Pre-finals/Formal

I have tired to write this blog for about a week.  But here I am in Aven, should be practicing, and instead I blog.  Pre-finals week is over and now starts the dead week at MC.  Where everything is cancelled and we get to "study" (AKA-study/sleep).  I have crossed off quite a bit off my list before I planned to which is wonderful.  

My list that I completed before formal! :) 

Now I am finishing learning my advanced standing piece and starting to attempt to learn about it to speak about.  Advanced standing is like the barrier of music majors.  It's like landing on jail in Monopoly; do not pass go, do not collect $200.  I will find out my fate in one week from Monday morning.  I know that I am expected to pass it and an signed up for post-advanced standing classes, but it is possible for everything to fall apart, for it all to fail, for me to forget everything I've learned.  However it's possible for it to go great, for my mind to be on par, for my throat to make it through.  best part of these scenarios:  the Lord God is over it all and will sustain me hopefully for the second one!  SO RESTFUL.

Also.  I had my last 8am core music class last week.  I can hardly believe the 2 years of diction, theory, form, aural skills, and music history is coming to an end.  I mean my mind says yes self, you have learned 4 semesters of theory, no worries,  But my heart is not quite ready to let go of all the crazy times that happen at 8am, and the bond we share as a music class.

Lee and I after our final music class.  You can tell it's morning ;)

With that- I have asthmatic bronchitis.  Becca and I spent Friday morning over there waiting, hanging, and being those annoying kids in the healthplex.  So yes.  I will attempt my advanced standing with a form of bronchitis.  I think this one goes down in the 'craziest idea ever as a voice major' book.  But alas, I do crazy things, so it goes along with my persona I guess.

Twin...gotta love her.

So-my other big event has been FORMAL 2013 in NOLA.  My group was, Robby, Ashleigh, Shelby, Wesley, Hanna, and Dakota.  Robby was my date, and the best date I could ever ask for.  We stayed at my aunt's house and it was perfect.  We played monopoly friday night, went to NOLA in the day Saturday, went to formal, and then went back to NOLA afterwards for a little while.  Went to sleep for a few hours, and then drove back for a band concert that Sunday afternoon.  Talk about a whirlwind of a weekend that I could have wished for a better group or time with.  Robby is THE best dancer-but for real.  And he is a wonderful date, if anyone needs a wonderful date to a girl function, I got the hook-up for ya!

Rob's and I.  Grand pic.

The group of us!

Ash and I getting ready.

Sorry that this blog is so random but I wanted to post it so I could have another post to rant about finals and random sentimental stuff about the year! :)

Classes/Tri

I signed up for my classes for next fall:

the least # of classes yet of college, (8)
the most # of hours, (18-I don't do this-but graduation is pending!)
the MOST free time (oh yes.)
#realclaslsolutions

Coolest class schedule yet:
Chinese
TESOL
Instrumental Conducting 1
Voice
Piano
Band
Earth Science (I know..core as a senior)
NO 055!!!

I did my first 'indoor triathlon' Saturday morning.  I woke up at 5 and Becca a little after, and off we went.  Everyone was SO encouraging-there was another lady who's first it was also so we were friends, however I was the only one anywhere close to my age.  So, you had 20 minutes to do each portion.  These are my ending #'s.
Swim: 1/3 mile
Bike:  8.7 miles
Run: 1.75 (I hate that part)

The countdown of 5 seconds was on; it was tense.

The after pic.  I know-this is the look that has the boys FLOCKIN'!

Overall I think I did really great!  I feel SO accomplished and I can hardly believe that I did it.  I can't wait for the next one either!  I plan to do as many as possible this next year!  I think I found my new addiction.  Hopefully it will make training all the more fun (as if...).
I am just still in shock that the Lord has helped me grow this much physically.  I thought I would NEVER be able to do this-and I am in the process of completing a pretty big tri in June or July! I can't wait!

Blissful weekend.

I literally had THE best weekend of my life thus far, probably (ok, maybe diva comment-but seriously!)

Friday night I went to the International Festival and got to experience a light taste of a plethora of cultures and it was so enlightening and fun!  I LOVE culture and people so it was just straight awesome.

fashion show portion of the festival.

Saturday I woke up with 30 other friends and went canoeing all day.  I canoed with Ashleigh and we are GREAT canoeing partners.  We didn't flip!  We did fall out of the canoe, but it didn't flip; don't ask how.  A bunch of us jumped off a little pier into the FREEZING (literally) water where I think my body went into shock for a moment and I just had a legit panic/freak out of flailing, screaming, and swimming but not moving.  Either way; it was SO worth it!  It was such fun to just go down a river with my friends, talking about life, Jesus, and having random sing-a-longs.

The bestie..we came, we divided, we conquered.

Car rides.  Whoever sits in the back is destined to sleep.

Saturday night my WHOLE KT family went to Jessie's house for a KT fam sleep over.  We made cookies, had an intensely awkward awesome game of twister, played 2 truths and a lie, had ice cream, talked about boys, made a 'music video' that ended in the heads of the family (kboo, bec, and I) being pantsed (it was a HILARIOUS video!), and ended the night with a family snuggling/movie.  It was simply beautiful.  I am incredibly thankful for my family and I legit know that I indeed have the closest family in all of KT.
(more pic's will be added soon..Maleesa takes a little while to add them/fix them/etc.)

 before we pulled out real twister.

Sunday we woke up and made pancakes as a family, and some of us went to church.  Had car worship on the way there, and comes to find out the topic we are starting for the next 2 months is......

FREEDOM!!!!! (the book of Galatians)
(if you didn't get the memo I have a tattoo that says 'Freedom from the law, from sin, and from death'.  It is in greek- eleutheria. It's on my left hand and is rockin'.)  I just kept looking down with a slur of thoughts racing through my mind.  Thank You Jesus for continuing to show me Your freedom.  The aspect of freedom this week was about how we need to validate our lives for an audience of one.  So convicting; so good.  I so often look to my friends to make sure it's 'ok' or 'daring', where as my eyes need to gravitate up towards Jesus, and only care how He views my life actions.

some of my fam at church.

Sunday night we had RA reveal night and I must say I have been nervous because I have always known where I was going to be the last 2 years; it was never a question.  This year apparently I was moved around between 2 dorms that it wasn't even funny.  I was between Hederman-Gunter or West.  I wanted Gunter, however the Lord has other plans for me and put Meredith (the girl on the right of me below) and I on West.  I can't say I'm excited to just be honest.  I had my diva moment and indeed cried after realizing where I was, but it's ok because we serve a God whose plans are not our own-which is incredible.  I know why I was on East staff these past 2 years down to a T, so we shall see what He has planned for my last RA staff!  It is overwhelming for my last year at school to be my first one not with freshman for sure, but I am excited to get to live in the same building as my friends!

Chelsey and I's freshman that made RA! LOVE THEM!

If you made it this far you are a trooper.  Just sayin' :)

Concepts becoming reality.

I have always heard that 'God knows your future'. and 'God has this in His hand.' and I have always 'believed' it but for some reason I still doubt.  I still doubt that God really does have my future in His hand.  I mean HE has lead me (dragged for some of it..) but none the less I am here.  Doing exactly what I know He wants-His way.  But I still freak out over 'my plans' changing; He knew this was going to happen.  He knows what I will do with that extra semester.  Good thing.

I just came to realize I can graduate a semester early, and study abroad in China for my last one.  Meaning I have 2 more semesters left at school.  Yesterday I would have said 4, now it is 2?! Talk about overwhelming.  It will be a year of  'lasts'.  I usually am not into that stuff but this place has so many memories, experiences of growth; basically where I have found my faith, family, and future.  Gosh.  So cheesy.  MC's slogan actually coming true? "find your faith, family, and future."
faith- I have grown so much here with the Lord that I know if I went elsewhere-it would not have been the same for me.
family- I have KT; my forever family.  I have my best friends for life found here.
future- Jesus showed me my future for life at MC.  Without this place I don't know where I'd be.

I must say MC.  As much as I bash a lot about you, I couldn't begin to express how thankful I am for coming here; for having been and am being molded and will be molded into the person I will leave here being.  A complete 180 from how I was when I came here.

Here is my first blog after college.  Oh how my blogs have changed too (I think for the better too!)

I am in a reminiscing mood so here are a few pics from freshman year.  Soon I will post pictures from senior year.  Weird.

freshman year-when some of my pledge class decided to dye our hair in honor of KT.
We were all so little!

Wes and I.  Oh how some things never change.

That one time 9 random people spelled NT.

RUUH sheets. good times.
that time freshman year everyone is friends.

The bestie and I.  So glad we were roomies!