Having the Time of My Life

Perseverance

2011-03-24T23:15:00.002-07:00

I would like to say that I am a perseverant person, but in reality I think that the "am not" list is longer than the "am" list. Granted, there have been things that have happened in my life that have been extremely hard to get through and I've gotten through them. But I have stated to notice a pattern in my life that I am determined to change: The effort I put into something is solely based on how long it is going to take me to do it, and how much effort it is going to take to make it happen. This observation about myself is so ridiculous! I limit myself so much because of that. Now this observation makes me sound like I'm lazy and that's not completely true, but I have gotten used to things coming easily to me, not really having to work super hard for what I want. I need to change! I need to be more self-disciplined and set higher goals for myself. I read a quote today on perseverance that kinda hit home for me and it says:

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~Earl Nightingale

This quote is so true! I am going to take it to heart and make the most of the time I've got. I want to persevere!

Miss. Canary!!!

2011-03-22T18:14:00.003-07:00

HAHA! Oh my goodness! Today there was a boy in the class who forgot my name and he accidentally called me Miss Canary! It pretty much made my day! This student is a riot, always performing and acting silly in front of the class. Everyone loves him and to be honest he reminds me a lot of my brother Josh. Just a huge ball of fun and goofiness! He actually apologized to me later in the day because he felt so bad about forgetting my name. I told him that I loved my new name and that made him pretty happy, so now I think that at least to one little boy in the world, I will be known as Miss Canary. :)

Being Grateful

2011-03-22T17:39:00.003-07:00

I have an internship at an elementary school in a third grade classroom. I LOVE it! It is so rewarding to go into that classroom every week and see students progress and learn valuable concepts and tools that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. It has been interesting as I have observed these students to see their different personalities, what makes them who they are. Of all the experience I've had in a classroom thus far I think I've learned the most this semester. I have had to deal with and figure out issues that I never even knew could exist, and rack my brain to find ways to help these kids succeed. My mentor teacher is definitely there for the kids and she has taught me so much about doing right by them and making sure they have all the tools they need to succeed in their education.

There are a few boys in this class that like to hang out with me and talk. Some of them like to tell me about all the "cool" things they do, the latest and greatest adventure they've had, the fun things they did over the weekend, but there is one boy who comes and talks to me and he sincerely asks me how I'm doing. He asks me if I'm enjoying my day, what I like to do. It is so cute and sweet. This particular little boy has a really hard time with math and reading. He has some of the lowest scores in the class, but he really does try. I would have never guessed that he would be one of the struggling kids in the class because he acts so much older than his age and he has a huge vocabulary like no third grader I've ever met. Today my mentor teacher told me that this little boy had finally been placed in a special ed math class to help him out. He goes for 30 minutes every day. After he got back from his math class he came to the back of the room where I was sitting and asked me how my day was going. I told him it was going great, that I was having a lot of fun. He smiled and said he was glad. Then he put his hands on the table in front of me, he looked up at me and I could tell he wanted to tell me something, it was almost bursting out of his little body. He said, "I am so glad that I am getting help with my math! The teachers in my new math class are really good at helping me understand the problems and I am getting so much better! I told them that they were doing a good job." He was absolutely beaming with pride and I told him I was so proud of him and his choice to work hard even though math was a little difficult for him. He said, "Thank you," and went back to his seat to finish off the assignment they were doing. I was about speechless and so touched by his perspective. Later, I was going through a comprehension test with all the students and talking to them about the questions they had missed and why. We are trying to prepare them all for the AIMS test next month so we want to make sure they are understanding key concepts they'll be tested on. This student was one of the kids I needed to talk to and he had gotten a lot of them wrong. I pulled him back to go through the test with him and as I was explaining it I could see a light bulb go off in his head. He started answering questions before I even finished asking them. It was kinda cool! After we finished going through the test I asked him to grab another student for me. He started to walk away but then turned back around, came over to me and said, "Thank you so much for helping me understand that better." WOW! No one does that! Especially not a third grader! Most kids don't really like being "different" and being pulled out of class to get "help" but he was just so grateful that he was getting better and that he was starting to "get it." It just made my heart happy to see him so proud of himself and his accomplishments.

That story encompasses the main reason I want to teach. I want kids to be able to reach their fullest potential. I want them to feel satisfied and happy with the things they are accomplishing. There is no reason why any child should not have the opportunity to feel good about themselves and feel like they have someone backing them up and helping them succeed. That's what being a teacher is all about! I love the feeling I get every time I go into that classroom. It's fantastic!

Commitment to being better...

2011-03-18T23:10:00.002-07:00

So as you may have well noticed, I have not posted on my blog for almost a year and a half! That is just plain pathetic! So as of now I am going to be better! It seems that recently I have had this incessant desire to write and to just put my feelings down instead of keeping them all locked up inside the scary empty space inside my head sometimes called a brain (though I doubt sometimes if I've got one). :) So even in the midst of my crazy and often cram packed schedule, I need to make time to do this!

GREER!!

2009-11-09T09:47:00.006-07:00

This last weekend my family and I went to Greer. And of course it was SO much fun! We went there for "The Capital Christmas Tree Celebration." Every year there is is a tree (among many others) that is decorated for the White House. This particular one will which will be outside the White House, was chosen from a forest right outside of Alpine while you're on your way to Big Lake. It was pretty exciting to say the least, especially for this small community. They made over 6,000 ornaments, cut enough trees for the inside of the White House (there were lots) and there were outside and inside decorations that the communities had made a sent as well. It was a HUGE task to take on but this little community rallied together and did an amazing thing! They had a special ceremony where one of the senators spoke, an elementary school sang, a high school performance choir sang, the mayor spoke, the forest service spoke, and cowboy poet got up and shared a Cowboy Christmas Poem with us. This cowboy impressed me probably the most because of something he said before he began reciting his poem. He said that he was hesitant to be apart of the festivities that day, and he wouldn't have done it at all, until he found out that the celebration was for a "Christmas" tree and not a "Holiday" tree. I appreciated that immensely! I had just been talking to my family in the car prior to getting there that I hoped it wasn't going to be called a holiday tree. I was pleasantly surprised!
The reason my family went was because my dad and Bashas' had a hand in helping with the event. Bashas' has a small store in Eager and we provided all the pies and hot cocoa for the event. We also gave a sapling pine to each family that was there. It was a really neat event! I was so glad to be a part of it!

The diesel pulling this HUGE tree

This is an 85' Blue Spruce. It was a beautiful tree!

The sibs at the ceremony! Love my brothers!

Josh, Cass, and I. These two are so fun!

Grandma and I!! I love her so much!

All of us by the Spruce

It was fun having Cass with us on this trip because she had never been to Greer before and we were able to show her a lot of our favorite places there and make some fun new memories.

All the kiddos

ME!

Preston wanted me to take some pictures of him for some new facebook profile pics. I liked em!

A little tantrum...just a little one...

2009-10-27T23:10:00.003-07:00

Alright, so I guess this may happen to every single person at some point or another but today it's happening to me. And may I add a disclaimer to this post: I don't think it attractive at all when people complain about being single, nor am I trying and get sympathy from anyone, I'm just sharing some thoughts that I am having at the moment. Alright now that that's out of the way (oh and this may be a little bit of a different side of the Brittney you know and love, but that's just because I have to get some stuff out too right?!)....

So just recently my brother started dating a really great girl! An amazing girl! I love her to pieces and have known her for a very long time. So the fact that my brother is dating this girl is not a problem, but to be completely honest it has been harder to deal with for my own emotion's sake than I thought it would be. I am so incredibly happy for the both of them to be dating, but I, especially as an older sister, am having a difficult time dealing with the whole "you're dating someone and I'm definitely-not-anywhere-close-to-dating-someone"...thing. Mind you, I'm happy! I really truly am! I'm working on things and reaching goals that are helping me become a better person, and I am truly grateful for that. So this is not the issue

I want a BEST friend. I have friends that I could give this definition to, boys and girls alike...but I haven't had the "best friend" relationship you get to experience when you date someone, in a really long time, and I need that sometimes. Just the sheer fact that you know someone will be there for you when you're excited, when you want to share something silly, and they'll laugh just because they know you so well. To talk about life, dreams, goals, to support one another, and to be the sparkle in their eyes. Those are priceless moments.

Someday it will happen. I know that. And it's ok that it's not right now. There is obviously more for me to do until then and I'm content with that. But I gotta tell ya, watching people that are close to you in relationships, when that's what you want too, is not easy! I have to say that I'm grateful for the gospel! It definitely gives you purpose and feelings of worth and fortification! We can do anything with the Lord and I'm grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, and where I fit in with all this amazingness He has created and planned for each of us!

Life really is good! Just had to vent! Hope no one finds offense, none was meant! :) I love you all! :) Keep smilin and "dreamin the dream"! I know I will! :)

In God We Trust

2009-07-20T12:45:00.002-07:00

I just got an e-mail that had this song attached to it. I thought this song was great! It's amazing to me that so much of what this country was founded upon is being pushed aside and as a people we are putting ourselves above God and believing that we have no need for Him in our lives. It's a sad reality in this world we are living in today.

I believe that the men who founded this country were inspired men and that they are men of God. Heavenly Father really knows what he is doing when he sends each of us down at specific periods in time. Our founding fathers were called to start this blessed country and to set a standard for the people who lived in it. We were sent here to stand up to the world and fight for the things we know are right. The things that this country was based upon. Prayer, service, a love of God, courage, and strength are things that this world is in lack of and we have the obligation to stand up for these values.

Enjoy this song! I hope it touches you as it did me.

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P.S. I met the piano player for this group when he came to Thatcher a few years ago to play for a group who wrote the album "Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet". One of the guys in the group is the son of one of my Mom's really good friends so we were able to go to her house after the show and talk with the group and he was so fun to listen to. He talked about alot of neat experiences he's had playing the piano for Diamond Rio and I was especially impressed by his endorsement for this up and coming group. They are all LDS, as is he and it was just a really cool opportunity.
P.P.S Another cool side note is that at the performance we were at I was asked to play the closing song for the meeting and I played on his keyboard and sat up on the stage with the group which was incredibly exciting to me! He even told me I played well! It was only a hymn but still! It pretty much made my day! :)

William Joseph's Piano Fantasy

2009-07-20T11:14:00.003-07:00

WOW! I had written this down to look at from one of my theory classes and I finally looked it up today! This is so amazing! I LOVE it! I could listen to stuff like this all day!

Grand Canyon Vacation

2009-07-13T18:09:00.016-07:00

WOW! What a fun vacation! Our family just got back from being at the Grand Canyon and exploring some areas around Flagstaff too. I went with my family and my grandma came with us as well. We had an absolute blast!

We left on Thursday and we went to Mantezuma's Castle and Toozigoot which were Sinagua Indian ruins. They were really super neat! I loved seeing how incredible the ruins were and imagining how these people must have lived. We also hiked Walnut Canyon which also has some Indian ruins we were actually able to go inside of and hike right along side. Walnut Canyon was absolutely beautiful. It was a great hike!

MANTEZUMA'S CASTLE

TOOZIGOOT

WALNUT CANYON

LAVA CAVE HIKE- This was probably one of my most favorite parts of the entire vacation! I LOVED LOVED LOVED hiking this lava river cave! It was seriously amazing!

The light from our flashlights was reflecting off the ceiling and it looked like glitter all over. It was so pretty!

This isn't all that important of a picture except that I couldn't believe how long my hair is!

This is where the lava cave had split off into two tunnels and we went to the right and it came to this point where the ceiling went down really low. I was the only one brave enough to actually crawl through to the other side. It was quite the adventure!

Beautiful Eyes...or at least Eye Brows! :) My mom and I had our eyebrows done at a place called "Just-Stringz" and it was a crazy experience! Anyways, we had fun and were pretty happy with the results.

GRAND CANYON

ELK- When we were leaving the Grand Canyon there were Elk in the road! It was crazy! They were'nt afraid at all! What beautiful animals they are! My dad and I got out to take pictures and they were across the street from us. We soon realized that there were some directly behind us and it scared me half to death! BUt is t was pretty neat to be so close to these huge animals.

My Last Vocal Recital!

2009-06-22T17:19:00.004-07:00

WOW! It seems crazy that I'm done with vocal recitals for the rest of my education! It's kinda bittersweet but definitely a blessing considering the heavy loads I'll have over the next few semesters at ASU! This last recital was definitely a ton of fun! I sang a duet with my best friend Jillene called "Sul Aria" (The Letter Song) and I also sang a solo called "One Kiss". It was so much fun to work on both of these songs!

Jillene and I singing "Sul Aria"

Mom, me, and Dad

My Grandma Chapman and I

My Grandma and Grandpa Jones and I

My friend Cassi came to see me!

One of my voice teachers, Kaarin and I after the recital. Yes I was crying! Realizing I was leaving was pretty emotional for me...I know...I'm a cry baby!

Temple Pics

2009-06-17T10:16:00.007-07:00

In January of my best friends got married. I had decided that I didn't want to give a traditional wedding gift like something from a registry or a crock pot or towels...it didn't seem very symbolic to me of the happiness I felt for him and his eternal companion. A towel said nothing to me in the way of sentiments so I decided to do something completely from me. I decided that if I were to get married I would want pictures in my house! Pictures of things that were important to me and symbolized my life, personality, goals, and happiness. What better to take a picture of than the temple? And what an appropriate occasion. I had a vision of what I wanted it to turn out as so I went to the temple and took pictures for about an hour all over the grounds trying to get my perfect shot for what I was envisioning. I knew that I didn't want it to be a traditional front view of the temple and I new that I didn't want to see the whole temple. I wanted it to be from a different angle than you normally see, so I took lots of pictures! I found the ONE in all those pictures and I was so excited! It was perfect! I had to go to a printer to get it done because I had it made into an 11x14 picture. I made it a sepia color and it really gave the effect I wanted! I was so excited about it! Anyway, it turned out exactly the way I wanted it to! I was pretty pleased with the results! By no means am I a photographer so it isn't perfect or edited in any way besides being changed to sepia, but for me, I was pretty happy! My friend loved the gift so that made me really excited too! Anyway, here are some of the ones I liked and then the last two are the original picture and then after I changed the color.

This is the ONE! I love how it turned out...

I took this picture on the baptistry side.

I took these about a week later when I went with some friends to the visitors center. It's hard to take pics at night! I didn't know that until I started taking them! I'll bring my tripod next time!

I like how this one turned out despite the people and the golf cart in front of it but that's ok!

This one is a little blurry but I still like it a lot

Babysitting my sweet cousins!

2009-03-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

I know I seem to talk about these girls a ton but I just adore them and I had a neat opportunity to babysit them for a few hours while their two older sisters and parents went on a hike. They were too cute! Preston and I had a lot of fun with them!

We started out the morning with Dora!! Bailey was so anxious to be by me, it made my day! She is so sweet and her smile just melts you! She was so happy all day!

Going on a walk

Maggie found a dandelion in grandma's front yard. I thought this was so cute!!

Maggie wanted me to read her a story, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?..." She was trying to guess what each animal would see next. I loved it!

The couch made Bailey's hair staticy and we were laughing so hard at her! She just joined in and laughed with us! Too cute!

We went to the park and played for awhile. It was fun to watch Bailey try and figure out the sand under her feet. It felt weird to her and made me laugh when she tried to figure out what exactly she was walking on. Maggie was loving the slide and all the playground stuff. She wanted a picture with her head between the bars so that's what we did. Every time I took a picture of her she would run over and ask if she could see it. She would laugh every time she saw herself in a picture and say, "That's Maggie! She's so silly!" and then start laughing. I loved it! :)

Maggie on the Panda Bear! Ride him Cowgirl!

Bailey in her swing. She loved this!

Hot Air Balloon!

2009-03-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

So I walked out my door a couple Satudays ago and this is what I saw! How often do you see a hot air balloon in your neighborhood? I'd say close to never!! Funny thing about it is that this same hot air balloon is out every weekend and every time I see it makes me want to take a ride in one! I have pretty much decided that within the year that will happen! It was pretty cool to see this so close to my house!

A Fun Week With Great Friends!

2009-03-23T17:32:00.001-07:00

What fantastic friends I have! Seriously!! My friend Curtis was down from EAC for his spring break (the week before mine) and we had lots of fun doing all sorts of things that week! We had a lot of fun going to an Asian market and seeing all sorts of interesting things like avocado, purple yam, cheese & corn, green bean, and red bean ice creams....um, no thank you!! We played it safe and got mango, but maybe we'll be brave and try something new next time! :) We also went to my grandparents house and talked with them for awhile and had a fun night with them, we went to the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" which was absolutely hilarious!! I would highly recommend it!! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Then I met up with him and our good friend Mary-Anne at the temple after I got off work and we walked around and of course had to get Dairy Queen afterward! It's tradition! Then on Saturday we went to the Ostrich Festival with my best friend Julie. Oh what fun that was!! Then this last Thursday I went to the Cheesecake factory and had amazing dessert with my friend Jillene!! What a doll! Afterward we went to the mall and looked at cute formal dresses and fun jewelry and all that fun stuff that you definitely can't afford as a student!! ;) I had a great time all week with these amazing people and I just love them to death! Happy times!

Curtis and I

Mary-Anne(she is so amazing!)Me, and Curtis

Julie with an ostrich at the "Ostrich Festival"!

Demolition Derby!! I don't know if you even know what this is, but in a sentence it's a bunch of beat up cars that run into each other as hard as they can, trying to defeat each other in order to be the last one standing. We all agreed that we felt a little more redneck after watching that! What a crazy thing!

Julie and I waiting for the demolition derby to start

Curtis, me and Julie at the carnival

Jillene and I after going to Cheesecake Factory

I'M ACCEPTED!!!

2009-03-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! This last Tuesday I received a letter from the ASU School of Music and....I DID IT!!!! I am so incredibly thrilled that I made the ASU music program!! I can't even put into words how happy I was when I got that letter!!! There were happy tears shed, I will say that! I have truly been blessed!

Sweet Cousins!

2009-03-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

OK, I know that I talk about my family all the time, but how can I help it?! We had Sophie's 9th birthday party a couple weeks ago and we had so much fun! I took some cute pics of the girls that I wanted to post. I just love them to pieces! It makes my day when I get to see them!

Sophie- The Birthday Girl!

Emery

Maggie

Bailey

Mary Kay Fun!

2009-03-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Alright so I said in an earlier post that I had a Mary Kay Party and it was so much fun! Well this last Thursday we had another Mary Kay party and we talked about color and learned how to do different techniques with our make-up and stuff which I really enjoyed! I honestly don't know much about all that so i was excited to expand what little I did know. Some of us did crazy stuff we would never normally try, but others did everyday looks. It was so fun!! We had a great time!

Our lovely consultant Julie is talking to us about one of her fabulous products

Julie, Stacy, and I showin off the new looks. Stacy was trying to be a model...I don't know, she may need some work I think...

Me and my mommy!

Julie and I looking luscious with our lip liner on!

Group pic!

Dressing Gone Awry!

2009-03-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha! So today I got up and actually got ready which is amazing for a Thursday because I usually spend all night on Wednesday doing homework or waking up early to finish it up so I have no energy to look cute on Tuesdays or Thursdays. But I was able to get lots of sleep and then get up and actually find a cute outfit and do my hair and everything. Anyway, I left for school a little earlier than normal because I had a few questions for my teacher before class started. Well I pulled into the parking lot and my friend Jillene was just getting ready to walk to class and she saw me so she walked over to where I parked so we could walk to class together. Well I opened my door so I could talk to her while I was gathering my stuff and she all of a sudden stopped talking and started kind of giggling, "Uhhh...Brittney...I think that your shirt is inside out..." WHAT?! Sure enough my shirt was inside out. I started laughing pretty hard and thought, "of course that would happen this morning when I was feeling all good about being ready and stuff...oh my!" anyway, we got a pretty good laugh and then I went a switched it outside in. I was just shaking my head at myself the whole time. I don't think I've done that since elementary school! Ha ha! I love when things like that happen! It makes me just remember that not everything is serious and we can laugh when we do silly things. :)

A Very Good Weekend!

2009-02-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

WOW! This last weekend was full of so many different things! I had a blast! I started out the weekend with a Mary Kay Party with some of my girly friends. It was fun! We had a great time! I was able to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a while and it was just a fun time to be a silly girl!

Then I worked all day Friday, from 10-7, but I was able to learn some new things at the store to help out on the front end and stuff. I had fun learning how to do U-Scan (self-checkouts) and I was able to help out the cashiers and courtesy clerks. I definitely miss being up in the front of the store helping customers! I loved being a cashier when I was in Thatcher! I just love being able to talk to people and interact with the people I work with. In the Cub House I am in a little glass box and I can't really leave and interact with anyone besides the kids. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and I love being with the kids I work with! It is so rewarding and lots of fun, but I have to admit that I do miss the adult conversation sometimes. So it was a nice break for me to be able to work the front end on Friday.

Then on Saturday I was super busy! I woke up at 6:30 and got ready to go to a service project that our Relief Society was doing for our enrichment night. It was awesome! We went to a domestic violence shelter and helped for about 2 hours and cleaned things up a bit. It was very rewarding and I am so glad that I did it! I was in the kitchen helping out and we were all supposed to sign up for specific jobs and no one wanted to clean the oven, so I took it. I was happy to do it though. Cleaning a stove, and the grill and degreasing everything is kind of important for sanitation and stuff! Let me tell you though, this was a BIG job! It was huge!! Two ovens, a 6 burner stove, and then a grill that covered the whole top of one over sized oven. All of it was cast iron. WOW! It was a lot of work but so worth it! It took me the entire 2 hours to clean all of that up but I felt so good after doing it! After I was all done the supervisor over our group came up to me and told me how much she appreciated me taking the initiative and doing that because it needed to be done so badly. I was just happy to be there. I have needed to get outside myself for a long time and I was just so glad for the opportunity to do something like that for these people who needed it so badly.

After I was down there I had to go home and get ready to go to Ben's Regional Choir Concert. It was so good! My choir director at the college was his director for regionals so that was pretty cool! They did a FANTASTIC job! Ben has decided that he is definitely going to take choir at the college the semester before he goes on his mission so that is pretty cool! I'm excited for him! I have loved being part of that choir!

After the concert I went with my family to my cousin's birthday party which was a blast! She turned 9 years old! I can't believe how old my cousins are getting! All of the girls in that family are absolutely adorable! I just love them to pieces!

We left around 7:30 and I had to get ready to go to a Young Single Adults Activity that started at 9. I was so tired, but I knew that I should go and meet some new people. I am trying to be better about getting involved in my single's ward and going to the activities that are going on! I definitely need to be more social! So anyway, I went to the activity and it was really fun! We went to Polar Ice and I went ice skating for the first time! It was exciting! I think that I will like it even better the next time I go because I was just trying to get used to it this time, but I really did enjoy myself! And another cool thing was that I was able to see alot of people from my hometown and that was fun too! I really enjoyed being able to catch up with people and meeting some new people too! There were 750 people there! Insane! I was pretty proud of myself for going and it ended up being alot better than I expected it to be! Plus, I go to do something I have never done before which is always exciting and fun! :)

Newlyweds

2009-02-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to post anything about Ricky and Sorena's wedding yet! I was waiting til I could get some good pics on here first though. The wedding was awesome! Sorena and Ricky looked fantastic and everything went really well!

We spent the night before the wedding getting everything ready for the reception which was fun! It was definitely a lot of work but it was great for all of us to be there together getting everything set up! It was so pretty! Sorena's colors were green and white. They had tons of plants with a garden scene, a gazebo that the cake went under, a trellis for their line backdrop, and they had a drop ceiling done as well! It was just so pretty! I really liked it!

The day of the wedding was fun! My mom was asked to take their wedding pics and so we went around the temple taking a gazillion pictures after the wedding which was really a lot of fun! I enjoyed helping out and coming up with poses, carrying Sorena's dress every time we moved around somewhere :), it was just really cool to be with both of them. They were so excited and happy!

Anyway, here are a few pics that I just really loved of them!

This pic (above) was taken by my Uncle Brett, but all the rest are ones my mom took. She did a fabulous job!

The reception was a blast as well! My goodness! It was a party! That's all I gotta say! Tons of dancing and food and fun! It was just a great time!

ASU Music School Audition

2009-02-08T17:14:00.001-07:00

Well, yesterday was my audition day. As you could probably tell from my earlier post I was pretty nervous about it! I had good reason to be!!!

On Thursday I had my last voice lesson before the audition and it went HORRIBLE! I'm not just saying that because I had high expectations, it really wasn't good at all and I walked out of that lesson feeling very very frustrated and discouraged! I had had a previous lesson on Tuesday and it was AMAZING! I felt so excited after it and felt pretty confident but my feelings of confidence were dashed to bits after Thursday. I was driving home from my voice lesson and was just really getting down on myself. The rest of the day seemed to not be so good and on top of that I was not feeling well at all! I slept for a little while and it seemed to help but I was still pretty nervous about what was going to happen on Saturday. I was chilling out with my family that night and I got a phone call from one of my really good friends. He was on tour with the EAC choir and he called me from Provo after a performance they had done. He was so excited and I was excited to hear from him. After he told me where he was at, he told me that he didn't have a lot of time to talk because he had to get to the buses, but he said, "I know that your audition is this Saturday. How are you feeling about it?" First of all, I couldn't believe he remembered, second of all I couldn't believe he was taking the time to talk to me about it since he was obviously very busy, and third, I was just so grateful to be able to talk to someone that cared and was willing to listen for a minute while I vented. After I gave a condensed version of my day and how i was feeling he told me I didn't need to worry, that everything was going to be fine. He told me how talented I was and that I had a wonderful gift. His words meant the world to me. I needed them at that moment. I immediately just felt something lift from my shoulders and I felt so much relief. He was right. I asked him about some of the things they were doing on choir tour and he just cheered me up with his excitement and encouragement. Then before we got off the phone he told me that he was praying for me and that everything was going to be ok. I was about in tears at this point. Heavenly Father really knows us so well! I was so grateful for that simple phone call. In all, we didn't even talk for 5 minutes before he had to leave, but that simple act meant more to me than anything. I am grateful that he took that time.

Friday I spent my day running through my songs and practicing a piano piece I had to have ready as well. I felt ok, but still nervous. I got a blessing from my dad that night and I went to bed early and I was feeling ok about things. I slept really well (which I was very grateful for!) and woke up at 5:30 and got ready and did vocal exercises and practiced my songs a little bit. Then my dad and I were off to the audition! My dad talked to me the whole way there but my brain was just reeling with a gazillion thoughts about the day and all the "what if's" and so I didn't really say a whole lot. I was so grateful that my dad was there though!! He proved to be priceless for me all day! He was like my personal assistant, there for me through everything I had to do and making sure that all the logistical things were taken care of for me. I really really appreciated that! So anyway, I checked in and then we went and found all the rooms I would be using throughout the day for the various tests and interviews and such that I had. After that I had about 20 minutes to run through my songs a couple times and do some more vocal exercises. Then I was off to the audition!

I was the second performer of the day! Advantage: my judges had fresh ears! I met my accompanist and we went over a few things that I needed from him. There was another girl that was also trying out for the music therapy program who had him as her accompanist as well and she didn't have anything prepared for him! It was a disaster! We were supposed to have everything in a notebook for him and just ready to go for him to play. She had copied pages only. No notebook, and he was a little frustrated. Then she said well I you can use my book, but her book was one that would not stay open easily and he began getting pretty annoyed with the situation. The performer before me had just finished her audition...I had to go in. Before the performer walked out he told the girl after me that he needed to run to his office to get his own spiral bound book for her songs. He ran down the hall, and got back just before they called my name to come into the recital hall! WOW! As we were walking in he thanked me for being so well prepared and that it really made all the difference. I was glad! I was even more glad that I wasn't the one who got him so upset! Not fun! Anyway, I then began my performance and I did really well! I was pleased with it! I messed up a few measures in my first song but i pulled out of it and corrected myself pretty well which I could tell the judges were pleased with. After I was done I walked out of the room with my accompanist who told me I did very well and my dad was outside the door. He had watched me through a little window in the door. He gave me a big hug and I was so relieved I was done!

After my audition I had sight singing to do. Outside the door there was a list of directions for what I needed to do once inside. It was intense! It started out by saying that the score of your audition and the score of your sight singing would determine if you qualify for any scholarship money. No pressure!! I was pretty scared at this point. Scholarships would be VERY helpful and sight singing is definitely NOT my strong point! It was my turn and I walked in and I had to sit at a piano. I was to read at least 3 examples, each two lines long, maybe 4 depending on how well you were doing. After I sat down I had to look at each example, tell the judge what key it was in, and the only note I had to go off of was the tonic pitch. No triad, no nothing other than tonic. WOW! that was different than what I was used to. The first two examples were both major and were pretty simple. The third example was in minor! Yikes! I don't like those! It made me laugh when he acted so surprised about me getting the key right. It was in B minor. He told that close to no one ever gets the minor keys right and that he was so glad I was able to recognize when it was a minor key. That was happy! So I got through that one a lot better than I thought I would. He then asked me to turn the page and go to the 4th example. Good sign! I was doing pretty good! Only this time, it was in triple meter and it was four lines long and it had a ton of accidentals! Oh boy! So I started it and I actually didn't do too bad! I was pretty pumped by how well I did! I walked out pretty confident.

After sight singing I had my music therapy interview. It went amazing!! When I first saw her I realized that she had been there for my audition! I was so glad that she had gone to watch me perform! We sat in her office and she asked me a bunch of questions, like what kind of music I liked, what instruments I played, she asked if I would sing a jazz song for her, why I wanted to be a music therapist. After some questions and talking she wanted me to sing a song for her while she played the piano. I had to choose a song from a huge book she had. I chose "Amazing Grace." Easy enough! Then she told me that she was just going to start playing and that I had to come in whenever I felt like it on whatever note I thought would be a good starting pitch (obviously going along with what she was playing). So I did that, nothing too hard, and then she had me improv some vocal stuff, just singing pitches that I thought would sound good with what she was playing on the piano. That was interesting but went well. Then she wanted me to play the piano for her. She wanted me to sight read a song, only the melody line, so I did that which was super super simple. I almost couldn't believe she was really asking me to do it. Then she asked me if I could read chord symbols. I told her I could, so then I played the melody and applied the chords in my left hand. That went really well too! She was impressed that I was able to do that. Good sign I guess! Then she asked me a few more questions and we were done. Before I left she told me that she felt I was perfect for the program, that I had all the skills I needed to be able to do well. I was so pleased! I couldn't have asked for a better interview! Another really cool thing she told me was that after I had performed at my audition she talked with the judges and they told her I would no longer need to take voice lessons at a college level. If I get in, I will not have that to worry about which I feel for me is a huge blessing! Some of my biggest stress as a music major are my voice lessons and all the time that it requires! I was so grateful for that!

After my interview I had a little bit of a break, so my dad took me out to lunch and we talked about how everything had gone so far. I was so happy! I was just thrilled with how everything had gone up to that point and the hugest part of my stress for that day was gone! After lunch I went back to the school and found a practice room for me to go over my piano song a few times before my piano diagnostic test. After I was done I went up to the room with my dad and we waited for a little while. But no one was around! It was weird! All day there had been signs on the places where we needed to be and there wasn't really anything on this particular room. My time for my test came and went. My dad decided to go downstairs to the check in desk to see if the room had been moved. I stayed there but my dad soon came to tell me that the woman who had sent me the e-mail with all of my rooms for that day had actually told me the wrong room number. I was supposed to be in a completely different building! AH! Being late to something like that is not good! So my dad asked her if she would go to the room and explain the cause for my tardiness so that I wouldn't get in trouble or anything which I definitely appreciated! As I got to the room the woman who had made the mistake was waiting outside the correct room and the person in charge of my test came out and she apologized for the mistake and everything was fine. I actually found it kind of funny. I wasn't that worried about it, and this was the last thing I needed to do that day and it was definitely the least stressful! I had already looked at the requirements for the piano classes and I had figured with what I knew already I would be put in the second semester piano class. Once I walked into the room my judge asked what I had been told about the piano diagnostic. I said that all I knew was that I needed to prepare a song for him. He said ok and told me to sit at the piano and play what I had prepared. I was pretty confident during my entire test which I think he was a little taken back by. He asked me to do a Major and a minor scale which wasn't difficult at all, and then he had me sightread an etude, which was ridiculously easy! Then I had to transpose the song down a fifth which wasn't that bad. After that he asked if I had ever played a melody with the roman numeral symbols underneath. (Ha! Ha! Kinda the same thing I had to do in my interview) I told him that I did and so he told me that he would play the melody for me and all I had to do was drop in the chord when it came up. Easy enough! So I did that and he told me he was pretty impressed that I was able to do that! I was excited! It was good! So I was put into 2nd semester piano as I thought I would be so I was happy about that! He asked me before I left if I still had my audition to do and I looked at him and told him that I was completely done and that I was so happy! He congratulated me and laughed at my over exuberance. I couldn't help it though! I was so happy to be done and I was even happier that I felt so good about how I had done! I was sky high!

So I should know in three weeks if I made the program! Yay! I am definitely anxious! No matter how good I feel about how I did, there were a ton of people trying out and there is still a chance I didn't make it, but we shall see! I find out three weeks after that, so towards the end of March, if I qualified for any scholarships as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!

I am so grateful that things went well and that I felt I was able to do everything to the best of my ability! It made everything go so much smoother! I was definitely blessed! I can't deny that! The Lord was really looking out for me and helping me to be at peace about everything I had to do. I am so so so grateful for that!

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

I just wrote this on Facebook and I thought it would be fun to put it on my blog too! It took forever for me to think of things to put on here!

1. I love zucchini cooked with caramelized onions!!

2. I want to be a music therapist and work with kids with mental disabilities

3. I got my ears pierced when I was 18, my mom thought that would be a nice present to me for my birthday. (Ummm...I was scared out of my mind!) She had to hold my hand while they did it and two people actually pierced my ears at the same time because I knew that if it wasn't all done at the same time, I would never let them do the second one!

4. I play the violin, and the piano

5. I love kiddy books!! Picture books rock!

6. I have had an interview on the news before!

7. I know you would never believe this, but I had to turn my "card" to yellow one time in the 4th grade for talking during a math lesson! I was mortified and had an emotional breakdown! My teacher felt so horrible for making me do it and she kept apologizing to me. Kinda funny now that I think about it!

8. I have written a couple of songs

9. Someday I want to make a recording of songs that I love and possibly some songs that I have written.

10. I have eaten cow tongue. Not too bad once you get past the "I'm seriously eating cow tongue" part!

11. I collect Phantom of the Opera music boxes. Phantom has been my favorite musical since I was like 8 years old! I want to see it on Broadway so bad!

12. I have been in an accident with a bear! Totaled our suburban!

13. I love the mountains more than any place on earth

14. I am scared of needles! Bad experiences! :/

15. My favorite restaurant is Mattas!

16. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Robin Williams, Will Smith, Megan Follows, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, and then the old greats like Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Danny Kay, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Gene Kelly (Oh man! my secret crush!) are some of my favorites to watch!

17. I have seen at least 7 Broadway shows on stage

18. The kids I work with in the Cub House at Bashas think I'm pretty cool! (who woulda thought?!) They give me lots of artwork and I like to keep it and put it on the door to my bedroom

19. I am in love with vocal jazz music!! Whether it be solo or ensemble, man...that stuff just gets me goin! I love the soul in it!!!

20. I used to play softball on a city league. My favorite position was left field.

21. I hate people looking at my feet! There's nothing wrong with them, but it is just weirds me out a little! Exception: getting pedicures! Now that is amazing!

22. My secret passion is interior decorating! I would really love to take a class on it to get more knowledge under my belt, but it is just so neat! I want my house when I get older to have different themed rooms. Like one southern style, one victorian/antiquey, one very lavish and elegant, one ethnic, one bold and bright colors...I don't know... a little strange but I want my house to be a canvas! I want to play!

23. I like to paint with watercolors

24. When I'm stressed out I color. I have an "Ice Age" coloring book right now that I use and I have to use crayons when I color. No markers!

25. I love when people give me nice notes! I used to tape all the notes people would give me on the back of my door and they make me happy! It's amazing how much a simple compliment or thanks can do for you!

So there you go! Kinda fun to think about what some people may not know about me yet! I pretty much divulge my life to the public, but hopefully there was something in there you didn't know.

Scary Audition!! =/

2009-02-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well everyone! I am finally having my ASU Music School Audition! Crazy! I can't believe it's already time for me to be doing this! I am so excited to be (hopefully) moving on, but at the same time, this is very nerve racking! It is nerve racking because this is the only school and only music therapy program I have applied to, so it's important for me to do well, and I also just have so much I need to have ready! I need two audition pieces to sing, which of course I have already prepared, and I also have a piano diagnostic which I'm not entirely thrilled about doing, and then I have an interview with a music therapy staff member from ASU. I know that everything will be fine. I have been practicing, I like my songs I'm doing, and I don't get really nervous when I perform, and I love talking to people, especially about something I love so much, but I guess the most nerve racking part is if I am not able to make it into the program. What if I don't quite have the skill they're looking for? Then what?! Oh my! Things are crazy! Pray for me! I'm gonna need all the help I can get this week!

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

I am probably one of the few people who doesn't watch the Super Bowl. It's ok, really! There's nothing wrong with me! :) My entire growing up life we have never been a family to watch TV on Sundays and if it is on at all, it's because there is a church video on, or the BYU channel. Since I grew up with that, it kind of bothers me to be in places on Sunday that are rowdy and where regular TV programs are on.

Today in Sacrament Meeting our bishop talked about how it's amazing that the whole world seems to be focused on the "Super Bowl" today. How one event gets so much hype and that everything seems to revolve around it. Think about it! Our schedules revolve around it, grocery ads, even our weekly Sunday Social we have every week after church was canceled because of the Super Bowl. It kind of made me laugh because I could really care less, but it is such a big deal to everybody else.

As I mentioned earlier my family doesn't watch TV on Sundays and we have never watched the Super Bowl. Well seeming how it is the Arizona Cardinals, "our team", going to the Super Bowl this year everything seems to have changed in regards to watching it. WOW! My dad and my brothers are watching it downstairs and they even have my grandma watching it, who I thought would be the last to crack! Kinda funny. I'm not down there though. I don't really want to start watching it, besides the fact that I really could care less anyway, I know nothing about football!

But I had a really good Sunday today at church which I think is another reason I'm a little reluctant to be in the rowdiness downstairs today. Have you ever had those meetings where you just really needed to hear what was being said, and you didn't realize how much you needed it until you were there listening? That was my day today.

I hate to say it but Fast Sundays in a Single's Ward are the hardest for me to sit through. I have always loved testimony meeting, but since I have been in the single's ward there have been some pretty interesting "testimonies" shared that kinda make me feel uncomfortable. My dad has been in a couple of bishoprics while I was growing up and he is a "By-the-booker", meaning that the church handbook is his best friend and that if something is not following those guidelines he fixes it right then and there. So growing up I have always heard stories about things being appropriate or inappropriate for sacrament meeting and so when certain things happen that I know are wrong, it tends to make me feel really uncomfortable. I know I'm weird!

Today's testimony meeting was not that way at all though. It was so full of the spirit and there were some testimonies shared today that I really needed to hear. I was very grateful for all my meetings today. I needed that spiritual boost this week! I really appreciated the things that were shared.

I just don't want to lose that spirit too quickly today. It was much needed. As our Bishop said today, it has been a "Super Sunday!"

Playlist!

2009-02-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

So I am excited and wanted to say that I finally figured out how to do a playlist on my blog!! Well I was excited about that! And I'm excited about my fun songs!! All are upbeat and all have stories behind them as to why I love them! Anyway, just thought I'd share!! Look at my playlist! It makes me happy! :P

Girls Will Appreciate These Thoughts...

2009-01-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

Alright girlies! Ever have those days when you get up earlier than normal and you just feel like getting ready extra special that day? And you finish getting ready and you know you look good? Your hair is perfect (why can't we get it to look like that when we really need it to?!), you've done your makeup beautifully, and you have the cutest outfit on, and you feel like a million bucks! Then after all this effort, you have absolutely nowhere to go and no plans, so it all seems for nothing! Bleh! That was my day today! I must say, I was pretty pleased walking out of my house this morning! A song comes to mind... "I feel pretty..." ha ha! At least I had school today, but there's not many people (er..uh..boys) to impress there though. And then I had work! Woo Hoo! Yay for 16 year old courtesy clerks! LOL!
Anyway, I just thought I'd share that frustration with all you females! I KNOW you understand what I'm talking about!! Do boys ever have these kind of days? Hmmm...

Sweet Sorena

2009-01-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

Sorena (soon to be) Casto

My cousin Ricky is getting married this week! Exciting stuff! His fiance's name is Sorena and she is such a great girl! She is super sweet and loves to have a good time! She absolutely adores Ricky and it is so cute to watch those two interact with each other! They are so funny! Last weekend we had Sorena's bridal shower and it was lots of fun! She was so cute with all the gifts she got, but I think we were all dying laughing when she opened her last present. My aunt Paula had a present wrapped beautifully for her and when Sorena opened it, this is what she found...

A hard hat complete with headphones, and a face shield! We were all cracking up because if you know Ricky, you know that he is just a little ball of energy and hyper activity! So the gift was meant as a way for Sorena to "de-Rickytize" whenever she needs to. We all got a good laugh from it!

Sorena decided to try it out when Ricky got home that night! Silly kids!

We love Sorena! She is so awesome and we are way excited to have her as part of our family!

A Special Dedication

2009-01-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday something pretty cool happened! My Grandpa Chapman, who passed away Oct. 2007, was honored by the school that he worked for. They were going to dedicate a tree to him and there was going to be a special program that the whole student body was going to be there for. My grandma, who is a librarian at the school, asked my dad and my uncle to say a tribute about him. I was excited about this. I was so close to my grandpa and I just thought it was so neat that his school was doing this for him.

There was also another tree to be dedicated which was for a boy that had gone to their school just a couple years before, went in to the Marines, and had died in Iraq just a few months ago. They had asked one of his teachers and his brother, who is also in the armed forces, to say some words in his behalf as well.

The program was laid out well. There was a choir who sang an old song, "The Embraceable You", and then my dad got up first. My dad is an excellent public speaker and can pretty much pull anything out off the cuff which I think is so awesome! Anyway, he talked about the man that my grandpa was and that he served as an example to everyone he came in contact with. It was a really neat tribute, very heartfelt and completely how I felt about him. Then my uncle got up and shared some funny memories he had about my grandpa.

After they were done, the choir sang another song called, "A Song For Unsung Heroes". Then the tribute for the boy at their school who had died, Juan, was given. His teacher said some neat things about him, but then his brother got up to say some things and he couldn't think of anything to say. He tried to say some things but nothing was coming to his mind and he just said that he really didn't know him that well and then invited one of his brother's friends to come up and say some words about him. I was so saddened by that. It shocked me that he didn't have anything to say about his brother. As I started thinking about that I started thinking about if I were put in that situation, would I be able to say some things about my brother? I know I would be able to. I know each of my brothers really well, we are so close to each other. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with each one of them! I can never imagine not having that close of a bond with them!

The more I thought about it the more I also began to realize how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life! I could tell that Juan's brother was having not only a hard time in finding the right words to say, but also in finding peace. The tribute given to my grandpa and the one given for Juan were completely different in nature. The one for my Grandpa was uplifting and full of happiness with the memories we had of him, and that the kids at the school had of him. I couldn't really say the same of the other. It was just full of sorrow, and it was hard to listen to. I am so grateful for the blessing that the gospel is! It is a huge source of comfort to me and I am so grateful for the happiness that it brings into our lives. It's wonderful!

My uncle and my Dad right before they spoke

The plaque in front of the tree

All of us by Grandpa's tree

Elder Chapman's Birthday!!

2009-01-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

Josh had a birthday last week too! He is now 21! What the junk?! I seriously feel so old! I'm really not, but it just seems weird that two of my younger brothers are getting to the same point in life as I am. Kinda weird actually!

My family actually sang happy birthday for Josh at breakfast the morning of his birthday! It was kinda funny and to be honest I was half asleep and had no idea what in the heck we were doing until I was half-way into the birthday song and had to think about who in the world we were singing to! Ha Ha! What a goof! Anyway, we love and miss him but he is doing so fabulous and I am just so happy for him and the things he is accomplishing right now! He was just called to be zone leader which has really kept him hopping but he is loving every second of it!

Josh is such an incredible example to me! I can't believe he has already been gone a year and a half! Time has flown but it has definitely been slow at times too! I miss my best friend, my "big" brother, and just having him around period! But I know the day will soon come when he is home and I can enjoy him all the time! I can't wait! The only thing I have to say is that he better not get married too fast! I will have none of that happening until I have my fill of him first! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER CHAPMAN!!

Benny's Birthday!

2009-01-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

Ben turned 18 last week! Crazy huh?! I can hardly believe it! He is graduating in a few months! We made the observation that Preston is now the only one in our family who is not an adult and that he will be the only child left in public school starting next school year! That was weird!

I wanted to do something for Ben so I took him out for lunch when he got out of school and then we went to the mall and got him a couple shirts! It was way fun! I just love Benny! You know you are always in for a good time when you're with him!

Later that night we had a big party with the fam (of course! When do we not make an excuse to have a party with the fam?!) and had a ton of fun! Happy Happy Birthday Benito!! You are so loved!

Of course there was a ton of food! Do you know us? P.S. I made those things on the oven! They are called jalapeno poppers! Oh man they are yummy!

Benny getting ready to blow out ALL the candles!

Me and my sweet cousin Bailey! Oh I love this girl!

Here's Benny and Mal! We had a fire going that night and Ben was making up goofy songs with his guitar! They were hilarious! Oh fun times!

Did I Mention...

2009-01-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

So have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE jazz choir?!?! I believe that whoever knows me, knows I love jazz choir!! It has become the love of my life! It was funny, tonight I was going through some pictures with my mom and we found this one and I thought, "WOW! I really am getting into that!" Nothing could be more true! I love that choir so much! I believe that this picture is of me doing an awesome crazy high, very fun solo. We sang "Lady Madonna" and it is by far my favorite one we have performed so far! Anyway, just in case I never told you....I LOVE JAZZ CHOIR!!! :)

Me singin a solo at "Jazz Night"

New Years Eve!

2009-01-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

More family time!! I had to pass up some parties to be with the fam, but believe me, that was where I wanted to be! We always have New Year's Eve at my Aunt Paula's house which is always a blast! We all like to have a good time! I forgot to mention in my last blog that Ben bought our family a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) for Christmas! We love that thing! It is so much fun! Anyway, we took it to Paula's house for the party and you should have seen us being crazy on that thing! Aunt Paula, Uncle Rick and my dad got on it with all of us kids too! So much fun!

Dad and Mal Pal dancin' it up!

Ben and Paula and Rick "Movin' It!"

We were definitely having a great time! We also played Quelf!! YAY! Oh so fun! My aunt Paula and Uncle Rick had never played it before so it was fun to get to do it with them for the first time! They were so funny! Somehow Paula got out of doing a lot of the crazy stuff, but that's ok! We'll get her next time! Mwah hahahaha! :)

Holding hands with the person you were sharing a space with on the board.

Doing the splits as low as you can go! Uncle Rick was pretty sore after this!

Doing a ballet dance for 30 seconds! Go Grandma!!

We played this up until midnight when of course we had the countdown, popped confetti everywhere, and drank sparkling cider and grape juice! It was fun!

Mal with her blowhorns! She even made up a little song for us with all three of those things! Ha ha! Silly Mal!

Cass and Me drinking our "mixers" Yummy!

Drinkin that sparkling grape juice!

Hugs all around for the new year!

Popping confetti and blowing the horns! Oh we love fun!

After that we finished up our Quelf game and then we hit the road! We were dead tired! So fun though! We had a great time together!

Christmas!

2009-01-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Christmas was wonderful this year! I probably say that every year, but it is so true! I really had some wonderful memories with my family!

Our family has a tradition every year to make something for one of our family members. I had Josh this year and I made him a book full of letters from people that he was close to and that have been influenced by him. It was a pretty neat thing to put together! I was amazed with all the letters that came in and how much influence my brother has had on so many people! We always open the presents on Christmas Eve, and my whole family agrees that after that night we could just do away with the rest of Christmas because of the spirit that we feel from doing that one simple thing for each other. One of the cool things that happened that night was that Josh sent a package home and sent Preston his gift which was a DVD. "A Day In The Life of Elder Chapman." It was amazing! We got to see Josh and it was so neat to watch him in his mission element!

Then we got our traditional Christmas Eve gift! PAJAMAS!!!

We had my Grandma Chapman staying with us that night and she read my brothers and I a Christmas story before we went to bed. I loved it! We love our Grandma and how she always makes us feel so special and we have created some amazing memories with her! Well Christmas Eve was no exception!

The boys and I stayed in Ben's room and we had lots of fun! The boys tried to get me into a video game but I am no good at them so they finally gave up and we watched "ELF" which I had never seen before. We finally got to bed at about 2:30 in the morning! Then our grandma woke us up at about 5:45. She couldn't contain her excitement either! We took our showers and woke up mom and dad. Then we lined up down the stairs. That's another tradition we have is that we all go into the family room together. No one peeks!

We had fun! My big gift this year was a digital camera! I was so excited! I haven't had a camera that worked for quite awhile now and i was so excited to get one! Plus it was hot pink! How could I not love it?! The boys got some gaming chairs that have speakers in them and a vibrator and lots of cool stuff. They were having fun with those all morning.

After we opened our Santa gifts, we got the best Christmas present ever! We got to talk to Josh!! It was so happy! I was so excited to just hear his voice! He told us that he felt like it was getting harder and harder to get off the phone with us every time he was able to call, but we were just so happy to be able to talk to him for the 45 minutes we had. He was shocked by how much Preston has grown up. He almost didn't recognize who it was talking on the phone. Preston is taller than all of us now except for Josh probably but when Josh left a year and a half ago he was still little, shorter than me! Then of course his voice has gotten lower and he is just maturing alot more too! Crazy crazy! It was awesome to talk to Josh though! He just lights everything up and we were all just so happy to talk to him!

Then we opened up all our gifts from mom and dad and then we got ready for the whole family to come over to our house for a HUGE Christmas feast and more opening presents! I love when my family comes over! It is always so much fun to hang out with them and be crazy and loud and fun! My favorite thing ever! It's just so awesome!

One of the neat things that happened that night was that right before everyone left my grandma had us all gather in the family room and she talked about some special gifts that she was going to give us that were form her and from grandpa. She had a beautiful bag for each of us and she opened hers first. It was a teddy bear that had been made from one of my grandpa's shirts. It was so special! Each one of us had a bear made for us that was sewn out of a shirt that we had each picked out as our favorite that grandpa had worn. We had done this right after he had passed away and it was so special to have something like that to remember him by. Each one even had a little pocket in front with a pocket notepad and a pen, which was my grandpa's trademark! He never went anywhere without that stuff! My grandma also gave us a picture of the two of them. It was a really special moment for our family that I will not soon forget!

We had a full day! It was so awesome to be with family and friends though! I just loved every second of it! Nothing compares to being with family!

Catch up time!!!

2009-01-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

WOW! I haven't written in quite awhile! Life has definitely been busy and I haven't had lots of time to devote to writing a blog post for awhile, but I'm excited to catch up a little bit! Well, the first big thing I remember happening since I last wrote was that my family went to DISNEYLAND!! So much fun! We spent a couple days there and we also spent a day at Sea World which was a lot of fun too! I really enjoyed both parks!

Here we are on Main Street at Disneyland!

I got to touch this dolphin! So awesome!

My favorite part of the day though would have to be when we got to touch the Bat and Manta Rays! I seriously could have stayed there for hours!

No matter how cool Disneyland and Sea World were though, I will never forget the experience we had as a family at the San Diego temple. It was absolutely gorgeous inside and the experience we had there was equally as beautiful and special! What a neat blessing and opportunity to go there all together!

Then that following Monday when I got home we had our first choir concert which was a blast!

My lovely Vocal Jazz Group! The Denton Dozen (Plus 4) :)

Oh Yeah! Ben got to sing the national anthem with his choir for the Diamondbacks Game! They did so so good!

Preston and I watchin' the game together!

Ben on the big screen singing his heart out!! (He's the one on the very end on the right side)

We went to Ben's amazing Madrigal Feast where he played the main role!! He did a fantastic job!

Preston had an incredible band concert! One of the best I've ever been to! He is only in middle school and his teacher is phenomenal! I loved watching Preston play! You could tell he loved the music they were doing and he was just having a lot of fun up there!

I had a Christmas concert where I got to sing a solo! It was so exciting! It was one of those solos that you always dream of getting and I got it! I was thrilled!

We moved into a new house in the middle of the crazy holiday season, so the first thing we had to do was, of course, put up our Christmas tree!

Things were a little crazy and hectic towards the end of the semester! There was definitely a lot going on but all of it was so good! I ended up with 3 B's and all the rest A's for my final grades in my classes and I was ecstatic about that! It was a very trying semester in the school department but with ALOT of hard work it all turned out wonderful! I am so glad!

Looking back on all these fun things I've been apart of this last semester has really made me realize how much I am blessed with an incredible family and I am so grateful that we are so close and that we love to support each other in the things that we do. I love my family soooo much! They are just my favorite people in the whole world!

Kids...gotta love 'em!

2008-09-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well, school has been a lot more intense than I had originally thought it would be. It's actually been a little stressful, and I'm definitely not complaining (it's good to be challenged!), but work has become a type of sanctuary from the rest of my crazy life. I actually look forward to being there and having fun with all the little kids that come in! I have one little girl who is there every single day i work except for Saturdays. Her name is Cassandra. She is 5 years old and she is so much fun! She LOVES to make me laugh! Her favorite thing to say to me is, "Brittney, you are such a laugher!" It makes me laugh even more. She is very extroverted and so she automatically assumes that other children should be just as friendly as she is. We'll have some really shy kids come in and she has a hard time with them not wanting to talk or play with her, so she'll come and ask me what to do about it. So I'll usually make a suggestion of playing a game or playing "tea party" to help them start playing together. It usually works and Cassandra always wins them over in the end. It is fun to be around her! Her favorite game is "Cooties". Did you know there was such a game? Well the condensed version of how to play is that you build bugs. She loves it and we have to play it every time she comes in. I always make mine with a tongue that sticks out. After we're done building them I try and make the bug "lick" her. She thinks that is the silliest thing and she just laughs and laughs so hard. Another thing she likes to do is see if she can scare me. She'll try and be sneaky and come up behind me and say "BOO!" But most of the time I'll turn around and scare her before she gets the chance and she'll get these really wide eyes and start laughing hysterically. I love it! She is just a bundle of fun! Her Grandpa (who is grumpy a lot of the time) came to get her right as we were laughing about something and he started laughing too. I had never seen him do that before!! He told me, "You are having just as much fun as she is aren't you?" I told him I most definitely was and he just nodded his head and said, "I like that!" It was funny that that made me so happy but I really was having so much fun with her!

A little boy came in to the cub house and his mom told him that he needed to watch out for his younger sister who was also coming in. He is probably 4 years old and his sister is 2. So anyway, he walks into the Cub House and he is so excited. He can't even get the words out of his mouth because he is stuttering so much. Can I just say adorable?! I'm sorry but I think that stuttering is so cute, I can't help it! He wanted to do the project so we sat and did it together while his sister colored a picture. Now, the project that day was "Edible Dirt" so every kid that came in was excited to make it. So I got him a bag with two graham crackers, and a couple of oreos. Then I got him a roller (more like a thing to use for hammering!) to break up the cookies to look like dirt. He loved it! He was goin' at it like no other. Then he told me that he needed to do his sister's for her because she told him she wanted him to (ummm...OK, seeming how she hasn't even talked to you the entire time she's been in here, but OK...), so he did hers too. After they smash up the "dirt" they get to stick in a couple gummy worms. He was just so excited about it he asked me if he could make his mom and dad one too. I just laughed and told him we needed to save some for all the other little kids that were going to come in later. He looked so sad when I told him that, so what do I do? I give in!! Who in their right mind could make a little kid sad like that? :) Anyway, so he did two more and then he wanted to start in on grandma and grandpa's dirt too. I finally had to draw the line, but it was so fun to see him get so excited about something so simple. That is the coolest thing about kids! They like the little things. I think that the most popular toy in the cub house is the birthday cakes. They are these little plastic cakes that have holes in the top for candles. That is the first thing to be pulled off the shelf, they just love it, even amidst all the really cool toys we have in there, they just want to play with the birthday cakes.

I love being with those kids! They teach me new things all the time. They teach me how to be silly and have fun, they teach me patience and understanding, and they teach me that sometimes less is more, the simple things are the best things. I just love being with them! They are all my little buddies and I love them to pieces!

Sustaining

2008-09-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a phone call just as I was going out to lunch with some girls in my jazz choir. It was a guy from my ward, Sam. He is the ward mission leader. I have gotten to know Sam a little bit and he just a really super neat guy. Very happy all the time, and he is very intelligent so it's fun to talk to him about things. Anyway, he called me and asked me if I was the visiting teaching supervisor for a girl in our ward who just got baptized. I was and so he asked me if I could help find a couple girls who might be able to go to a new member discussion that evening at the church, since she can't be alone with the missionaries. I told him I would so I got home from school with about 20 minutes to spare before I had to head to work. I started calling all the girls in my visiting teaching group and none could go, so I was trying to think of anyone and everyone I knew in my ward who could possibly go. I left lots of messages and told them to call me and let me know if they were available. I had to get back to Sam soon if things weren't working out, but I was determined to figure it out. I got a call from one girl saying she could go, and then a text from another girl. I was so happy that things were coming together for the discussion that night. I called Sam and left a message on his voicemail telling him not to worry and that I had it all worked out. He almost instantly called me back. I answered the phone and he just said, "Brittney you are my hero!" I just kind of laughed because I was just doing my calling and trying to help him out but he appreciated it so much. He just kept thanking me and then I told him that I would be more than willing to help him out anytime he needed something. For some reason that impressed him. But the thing that I got from this experience was the importance of sustaining others in their callings. We all need each other, that is for sure, but I haven't ever really recognized me helping others out as "sustaining" them. It was just kind of a cool realization for me. This is an incredible work that I am apart of and I am just happy to do anything it requires of me, because in all reality I'm getting more from it than I am ever really giving.

An AMAZING birthday!

2008-09-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

WOW! Talk about fun! This birthday was definitely one to remember! I'm now 22 years old! Holy Cow! It seems so weird to think I am that old! And looking back on things that have happened in these last few years since high school I have realized that I have done a lot! I have experienced many things and I am so excited to experience even more!

Anyway, my birthday was last week on the 3rd. The night before that I was a little sad I must admit. No, not with pre-birthday "oh-my-goodness-I'm-getting-old" blues, but I was just a little sad because I hadn't heard from Josh. I really wasn't expecting anything from him (he's on a mission for heaven's sake!) but I was still just missing him like crazy and wanted to hear from him. So I went to bed that night and my wonderful sleep was soon interrupted by a phone call at midnight! What in the world?! So I got up, rather groggily, and I saw that it was a number I didn't recognize. Hmmm...should I just ignore this call? Well I answered it and the conversation went something like this:

"Hello?"
"HI! HOW ARE YOU?!" It was a guy!
"Uh...I'm fine...how are you?"
"I'm great! Is this Brittney Chapman?" At this point I could hear a very heavy French accent...
"Yeeesss...Who in the world is this?"
"This is Elder Cheung!"
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you serious?!?!?!"
Lots of laughing..."Yeah!" Now an important thing to know is that Elder Cheung was a "mini-mission" companion to Josh. He was only with him for about two weeks. He is a convert of about a year and a half and he lives in France.
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe this!"
More laughing..."Well Brittney I have a message for you. I just left Josh today from being on my mini-mission with him and he made me promise him that this would be the first thing I did when I got home. He was very adamant about it. He wanted me to tell you that he loves you and that he feels really bad because he wanted to send you something but he knew it would never get there in time because the mail system is so slow here in France. He said to tell you that he hopes you have a wonderful birthday."
I was in complete shock! WOW! For Josh to even think of having him call me was so thoughtful! I couldn't even believe he had Elder Cheung do that! I just kept telling him thank you over and over. We had a great discussion about some of the things he had experienced while he was with Josh, and while we were talking he said, "Brittney, your brother is the man!! He is amazing!" I told him I knew that. I said, "I don't know if Josh has talked to you about his relationship with me but we are pretty tight and he has always been someone I've looked up to. He is amazing!" He told me about a girl that was baptized just that Sunday before, that Josh had baptized her and that everything he said was absolutely perfect and that everything went the best it could have possibly gone. He just kept telling me how wonderful Josh had been. It just made me so happy to be able to talk to him and to feel of the excitement he had. It was so neat! What an amazing way to start my birthday huh?! I was set! I felt like I was on top of the world and I was just so happy! My birthday was already perfect as far as I was concerned! I was so excited I ran into my parent's bedroom after the phone call and told my mom all about it! Of course she was way excited too! It was just awesome!

Then at 6 in the morning I woke up and had breakfast with my family, scrambled eggs with bacon in them, and English muffins! Yummy! Then I opened presents which was fun!

As I was walking out to my car later that morning to go to school I saw my car and wow! My friend Jillene had painted all my windows! It was so fun! It said things like "What a Babe!" "Honk I'm 22!" "Happy Birthday!" And then I had a "frame" painted on the driver's side of the windshield. It was so cute and how special was I?!

Then I got to the school and somehow everyone knew it was my birthday! Holy cow! Everyone was coming up to me and wishing me happy birthday and giving me hugs and making me feel so special! It was so neat! We started jazz choir that day so I went to that and we had a blast in there! Right before class I decided to treat myself and buy a "Naked" juice. Oh my! I love those things! Way too addicting! Anyway, so I went and got one of those, and was talking to everyone in the room before class started and one of my friends started to walk into the classroom. I was so excited to see him I yelled hi to him before he walked in and he smiled at me and kind of motioned with his finger for me to go outside with him. He was hiding something behind his back and he pulled me behind the door (which was open by the way). He said "Happy Birthday Brittney" and then he pulled these gorgeous flowers out from behind his back! What?! This doesn't happen to me! How sweet is he?! I couldn't believe he was giving me flowers! WOW! I just kind of half screamed half gasped in shock and just wrapped my arms around him and gave him a big hug and just kept saying thank you and that I appreciated it so much! He just kind of laughed at me and said "You're welcome" and we walked into class together. As I walked in I realized that everyone's eyes were glued to the door. Remember that the door was open? Well they pretty much heard everything I said and at least saw half the "action" I was giving him behind the door. I almost just started busting up laughing when everyone just looked at us like something was up. Ha Ha! Believe me! It was nothing! This guy was actually my husband in a play I did this summer and we had just grown to have a really neat friendship. Anyway, for some reason during class I was just on this super big high and I was just a crack-up if I do say so myself! I was just plain goofy! Even more so than normal, but it was fun! We had a great time in there and everyone sang me happy birthday. I just felt so special! Then I came home and my mom asked what I was doing the rest of the day. I didn't have plans til that evening so she asked if I wanted to go get a pedicure for my birthday. FUNNESS! My mom got me the deluxe package which came with amazing bonuses during the pedicure. It was amazing! We had 4 different massages on our legs! We had a salt scrub, a mask (it smelled like chocolate!), then they put massage oil on our legs and used hot rocks (oh my gosh! That was one of the greatest things ever!), and then they rubbed in lotion too! I definitely felt pampered! Then of course they did my toenails and painted on this amazing flower design with glittery stuff. They were just so cute! Then I also got a manicure! I can't even remember the last time I painted my nails! So that was a fun treat too! We had a great time together! Another fun part about it was that my mom had never gotten one before so it was a first time experience for her so it was great to be with her for that!

After that I had to hurry home and get dressed up. I was going to dinner with one of my best friends that night. Cassi! She wanted to take me out so we got all cute and dressed up really nice and I told her I wanted to go somewhere I'd never been before so she was going to surprise me. We went to "My Big Fat Greek Restaurant"! It was AMAZING! WOW! They had these huge tumblers that our lemonades came out in and then we had an appetizer. Greek Fries! Can I just tell you that it was a completely new taste experience for me! It had this sauce on top of it that we figured out was vinegar and a melted sharp goat cheese. It had garlic and fresh oregano and feta cheese on it too. Really good! Then I ordered the "Award Winning Greek Platter" which was slivered Gyro (roast lamb) with lemon pepper potatoes, fresh squash, pita bread, and a sauce for the lamb to be dipped in. It was amazing! There was so much food though! I hardly put a dent in it! Cassi got Mousaka (if you've seen 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' you'll definitely remember the line "Moose Caca?!" Yeah, it's the same stuff!) It was layers of eggplant, zucchini, a spicy meat, and sauce with a hugely thick piece of cheese melted on top. She liked hers as well! We were both so full that we were dying but our waiter came and brought us two completely new silverware rolls. He said, "You are going to need these. I'm bringing you out a special treat!" I looked at Cass and she just put up her hands in surrender and said, "I promise I didn't tell them it was your birthday!" Anyway, he brought out Baklava. Oh baklava, how I love thee! It was seriously one of the most amazing desserts I have ever had in my life! It was like 27 layers of philo dough with layers of hazelnut, chopped almonds, honey, and cinnamon in between. It was all melted together atop a platter drizzled with honey in this criss cross pattern, with two dollops of whipped cream on either side of the platter containing a mint leaf for garnish. It was so elegant looking! WOW! Anyway, it tasted just as amazing as it looked! We were both in heaven! It was AMAZING! Then we came back to my house and we both fell asleep on my couch waiting for our friend Jason to come over to my house after he got off work at 11:30. Once he got here we talked for about 45 minutes and then we all decided we were too dead to be awake any longer, besides the fact it was a school night!

All in all it was an amazing birthday! I had the greatest time with my family and friends! I also have to say that my family and I had celebrated my birthday early since there was a holiday weekend, and we went out to eat and went to the movies so that was a lot of fun! And then we also had a big family party on Saturday night! It was so much fun! I really enjoyed being with everyone! We celebrated my little cousin's birthday too! She is turning seven this month and so we combined our birthdays. She is such a cutie! She was even sweet enough to let me blow out the last candle on our birthday cake! She is so cute! We had a fun time! I just love my family! They are just the greatest!

Well there we go, my birthday update! Also I have to thank everyone who wrote on my facebook and gave me a call! I had so many people do that for me and I so appreciated it! It was just so great to feel so loved all day! What fun I had! It was definitely a great time!

A Call To Be Better

2008-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am feeling a little chastised, but out of complete love. Today is Josh's P-Day and he wrote an e-mail to our family. It was full of wonderful things! He had his first actual Baptizing experience on his mission and it was a beautiful service full of the spirit and it brought so much peace to everyone present.

Well in the end of his letter he began to chastise me a little. He reminded me of some things that are definitely important that I need to do better. I wasn't at all bothered by what he said but I definitely felt the heat! I am so grateful that Josh loves me so much! He really has been such an incredible example to me of what's right and what is worth pursuing and acheiving. I love him for that!

So now everything is in my hands. I get to decide how to make some things work better in my life. Perhaps I will update everyone on my blog in the future and let you know how I'm doing, I know that everything he talked to me about is important and I know I can do it! It will all work out the way it should. I am going to be a better person and I am going to learn A LOT! Thus starts the endeavor...

Lots of thinking...

2008-08-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

So today in our single's ward we found out that our bishop was just diagnosed with abdominal cancer. It was a HUGE blow to everyone. Even I, who haven't been in the ward that long, took it pretty hard. He is a wonderful wonderful man. I have really appreciated him these last couple months I've been in the ward. He will be having surgery on Tuesday to remove the cancer. We are all fasting for him. I was deeply touched today as our first counselor spoke about him and asked us to fast. There was an instant feeling of unity and love in that congregation. I was amazed at the concern everyone had for him and his wife. I was asked to give the closing prayer in sacrament meeting today and as I was asking for blessings on our bishop I was overcome with a great love for him and empathy for him and his family. I know what it feels like to receive news of a serious diagnosis like that. My mind was brought back to last year, a year from today to be exact, when I found out that my grandpa had terminal cancer. I started to understand today what it means to have your bowels filled with compassion. I know how his family must be feeling. It's so hard to deal with something like that. I just hope that this surgery is a success and that he heals well, that there will be no more concern after it is done. We shall see, but until then , my thoughts and prayers are with them.

Calling #2

2008-08-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

WOW! So I seem to just be a calling magnet! I had two in my family ward and now I have two in my single's ward! CRAZY! I was just called to be the Relief Society pianist as I mentioned in an earlier blog, but I was just called to be a visiting teaching supervisor! So exciting!! I am very very very pumped about this calling! It should definitely be a learning experience for me! The visiting teaching is a little different in this ward because we have visiting teaching "groups" rather than one-on-one visits with the girls. So I have stewardship over a group of about 6-8 girls! I am still getting used to this new way of doing things, but I am already seeing some benefits to it. I am planning on doing a group activity at my house, or going out to eat so we can just get to know each other or whatever. I think it will be so great to get to know more people and draw closer together! I am just so excited about this!! (Can ya tell?) YAY!!!

People

2008-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about all the things that have been happening to me lately, all the things that I think are so exciting that I want to tell everyone about. There has definitely been a lot going on with school starting and whatnot, but there is always a common theme in my excitements...people! I seriously just love people! I love experiencing things with people, relating to people, talking to people, accomplishing things with people, meeting people, and spending time with people. It just makes me happy. I am truly in my element being back at school! I love it so much! I have had the opportunity to meet lots of new people in my classes. It is fun for me! Getting to know others and connecting on different levels. I am definitely one that enjoys being with others more than being by myself, although there are those times when being alone is a good thing, I would much rather be doing something with someone else. Even if that means just sitting in complete silence with someone while we both do homework or whatever. I just like it better.

I started my music theory class yesterday and everyone seemed to just be grumbling the whole class hour about how hard the class was going to be, how they were never going to pass it, and how they were just not excited to be there. I thought that was kinda funny, just because I was SO happy to be there. Yeah, I will admit, the class is definitely hard, but our teacher really does want to help us out and I appreciated that. Our teacher asked us yesterday if someone wanted to come to the board and finish up some chords and label them for the class. There was instant tension and everyone just looked down at their books. (Amazing how that happens when a question is asked, it's almost unconscious it seems...) Well I knew that I had somewhat of an idea of what to do but I raised my hand to go up and do it and it was fun! I kinda joked around with it and made it more relaxed instead of everyone freaking out because they forgot everything. Then other people tried too, and we all started having a good time with each other. I think I have definitely gotten over being embarrassed in front of a crowd. It doesn't bug me if I don't know something and I make an idiot of myself in front of a class, we are all in the same boat and learning the same things and no one really makes fun of you, maybe teases you, but it's not out of meanness. I find it rather refreshing to have discussion in a class. It brings people together and helps you connect more. Maybe that's why even going into a "hard" class like that doesn't bug me. I know that it's going to be hard, but I know I can figure it out, especially when people are open about what they don't understand. That may have all been a bit confusing to read, but at least I understand what I'm saying! Ha Ha! :)

Yeah, so people make me happy! I have noticed that my mood is almost directly linked to the relationships I have with others. Sometimes that's not such a good thing, but usually I feed off of people and their moods, and try to just make things better, whether they be happy or upset, it doesn't matter. I just love people! Aren't we all just amazing?! Pretty cool to think about how complicated each one of us are, and how we are each different, we each have different needs, we each deal with things differently. Yeah, pretty much I'm amazing...and so is everybody else! :)

Ok, the 1st day of school update!

2008-08-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! I made it!! I got through the first day! And let me tell ya it was as wonderful as I imagined it would be!! I didn't even have to start my day until 11:15 which was nice! So I started out with choir and we already started singing which was awesome! We're doing a motet by Palestrina which sounds amazing and we are also doing a song called "Afternoon On A Hill". It sounds so beautiful already!

After choir was done Ed (our choir director) has a tradition that we do "put-ups". He was going to give an example to all the new kids of what one was and he said, "Brittney, where are you?" I just thought, "Oh no! Something embarrassing is coming I can just feel it!" So I got up and he told me to come stand by him. He put his arm around me and told everyone my name. Then he told them that he looks for me everyday because there is something that I do that just seems to make everything better and makes him happy. He then turned to me and said,"Ok Brittney will you show them what you do?" I just started to laugh and then everyone else started laughing. He just hugged me tighter and said, "See! It's that smile! She smiles and it just lights up a room! It makes you happy!" I appreciated it so much! But that wasn't all! He then told everyone that he knew I was going to be in his choir before I was even born. And he had a picture taken that he was now going to give me. He hands me this picture, it's black and white, with three goofy lookin' guys from the 70's. I just looked at it and was like, "What is this Ed?" He then pointed to a guy and said, "Who is this?" I looked harder and realized it was him. I was right! Then he pointed to the guy next to him and asked who he was. It was then that I realized it was Dr. Lunt!! Oh my gosh! I was speechless! I just looked at him so stunned and he started laughing. I told him, "Thank you so much! I love it!" and then everyone just clapped for me! It was so nice! I felt so special! Then we had some of the voice faculty come in to talk to the choir. Afterward I went and thanked him again. It was so thoughtful of him to think of me! He gave me another big hug and told me he knew I'd appreciate that. I most definitely did! What a neat thing!

Here's the pic! The two in the front are who I'm talking about. The one on the left is my director right now, Dr. Edmund Hughes, and on the right is Dr. David Lunt.

After choir I had lunch with a good friend and then I had my psychology class. WOW! I was already excited about this class, but after meeting the instructor and going through the class period, I am definitely ecstatic about being in there! I am already so intrigued and it's just the first day! I am actually excited to read the chapter for Wednesday! I love it! Our instructor is half Puertorican, he teaches two of the psych classes there but he also has his own practice. I thought that was so neat because he is really right in the middle of all the things we are going to be talking about! He really brought the class together so fast for a first day! We were all so ready to talk and listen to each other and ask questions. It was impressive! And another cool thing he said was that he wanted and hoped that we would have fun in the class. He said, "Psychology is supposed to be fun! I love it! So we are going to have fun in this class." That was definitely a winning statement! He caught the class' attention that's for sure!

So today has been awesome! I am so excited for the semester! Things are really looking up and I am just so so so excited to get things really going!

"It's Raining, It's Pouring!"

2008-08-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like outside my house right now, but let me tell ya, this doesn't do it justice!! It is pouring!!

Holy Cow!! It is raining SOOOOOOO hard right now!! Almost deafening in my house!! I ran from the driveway to the door and I am soaked!!! I am glad to get rain, but wow! This is just insane!!

New Calling

2008-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

I received a calling in my single's ward yesterday. I am the new Relief Society pianist. WOW! Talk about scary! I mean I did play for primary, but lets face it, primary songs are not even close to as hard as hymns! I am definitely nervous but I know it will be ok. I hardly ever get a chance to play anymore and so this will definitely be good for me! Oh, I have to confess that the scariest hymn for me to play is "True To The Faith", just the number 254 gives me chills because I'm glad I'm not the one playing it. Don't ask me why but that's just the way it is! So guess what I had to play for the opening hymn in Relief Society yesterday?....you guessed it..."True to the Faith"! I was so nervous it was ridiculous! But I pulled through and I don't think I did half bad! Phew! What a relief!

I think the thing I am most nervous about is taking away from the spirit. Have you ever had a pianist who was just really having a hard time playing and it was very distracting? Well I don't want to do that! When I was 12 years old I was new in Young Women's and they asked me if I could play the piano. I only knew a couple songs so they chose one of them. I had never accompanied anyone singing before and I was nervous and my playing definitely showed it! It was a disaster and I was so embarrassed. My mom was in the Young Women's presidency at that time and I remember talking to her after church. She told me (in a very sweet way) that maybe I shouldn't play until I knew I had it right so that I wouldn't distract from the spirit that the opening hymn is supposed to bring. That has always stuck with me and I realize now how important it is to be prepared to play.

So we'll see how it goes! I am really excited for the opportunity! I think I may be praying really hard every time I get up to play, but there are worse things right? :)

First Day of School

2008-08-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

You know you have to get one of these on the first day! Say cheese!

Today is the day!! I start school again! YAY!! And no I am not being sarcastic. I am really excited to start up school again! I only have 12 credits this semester which is nice, but I still have 6 classes, so my time is definitely filled up!! Of course I have all my music classes still, like music theory, AP, and my two choirs, but I am also taking psychology this semester. I am super excited about that! I haven't taken a "core" class for a couple years now, mostly because I'm done with all my generals, but this class counts for my music therapy major and instead of having to worry about it next year at ASU I decided to get it done now. I am soooo pumped to start all this exciting stuff! I just love my life!! :)

Road show!!!!

2008-08-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our Muscular Men!

Our world-premiere "Unwicked" cast

Preston and I

Silly girls!

Me and my silly girls

Cuties!

Last Saturday I helped out with a road show for my stake. I was an assistant director with a lady in my family ward. She is one of those amazingly fun people that you just love to be around. Anyway, our play was called "Unwicked". It was a play about a brother and sister who were moving to a new school and they were really worried about fitting in. They soon meet some of the "popular" kids in school. The sister (Abby) is in the girl's locker room and all the popular girls try to help her with her obvious popularity problem. They sing the song "Popular" from Wicked but afterward Abby meets this girl who is really nice and kind to her. Then it jumps to the boy's locker room. The brother, Connor, walks in to find a bunch of incredibly muscular guys. (All the boys wore muscle suits!) They were showing off with how many push-ups they could do and they start asking Connor about any cute girls he's seen. Then they all start telling Connor about how he can be popular and they do a parody on "Popular" with a song called "Muscular". Holy Cow! The boys totally got into it and hammed it up great! It was hilarious! then it shows Abby and Connor after school talking about their day and they end up making some really great friends. The kids on our group were in the 7th and 8th grades with a couple boys in 9th. I was so proud of all my kids! They did a fantastic job!

We had to build our own set and we practiced the songs all day. The cool thing our group got to do was they were able to record the songs before the performance. our director's husband has professional recording equipment and had them all recorded before. It was so fun for the kids to get to do that! They were pretty pumped about it! The whole thing just turned out wonderful and we got the "Goody-two-shoes" award! Ha Ha! It was so fun! I just loved all those kids! They were awesome!

Another really cool thing was that I got to be with Preston! He was in my group and he really enjoyed himself! It was fun to see a side of him I never get to see and I grew to appreciate him a lot more through this experience which was really cool! What a stud!

A Very Fun Night!

2008-08-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Curtis with the lovely polar bear on Main Street

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Curtis just hangin' out!

Me balancing on some stones in the middle of the water

Curtis

There were all these cool walls that had water on the top with a light shining through the bottom with all these cool colored stones. I liked the effect of this pic!

A timed pic with all of us. These tiers were pretty cool!

Curtis is much more sneaky than I am!

Just Me!

Curtis' powerful sermon!

The Hunt's begun! Ha Ha! (Total inside joke! Sorry I had to say it!)

This wall behind us lit up different colors. It was pretty much awesome!!

Oh cute little Julie in the pretty flowers!

Curtis on top of the big water wall thingy...sounds like a good name for it...

They do men's and women's nails! How exciting!

Julie and Curtis decided to look for jobs...

The lazy bums! Obviously that plan failed!

Curtis pretending to be like the cool climber guy...I think Curtis is a little cooler myself!

Julie and I playing an imaginary game of chess! It was intense!

I got to meet up with a wonderful friend, Curtis Gardner (who I knew from my EAC days), a few weeks ago and we had some fun times over the course of a couple weeks. On this particular night we were with another of our really good friends Julie Hatch. Oh I just love her! Anyway, we had a great time going to the temple, looking at the "Reflections of Christ" exhibit there, then taking lots of random pictures at the Mesa Arts Center, and then having a nice chat over Dairy Queen treats! It was such a fun night!! We all had a really great time together!

Lemonade Stands and Puppet Shows

2008-08-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I was working in the Cub House today and there was a family that came in. Two boys and one girl. They were sitting at the art table, doing their craft for the day and I started to hear them talking about this "plan" they had. The little girl came over to me and said "Guess what?!" She was sooo excited! "What?" I asked. "My brother and I are going to have a lemonade stand!" Then her brother piped in adn said "Yeah, we're going to earn money for the family!" I thought it was so cute! Then their little borther who is about 3, and at least three years younger then his siblings, got really excited about the idea and said, "Me too! Me too!" The two older siblings looked at him a little disgusted and told him he wasn't allowed to. He seemed to be ok with that though. He just went about doing his thing. The whole thing just made me smile because I started to remember some times when I was younger that I would actually do those kinds of things. My brothers and I also thought that a lemonade stand was a genius idea at one point. In our little minds we were going to be rich and be able to buy whatever we wanted! If anything we'd be able to go to Bashas' and buy a doughnut or something. It was an exciting prospect! I remember multiple times, while we lived in Safford, setting up a "lemonade stand" with way too watery lemonade and sometimes even rice krispie treats or cookies we would make. We'd put everything by the road, stick a HUGE sign on the front, with our little kid scrawl on the front and patiently sit in our lawn chairs and wait. Well, more accurately put would be that we would try and wait patiently until we couldn't stand it anymore and we would either run to the neighbors house to ask them to "come see our lemonade stand," or we would get so hot that we would drink the entire pitcher of lemonade ourselves. We did usually have success though! We had some very kind neighbors and people that would drive down the street who would stop and buy lemonade from us. Oh boy, you should have seen how excited we got when someone stopped to get some! You would have thought we hit the jackpot, and to us, we probably had! We had paying customers and we were going to have money to get something we wanted. What fun we had! I loved those times as a little kid!

Another thing that was very popular for my brothers and neighbor friend to do was to put on puppet shows or plays. We would either write out a story line or we would do a play based on a story we knew. There were countless times when we would make a "set", or make stick puppets, or practice lines over and over again til everything was perfect, usually lasting most of the morning. We would then advertise our plays to the neighborhood by knocking on the doors of our neighbors and telling them what time it would start and then asking how many tickets they needed. (Yes, we even made tickets! Pretty fancy huh?!) Then we would usually hold the play in our neighbor's house or backyard. At the time of performance we would have someone taking the tickets and any "donations" they wanted to give. Everyone would sit down and we would announce the performance. We sometimes ended up with a whole room full of friends and neighbors! It was always so exciting! Then we would start the play and there would always be an intermission. (These plays usually lasted about 10-15 minutes, so an intermission was definitely necessary!) For the intermission someone would go out and start strumming a guitar and making up a song that had to do with the play. (Mind you that none of us knew how to play the guitar, but we did a really good job tricking everyone!) Then we would finish up and everyone would applaud us and we would do our bows. Oh it was so exciting! Then everyone would start to leave and of course compliment us on our job well done. We were all smiles! Then we would clean up everything and talk about "how cool" everything was and that we had really done a great job and we would get so excited about how many people had come to watch us.

Oh boy! Those are some wonderful memories! I love reminiscing about all those fun things I used to do with my brothers and friends. It's amazing the imagination we had when we were little! I definitely don't feel like it's the same now, but I sure am glad I had those experiences. It brought a smile to my face today to hear a brother and sister talking about that today. Little do they realize how important those memories and fun times together will mean to them when they're older. It's awesome!

Josh's Hump Day!

2008-08-02T16:42:00.001-07:00

At the airport saying good-bye

The fam

The siblings (We just love each other so much!)

Yesterday was Josh's Hump Day! He has been out a whole year!! WOW! It seems so crazy! It feels like he just left! I was thinking about him a lot yesterday and I started reminiscing about memories I'd had with him to a wonderful friend of mine and we really had a great time laughing and remembering some of those crazy times we've had with Josh! As I was talking to her last night I just told her that I was so grateful that I have been able to have him as part of my life, to see him change and become this amazing guy. I miss Josh, I miss him a lot sometimes, but then I read his letters and I realize that he is blessing so many people's lives and that they need him there! He is doing so many incredible things. I love to hear about all of the experiences he's having and to see him growing more and more as time goes on! I have always known how amazing Josh is, but he is becoming even more impressive and he is so dedicated to the Lord and His work! I love it! It is such a wonderful blessing to see him grow so much!So it is celebration time!! One year down! Awesome job so far Elder Chapman! We are all so proud of you!!

First day in the MTC!

Grandpa

2008-07-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about my grandpa a lot today and I was playing through some old tunes on the piano this morning that he and I would listen to together. I cherish the time I had with my grandpa and every time I think of him now I just have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the person that he was and the example he set for me. He is wonderful! And I just wanted to add some pictures of him on here, mostly for my benefit, and because I just love him to pieces and it's fun to remember good times!

Pres. Monson was my grandpa's mission president. Here's my grandparents visiting him in Salt Lake.

This was one of the most tender moments with my grandpa. I wanted more than anything for him to be at my jazz concert this last fall. He made it! I was so grateful. It was a very emotional moment for the both of us. He passed away one week later.

I love this picture! We surprised my grandpa and met him at Disneyland with the whole family. Here we are getting on "It's A Small World."

Grandpa was all about Uncle Remus stories! He did all the voices and sound effects. It was so fun to listen to him! Benny got in on it too this time.

I love this pic too! My Grandma and Grandpa are on the Roger Rabbit Ride. They are so awesome!

This is when Grandpa first got to Disneyland and we surprised him. He couldn't get over that we were really all there with him!

My birthday party with the family. My grandpa and I looking at one of our favorite old records. John Gary rocks!!

Ha Ha! My grandpa was the best marshmallow warrior you could ask for! He hid himself pretty well from our enemies!!

This picture brings back lots of memories. He was a thinker and this place we were at (Jarskey Springs) was a place where many a memory has been made. I can only imagine his thoughts as we were there.

On our family vacation to Greer. My grandpa was a huge reader!! He LOVED books! That was something that was really special to him and I. Here he is reading with my grandma.

Christmas at my grandparents house is always so much fun and we have some great traditions and lots of fun laughs!

My grandparents came to Thatcher for when Josh was ordained an Elder. This is taken in front of my college house.

Oh man! My grandpa was so strong! Here he is with Preston trying to teach him how to link arms and then stand up. It was always fun to watch him do stunts like this.

Change is good....at least that's what I'm supposed to say...

2008-07-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have this amazing friend. His name is Ryan. I met him my first semester at CGCC and he has truly been a wonderful friend to me! One of the best I've ever had! When I first came to Chandler-Gilbert Community College he was one of the first people that actually talked to me and wanted to get to know me. I had him in a few classes and I could tell he was just one of those top of the line kind of guys. He came to me at a really tough time in my life. I had just found out my grandpa had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and it was very difficult for me to deal with. I was very close to my grandpa and at the time I didn't feel like there was really anyone I could talk to about it or just hang out with to get my mind off things. Ryan was a real blessing! He and I were in A Capella and Jazz Choir together and we always had a lot of fun in those classes! I don't think it was until spring semester though when I finally was able to get to know Ryan really well. He is an incredible person! He has been there through lots of rough spots and he has been my go-to when I just need to talk or let go. We have made some great memories together, some of which I will never forget the rest of my life. He understands alot without much being said and I appreciate that. Well, Ryan is leaving on Saturday to move to Flagstaff for school. I am so happy for him! He is going to do amazing! He is majoring in music education and he has so much talent that he is just going to have some incredible experiences! He gets to be apart of the top Jazz group at NAU called "High Altitude" and he also made the top choir. I am so pumped for him! He really has worked hard! But I am going to miss him so much. He has touched my life in so many ways and there really isn't any way that I could possibly convey my gratefulness to him. But he has changed my life for the better and I will be eternally grateful to him. Yeah, we'll get to see each other every now and again, but as in all things, there must be change and now is the time.

Some of the greatest memories and things that I appreciate about Ryan are:
*His sense of humor
*Ability to Listen
*Crazy arranging talents
*Lunchtime in the car
*Listening to random songs
*Going to his cabin for General Conference
*Being there for a friend no matter where or when
*Living his testimony
*Chivalry :)
*Takes t he initiative
*Is patient enough to teach me things
*Winks
*"I'll Be Home For Christmas"
*Duke Ellington Concert
*My official introduction to jazz composers
*Barnes and Noble
*Jaramillo Sodas
*Beef Tongue
*Good long talks about life
*Song of the South ("A Dolla A Minute" Ha Ha!)
*No qualms about totally ruining a chick flick or any "moment" in a movie
*Wall-E
*Snow Ball Fight
*Flan (and the exploding pan!)
*3-day affair with facebook
*Mr. Bean
*Teen Girl Squad
*The funniest joke in the world
*Jazz Concerts
*Making dinners
*His birthday
*Conducting
*Secret Garden
*Recitals (especially our last Broadway one)
*Ultimate Frisbee
*Volleyball
*Climbing on the jungle gym
*Teasing

Oh and there is soooo much more I can think of, but these have seriously become some of the funnest times I have ever had! I am so grateful for Ryan, for the wonderful person he is and for what I have learned from him. He is going to do amazing things in his life and I can't wait to see what awaits him!

"Hangin" out in the hammock

Buddies! Me, Ryan, and Jillene

My Talk...

2008-07-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I gave a talk in my single's ward! Scary, mostly because I don't really know many people yet, but it turned out well nonetheless. I know that most of you won't read this but I wanted to put this on here for my benefit. I actually wrote out my talk which I NEVER do. I just felt that there were some things I really needed to say that I wanted to have written. So here's my talk:

This time of year our thoughts are turned to those who have come before us. The pioneers. What a source of inspiration they have become to the members of this church! They are an example to us of faith, courage and endurance. Pres. Monson shared this thought, “Can we somehow muster the courage and that steadfastness of purpose which characterized the pioneers of a former generation? Can you and I, in actual fact, be pioneers today? A dictionary defines a pioneer as “one who goes before, showing others the way to follow.” Oh, how the world needs pioneers today!”

Today I want to share with you one way that we can become converted and become pioneers for future generations, through our hymns.

The song that reminds me most of the pioneers is “Come, Come, Ye Saints.” This hymn was written by William Clayton. In a talk by Elder David B. Haight, he explains that William was a convert to the church and traveled to Nauvoo from England to be near the prophet and the saints. Soon after Joseph Smith’s martyrdom he traveled with Brigham Young’s company to the Salt Lake Valley. After 3 long months of slow and discouraging travel, he wrote this song. “hoping it would encourage and give some renewed hope and faith to the Saints."

Read "Come, Come, Ye Saints" (pg. 30)

Can you imagine the tribulation these saints had to go through? Can you imagine walking day in and day out through treacherous weather and land? Can you imagine burying members of your family, as one buy one they leave this mortal life? Can you imagine giving up everything for the gospel of Jesus Christ?

How did they do this? How could they endure the endless abuse, struggle, and trials that came upon them as members of this church? The answer is simple…they believed. They believed in every word the prophet spoke to them, and they believed in the words they sang as they made their trek west. It gave them hope. This song has become an anthem in our church. And we can follow the truths found there in our own lives too.

Last week in Sunday School we were talking about becoming converted. Our teacher was relating a story about a time when she felt the converting power of the spirit. She talked about the song “I Am A Child of God” and how she came to realize the truthfulness of that song. We then started to joke about how from an early age we have been brainwashed with primary songs so that we definitely know that the church is true! Even though we were having some fun with that, there is definite truth in the primary songs and the hymns we sing every week.

We all go through trials. We all have questions. We all have a desire to grow closer to our Savior. How many times can you think of when a hymn has touched your heart, or brought the spirit into a room, or brought peace to your soul? Through these experiences we have grown closer to our Savior. We have become more converted.

The hymns create an atmosphere that invites the spirit, which leads us to conversion. How much different would sacrament meeting be without a sacrament hymn? What are the words in those hymns speaking to each of us? Are we internalizing the message and doctrine that ultimately will save each one of us and bring us back to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? The power of the atonement is infinite and if we allow ourselves to listen to the spirit during those hymns, our testimonies and understanding of the Atonement will increase and we will feel of the love the Savior has for each one of us. I testify of that!

I want to share something personal with you in regards to a hymn that has brought me much comfort as I have struggled through trials and hard times in my life. “Where Can I Turn For Peace” has become a hymn that I turn to, to remind me that no matter what I am going through, no matter how much I’m aching, I can turn to the Lord. I know that He is there for me. (Read lyrics if time permits)
I know that as this hymn says “He answers privately, reaches my reaching.” He is my Friend, my Savior. He succors me and brings peace to my heart. He is always there for me and he understands. He is constant and loves without end.

Last year around this time, I wrote something in regards to the pioneers that I would like to share with you.

Coming to a Realization...
Over the last few days there has been a certain focus on the pioneers and the ones who have gone before us. As I watched the commemoration that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square put on, I was filled with a different spirit than I have ever felt before. I had a sense of reality settle upon me as I contemplated the sacrifice, faith, drive, and complete obedience to will of the Lord that these early saints had. What an incredible legacy we, as the restored church of Jesus Christ, have. I really had to stop and think about what I would be willing to sacrifice at this moment to be able to have the gospel as a central part of my life. What am I willing to do to show the Lord my love and devotion to Him and His work? Would I give up everything I have? Would I be willing to possibly have to sacrifice the lives of my family in order to attain the goal? Is my testimony built on a solid foundation, one that will not falter under constant criticism and taunting. Would I hold true "if the very jaws of hell [should] gape open the mouth wide after [me]?" How much faith would it take to put my life completely in the hands of the Lord? It is a truly remarkable task to even fathom the amount of faith those early pioneers had in the Lord and in their beloved prophet.
Today in Sacrament Meeting as I listened to a special number, "Those Who Came Before," I had a sort of epiphany. Though it may seem of small consequence to some, the understanding brought me much needed peace and a brighter understanding of my mission here in this life. I am going to be one of "those who came before" someday and I will be leaving a legacy. What am I going to leave behind for my posterity and those that I love? Will I be an example of faith? Will I be looked to as an example of "standing as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9)? So, my epiphany was that I am here on a mission. I am meant to be an example and a light to my posterity and to strive to accomplish all those things that the Lord would have me do. I want my children to have someone to look to. I want them to understand the incredible importance of gaining a testimony in the Lord Jesus Christ and His servants, the prophets. I am making a commitment at this moment that I will hearken to the counsel that I have been given through our prophets and other church leaders. The stirring that I have felt today could be completely described by the scripture in 2 Nephi 25:26:
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy
of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know
to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
We are a part of an amazing work and legacy of faith. What are we striving to accomplish and conquer in our lives to show our gratitude and love for the Lord and this glorious gospel? Is it worth anything? Or is it worth everything?

Bare Testimony

That's it! There it is. Take it or leave it, but I felt really good about it. It really pulled together for me and I actually enjoyed doing it!

A Full Day of Happy!

2008-07-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today was so much fun! This morning I went to my brother Ben's bagging competition. He already won $100 for being the fastest bagger in his store and today there was a competition for his store's division. He went against 2 other people and there was also a big bagging contest in Tucson with the rest of the division. Whoever had the best score out of everyone got $200 and a chance to go up against the other 3 division champs. It's kind of a big deal at Bashas'. Then the person who wins for the company goes to the state bag off and then the person who wins that goes to nationals! Can you believe that?! A NATIONAL bagging competition?! Anyway, Ben won the divsion competition this morning even against everyone in Tucson! He was pretty pumped about that! So now he is debating on what he wants to spend his $200 on. A Wii has come to mind and he also really wants to put some money into his truck. So now he is just so pumped to compete for the company! He has his master training plan all mapped out! Oh I just love Benny! He's just great!

After the bag-off we went shopping at Food City. I was really excited to go because I needed to buy green chilis for a dinner I am going to make soon. I am really excited about it! I haven't old my family what it is yet, but I'm going to make Chili Rellenos. I made them one time when I was living on my own in Thatcher. I was just experimenting but they ended up turning out really well and so I want to make them for my family. I'm pretty excited! While we were there my dad took us to their restaurant inside and we had lunch. It was amazing!! I got carne asada tacos and taquitos. Oh my! WOW! Very impressive! It was lots of fun!

We then came home and I took a nap! Oh my! I don't get those very often anymore so it was nice! Then my mom and dad and I went shopping and I got some new clothes. That's always exciting! After that my whole family went to the movies (It's been a long time since we've done that!) and saw "Journey To The Center of the Earth." I liked it! It was a fun show! Then we came home and my cousin came over to chill with us for a little while tonight. And now I am writing a talk for church tomorrow!

In all it's been a fun day! I love being with my family and it was nice to just get to be with each other and not have to worry about work or anything else! It was just good! I love it! :)

It's a Small World!

2008-07-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

So my friend just e-mailed me a couple of pics of Josh on his mission!! CRAZY!! Her mom is on vacation in France with a friend. They went to a ward there this last Sunday and Josh was singing a solo! He sang it in French and then he sang it in English for them. They took a couple pics afterward and my friend was so excited to tell me her mom had seen him. So cool huh?!

He looks so good!

Miss Mallory

2008-07-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

So I have to say that there is an amazing girl who came into my family's life about a year and a half ago and this morning she flew to Idaho so that she can start school at BYU-I. Even though it has made all of us a little sad and we all miss her lots, we are all very excited for her to have this amazing experience! We love you Mal Pal!!

Yeah, it's ok to laugh! Here we are having the famous "feet bath"! Don't worry if you don't get it! It's a Chapman thing!!

Family Ward to Single's Ward!!

2008-07-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! So as of this last Sunday I was officially fellowshipped into my new ward. A single's ward!! It's been a little over a year since I was in a single's ward because I moved back home frome EAC last summer. I must admit that I was a bit leery about going back. I have loved being in my family ward! I had two callings while I was there: Junior Primar Pianist, and Laurel Advisor. Oh my goodness, let me tell ya I just loved my callings!! Those little kids were absolutely adorable! It was fun to see their minds going a hundred miles an hour (and their mouths going about that fast too) during sharing and singing time. And that the answer to every question was "Jesus!" no matter what we were talking about. What cute kids! I had fun with them! The calling that was closest to my heart though was being with my laurels! They are all so wonderful and doing what they know they should. I had four of them and one of them was actually not a member when I was first put in. She had been coming to church since she was 13 and her parents finally gave their consent for her to be baptized. So she was baptized in January and she has grown leaps and bounds since then! She was just put into the Laurel class presidency and I don't think I've ever seen a girl so nervous and excited for the opportunity. She is wonderful! We had some pretty fun and crazy times that year I was their leader!

*Learning to make pies
*Singing Christmas carols on a hayride (We were frozen!!)
*Writing out tons of signs for Youth Conference
*Seeing the Reflections of Christ display at the Visitor's Center
*Going to Kaley's baptism
*Hangin out at my house for a pizza and movie night (Pride and Prejudice rocks!)
*Going to a homeless facility and playing with the little kids
*Girl Talk! (My girls were hilarious! They always wanted my love life update! Umm...I don't think there was much to tell ever but they would just about die at every little happening with a boy in my life! Funny funny girls!)
*Asphalt bowling
*Gingerbread Houses with our hands tied together
*American Idol party!! (One of my girls went to EFY with David Archuleta!)
*Graduation dinner for Kelly
*Lessons- where some of the most spiritual experiences happened in our class and I could see the testimony in each of them growing.

It was an incredible and very humbling experience to be one of their leaders! I feel like I probably learned more from them than I taught, but isn't that what callings are for?

But it finally came time to move on! I went to a single's ward with my cousins, just to check it out, and I fell in love with it! I felt like that was where I needed to be. I didn't want to tel my bishop about it too quickly because I was still kind of debating when i was going to do it, but my mom mentioned it to him adn what do ya know! I had a meeting with the bishop and we decided that it was a good move for me. He told me that I was going to be released from my callings that coming Sunday. I was ok with it...until Sunday hit and then I was a baby! I was so sad to leave my girls! That day was Fast Sunday though and I was able to see one of my Laurelsm the one that was baptized in January, go up to the pulpit and bare her testimony for the first time. It was a neat experience and she just glowed! I was so proud of her and I was just truly grateful for the opportunity I had to be her leader.

So now I am officiall in the single's ward and they've already asked me to speak! WOW! I must say that I am excited abou thte topic! I was asked to speak on the hymns and the role that they played in the pioneers lives and how they can play an important role in our lives as well. I am very excited about this topic! I think that it will be a lot of fun to prepare for. I am weird and actually love to speak, so this will be fun!

I went to my first single's ward activity. FHE!! It was a good time! We played volleyball adn ultimate frisbee and it was a blast! The park we went to had some sprinklers that wet the sand we were playing in and everyone had a lot of fun turning them on while we were playing and getting soaked! There are some really fun people that I am getting to know. I actually just made friends with a girl from Russia. Her name is Victoria. She is not a member of the church but she had talked to the missionaries while in Russia and came here to America to learn more. She is also going to be studying English while she is here for the next 6 months. She is so funny! We really hit it off and she has officially dubbed me her friend! Long and funny story, but she is just great. I believe that she is going to start the discussions soon, and I am so excited for her! She is just full of excitement for the gospel and I can't wait to see how things turn out for her! If anything she is helping me to understand how blessed I am to live in this country. She has opened my eyes to some things and I am grateful for it. Helps me appreciate life just a little bit more.

My Missionary Brother

2008-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

So this morning we just got an e-mail from my brother Josh who is on his mission in Switzerland. It was such a great e-mail! Well, usually all of his e-mails are wonderful but today was very heartfelt as he explained to us the happenings of this last week. He expressed a great love for his companion. His name is Elder Cadeau and about a week and a half ago he broke his foot while at a "piquenique" with some ward members and investigators. Well this last week they found out that because of his injury he will have to be sent home a transfer early. His last day on the mission is this coming Monday. Josh expressed the heart wrenching reality that hit his companion when he realized his mission was going to be cut short. They cried together as he expressed his great love for Josh and that Josh had become his mission miracle. Josh has had some deep spiritual understanding since he's been gone, but it seems like these last couple of months you can really tell how much his testimony and life has been changed by this experience.

As I was thinking about all those things this morning I was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Josh is amazing! I've always known that, he is my dearest and best friend in the entire world, and it has been the most amazing opportunity to see him grow so much. He also wrote individual little notes to each of us in his e-mail. I was grateful for the wisdom he shared with me and the way that he taught me today. I love being able to have his "eternal perspective" hit me upside the head sometimes. Life gets crazy and I don't always think about the big picture but Josh brings me back down to earth and helps me grasp onto the things I know. I appreciate that!

There has been one experience he's had (from a whole slew!) that has really stood out to me and made me really think. It was about a month ago now that Josh wrote us and told us about a rendezvous he had with a woman and a couple of Jehovah Witnesses. The actual "getting there" to her apartment was a story in itself, but when he and his companion finally got there he had a wonderful experience. This woman had her bible ready and Josh's companion went right at it with the bible bashing. Josh said that as all of these people started pulling out their bibles he posed a question. "Is this all you do at your church, find ways to prove other people's doctrines wrong?" At that moment every one of them shut their bibles and as Josh explains it he began to testify "up the wazoo" that this gospel is true, that he knew it and that nothing could take that away from him. The spirit was strong and they left immediately after he testified. As I imagined Josh doing this I was just so proud of him! He has so much courage and faith and I think that this experience he had really brought home to me how converted he is. It was just neat to think that he is blessing people's lives just as much as he has blessed mine. I know how grateful I am to him for his love and friendship that we have always shared and I am so grateful that he is having these wonderful experiences!

FAMILY VACATION!!

2008-07-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Beautiful country!

Me at "River" Lake

Me and my sweet cousin Bailey. I was making her laugh...her little laugh just melts me!!

I helped take Ben's senior pics! What a handsome guy!

MARSHMALLOW WAR!!!

My beautiful family! (Minus Josh of course who's in Switzerland) On our hike!

Preston caught his first fish!! (Don't be deceived! I think the fish was only about 4inches long! But a fish is a fish!)

Quelf Penalty!! Oh so fun!! Love the look boys!!

Me wrapped up like a mummy! What can I say? It's Quelf!!

So I just got back from a wonderful vacation with my family!! Every year my family rents a cabin in Greer, AZ and we stay up in the mountains for at least 4 or 5 days. It is always a blast! Well this year my grandma, aunt and uncle, and cousins also came with us! We rented a cabin that had 2 stories, plus a balcony and a deck that wrapped around the whole back side of the cabin! It was so much fun! We always have a blast when we're together but I think we have even more fun when we're up in the mountains with no everyday worries. We definitely kept ourselves busy! We went on hikes, went fishing, went exploring, went shopping (of course! How could the girls resist?!), making meals together, and playing lots and lots of games! I think that one of the highlights of each night was sitting around the table together and playing games with each other! One of the games that my family just discovered is Quelf!! Oh my goodness! Can I just tell you that it is the most random and crazy game I have ever played! And I love it!! It can't even be explained to you just how ridiculous it can get and what insane things you have to do, but it is definitely a winner in our family! I think we've pretty much become addicted! I would recommend it to everyone!! Here's a link so you can check it out! http://quelf.com/ You definitely won't regret it!! This is s video of Ben doing a Quelf stunt:

I know that you won't be able to understand anything Benny is saying! Neither did we! But I was cracking up trying to figure it out!

It rained every afternoon that we were there and it just made everything so beautiful and clean! I loved being outside in the mornings after a rainstorm and we just soaked it all in before we had to come back home to Gilbert.

The mountains are seriously my most favorite place in the world! I absolutely love the feeling that I get when I am up in the mountains and enjoying the beautiful landscape and creations that were created just for us! It's amazing isn't it?! I feel closer to my Savior as I sit and ponder on the mysteries and teachings of this gospel. I am grateful for it! And I am so grateful that I was able to go on vacation with my family and make great memories that will last forever!

Thinking...

2008-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

There have been so many things that I have been thinking about in these last couple months! This time of life is full of so much decision making and it feels like eternal consequences. Who in their right mind would have a 21 year old decide an eternal destiny? I have no idea! But regardless, it's still happening and things seem crazy as ever! Remember high school when we thought all of our problems would be over once we got in to college? Everything was going to fall into place and we would get married, finish school, start a family, and life would be just peachy. Well...It's not so easy as that! Don't I wish! Holy cow! But the thing is, it's all good! I have learned so much! And I know that I am doing what I'm supposed to and I am where I need to be. That's all that can be expected from us. To follow the Lord and the promptings of the spirit.
Matters of the heart are so indcredibly tender and sensitive. I am learning that it is really really hard to deal with that at times! There are days when my heart just yearns for love and acceptance from someone. To be near them, to do things with them, to make memories, to laugh, to play, to learn from them, to feel with them, to experience life with them. But sometimes, it's just not meant to be. Sometimes, we are to learn from a person and that's it. They help us to become better, to give of ourself in different ways. And that's alright. It's perfectly wonderful to have those kinds of experiences, but the hard part is reminding yourself that things will work out for you. Maybe not now, but later. Later I can have that. But right now I need to focus on me. I need to do things for myself that will help me become a better person.
I know that I was supposed to come to Chandler Gilbert Community College. There is no doubt in my mind! The experiences I have had here and the people that have come into my life are absolutely incredible! I have learned so much from them! I have learned how to handle incredible stress, how to heal a broken hearted friend, how to listen, how to love unconditionally, how to understand the feelings of the spirit, how to look outside myself, how to laugh and be silly, how to have fun, how to be there. All of these things have become great blessings in my life and those that have taught me these things will forever have a special place in my heart. I have incredible friends! They are wonderful examples and have amazing characteristics and qualities that I want to emulate in my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here and learn from them.
Life is good! Sometimes confusing...ok a lot of times confusing, but so good! I am truly blessed with the things I have and the people that are in my life! I guess all we can really do is trust and things will be ok. I know they will! And everything will work out for the very best.

Life Changing Experiences

2008-03-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! I was thinking today about how much I miss writing! I haven't really had an opportunity to do it since school started last semester! I forgot how much I love it! This last school year has been incredible! My life has been changed and gone on a completely different course than I had originally planned. The last time I wrote, my plans were to go back to Thatcher and start school again at Eastern Arizona College. I had a scholarship, I had a place to live, I had a job, I had everything ready for me. But right after Josh left on his mission I had the strong impression that I needed to stay in Gilbert with my family and go to school. Talk about a last minute, crazy change in plans! It was a bit scary to do, but I knew that the Lord was guiding me where I needed to be and it was all going to be ok.

The week before school started I figured out my schedule and I tried out for the A Capella Choir. At the same time as my audition for the choir, I was offered a scholarship. WOW! Talk about a blessing! I was sooo grateful! The week that school started I decided that I was going to also try out for the Vocal Jazz Choir. I was incredibly nervous! Singing in a jazz group has been something I've always wanted to do. I tried out and made it! (Now of course I won't mention how many people actually tried out for it, otherwise it might be anti-climactic, but it was exciting nonetheless!) So now I was a part of two AMAZING choirs which I absolutely loved! And the people I associated with in these groups and my music classes were proving to be incredible people that I absolutely love to be around!

School has been absolutely incredible!! I have come to understand what I am truly passionate about I am going for it! No stopping me! I LOVE my music classes! My music theory and aural perception classmates can't figure out why I like counterpoint and 7th chords and phrasing and composing so much, but let me tell ya, I love it! My instructors are wonderful! The thing I love most about them is that they are all so passionate about what they do. They all have their niche and they do so well at helping us understand and apply the things we're learning in class. They are all incredibly talented! It is such a joy to be taught by them.

When I felt that I needed to go to Chandler Gilbert Community College (CGCC) I didn't really understand the reasons why. It wasn't making much sense to me. But I knew I needed to follow the spirit. As the semester went on I began to realize my purpose in being here at this time. At the end of August, my grandpa was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was a huge blow to me. My grandpa was my buddy! One of my dearest friends in the whole world. He had given me a love for music, he had encouraged me in every aspect of my life, and he was an example to me of true Christ-like living. I could never ask for a better example! As he progressively got worse and worse, I was given the opportunity to serve my grandpa. WOW! What a life changing experience! Here was a man whom I absolutely adored, who gave of himself constantly and was always serving and thinking of others. Now I had the opportunity to serve him. I will never forget the experiences I had the last month and a half before my grandpa died. They are precious and sweet, and I know that he was part of the reason I was to be here in Gilbert with my family. The thing I wanted more than anything else in the world was for him to go to my choir concert where I would be performing with the jazz choir for the first time. He was the one that got me into jazz and we shared that love. When I had told him about making it into this group he was sooo excited for me. I wanted to share that with him before he died. He was able to be at my concert. I will never forget my excitement as I waited to perform with the jazz group. This performance was for him! I was going to give it my all and this performance was going to be amazing! I felt so good after performing that concert. As I walked out into the audience to see my family I went straight to my grandpa and I hugged him and asked him what he thought. He told me how "good" it was. It meant the world to me. He then shared a tender moment with me me and told me how wonderful he thought I was. He started to cry and at that moment I knew that I wasn't going to get to do this again. This was it, and I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity I had to have him there with me. My grandpa passed away one week after that concert. I am so grateful for the experience I had to be with him through the last few weeks of his life and for the relationship that I had cultivated with him, for his incredible journey through life that will forever be a light to me.

Another thing that that I have been blessed with here is amazing friends! I have always had good friends, but coming here has been incredible! The people that I am around every day just make me happy! I love being around them! I have grown in many different ways through those I have come to associate with and care about.

When I decided to stay in Gilbert I was called to be the Laurel Advisor in my ward. I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude for the awesome responsibility of being these girls' leader. I was 20 years old, and I felt like I had just graduated myself and was still in the same stage of life as these girls. What could I offer? As I have spent time with these girls, served them, and taught them, I have grown an incredible love for each one of them. They each have something incredible to offer. We have the greatest time with each other! Some of the funnest times are when they want to have "girl talk" and they ask me to tell dating stories or they want to know the latest in my love life. Ha Ha! Oh goodness! We have definitely had some great times! Lots of laughter, but also some of the most amazing spiritual experiences that have helped our testimonies grow and brought us closer together. I think that more than anything this calling has helped me (as every calling usually does) to prepare myself for my future family. I have strong convictions about how I want my family to be raised and my testimony has been strenghtened as to my capacity to accomplish these things. It has been an amazing and humbling experience to be in this calling.

The Lord puts us where we are for a reason. He loves us and He is indeed mindful of us. I have always known that, but through the experiences I have had this last school year, I have become increasingly aware of just how close the Savior can be. He is my dearest and best friend! I am so grateful for the love and care He has taken for me. I have felt of the love our Savior has for each one of us. It's incredible and I am so grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had to make me who I am today.

The Growth From Trials

2007-08-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! Talk about things hitting all at once. I'm sure everyone knows what that feels like! Things are going better than you could have possibly hoped and then....BAM! Kinda knocks your socks off! Well anyway, even though I am in the midst of some really trying times right now, I can see the end and I know that everything is going to work out just the way it's supposed to.

Having that knowledge, that everything is going to work out, is comforting, but at the same time it doesn't take away the hurt and longing that comes while dealing with these trials. I think that the fear of the unknown is what gets me. I hope things will turn out a certain way, but I really don't know what to expect. That's where faith comes in. Have I fully turned this over to the Lord? Am I trying to fix this myself, or am I casting the burden onto someone else, my Savior, who is much stronger than I could possibly fathom? As I have really taken this to heart, I have been at peace. Yes, things still hurt, and emotions run high at times, but I do know that everything is going to turn out fine. There is so much beauty in the peace that the Spirit can bring into your life once you embrace it! What a sweet and unsurpassed gift! It is truly incredible that through the spirit we can feel our Savior's love so fully and completely. He is there for us, and we just have to let him in. Once we have let go of all of our hurt and yearning, and passed it on, there is going to come into our lives a greater meaning and purpose. I know this to be true, and I feel the gentle urging of the spirit guiding me in a way that I need to go to make myself more fully able to reach my greatest potential.

My Heart Is Full

2007-07-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

At this moment my heart is very full. Over the last few weeks my thoughts, feelings, and emotions have been very close to the surface. I am very overcome with a feeling of deep and complete love for some specific people in my life. What is love? What does it really encompass? And how can you know when it has really hit you? I'm not sure that I know all those answers but there is something that I do know for sure. There is not one relationship in my life that has not changed me for good. I am a better person for having gone through and for going through the things that I have. No matter how much I have had to sacrifice, it has always been worth it in the end. I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am today without having loved. It is the deepest emotion a person can feel and I am truly grateful for the people that have come into my life and that I have had the opportunity to care for. I have learned so much. And I hope that there is no doubt that I would be willing to give anything to those that I care about. There is no sacrifice too large that would keep me from giving to them the things they need to be happy in this life.

As I was reflecting on this my mind immediately caught hold to the thought of my brother leaving on his mission. For any of those that know my brother and I, you would know how close we are to each other. Being separated is not something that I like to dwell on and I know that it is going to hit me like a ton of bricks when he finally walks through our front door for the last time on his way to the MTC. I love him so much! He has been my best friend when there was no one else I could turn to. He knows me better than I know myself. He also gives the best hugs in the whole world! How can I live without that for two years? He is my cheerleader, a listening ear, my biggest support, and my shoulder to cry on. And he always understands! Always! I'm not too silly for him, and we can be crazy with each other. He is my greatest and dearest friend, and now he is leaving. I know that the next two years are going to be hard, but I am so excited for him to have this experience! And I want to be that support to him that he has always been for me. I love him so much! Who could ask for a better friend! Someone to make me laugh (and usually uncontrollably), to lift me up when I'm down, and to always be cheering me on when there may not be anyone else there. He truly is the greatest blessing to me in my life and I am so grateful for him! There is nothing else so wonderful than to have my brother around. And I am so grateful that he has the opportunity to bless the lives of the people in Switzerland. He is a beautiful person going to one of the most beautiful places in the whole world! How fitting. And how incredibly wonderful!

The Simple Beauty of Rainfall

2007-07-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

For the last few days there has been off and on bouts of rain. At times it's just a little sprinkle, and then other incidents have included trash cans floating down the road because the streets are flooding over with water. Today as I was coming home from work, I saw a series of dustdevils that were all really close together. Living in Arizona, it seems that these dust storms are more frequent than any other kind of storm, much to my displeasure. Then I started thinking that it would be nice to have a good thunderstorm to get rid of all the dust in the air and to make things look fresh and clean. I love that! So, right as I was having this little thought, the rain started coming down...little sprinkles at first, and then it started coming down in sheets and sheets. My windsheild wipers could barely keep up with the constant pounding of rain. I was driving slower than I normally would on a busy freeway, but it gave me some time to enjoy what was going on around me. No more dustdevils were going, that was for sure, but I wasn't particularly thinking about that. It seems that most of the time, rain is thought of as a very big inconvenience. We have to change what we wear (forget about hairdos), we have to carry around an umbrella, we have to take an extra 5 seconds to wipe off our shoes or take them off when we come in the house, we can't get home as fast as we want to because everyone else in front of us is just crawling down the road, and we don't really want to go out and do anything because we don't want to get wet or go through all the above mentioned bothersome intrusions on our time and energy. But today as I was driving home my thoughts were turned to how beautiful rain is. It makes things new and fresh. Don't you love the feeling that you get when you walk outside in the morning after it has rained and there is that smell....you know which one I'm talking about. The smell that makes you just want to breathe a little deeper and stand still for just one more second and soak it all in. That smell also does something to the inside of me. When I smell that smell, my day goes so much better. I am in a happy mood all day long, and nothing seems to get me down. I am energized, and ready for anything. It just makes me feel good...like today is going to start a new sense of determination and excitement. It's just great!

Thunderstorms are exhilarating for me too. Being in the safe comfort of my own home and listening to the rain whip on the windows, and the rolling thunder outside...being inside, you may have to turn a light on because the natural lighting from outside is a little shadowy, but it makes it so much more exciting when the lightning comes. It lights up a whole room and then the thunder can feel like it's right there, almost caving in on top of you. That is a great feeling. I love, during that kind of weather to go in my room, open a window (so I can smell that smell) and curl up on my bed with a warm blanket, lots of pillows and a good book and just enjoy the moment. So, I say that we enjoy the rain! It doesn't come all that often (well, at least in Arizona) and we need to take advantage of it when we have it! So I'm leaving for now and going to curl up with my book and enjoy the beautiful rainfall!

The Risks We Take

2007-07-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

You know, there are so many things that we hold back in this life! I am just as guilty as the next person, but I think that I am learning the importance of taking risks. It is hard to put yourself out in the middle of nowhere and say, "Ok, here I am, come at me with all you've got!" In some ways we do that when we think the cause is worth all the pummeling.

I have learned that when I put myself on the line and I give everything I possibly can, there have been no regrets for me. I know that the cause I am fighting for is something that I want with my whole heart, and even though it may not end in the way that I would want most, it has changed my life for the better. "What doesn't kill ya makes you stronger!" I was reminded of this by a good friend recently and I have to say that when you're going through the situation at the time, it seems very futile, but now looking back on it, how true it is! I wouldn't be who I am today without having risked stepping out of my comfort zone, committing wholeheartedly to something...or someone, or simply giving of myself to both those that I love and those that I hardly know at all. In every opportunity I have had to take these risks, there have been life changing opportunities, and I wouldn't trade that for the world! No matter how hard it may be at times! It's worth the risk!