11/21/2012

{Great Wall of China - May 2012}

Journal entry - 11/21/2012:

''...As always I have so much to be grateful for. I'm so grateful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with both of my siblings and so many of my extended family members. I'm finishing up school next semester. My graduation date is set and even though the end is in sight, I think the mountain I have to climb to get there will be the tallest, toughest, and maybe even (in some ways) the loneliest of all.

6 years of school straight is a long time to get an undergrad. Two more years than I planned or even wanted to. I could have been getting my Masters during this time... clearly that was not the greater plan.

But in the past two years I have been tested and I have been stretched and have I developed some of the greater qualities of my personality and character. I have also been blessed with the time to nurture and learn from relationships and friendships that have come to mean the most to me in the past couple of years... [I would never have met a couple of people that have become closest to me] ...And mine and Kacee's friendship would not have grown the way it has if we hadn't experienced some of the adventures and trials we've had together. 

In the past whenever things got hard I would have this insanely overwhelming desire and need to get out, escape, run away, and leave it all behind me. I would literally get in my car and start driving and I wouldn't want to stop or turn around. Heavenly Father knows best. Obviously I know that, but it's so humbling to see his hand so intimately working in my life. His fingerprints have marked every part of this journey, especially through college.

I'm excited to see what things are up ahead, because even as I remember the lowest of lows and the best of the best, I am filled with gratitude for all of it. I know without a doubt that I have been where I've needed to be. Not only do I know that I'm where I need to be, I'm where I want to be. That is a huge mark of how far I've come emotionally and spiritually..."


I'm climbing that mountain. 
And it is a climb.
It's everything I thought it would be and at the same time not what I expected at all.
But I'm grateful for the things I've come across on the path and I'm pretty excited for the things up ahead. 

Come what may and love it, right?

Attitude of Gratitude: Laughter

Has anyone else felt like today was a weird day?

Maybe it was because I was pretty much fighting demons in my sleep last night, or maybe it's because of all the negative energy people have been releasing from the outcome of the elections (knock it off already - no one needs bad juju). Whatever it is, I've been in real funk today. 

Which is why I am SO grateful for laughter.

Learning to laugh has been one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned. It gets me through some strange and trying times. Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball, like when I unexpectedly had to move out of my house in the middle of December during finals week of my most difficult semester at school. Trust me when I say it was a pretty rough time of life, but I laughed about it then and I can laugh about it now. There are literally some days where there is nothing else I can do except laugh. The people I love being around most are the ones that I can let loose and laugh with. I'm grateful for the people that know me and my sense of humor well enough to laugh right along with me. 

Like after a very fateful date a couple of years ago. 

Story time: It was a first date and this guy (I'll call him S) brought me to his brother's house to play games and watch a movie with his older brothers and each of their wives. S had already asked me out the week before and wanted me to cook him Brazilian food (red flag #1)... I thought that was a little strange and luckily I was already going to be out of town so I had to decline. So When he asked me out again and told me the plan, I felt it was pretty safe. S and his family were very nice, and he let me know that he was looking to be married and planned on it being really soon. Red flag #2. So meeting the family and having them ask when we're getting married was a little too much for me on a first date. Red  flag #3 (did I need any more?). Not long into the evening I realized I couldn't really see myself with this guy for longer than however long the night would last (I'll spare you all the details that led me to that particular conclusion...). When he dropped me off, I realized I had forgotten my keys and all my roommates were out of town. S and I tried to break in without any success (that was certainly something to laugh about right there), but I strangely had my spare car key in my purse. He called his brother, told him the situation, and his bro said to come back to his place where S and I could share the hide-a-bed. Seriously? That was the icing on the cake right there. But I followed S in my own car back to his bro's apartment. I was texting and calling everyone I could who might find it in their hearts to take me in for the night. It was close to 1 AM and everyone had gone home for Christmas Break, so things were looking pretty bleak. I was in serious need of a bonafide Christmas Miracle. I finally just texted someone (let's call him D) who I knew would laugh about the hilariosity and the uncomfortable atrocitation of this night with me. He definitely laughed with me. He also told me he was with his family at his mom's house in Providence where I was more than welcome to spend the night and where I would have my own room. I quickly took him up on his offer, told S and his bro's family thanks and headed out in the opposite direction. I got to Providence where D and I laughed about my night and about so many other things. Since then, we've shared some pretty hilarious times together.

He's always been really great at hearing me out, giving me some perspective, and especially laughing with me.

Laughter is a really great way to bring people together and it makes the journey so much more enjoyable. So next time you're tempted to complain, or groan, or be really mad about something, attempt to laugh instead.
Give me call, I'd love to laugh with you. 

Source: blogginwithbobbi.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" and other weekend adventures.

(Actually, you'll probably shoot more than just your eye out with the gun we were using -  It definitely wasn't a Red Ryder BB gun.)

On Saturday I had an 8 AM meeting and then work until 3.
Which was fun.
But not really.

I went on a double date that was real fun though! Tim and I, and Jake and Audrey wet to a shooting range and shot with Tim's gun. The guys showed off (naturally), but Audrey and I were a bit rusty. We each took turns shooting clay pigeons. I felt like I was doing the walk of shame back to everyone if I didn't hit one. But I finally did! In fact, I hit 6. And I brought fruit-roll-ups to share as a snack for everyone. I'm so thoughtful.

 

Matching Shrek ears and North Face jackets.

Jake helping out "Goddess Divine" aka: Audrey

 

We shot for a while and then went home to get ready to go to Salt Lake City to see the Opera Il Trovatore at the Capitol Theatre.

I imagine that for most people, when they hear the word opera they think of this:

  

or this:

( I LOVE Phantom, but please understand - this is NOT opera)

Well, the performance I went to was not like either of these things. 

There were some really beautiful moments and I love the story of Il Trovatore, and it's a Verdi opera so it's really lovely music. I think being a vocal performance major has turned me into a bit of a snob because I'm a little critical when I go to these kinds of things. I expect a lot. The tenor and the soprano leads weren't too bad, but the baritone and the mezzo were kicking some butt. We enjoyed it overall and we went and got In-n-Out afterwards which was the greatest. 

Guns, Opera, In-n-Out, and great people: it's a pretty good life

Us after the opera. (Sorry it's blurry, but it's the only one we got!)

I Will Rise

My dear friend Kristopher King passed away at the end of the summer right before school started this year. It was very sudden. Kris and I did our Junior Recital together this past Spring and went to China with the Chamber singers together in May. I could write so many things about our memories together and the profound impact that he had on me and on all that knew him.

My heart was so full yesterday. Kris's mother flew in for the Chamber Singers Fall concert last night and came to our rehearsal yesterday. It was such a sweet experience having her there and feeling of her love. Last night at the concert, one of the songs we sang was in memory of him. Kris was a scholarship student from Brooklyn and his story is incredible. Before the song, Dean Craig Jessop came up and told the story of how he met Kris and offered him a scholarship. Then he invited Deborah and the president of Utah State University President Albrecht up on stage and they presented her with Kris's diploma. Deborah said a few words and told us how Kris is the first person in her family to graduate from college.  The hall was packed and everyone gave her a standing ovation, it was a really incredible thing to be a part of. Needless to say tears shed by many including myself (and I'm not a cryer!), I thought I had shed enough when his mother was at our rehearsal, but sure enough, the floodgates were still wide open.

And then we had to sing.

Jared, Belen, and I were the soloists in this piece and it was definitely an emotional mountain to climb for us. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to join my voice my my friends (and I believe with Kris's) and provide comfort to a mother who's heart is broken. There was a little get together for Chamber Singers and Deborah right ofter the performance and we got to meet her and tell her experiences we had with Kris. That woman has a lot of love to give and being with her is like being with Kris, it was so great.

I'm just so grateful for the people I have met and been able to know here in Logan. It's a little overwhelming to think of all the experiences I've had and how much I have changed in the past few years all because of the people I have known and loved and that have loved me.

Let's all just love a little more, ok?

Last night's performance.

A friend in the audience recorded this. And I hope he doesn't mind that I'm using this.

 Thanks, K!