooo worth it!

I am also excited about our beach gathering tomorrow at Dockweiler! Hot Dogs and lots of fun!

Peace and Love!

Torn

So tonight I really really want to go see the midnight showing of Batman, but I have to be at work at 7:30 and have a full day with kids and cleaning up at the end of the two week camp I have been working at. I am lame and can't handle running on only 4 hours of sleep, so I think I will have to wait until Saturday or something! Oh well! I will try not to go insane at the last day of the big kid camp! Peace out friends! Don't spoil the plot if you are going to see the midnight showing!

Friends are coming soon!

I am so excited that a lot of my friends from the great state of Tejas (and now Arizona) are coming to visit me in a week from Thursday! Kristin, Emily, and Stefani have all forked over money for a plane ticket to come out here to see me and our other friend Katie Feistel. I can't wait to be with the whole gang minus Lauren (sad)...but she is in Europe, so I don't feel that bad! We are going to have a blast!

On a different note, God is opening up so many new doors for me this summer, and I can't wait to see which ones lead to extremely special and exciting opportunities! I am so thankful for His provision in my life, and do not understand why I have been so blessed to have so many things in my life that I love so much!

Goodnight! :)

Oh kiddos

Wow, I really forgot how tired I get after being around kids all day! Today I started my first day at work for a kids music camp for two weeks. It was really fun and I got to meet a lot of very talented kids! I have 3 flutes and an oboe in one of my classes and they are all beginners! I also walked to the camp which was a good idea this morning, but coming home I wish I had my car! Well, it's good for me to walk and I save on gas so I think I will do it again! Well, I am going to try and muster up some energy to practice orchestral excerpts! I am doing a mock audition for fun in August and need to get my stuff together! Well, have a wonderful week! I really just want to lie down and take a nappy nap! :)

Flute Focus

So last week I went to Santa Barbara for what some people would call their worst nightmare...however I call it one of the most inspiring and fun weeks of my life! I went to flute camp...more specifically Flute Focus on the campus of UC Santa Barbara. I arrived on Tuesday and got back to LA Saturday night!
So for 6 1/2 hours everyday we would all gather into the recital hall, perform for each other, and then get critiqued by two phenomenal flutists/teacher/professors (one was my undergrad professor Marianne Gedigian and the other is the professor at UCSB...Jill Felber...and lets not forget the amazing pianist who played 50 flute pieces flawlessly and incredibly...Dianne Frazer). It was so great to see both of them again, too! Each of the 25 invited flutists got to play for 30 minutes for each teacher. I learned so much about playing with dazzle, flow, inspiration, etc! I am so happy that I was able to attend, and know that this experience will remain as a huge leap in my musical career. I am so inspired by the teachers and other students at the camp. It is going to be hard not to want to play all the time!!!
Here is Flute Focus class of 2008!

What about the Bison?

So this is by far the most hilarious commercial ever! Also some pretty darn good marketing!




There are 7 of us!

But we have too many beverages!

What about the bison?

That thing got my blood a boilin'!

Nice!

Life is happy!

I am going to write once again about how blessed and wonderful life is out here in Cali!!

I got to go shopping with an amazing friend, her mom, and her sister yesterday in Newport Beach where there was an amazing view of the ocean! It was really gorgeous down there!
There was kind of an Austin vibe at a couple places we went which made me very happy. We also talked about how much we missed Austin because it was one of the greatest parts of our lives so far! We were blessed with amazing friends, an incredible learning environment, and fun things to go do! Don't get me wrong, we also discussed how California has soooo much to do, but that feeling of becoming the person you really are during the college years can never be replaced!

Right now I am making cinnamon rolls for breakfast and going to have them with my freshly ground starbucks coffee, waiting for Jared to wake up (he never sleeps in so I will let him! hehe!), going to practice my flute for camp next week, and hopefully go to the beach with Jared!
I don't know why I get to enjoy so many wonderful people and places right now (I certainly don't deserve it), but I am very thankful and couldn't wish for anything else! Not even Austin!

Birds!

So there have been some crazy birds outside our bedroom window every morning that wake me up at 6:00! And of course, they are doing some awful mating call or something. Not your typical bird chirp! It almost sounds like they are dying! I want to pull out a gun and shoot them! Sorry to all the bird lovers out there! If only I could figure out exactly where they are! Oh, and they are still chirping and squaking... it is 11:00am! Maybe I should position a bird feeder at the next apartment so they will fly away!!!

:)

San Francisco!

So San Francisco was soooo much fun! I loved getting to spend so much time with my brother and his girlfriend Beth! She is so cool and a lot of fun! I don't get to see them that much, so it was nice to hang out for a few days!
We started out by driving up the 1 highway all the way there! It was sooooo gorgeous! One of the prettiest drives I have ever been on!

We stopped like every 30 minutes to an hour to take pictures as the sun was setting! We made it to Cupertino where Patrick Haskew is working at Apple this summer to eat dinner with him and Guillermo Careaga, Jared's friend from Ringling.
We went to Domain Chandon Winery the next day which was unbelievable! So much fun! I am going to have to go back and just do a winery trip at some point!
Here are Beth and Andrew at the winery...So cute!
We went on the world famous 11:00 tour with Cyrus...he was awesome! And of course my brother had to buy the $65 bottle of wine at the end of the tour!

We later drove into town and walked on and around the Golden Gate Bridge! It was so incredible!
Later we went to the Tadich Grill for dinner which was very delicious! The oldest restaurant in California!

Thursday we went to Alcatraz which was very cool! I know I keep saying cool, awesome, delicious, etc...but everything really was so incredible! We also shopped, ate lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, rode the cable cars, got Irish coffee at Buena Vista, and ice cream/chocolate at Ghirardelli Square, and then sadly, we had to drive home...But first we had to search San Francisco for the Full House house! We gave up after about half an hour!

Jared took some awesome pics along the way of our trip...so go to Flickr to check the rest of them out! Along with all of my other pictures from various trips this month (coming soon!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaredbrient/

Adios!

Stressed for no reason

So ever since I got back from Ft. Worth I have been stressing about all the things I "have" to get done by some random deadline made up in my head. I am most frustrated at myself because I do not have to be stressed. I felt like all I have been saying is "Lord, calm me down", but I think He is waiting for me to realize I don't have to be running like a chicken with my head cut off. 

I am so thankful for my friend Koni out here, because whenever I am feeling crazy, I can just go over to her house, and it is so relaxing and peaceful. I hope that people feel that way when they are at my house, because sometimes I don't even feel that way. We laid out by the pool which really got my mind off of all the dumb to-do's I had. I was able to get most things done yesterday and today, but I still have a few things to take care of for my job that starts in July.

For those of you who don't know, I am going to be working at a summer camp and school that teaches music lessons to kids age 2-grade 8! I will be teaching general music and flute lessons. I am so blessed that God dropped this job in my lap. I emailed this place when I first moved out here a year ago, but they were filled, and then I decided to try again for the summer, and they were like, "oh, our flute teacher and camp leader just cancelled for the summer this morning...perfect timing!" Sooooo cool...I know! She also called me yesterday and asked if I wanted all the flute students at the store during the year because the flute teacher is moving...also very cool. All last year when I was looking and desiring to have a job on top of school, it never worked out, but now, jobs are just falling from the sky! Even though I have one year of school left, it will be much less time because I am not playing in band anymore and only have one class (theory...booo)....

So, Does anyone have a good way to make themselves relax? I fell like I try everything when I get worked up to slow the crap down, but sometimes it doesn't work! Even taking a long moment of silence!

I also feel like I had too much coffe today and am really hyper!!!!!!!

I am so excited that my brother and his girlfriend Beth get here Sunday and we are leaving Tuesday for San Francisco! Which reminds me, I need to get Alcatraz tickets!!!

Peace! 

Disneyland and Stef's Wedding

Last week Jared and I went to Disneyland with our good friends the Brewers. We had such a good time! I would go there every week if I could. The only sad thing was that there were no fireworks. We got to ride a few adult rides...space mountain, thunder mountain railroad, and indiana jones. We did ride Buzz lightyear 3 times. It is so fun! You get a laser gun and get to shoot targets for a score. We also got to meet Jasmine, Cinderella, and Snow White!!!

Jared and I with the beast!

I also had a blast at Stefani's wedding in Ft. Worth! I am very glad to be home and organizing my life again! I feel like I have been gone forever!

craziest month ever!!!

So May has been the craziest month so far since I have been married!

Today is my 1 year anniversary with Jared! I can't believe that we got married one year ago...it has felt so quick, and then it feels like we have been together forever! I am so lucky to get to spend all of my free time with my best friend and the person I love most on this earth! Ok, enough with the sappyness...

We went to San Diego this past weekend (Fri-Sun) for a getaway weekend. Unfortunately it was raining (it never rains in California, but decided to this weekend)...so we didn't get as many great pics of the cliffs/beach in La Jolla as we wanted too, but we did have a very nice hotel in the gaslamp quarter downtown! There are a lot of shops/restaurants in that area and it is very nice (not your typical downtown area). We went to the zoo on Saturday and luckily it stopped raining mid-morning. Here are some pics from the zoo! One of the best zoo's I have ever been to. They had every animal you could think of. I kept telling Jared the names of the animals with the character names from the Lion King and then he would correct me with the real name! Like...Oh there's Pumba or Look...Rafiki!
A very cute Gorilla from the zoo! They were so close to us! But behind glass!The hippoppotomi almost kissed!

We also checked out Balboa park as well as ate alot of great food! We wrapped up our weekend with a fun Memorial Day party at my friend Katie's house down the street! I learned how to play corn hole (A lot like washers but with bean bags)

Ok, so I also finished my first year of grad school a week ago, and got my thesis proposal finished. I still have to wait until next fall to get it approved. I had a wonderful first year at school, and learned so much about myself and my flute playing. I love how the discipline of practicing and making music can teach you so much about yourself!

I also had Jared's parents as well as my parents visit this month. I don't know what I was thinking having them come towards the end of my semester! We did a lot of fun things when they were both here, and I definitely don't regret either of their visits!

Here is a pretty picture of a rose I took at the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena that I took my parents too. They must have had 50 different kinds of roses out there! So gorgeous!My parents are so cute! I really miss them a lot! I do get to see them next weekend because I am going to be matron of honor in my friend Stefani's wedding in Ft. Worth!!! I am so excited to reunite with some of my old college friends and celebrate one of my best friends getting married!!!

My brother also told me recently that him and his girlfriend are driving out to LA in the beginning of June to help her Aunt and Uncle move out here. Then, me, Jared, and Andrew and Beth are driving up to San Francisco to explore and go to some wine tastings, etc.

This summer is shaping up to be so wonderful! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! God has given me so much rest, fun, and excitement recently, and I can't forget that all of these great things come from Him!

Well, I better get to bed soon, bc Jared and I are going to Disneyland tomorrow with some friends (Scott, Koni, and their two kids Kyla...4...and Kaleb...2) becuase a girl in my flute class works at Disney and can get us in for free! Thanks Karen! I am so excited! Kyla is going to freak out! I will post pics tomorrow when we get back! She is the cuteset little girl you have ever seen! (Except for Braelyn if you are reading this Steph! Hehe!)

Goodnight all! Thanks for reading!

I can feel it in the breeze

So this might sound crazy to some people who have never felt a cool, California breeze before, but I have been reminded of God's perfect peace in my life multiple times this week through the breeze blowing on my face. I just close my eyes and allow the wind to calm my spirit and quiet my mind. I am so very thankful for the breeze this week because there has been so much to do with the end of the semester wrapping up. Even if it is just for that short moment, it is enough to get me to the next class/rehearsal/activity/task that is on my schedule. It reminds me that no matter how much I accomplish or how well I accomplish something, it will all disappear in the end. I am so grateful that I can't help but focus on God's grace and His peace in my life (only because He has allowed me too). So next time you are outside, stop and catch the breeze on your face and let me know what you feel!

Talking dogs and two other sentences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCYaw5tGYAs

So this is hilarious. It actually sounds like the dogs are imitating the owners. I must say, I didn't know dogs could be this smart!

On another note, we are getting new carpet this Saturday which is very cool...however not so cool that we have to move everything!!!

On another other note, Jared has been working very long hours and I miss seeing him...but we are going to have a date night Saturday!

That is all!

Have a happy day! :)

wowza

I am continually amazed at how crazy life is. I am frustrated at how much the enemy has taken control of everyone's schedule (including my own) and not allowing anyone time for people they care about as well as people they want to get to know. I am trying, like everyone else who doesn't want to be controlled by schedules, deadlines, bosses, demands, meaningless tasks, etc., to weed out the unimportant tasks or things that can wait another day to be accomplished. I feel like at the end of a crazy day (like today) I still have things that I desire to do (not have to do) that I don't have time for. I didn't even get to practice my flute today. Anyway, I say all of this not because I want a sympathy vote or for people to have a scheduling competition with me (who is the busiest), but to remind you (and myself) to pray about the people you care about to not become controlled by their schedules, because I surely would love the prayers! Love you guys!

New Book

I am currently reading the following book:
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers: Why Is The Gospel Of Love Dividing America?
By: Dan Merchant

Basically, the author goes out on the streets in America in a suit with all different kinds of bumper stickers pasted on, and asks people simple questions about what they think Christians in America are known for as well as how the earth began, etc. This book is not just so he can bash Christians (he is one himself), but to see why Americans in general do not engage each other in topical discussions. He talks about how we would rather give our own points of view (such as on a bumper sticker) and not listen to someone else's take on different issues. I would definitely recommend this book even though I am only 50 pages into it.
The topic of this book really gets me thinking, because everyone has opinions about political, religious, and social issues, yet not many people are willing to truly listen to someone else's point of view and take the person seriously.
How different would the world be if we took the time to love one another by engaging each other and understanding where people other than people like us are coming from.
:)

Doctor fiasco amongst other things

So I definitely took the doctors in Sugar Land for granted. Growing up, your mom makes your dentists appointments, and whenever you got sick, the nice family practitioner could usually fit you in that same day. In California I have had a hell of a time finding trustworthy, timely, and good doctors and dentists.
When we first moved here, I found a dentist that was on our insurance, but they decided that I needed the deep cleaning that require us to pay the deductible and also told me I had a cavity under sealants and two other cavities. I talked to my old dentist in Sugar Land that cleaned my teeth since I busted my mouth on the piano bench when we first moved into our house when I was 3, and he said that the only people who need the deep cleaning are people who haven't seen a dentist in years. I have gone faithfully every 6 months of my life! Anyway, he also told me that a cavity under a sealant is virtually impossible...I mean the point of it is to seal out cavities!!!
I finally decided after a year of this torment and being lied to that I will try a new dentist. I am going to send Jared as the guinea pig in May! I hope all goes well with the new dentist...he got good ratings on 1-800-dentist...I love those commercials...that guy is so funny.
Also, I have been sick for over a week (for the second time) now as you can see from previous posts. I decided to call a doctor that I had given my information to a while back, but ended up cancelling the appointment because I got better. I called them last week and the lady I spoke to on the phone was the rudest person I have ever spoken with on the phone. I told her she was being extremely rude and I was going to call elsewhere...she promptly hung up on me. For some reason when I hung up the phone I just started sobbing uncontrollably. I called Jared and he was so sweet and calmed me down. I guess I had just had it with the medical system here, and had to let it all out.
Needless to say, God provided us with a walk in clinic (which is very convenient) that I went to on Thursday and Jared went to on Sunday. You have to wait a little while, but you can see a doctor the same day you need treatment. I still have some sinus, but overall, I feel much better. I am waiting to be completely healed and not have to be blowing my nose and coughing all over the place!
Aside from the doctor fiasco...it was 95 degrees outside this weekend in LA! Not Cool! (literally)...It is cooling off today, but we thought we were going to die in our unairconditioned apartment! We are proabably going to buy a little portable air conditioner the next time it gets super hot!!!
Our landlord also raised the rent, and we negotiated with him to get new carpet (which is 6 years old and he told us it was 2 when we moved in)...and he is hopefully going to put them in soon...
Well, this might not sound that crazy to you...but I am glad that most things are resolved or on their way to it!
Have a great Monday! I am cleaning and about to go play the flute at school!!!!

Long time, no blog

Hey people who read this!

I am sick again with the same sickie germs I had three weeks ago! Jared got it and gave it back to me! I had to pull myself out of bed this morning for a summer job interview (which went really well), and now I am contemplating taking a nap or going to get my oil changed and my brakes checked bc they are squeaking...Anyways, I am hoping I will get well soon, bc I want to practice my flute without wheezing and coughing every five seconds!

Also, Is it just me, or is everyone getting pregnant? Thoughts on this phenomenon? I guess we are all growing up and this is the time of life for the next ten years or so for that to happen!

Adios...time to get well..DayQuil here I come!

Easter...

So I definitely dropped the ball this Easter with not planning ahead on what we would eat after church! I guess I was just thinking we could eat at the food court of the mall that our AMC theater is in that our church meets at. (we eat there most Sundays...it is a very nice food court, not the typical taco bell/mcdonald's ones). Well, it was closed, but there was one restaurant open (a Brazilian place)...it looked good but it wasn't...It just didn't feel right not to have a large family gathering at someone's house with a ham and and other delicious things...All of this to say, I think it just reminded me how much importance I place on the activities of the day, rather than the meaning of the day! The music on Sunday was very meaningful and fullfilling, and the service reminded me of Jesus' ressurrection from the dead and all of His righteousness that was placed on us by way of the cross!! I am so incredibly thankful for the reminder, but I think next year I will plan ahead better to make a meal that our friends can enjoy with us!

Funny Questionaire

So someone tagged me to answer these questions...I thought they were cooler than your typical chain email questions! So here goes...

Where was I ten years ago?
Wow this makes me fell young...I was in 7th grade! Probably playing on the basketball team because it is spring time and finishing up with the track team at Lake Olympia Middle School. I was also wearing some sort of really cool outfit...like maybe some overpriced Dr. Martens and an awesome Abercrombie and Fitch shirt. I do not miss those days...even though they were fun!

Things on my to-do list today:
Pick up the dry cleaning and don't forget to bring the coupon!
Practice my excerpts/music for flute class and orchestra
Iron
Pick up a few items from the store
Read my new RealSimple Magazine :)
Eat the leftovers from a delicious Brisket I cooked Monday night!!!
Make something delicious for Bible Study tonight!

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?
I think I would try to save as much as a could. I am on a big saving kick right now! I know so many people right now that are trying to make ends meet...and people I have heard about through friends...so I would try to help out as many of those people as possible. I would also go buy a house on the beach and a new wardrobe!

3 of my bad habits.
1. Wanting to watch too much TV(and doing it)...keeping track of American Idol...I know...don't judge me!
2. Over analyzing silly things
3. Always picking up clutter in the house

5 jobs I've had.
1. Working at my Dad's office as an "administrative assistant" for many summers and holidays...i.e..make databases and buying my dad frozen yogurt! :)
2. Working at kids camps (Fine Arts Camp for my mom!)
3. Victoria's Secret when I was a freshman in college...mom...why did you recommend this job for me?
4. Teaching Flute Lessons! One of my favorite things to do!
5. Assistant to my flute professor at Cal State Long Beach right now!

5 Things you don't know about me.
1. I like sweets...many of you probably already know this!
2. I played soccer for 11 years growing up and haven't played in a really long time! I am thinking of joining a league for the summer out here! (possibly beach volleyball too)
3. I make funny sound effects to a lot of stuff! Even when people aren't around...I also talk to myself sometimes in the car
4. I like window shopping and imagining what I would buy...sometimes this is better than actually buying stuff. :)
5. This is the coolest thing about me...I count the sides of numbers and letters any time I see them...on billboards, signs, etc. I always count them by 2, 4, 6, 8, etc., and add on the odd number if there happens to be one...I guess I really like numbers. I would have been an accountant if I wasn't a musician. I bet it would be more lucrative, but not as creative! If you have any questions about the number/letter counting, I will be happy to answer them!

Spring time!

Birds of Paradise!
Outdoor amphitheater in Polliwog Park!
Palm Trees!
Cool Tree by the Manhattan Beach Historical Building!

I am so glad that spring time is finally here! Not to mention that summer is close, too! One of the best parts of being in California close to the ocean is that we don't have air conditioning in our apartment. When I was first looking at the apartment, I didn't even notice, and then a few days after we moved in, I was like, wait...there isn't central air/heat. This makes no sense coming from Texas! I mean, there are a few days (maybe a month) that it got pretty stinking hotttt last August, but with fans it was alright. (I will be buying another one this year!) The only downfall to the open windows with gorgeous sunlight and breeze blowing through is that you have to clean the dirty screens that trap yucky mold and dirt from coming into your home. I just cleaned them today, and feel like I can breathe so much better. Part of the problem was the fires that blew through California in the late fall. There was so much ash and dirt in the air and it stuck to the screens. Anyways, I love not having a/c now, but come August, you should check back with me and make sure I haven't baked in my house! Above are some pictures that I took while I was talking a walk around our neighborhood the other day!

Going on a trip...sick

Tomorrow I leave on a trip with school to Sacramento...I was excited about making this drive to see a place I have never been before, but Sunday afternoon I got a really sore throat and that of course has turned into something else...So if you have any good ideas of how to get well from dang allergies/cold/aching body bring it on...because apparently Airborne is a crock and doesn't work. Hopefully I will have some pretty pictures to post when I get back Friday!