Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My sweet Marley died :-(



Weddings are apparently on my mind





I cannot WAIT to get married!!! 
I cannot wait to look at the man I love every morning .... or to live my entire life with him ... or knowing that this man makes me happier than anything else on the planet. Yes, there are quite a few more things I'm looking forward to when I get married and more things why its so hard to wait; after all, I am a female ;-) Maybe its just the thought of having a wedding, or holding my darling, or dancing with him. I believe it is a mixture of things. 
 Again, I cannot wait to get married. Just thought i would share this bit of information! 


The above picture is one of my friends who recently married -  they are adorable :-)

Right below is my FAVORITE tv couple ever :-)










Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Rain and English Class

Rain, rain, rain .... go away please :-(

I am in love with this winter and the Christmas season. However, I am not liking the rain! Cold, wet days are no fun at all. Not during December especially. Rain is wonderfulWalking to class at 8:00 this morning was awful as I was trying to dodge the rain, the cars, the mud, and the wind. Not to self: get rain boots ... ASAP. The South is no place to not own a pair of rain boots. Seriously.

Class .... fun, fun. Not really. Math was fine; we reviewed a whole bunch of junk for our final exam tomorrow. College Algebra is an adventure in itself ... as is Anatomy and Physiology ... but especially my English class. Ug! I am SO readyy to be through with the class and this instructor. I have learned a lot about respecting your college professors even if you do not agree with their opinion or what they are saying. I somehow have to kep my feelings and opinions out of conversations. Let's just say its rather hard at times.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Current Adventures ....


     My brother in law is currently in the hospital with ADEM; a case that comes on rapidly, shuts a person's body down, then leaves them to recover ... my sister is there with him. My nephew, their 1 1/2 year old son, is here at my home. My brother in law continues needing a lot of prayer, however he has been greatly blessed so far with many prayers, words, love, and so much more. Praise God!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

MacDowell - First Modern Suite: Praeludium

New piano piece I am starting to play.... Love it!!

Pictures that make me happy....





Friday, September 18, 2009

Music Videos....yet again

"Revelation Song" - Kari Jobe

"Knock You Down" - Keri Hilson, Featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo






10 Traits You Should Possess if You Want to be a Good Photographer

photofocus.com

Both Rick and I have recently posted on what makes a good photo. But what about the other side? What makes a good photographer? See how many of these traits you possess.

1. You need passion. You need to be obsessed with getting the shot. Not just any shot – THE shot. In other words – you need to think about, dream about, talk about and live photography.

2. You need to be dedicated to the craft of photography. This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert. It means you need to be dedicated to BECOMING an expert. No matter how long it takes.

3. You need to be a story teller. Story telling is at the heart of good photography, accordingly, good photographers need to be able to tell stories with their cameras.

4. You need to care about your subject. You need to be a subject-matter expert, wether it’s birds or people or cars or waterfalls. Good photographers learn all there is to know about their subjects BEFORE they pick up a camera. Always photograph your subject as if it is the only way it will be remembered throughout all time.

5. You need patience and lots of it. You need to be willing to practice and study often. You need to be willing to search out or wait out the light. You need to be able to sit in a blind waiting for that next bird or sit on the corner waiting for that next perfect subject. And you need to be willing to invest hours, not minutes in those pursuits.

6. You need a sense of wonder and imagination. You need to be curious about everything you photograph and then you need to be able to play with that curiosity to see what you can come up with.

7. You need to share. You need to be willing to pass on what you learn willingly to others. You need to show your photos to everyone. You need to protect and preserve for others all your important photographic memories.

8. You need to be the kind of photographer who makes OTHER people want to become a photographer.

9. You need to try a little bit harder than the next guy. The good photographers wait an extra 15 minutes for that perfect sunset color. They study their manual at night even when they are tired. They spend money they don’t have to attend workshops and buy books on photography. They go the extra mile…and then they do it again.

10. You need to develop a recognizable style – even if that style is – no style!

Wow! What a list. Re-reading this it looks like it’s hard to be a good photographer. Guess what – it is. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would be a good photographer.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Music Vids.

Remedy Drive - All Along

M.I.A. -
Paper Plans .... this song just makes me laugh. It brings back memories as well haha .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqlY0VOFtyA


Tenth Avenue North - You hold My Heart


Monday, July 13, 2009

More pictures...



Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Pictures!!! (Cause you know I love em)







Thursday, June 4, 2009

Random song of the day :D

Keith Green - "Make My Life A Prayer To You"

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Fried Rice

I enjoyed a beautiful day of laying out at the pool and swimming yesterday...but with me and my brilliant brain, I forgot sunscreen in a few places which caused me to be somewhat burnt on my back. Bummer. But at least I got to have a fabulous time enjoying the start of summer. The 7 puppies we have (about 2 or 3 weeks old now, I believe) are now walking! They are adorable. They have their little eyes open, and now instead of them scooting around they can actually walk =) I was given a free ticket to a Casting Crowns concert....backstage pass =D =D =D Talk about awesomeness. Only thing is it's the night before my big test, and I'd get home veryyyyy late. So I'm debating whether I should go or not. Praise God that yesterday and today have been SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. One thingis, I haven't balled my yes out (Am I mispelling that word?? ... So what. No Princeton University Professor is reading this lol). I've watched more CSI episodes today than I have the past 2 weeks. Sad. I checked a lot into Nursing today. Yay. I get more and more exited about it just looking into school for nursing. Alright, again all I've done is just rambled. Sorry I'm bored right now. My family all went off to get root beer floats... and while I should be giving my dear dog (annie) a bath, I decided to ramble. But I suppose I better go do something worth importance. 

Monday, June 1, 2009

Randomness

I'm going to try to play, and memorize, the entire Pathetique Sonata. I've got the first movement down (gah, 10 mins long :-P), now for the 2nd and 3rd. I don't think they will be as hard as the first movement. My computer's hard drive crashed last week. Talk about a pain. There went all my pictures and photography that I was going to put in a portfolio for that photographer (the one I was trying to intern with...). It's okay cause now I can get a Mac :-D :-D Ooooooh Yesssss. Lego's are awesome. You should go buy a set and start playing with them... haha. They bring back so many child memories. I started thinking again about going into nursing. Then I had people tell me I should and I'd be good at it.... I'd love to become a nurse and be on the mission field as a nurse. But I guess it's whatever God has in store for me.

Okay, that's my rambling for the night. Lastly, here's my schedule for the week (which will probably change....):
Monday (today) - Babysit some awesome kids

Tuesday - Piano lessons, babysit, chill out at the pool, run
Wednesday - gym, and who knows...prob catch up on late bday gifts
Thursday - run, work
Friday - gym, study again for the last time
Saturday - TEST
Sunday - Church, wedding!! =D

"....If grace is an ocean ,we're all sinking..."

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Piano List

Soooo my days right now mostly consist of playing the piano. Such a life I lead :-p It's going on about 9 years (lol I think...). I LOVE music, specifically piano, so spending hours a day practicing and playing around isnt always that bad ;-) And just cause I feel like letting you know what I'm playing, I am writing a list. I'll try to find youtube videos so you can hear what the pieces sound like...

Nocturne in B-flat * Maria Syzmanowska
(Not on youtube .... mostly cause it's not very well heard of, but it is awesome :-))

Sonata in c-minor, op. 13, "Pathetique" (Movement 1 and 2) * Ludwig van Beethoven
(The first part sounds boring, but once you get to 1:30 it's all down hill from there :-) Although he does repeat which makes it seem SOOO long ... but watch the whole thing - It's beautiful!)



Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66 * Frederic Chopin


Sonata Quasi una Fantasia, Op. 27, No. 2, "Moonlight Sonta" * Ludwig van Beethoven



River Flows in You * Yiruma



Prelude I (1927) * George Gershwin



Hungarian Dance #5 * Brahms
(Duet with my teacher)



Nocturne, Op. 48, No. 2 ....



... and Op. 9, No. 2 * Frederic Chopin



lolol so there's a lot .... some I concentrate more on than the others, while some are for fun.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

His will, not mine...

It seems over the last few weeks as if my plans continue to disintegrate and crash, leaving me with the unknown of "what am I going to do?". I have had several opportunities open up, but it seems as if every time I start working towards starting the given opportunity something happens and it doesn't work out for me. Am I whining? probably. But it has just gotten my very frustrated and confused. I mean, for pete's sake, I cried at least 4 times last week... It's so rare for me to cry (unless I am on my period, lol - which I was not). It's driving me crazy... mostly because I don't like not-knowing what direction I am headed in (well I do enjoy some surprises too here and there ;-)), and because I am tired of always stopping and starting over again. So what opportunities have crashed? Here are some to list....

* Europe. - Had a chance to go for 5-6 weeks, not anymore :-( I LOVE traveling, and this would have been an amazing trip to do some more sight seeing, see old friends, and learn more french, ya-da ya-da...
* Being an intern for a photographer - GRRR. I really want to pursue photography. I love it. I love capturing God's amazing creation, people's emotions, ect. I had a chance to work with a wonderful and fabulous photographer who is local ....

* Working at a local church as a music assistant/music secretary as a part time job, M-Thur ....
* Probably i360 will not be working out too...

Okay, you get the picture .... there has been different things come up but stuff is not working out. I have been SOOO bummed and upset about it all. BUT ......

I was reminded today from a dear friend that it's not MY will but HIS (God's) will that needs to be done. So then it struck me - is God clearing the way for me to do something for HIM instead of searching out my own desires? Is God preparing the way for something huge that I might not have been able to do if I was involved in any of the above or any other thing I didnt mention?? And right now I am believeing the answer is yes. I think He is. I have been so caught up in ME, and what am I supposed to be doing, instead of seeking out what does GOD want me to be pursuing so I may bring glory to Him, o
r so I may be I lighthouse for His name? AND... In church we sang a hymn which again reminded me of HIS will not mine. And while I have heard this hymn who knows how many times (and it is also one of my favorites), it struck home yesterday....

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
There is also a verse that goes along with that:
Lamentations 3:21-23 ~ But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Rest of the 2008 year pictures...

SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER

DECEMBER


JANUARY

Monday, January 12, 2009

My year in pictures...

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCHAPRIL
MAYJUNE
JULY

AUGUST

2008 in Review -

This past year held a lot of life-growing opportunities and trials for me, along with some amazing memories that I will hold on to for a very long time. There were plenty of times where I felt helpless and alone but God let me know very quickly that was not the case. There were also many times where I messed up BIG TIME and like I could never fix what I did, but yet again God informed me that that was not the case either. I am constantly amazed at how incredible and loving and beautiful Christ is. He never ceases to surprise me with something :-)
Okay so here's a quick list of what went on this past year....
December 27th, 2007 - Let for Europe with MK for a 6/7 week trip to Europe; and as I have said before, it was a dream come true!!!
January 2008 - I LOVE Macs and Brioche and snow. I stayed with a dear family in Germany, but visited Luxembourg (several times), France and Switzerland. I didn't think about the rest of the world (family, boys :P, life, issues, problems, ALL of it) for most of the time ( ...until I received a strange email from a guy friend. GR. But he wasn't thought of most of the time). But it was such a breath of fresh air to get away from EVERYTHING. I was able to see all kinds of neat things in Europe. I think my favorite things were the Swiss Alps and, of course, the Eiffel Tower, and people who had a sense of style! lol...seriously. I came back feeling "trendy" ;-) Oh and for the first time I rode trains. I like them a lot - accept for the weird European guys that have to stare at you. ugh. It was a FANTASTIC time....especially with the world's best roommate and ping-pong buddy, MK =)
February - Alright moving on, I got back from my European expedition on the 7th. GAH I didn't not want to be home. Seriously. lol I remember MK and I trying to come up with a plan for us to stay a couple more weeks. Then when that one didn't work, we had fun trying to come up with another to not have to go home. Lol sad they didn't work ;-) Oh my, the funny times with me being jet-lagged. Getting up at 4 in the morning, then getting SOO sleepy at 6/7 in the evenings. Chris proposed to my 2nd older sister the beginning (i believe) of this month...yes while I was gone. They had a very fast relationship. Whatever works I suppose. During this month I continued trying to find out what God was wanting me to do...It's such a pain. I am hating the question "what are you doing after you graduate" cause I DONT KNOW!!! And while I desired to go to a certain school, later on I find out, this was not God's plan.
March - What a month....on some topics it was awful, others it was AMAZING. My oldest sister informed me that I was going to be an aunt in November - !!! I was very excited! I was very busy this month getting ready to graduate HS, my senior piano recital, piano guild, and piano festival...A LOT OF PRACTICING! I had to develop some endurance during the next coming months. I like the Enchanted movie too...lol. I've been VERY swamped with school work, especially math. Trying to keep up French!... Camping, "the office" marathons, and playing in the rain.
April - GAHHHH. This was a month full of mistakes and learning experiences. I didn't enjoy this month very much lol, except for getting to go on a 4-day trip to the Okefenokee Swamp with dad and all the boys... we paddled 33 miles. My arms were killing me the following week. But yet another trip I enjoyed greatly. Had to get Senior Portraits done. I don't like them very much but OH WELL. "Build a bridge and get over it." Took a "Spring Break" trip down to FL to see J and A, lol poor A was so sick (morning sickness). It was fun, but very rainy :P
May - GRADUATION!!! Yay!! I was so ready to be done with School, as I am sure all seniors are during the last semester. But I still am not sure as to what I will be doing in the fall. Guild and my Senior Piano Recital all went very well! =) This is what I played for my Recital:
*Toccatina, Kabalevsky
*Prelude in B minor, Chopin - second favorite
*Sonata, Scarlatti
*Sonata, Beethoven
*Hymn arrangement
*Dawn, from Pride and Prejudice movie ('05) - this one was my favorite
And I was the 2008 homeschool Prom Queen :)

June - 2nd older sister and Chris got married on the 7th ... I am so happy for them! I've had a lot of "1st timers" recently...lol and I've felt like an idiot too. haha. wow. I've been doing a lot of Gourmet cooking the last few weeks...It's a lot of fun and I enjoy it.
July - My bday =) spent up in the Appalachian mountains in WVA...AMAZING and very beautiful! I know that God does not want me at TFC this fall...that was hard to face. But I know that it's for his plan. And July 4th was spent over here with everyone... good times :)
August - My amazing friends surprised me with a bday party .... !! It was VERY sweet of them! They did a very good job keeping it a secret! Mom and Dad gave me my bday/graduation ring - Blue Sapphire with White Sapphires around it. I love it and it's beautiful!! The couple MK and I stayed with in Switzerland came for a 2 week visit - I loved getting to see them! I started working on Pathetique mov. no 1, Beethoven. I Love it! I've already played the 2nd mov but wanted to get the first one. It's very different, and very difficult, but it's also beautiful.
September - J and A's Wedding anniversary (2 years) was the same day. I will be staying home for the fall :-( I am trying to learn how to be content with where God has me. I am struggling a great deal with being submissive. gah it's rough to learn. ADD Now weekend at CBC - Olive and I were leaders of the CBC girl middle school group. I greatly enjoyed getting to share with those girls and to let Christ have his way in all of their lives...and he most certaintly did! Oh yes, and 2-week beach trip =)
October - Yay for fall weather! Although, it's been a little hot so far. But the trees are turning colors and showing God's amazing handiwork - My favorite time of the year!
November - Gabe DM was born the 7th =) I am an aunt...J and A are doing wonderful! They are going to be awesome parents!! 1st time voter! Although, I am not a fan of either candidates for the presidency  This country is not going to do so well.
December - I enjoy being an Aunt!! Christmas and New Years was quiet and different, but good. 
January - So far the New Year as been very good and prolific. I am more content, but I am also looking into different opportunities that the Lord has opened doors too. I am so excited to see what is in store for this year and what will go on, although I know there will still be plenty of trials and things that will come up, but I continue looking to Christ as number one and not let things, or people, get in my way. Joshua 22:5.
SOOOOO, after that very long post, that was some of my year in a nutshell. So much more went on that I would like to go into and share but not right now. I'll do a better job this year about blogging more often!!! Goodbye and God Bless!!!