Advent/New Year's Resolution

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It's where singing out of no where is (somewhat) socially acceptable, and people even join in! It's where you can go shopping everyday and people don't think it's weird...granted you shop for everyone else, but that's not the point. It's where you bake goodies all day, you drink copious amounts of hot chocolate, put up decorations, the music, the movies, it's...it's magical.
My favorite part of the Christmas season is the Christmas Eve service. This year was no different.
Well, it was plenty different. It was more like a big loud party. An awesome party. :)
The music was amazing, the worship was great, and Andrea and I were pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. :)
During the message I found myself feeling extremely overwhelmed with Christmas. I feel like a month is not long enough to prepare yourself for Christmas. I don't mean the baking, the shopping, the decorations, or any of that. I mean that moment when you sit down and reflect on the "reason for the season" and you try to BEGIN to comprehend the fact that God, the all-knowing and powerful God sent down his only son to us humans. Flawed, sinful, selfish humans. And what did we do with Him? We killed him.
It's such a huge thing to comprehend.
Through all the hustle and bustle of Christmas we often lose our focus and don't have time to think about why we're even celebrating Christmas. By the time you start to think about it, it's Christmas day and we have to start planning for New Year's Eve.
This year I've learned a lot about priorities. Who knew that sleeping and eating comes before studying for 12 hours straight!
So during the Christmas Eve service I realized that I don't want this to happen again. Next year, I want to have my heart ready from day 1. I want to seize every moment I have to worship and honor Him not only during Advent, but the rest of the year too.

Day O Thanks

It's Thanksgiving tomorrow (and if you weren't aware of that go out and buy yourself a calendar right now) and everyone seems to be posting things that they're thankful for. For obvious reasons... :)
So I thought I'd jot down a few of my own.
I'm thankful for...

my family
my friends
my bed
a warm shower every morning
my school, education, and professors (most of them anyway)
my church, both home and school
my roof over my head
my car (!!!)
my job(s) both librarian and nanny
my kids (back home who I never get to see, but once in awhile get a text or picture from their mom saying they miss me)
books
my kitty!
the internet
heater/ac
pizza
chocolate
phones/texting
holiday breaks
and most importantly, my Savior who gave us this life to live for Him each and everyday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy it with family, friends, and even strangers. (Well, I mean...stranger danger. But I know some people can't go home for the holiday so I figured some of you might be going to a friend's house where there will be strangers. Don't just go up to a random stranger and spend Thanksgiving with them. That could be dangerous.)
My point is, to have a safe, warm, scrumptious, and beautiful Thanksgiving. :)

Liebe dich zuerst

"Wait for it. Wait for somebody who is perfect for you. I don't care how long you've been alone, or how easy it is to make excuses for somebody who makes you feel bad. I don't care if it's because you kind of like them, and I don't care if you think it 'could maybe work out.' Wait for somebody who is good to you. It doesn't matter if they make you giggle laugh, because if they give you that empty 'I'm not hungry' feeling in your stomach when they forget to call, they are not worth it. They are never worth your bathroom tears or your constant 'what do you think it means' barrage to your friends. You are worth it. You are stupidly cool/sometimes lame but you have a human pulse and you don't kill people and you deserve to be happy. Maybe this person will take forever, maybe it will take till next week. Who knows when they will get off their lazy butt off the couch and come find you? However, until then, don't put up with crap. Don't put up with the bad feelings. Just go do your own thing until somebody fits your puzzle piece. It'll be something for the books. Don't settle for anything less."

Here's the link I got this from (my AMAZING roomie sent it to me. :) )
http://liebedichzuerst.tumblr.com/post/12473551889/wait-for-it-wait-for-somebody-who-is-perfect-for

Dreams

I'm a dreamer. Through and through.
When I was little I'd always be playing dress up and make believe just to "live" a dream that I had.
I was that little girl who put her stuffed animals in a line and played "teacher". I was the teenager who sang into the hairbrush as I danced around my room pretending to be a rock star.
I totally still do that. I'll be honest. I love it too. So ha!
But I also dream of changing the world. Making a difference...somehow. I've always wanted to do that. And I thought it would be by doing the whole rock star thing. I'd share my testimony, change a life, and boom!
But as I'm finishing the rest of my education I realize...it's probably not going to happen. And I'm ok with that. I know that I'm doing what God wants me to do. And how can I argue with that?
Now my dream is to be the best music teacher I can be, and to do my best in leading others in worship through music. I love both of these things. These are my dreams, and they are becoming a reality, slowly but surely.

I also have a dream of being a wife and mother. I nannied for a year when I was home and I went back and forth between wanting to me a mom. Ok, I never didn't want to, but I started questioning the whole "mom" thing! :)
But after watching them grow up in the course of a year I know I could never not have kids. I absolutely love the two that I got to watch every day, and they're not even mine. I love that Katelyn still tells her mom that she misses me, and that she loves music even more than she did when I started watching her. I almost cried when she told me she wanted to sing in "big church, cause that's what Leasha does."
I want that. I dream and crave that.
I also want to be a wife. (before the mother part. don't worry!) My favorite book of the Bible is Proverbs, specifically Proverbs 31. I studied it with my mentor over the summer and I have learned so much! That woman is who I strive to be like. She is strong, secure, dependable, beautiful, talented, worthy, respected, the list goes on and on.

I feel that the dreams I had as a little girl aren't that different than the dreams I have now. In fact, they're basically identical. Only a few minor changes.

I can't help but feel blessed that I know (and always knew) what I wanted to do when I grew up.
...speaking of which...I should probably get back to homework. You know, to learn more about what it is that I want to do with my life...
:)

10 Things I Like

10. Twinkle lights
They're just so pretty. We have them in my apartment and I love it. It also makes it feel slightly like Christmas... :)
9. Candles
So soothing. And yummy smelling.
8. Big, shiny, pretty pianos
I'm a music major. I can't help it.
7. Making lists
I'm American. I can't help it.
6. Sweat pants
There is nothing more comfy than sweat pants. If only I didn't feel so lazy while wearing them...then I'd wear them everywhere, everyday.
5. Texting
I love texting. I'm always busy and rarely have time to have a phone conversation. So texting is always much convenient because I can respond when I finish a sentence or get done with my song. Whatever.
4. Sheet music
Review #8
3. Sleeping in
I love Sundays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And the occasional Friday afternoon nap. There's nothing better than waking up at 7am, roll over, check the time, remember that you don't have to be up anytime soon, then roll back over, snuggle up in a big blanket and fall back asleep....*sigh*
2. Long emails with my best friend (Andrea). Duh.
Andrea and I are super busy, but we're always in constant communication. Between Facebook, Twitter, texting, and emails we always know what's going on with each other. :)
1. Care packages from home
I LOOOOVE care packages from home. My mom is awesome. I've gotten things from clothes, to Halloween flip flops, to homemade goodies! She's the best. :)

Mama

I love my mom. She has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.

Growing up I didn't realize how absolutely amazing she was. I mean, I did. But I didn't fully understand until I got to college. (lack of homemade food can do that to you!)
But boy did I begin to realize it when I was home for a year and became a nanny. Ha!

I'd go to my mom constantly asking advice and she would laugh at my stories and tell me her own from when my brother and I were kids.

My mom is one of the strongest people I know. My dad has been out of work for awhile, and it hasn't been easy. It's no ones fault, and we don't know why we're going through this, but we're making it. It could be worse. And through it all, my mom has been a rock.
I watch her at Spirit West Coast and see her direct and serve and she teaches me what it's like to be a leader.

She has taught me more than she'll ever know. Probably more than I'll even know. She's my best friend, and my role model, and I can only hope that when I get to become a mommy, that I'll be even half as great as my mom.
Love you Mama. <3

And Mom, if you're reading this (which I'm sure you will at some point) I'm sorry for making you cry. Yes, I know you're crying because I got tear-y eyed writing it. I AM my mother's daughter. :)

The Word

I'm going to be honest. I've never read through the whole Bible. I've wanted to, and I've tried, but I've never succeeded. This may surprise some of you because I LOVE reading. But I just found it hard to pick up my bible and read through the genealogies and through things like Ecclesiastes and be excited to read further.
This last summer I asked my pastor's wife to mentor me. It was phenomenal! We studied Proverbs together, and the Wife of Noble Character (ch. 31) in depth and it was such a great experience.
During this study we decided to read a chapter every day (based on what day in the month it was : 17th read chapter 17 and so on) and we'd focus in depth 2 verses per week from the 31st chapter. So I was reading a chapter everyday.
It was hard for the first few weeks. There were weeks when I'd go to Starbucks, order a drink, and read 7 chapters to get caught up. But as the summer progressed I got into a routine and I really enjoyed setting aside time to ignore everything going on in my life and read the bible.
So at the end of the summer I looked at the books of the bible and put in order what books I wanted to read. Then I went into iCal on my laptop and put in everyday which chapter of which book I would read. Seriously. It took me a really long time because I filled it in for 4 months. Hahaha
But since I've come back down to APU I've kept up with it. And the crazy thing is, if I went a day without reading, by the end of the day I could tell. I feel unfocused...if that makes any sense.

Honestly, I don't know how I've kept up with it still. Well, I do. And it's God. Duh. But I remember my first few years at school praying desperately to God asking Him to give me a love for His word and a passion to read it....and it never happened. Little did I know all I had to do was sit down and just DO it, and it would all come naturally.

Ten Ways to Love

1. Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18)
2. Speak without accusing (James 1.19)
3. Give without sparing (Proverbs 21.26)
4. Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1.9)
5. Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17.1)
6. Share without pretending (Ephesians 4.15)
7. Enjoy without complains (Philippians 2.14)
8. Trust without wavering (Corinthians 13.7)
9. Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3.13)
10. Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13.12)

I'm a pusher, Kady!

I have this nasty habit of pushing myself to a point where my body does weird things.
For instance, gets incredibly excellent in catching colds, exhaustion, dehydration, and most recently discovered, the flu!
Unfortunately all of these things suck. So it's not that great.
I also have another nasty habit of stressing myself out (at least) once a semester to the point of a mental/physical/emotional breakdown.
Once again, suck-ish.
I also have another habit (it can be nasty, but sometimes it can be pretty awesome!) of switching the conversation to ANYTHING else.
Here's where all these things come together...
Last Monday night a good friend picked me up to go to senior chapel. We talked pretty much non-stop to our seats, and picked up on our way back to his car.
I also managed to keep the conversation not about me.
It wasn't till he parked outside my apartment that he realized my deception (although I don't think he thought of it as "deception") and asked me how I was doing.
I laughed and told him that we didn't have enough time.
So he gave me "5 minutes" and turned off the car and leaned back and looked at me.
And I kind of...gave up.
I like keeping up this strong front. Like I have everything together. I'm very organized. I like this front. I'm comfortable with it.
But there are times where I can't keep it up. And I shouldn't have to, but I feel this need to keep it up anyway.
But at this point in time I was so exhausted that I just broke down.
I told him how stressed I was and that I felt like I wasn't keeping up or doing anything right, blah, blah, blah.
After much more than 5 minutes, I sat there playing with my keys in my lap trying to distract the conversation to anything else.
Which worked. For like...1 minute.
He's a wise one. :)
He asked me what he could do and I told him with a heavy sigh that I had no clue.
So he took my hand, and prayed for me.
And I broke down. And I cried.
But it was good.
Have you ever had a good cry? Where you cry healing tears, or you can feel the worry and stress come out through crying?
Anyway.
I felt a better. And then I heard him say the words:

"You're so hard on yourself."

He said it quietly, but each word felt so heavy and big. Because it's absolutely true.
I told you. He's wise. ;)
Those words have been swimming around my head ever since he said them.
But my question is...how do I change that? I need to be hard on myself to discipline myself. But clearly I need to do it in a healthier way...but I don't quite know how yet.
But it's been in my thoughts since Monday.
And if I figure it out, I'll let you guys know.

But for now, your prayers are extremely welcomed. :)

A-Z

I saw this and stole it.
I'll admit it. :)

A. Age: 22
B. Bed Size: Twin. I'm in college.
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathroom. The germs!! Blech!
D. Dogs: Yes.
E. Essential start to your day: A shower and reading at least one chapter from my Bible.
F. Favorite color: teal and pink
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5'5”
I. Instruments you play: voice, piano, and “technically” clarinet, saxophone, flute, “all” percussion, and am learning trumpet.
J. Job title: Student, nanny, and choir librarian
K. Kids: I love them :)
L. Live: Azusa, CA / Livermore, CA
M. Mother's name: Linda
N. Nicknames: Vish
O. Overnight hospital stays: None as of now
P. Pet peeves: People clapping off beat. Drives me nuts-o!!
Q. Quote from a movie: “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.” - Mr. Darcy (my favorite book/movie!)
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: older brother and sister in-law
T. TV Show: I have to say Glee, because that's what I'm watching as I'm writing this. :)
U. Underwear: Yes. I'm a firm believer in underwear.
V. Vegetable you hate: Every vegetable. Ever. Seriously. I'm not a fan. Sorry.
W. What makes you run late: Nothing if I can help it. I HATE being late! I'm typically, like, 10 minutes ealry.
X. X-Rays you've had: 2: my ankle (I sprained it in high school) and this summer I had x-rays of my neck for my cluster headaches
Y. Yummy food you make: Homemade pizza and “the” SWC pasta. Heeheehee
Z. Zoo animal: Penguins!

How I Know A New Semester Has Started...

1. 100 degree heat (in the 90s at 10:30am). Ew.
It was ridiculously hot for 10:30am after chapel. It's just...NOT ok. Neither is it ok for me to sit in the shade filling out paperwork and still sweat! It's just unnatural, right??

2. Chapel!
I like chapel. I don't care. I like it. Opening chapel is always the same though. But it's good. John Wallace showed us a clip from Wall-E. It made me happy. :)

3. Classes (duh.)
This is pretty obvious. But I have to brag that my first class was canceled! What, what?!?!

4. Books. $500 so far. Still a few more books to get.
Yeah...that's it. I'm still a bit bitter about that...I'll get over it. When my own kids buy their books and it's $800 or something. Ha!

5. Professors putting you on the spot.
When you're in an "intro" class, how am I expected to know a lot about it? Easy. I don't. So when I'm put on the spot, I just talk. Lucky for me, I'm really good at talking! :)

6. Syllabi.
And the professors feel the need to read through it with you. Because I can't read it on my own. I know it's their job, but...oy. I have 9 classes. It gets really redundant.

7. No parking.
Because they haven't distributed parking passes everyone is parking where ever they want. Which means I get to drive around looking for a parking spot 20 minutes before class wondering if I should just park on the other campus and walk back and be late and sweaty. Praise Jesus that as I was praying I saw a guy who looked like he was walking to his car. So OBVIOUSLY I stalked him to his car and got his spot! Yay me!! My creeper skills are coming in handy!

8. Back to school Target runs. Yay!
Target is 2 blocks away!! And if you know me even a little, you know I LOVE Target. Love. Love, love, love. And since it's right down the street from me if I need to get a few things that's where I go! I enjoy this greatly. :)

9. Lists, lists, and lists!
Once again, if you know me, you know I am an organizing freak! I love things neat and orderly. So as soon as I finish this I am going to proceed to make my homework list, my to-do list, and then my "tomorrow" list.
Yeah...is this healthy? Eh, whatever. I can't remember anything so I have to write everything down.
Twice.

10. Papers.
I ALREADY have a paper due Monday. Granted it's 2 pages double spaced, but c'mon!
Oh well.


Moral of the story is: I am getting back into the routine of school, and am thoroughly enjoying it. :)

The Weekend

This is the story of a woman.
More specifically, a 22 year old woman whose name may or may not be Alicia.
Probably not though. :)
But for the sake of the story we will call her Alicia. Just so you won't get confused.

Alicia's big brother got married. And it was a beautiful wedding full of tears, laughter, music, music being blown away while Alicia is playing piano and singing but she pulls it off effortlessly (Boom!), and happy memories being shared and made.
Because of the wedding Alicia's family from Texas flew out and were staying with her aunt and uncle in Auburn.
Since Alicia's parents don't get to see their family from Texas very often her mother went to visit them shortly after the wedding.
And a few days after Alicia's father went as well.
Friday afternoon Alicia's father left to go to work and left to Auburn immediately after, and as it was Friday, Alicia had no work.
Alicia had the house to herself.
Correction: Alicia had the house to herself all weekend.
Another Correction: Alicia was by herself all weekend.
Alicia gets weird when she's by herself for too long. Throw in her cat and she's just downright crazy.
Alicia kept it together though, for the most part.

Friday: She decided to clean. Alicia enjoys cleaning (to a degree, and depending on what it is.) and organizing. She set to work on cleaning her room since she would be leaving to college in a week and a half.
But this wasn't just cleaning and organizing. This was throwing out junk, going through closet and getting rid of clothes that she doesn't wear anymore, dusting, and oh yes, vacuuming!
It was serious business.
In the middle of her cleaning party, Alicia found a picture. But not just any picture. It wasn't a 4'6”, but it was a nice large framed picture.
Of her ex-boyfriend.
Of her ex-boyfriend whom she dated for 2 ½ years.
Of her ex-boyfriend whom she dated for 2 ½ years that she hasn't seen since Thanksgiving break.
Of her ex-boyfriend whom she dated for 2 ½ years that she hasn't seen since Thanksgiving break and who just recently got a girlfriend.
So...awesome, right??
So Alicia girded her loins (Job, anyone?) and texted him to tell him she had his picture and he should come get it at some point. He texts her back saying he can do that when he gets off work.
Alicia continues cleaning.
Alicia showers. Alicia gets dressed, and her ex-boyfriend shows up.
Alicia's ex-boyfriend is very nice and polite and looks nice in his suit from work. They talk for a bit catching up in the most normal way possible. Then Alicia's ex-boyfriend has to leave.
Alicia walks back into her room and sees herself in the mirror: wet hair, no make up, pajama pants, a tank top and slippers.
How attractive is that?
Then she realized that she doesn't care.
Sure, Alicia still loves her ex-boyfriend, but she isn't IN love with him anymore.
Alicia smiles, wishes her ex-boyfriend luck on his future endeavors (in her head of course. She's all alone, remember?), and continues cleaning.

Saturday: Alicia wakes up and goes to a meeting at church. She has plans to go get lunch and see a movie with one of her high schoolers, when during the meeting she finds out her high schooler was called into work so they had to reschedule.
Alicia grabs lunch and goes home. To clean. Again.
Alicia also realizes that she's home all alone...and she can be as loud as she wants to.
So OBVIOUSLY she cranks up her music and sings and dances around like any other normal person would do while home by themselves.
Eventually Alicia stops and realizes that she's hungry. She wants quiche.
So Alicia makes homemade quiche.
Alicia's pretty darn excellent, thank you very much.
Unfortunately while the quiche is baking Alicia begins to miss her best friend whom we'll call Andrea.
Andrea went back to school in, let's say Chicago.
Alicia eats a piece of quiche and realizes she is BORED and is feeling cooped up and wants to go do something but it's a Saturday night, I'm a broke college student, and there's no one my age in town. So she stays in and watches a movie and does laundry.
She's really hip.

Sunday: Alicia wakes up feeling nauseous. But this happens once in awhile, so she continues to get ready and makes her way to church.
Side Note: When Alicia isn't feeling well she tends to compensate in getting ready. The end result of getting ready Sunday morning was with Alicia curling her hair, longer than 5 minutes doing her make up, wearing a dress, and wearing 4 inch heels.
Alicia gets to church and gets through the worship practice. Alicia gets through the first 4 songs (that she is leading vocally, by the way), gets through the special song, gets off stage, goes into the bathroom and **if you get sick from hearing how other people get sick, do not, I repeat DO NOT continue reading this sentence! She throws up.
But she doesn't feel better. So she goes into her boss' office and lays down on the couch, then goes back onstage for the last song.
Then Alicia decided she needs to go home. Except she's singing lead on the first four songs and she's singing harmony on the special song that morning. So she decides she can push through at least the first five songs.
And by that, I mean Alicia knew that God could keep the contents of her stomach down long enough to get through the first five songs.
And you know what, He did.

And this is the part of the story where I have to share something with you. It's me. I am that girl.
I know it's a shocker. But I want to share what I learned onstage.

I felt bad because I was supposed to be leading worship. I felt that I wasn't leading worship, but worshiping and “inviting” others to worship with me.
Does that make sense?
I was doing nothing but singing and worshipping. I didn't do any of my transitions, and I barely got out the “Stand with us” at the end of the first service.
I was weak.
And the songs that we sang were: God of this City, Love the Lord, Everlasting God, and Lead me to the Cross.

God of this City:
“You're the strength in the weakness”
“There is no one like You, God.”

Love the Lord:
“I will serve You, Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my STRENGTH.”

Everlasting God:
“Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.”
“You lift us up on wings like eagles.”

Lead me to the Cross:
“You were as I, tempted and tried, human.”
“Lead me to the cross, where Your love poured out. Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to You. Lead me, lead me to the cross.”


God knows our human strength – weakness, rather. He sent His son to earth in human form, so He knows firsthand.
In my time(s) of struggle and weakness, God gave me the strength that I needed to do what I wanted to do, and what He wanted me to do as well.
“I will serve You, Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my STRENGTH”
With all my God-given strength. Because I did not do it on my own.

Boom!!

That pretty much sums up Spirit West Coast this year. In the best way possible of course. :)
It would take ages for me to write about what happened this year, so to sum everything up, I'm going to give you:

THE TOP TEN HIGHLIGHTS OF SWC 2011

10. Dedication Service
Every Tuesday night we have a dedication service to recognize who we are doing all this for. It's a great time for us to come together after working for so long and just worship. This year I was asked to lead worship with a friend of mine who I've known since year one. It was a short and simple set, and it was great. After the music a few people who have been around for every festival gave their testimonies and how they cam eto work with SWC. It was a fun night. :)

9. Run Ins with The Afters and Newsboys
I always have some sort of ridiculous encounter with an artist or two, and this year was no different. The first night the Newsboys were playing. Every year they go out to eat at a seafood restaurant. So why would they get dinner from me? They wouldn't. Except I had the pasta that night.
THE pasta
So obviously, Michael Tait came to get a little bit of pasta. But of course Jeff Frankenstein (the keyboardist) starts telling Michael to NOT eat the pasta. It's bad for you. I poisoned it.
What the heck??
So after Michael leaves, Jeff is still teasing me and I'm thinking, "Is this for real? Please Lord, let him be joking..."
He was very convincing.
And I'm THAT gullible.
A few minutes later he came over to me and told me, "You know I'm joking!" and we pounded fists.
So that was that.
The Afters and I had a random run in a few years ago. Just ask Andrea. It involves onions.
This year, the band came up to me during dinner and asks, "What IS tri tip?"
...I have no stinkin' clue!
I laugh and say, "That is a GREAT question!...cow?"
They then proceed to make fun of me for serving something that I don't know what it is, so I tease them for not knowing either!
Why do I always have these run ins with artists? :)

8. Tent Time
I shared a tent with a total of three people: Annie, Jessica, and Andrea. Andrea only stayed for one night, and in the course of that night I came in while she was sleeping already and proceeded to fall asleep on TOP of her (sorry A!) and Annie stayed with me one night and then went to her comfortable cot (I totally don't blame her), and Jessica stayed with me for four nights. And it was fun with each and every one of these girls.
I also tented next to two boys that I got a chance to get to know. They came with Kurt, and it was Kurt who came up to me during dinner to tell me I was sleeping next to the boys. He told me how great they are, what they're like, and a few random things about them, then he tells me that they are 16 and 17.
.....HA!
He then asked me how old I am, and when he hears, "22" he says, "Oh. The older woman." Well never mind!"
The boys were great, and it was fun making new friends. :)

7. Relationship Advice
This is Spirit West Coast. There is bound to be some kind of drama. Every year Chris always gives me great advice and keeps my head on straight. This year I had not only Chris giving me relationship advice, but I had Neil giving me his opinion as well.
Basically, I love them. I think they are amazing.
The End.

6. Psych
Has anyone seen the TV show Psych? If you haven't, then you should. It's quite excellent. And you'll have no idea what I'm talking about for the rest of this.
At SWC I have 3 great guy friends, and I've realized we have a lot in common with the four leads from Psych.
Shawn: This is so clearly and obviously Chris. Hands down. They have the same sense of humor. They're both quick, ridiculous, but they can get serious when the time calls for it.
Gus: Neil. Cause Neil is black. Actually he's not, but I'd believe it if he told me that. But Neil and Chris are really close, and they have the same sense of humor and can go back and forth just like the characters.
Lassiter: Jason. For reals. Jason would like everything and everyone to go by the book, and sometimes it's easier for him to just do a job by himself. But he's also loveable. Who doesn't love Lassiter? And who doesn't love Jason? :)
Juliet: That's me! I automatically get her because...well, she's the only female. BUT, Jason and I are really close...close like partners. Eh? Get it? See what I did there? Juliet is smart, gentle, but gets her ish done when needed, and has a great relationship with each of the guys.
Oh, but the whole thing between Juliet and Shawn...that's non-existant. We do not speak of this.

I love my boys. :)

5. Pride and Prejudice
If anyone knows me, you know that Pride and Prejudice is by far my favorite movie.
This year we decided to have a movie night at Chris' house, and while we called to check that it was ok, we found out his wife Aimee was just starting it! (Side Note: It was the new shorter one. Not as good, but still. Better than nothing!) So we hurried over and watched the movie and the boys got to shower which everyone was thankful for. :)
It was nice being in a house and not freezing out butts off.
It was also hilarious to watch Chris and Aimee quote the entire movie. :)

4. Car Ride With Chris
Wednesday night I went with the boys to Jason's house for dinner and to pick up Jessica to go on a date with her! :) So Chris and I drove my car and it was a great chance to just talk and hang out. I only get to see these people for a week or so once a year, so I cherish every minute I get to hang out with them.
My favorite part of the car ride?
There was a NATURAL pause in the conversation, and Chris goes, "Is this an awkward pause??"
...."Well NOW it is!!"
Chris, c'mon. LOL

3. Talk with Jason
Jason is a really good friend, and this year we got to hang out and talk for four hours one night.
We hadn't talked since the end of May so there was a lot to catch up on.
We needed this talk. It had been too long and it was nice to reconnect.
Love you Jason! In the most non-awkward way possible. ...ok, that's probably not true but you know what I mean. :)

2. Saturday Night
One of my favorite things of the festival is staying up Saturday night to cook a fourth meal for the IT, Electrical, and Construction guys. And by "cook" I mean "reheat".
After the last concert the guys start tearing down and around 2am they break and go to the kitchen for food.
And at 2 in the morning when they see a pretty woman with tri tip, (THE) pasta, mashed potatoes, rolls, brownies, and lemon pound cake...they love me. :)
These boys are my favorite. And I love that I can do something so simple and easy for them, and it means a lot to them.

1. The Cross
Apparently at least five years ago we built a life-size cross and set it up on the hill.
Well, I have never seen it. I didn't even know where it is. God put it on my heart to see it this year, and after the worship service Sunday morning (the day I was leaving) Jason took me to go see the cross.
It was amazing. I really needed it, and I really needed it then. I was upset and emotional because it was the last day and I had to go home and immediately go into wedding mode, so it was good to remember why I came and who I did everything for.


It was a great year, and I can't wait to go back and do it all over again. :)

Oy.

So...it's been awhile. And I'm only writing something really quick because I found a few photos that I thought were too adorable not to share, and they've just been hanging out on my desktop for FOREVER and a day, so I decided enough is enough and I need to share them with you.



Doesn't this just make you super happy and smile??
Just me? Eh...oh well. :)



This NEEDS to be my room. The fact that the mini-couch thing has a built in bookcase is just brilliant.

And um...



I love him.
The End.

:)

Patience

“The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”
Gross.

What did you guys think when you saw the word Patience?
When I think of it I see myself sitting tapping my foot waiting for...well, something. And I don't even know WHAT, but regardless of that, it's entirely too frustrating.
I have had to use a great amount of patience lately, and for some reason I feel I have come up short tonight.
“Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will run and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40.31

I see what it's saying, but it doesn't make it much easier. BUT I guess it means that God has important things to show me and teach me this summer. And I guess that's all I can lean and hold on to.
...but that doesn't mean I have to smile while doing it...

Does it?


:)

Spiritual Attacks

Some days I feel like I'm being spiritually attacked. And I really hate that. Duh.
When I feel like I'm being spiritually attacked, I tend to...
Lose any sense of hope and confidence in myself.
Want to cry.
Want to sleep.
Can't sleep.
Want to be alone.
NOT want to read my bible.

Somebody once said that when you don't want to read your bible, is probably the time when you should the most.
I think he's right.

Psalm 44:6-8
I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever.

I've also come to realize when I'm being spiritually attacked that there is a reason. Satan's not down there in the fiery pits of hell saying, “Hey look, there's Alicia! She's got nothing special coming up anytime soon...let's get her!”
No. I imagine it more like, “Hey look, there's Alicia! She's got a lot going for her and has huge things coming up...let's get her!”

It's really frustrating. But in the end, I decided to take it as a compliment. If I'm that much of a threat, then I must be doing something right.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

So take THAT Satan.

Day Fourteen

So I figured I'll be super cool and tell you all, "May the 4th be with you."
There. There's my geekness for the day.
Except I'm also watching Lord of the Rings. And it makes me super happy.
I remember when I went to go see it for the first time in the movie theaters. My brother invited me to go with him and a few of his friends (I was in junior high and he was super cool and in high school. This was SUCH an honor, let me tell YOU!).
So we show up, and there were 9 of us, just like the 9 of the fellowship of the ring...funny how these things happen, right? :)
So after the movie we decided to each be a character. Tatiana and I were the youngest ones, so clearly we had to be hobbits, LOL. Tatiana was Sam, and I was Frodo! I was thrilled because I think Elijah Wood is extremely attractive, so I figured if I ever get the chance to meet him, I have an awesome opening statement. Ha!
My brother ended up being Boromir which is a downer because...you know, he tried stealing the ring from "me" and ended up dying, but at least he died epically.
So, speaking of my brother:
Day Fourteen: a photo of one of your favorite family members:


hahaha, oh camp... :)

I absolutely love my brother. He is such an amazing person, and I feel so lucky to be able to call him my brother. He is strong, he is smart, he is funny, and he lives in New York. So, that's pretty cool...except I get super awesome texts about this or that show he just saw. Not cool. But he is trying to get me to move out there after I graduate. And let me tell you...it's getting in my head!
Oh, and he's getting married in August. So he's giving me a big sister. And I absolutely love Michelle, so that's kind of awesome too.
Moral of the story: my brother is awesome and I love him. :)

Remember when...

Andrea and I got locked out of our tent at 3am?
Stuff like that just WOULD happen to us.

Saturday night after the last concert at Spirit West Coast last year I told my mom that I would stay up late and help reheat food for the guys on the Electrical and IT teams, (some of the best men I have ever met. Fill-in Dads, uncles, brothers all of them) always stay up late doing tear down work and around 2 or 3 they come to the kitchen for a late night snack. My mom typically leaves out sandwiches or things like that for the guys to grab and eat. However this year not only did we have that but I reheated leftover pasta and....well I don't really remember what else. What I DO remember were the bugged out eyes of the men when they say I was "making" them something. It was quite hilarious. :)
Anyway, after everyone had eaten, Andrea and I cleaned up the kitchen and went back to the tent.
We get back to the tent, and I reach down to unzip the tent...and it won't unzip.
Andrea tries, and it still won't unzip.
...
It's 3am people! Therefore it is just the funniest thing to happen! Ever.
It is so funny, that Andrea takes a step back, pulls out her phone, and tweets about this adventure! LOL
I in response sit down right outside out tent and laugh until I can compose myself.(And yes, there might have been some pig snorts...) then grab the tent and the zipper and manage to open that sucker up!! It was an early Christmas miracle!

It was quite the adventure. As all things are at 3 in the morning.
Whoever said nothing good comes after midnight clearly hasn't hung out with Andrea and I after midnight...

The End.

Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen: A photo of your best friends:

1. Jen!
Jen is my roomie...but only for a few more days. :(
I love her sooo so much, and I know that if I ever need her, all I have to do is call. She is beautiful, and simply amazing. :)
This picture is from last Friday night. We went on a hot date to the Man Choir concert. I had the best looking date. Ever. :)




2. Tatiana
I have known Tatsy since...what, 5th grade? We've been there for each other through thick and thin, and now she's graduating, and she already has a job waiting for her this summer! She's growing up!! So, so proud! :)
This picture was from...I think junior year of high school. Maybe sophomore year. Tatiana and I went to Granada together freshman year before she moved to LA. But she did come back for most of the formals. :)



3. Dore!
Dore and I met through Alpha freshman year, and it's been true love ever since... :)
We were roomies sophomore year and she was my hot date to a friend's wedding. ;)
Ok, we were both bridesmaids and we had a connecting flight on the way there, but we laughed the whole way there. Pretty sure everyone on that flight hated us, but too bad!! :)



4. Andrea
The list would clearly not be complete without her. And it's funny because I had to really search for a picture I haven't used yet! LOL I decided to post two. One from when we were little tykes playing in my room:




And another one taken my senior year before a formal. Andrea usually came over before a formal to help me get ready. And yes, she IS wearing a tiara. And yes, I did buy that one for her. :)


These three beautiful young women have helped mold me and shape me into the woman I'm becoming today. All three are strong women of God and I am so blessed to know them and call them my friends. :)

Day Twelve

Hi all!!
Well since my migraine is gone I figured I'd pick up the picture thing again...it has nothing to do with my finals beginning tomorrow morning...not at all!....
.......ok yeah it totally is BUT don't judge me. :)
Day Twelve: A photo of me
...haven't I done this one already? Oh well.





Story: Alicia goes to shower at Spirit West Coast. Alicia comes back to her tent from the shower to get ready and goes to check her phone to see what time it is when it has the white screen of death.
Dun, dun, duuuunnn!!!!
So Alicia immediately run out to the boys who coincidentally all have blackberrys and they try a few things to fix it, and it is just un-fixable. SO Alicia looks up where the closest Sprint store is, Alicia's mom gives Andrea and Alicia a map, and they set off!
For two young women who get lost so easily and have absolutely NO sense of direction, they arrived in great time and never get lost once!!
Unfortunately the Sprint store could do something about Alicia's phone, so the girls go to the Starbucks nearby and drive back to the festival.
And Alicia has no phone for the rest of the week.
The End.

I feel like I need to emphasize that with phones and GPS nagivation Andrea and I get lost all the time. With a map, an old school map, we get there with no problems. Hence the picture centered around the map.
Ha.

Update & Summer Plans :)

Hi all!

Sorry I’ve been absent for SO STINKIN’ LONG!
I wanted to get through this last headache before I made this into a regular thing…something about staring into a bright screen hurting my head…whaaa??

Ok, but first can I please start with this song by Kari Jobe? I was getting ready one day and it came on my iTunes and I just started crying. Here’s the chorus:

I believe You’re my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe
And I believe You’re my portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

Here’s the video for the whole song, you should listen. :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvIEJ_PmqJ8&feature=related
*sorry, I couldn't figure out how to post the video itself. And I just have no patience right now. Sorry!

And let me tell you, when you’re in the amount of pain I’m in (keeping in mind it’s nicknamed the suicide headache…yep. Not scary at all…) there is absolutely NOTHING I can do. Zip, zilch, zero. So I pray. And I lean and trust on God to pull me through and give me the strength to wait it out and let it pass.
God is my healer, and I am now healed. :)
Well, for the time being. There’s a great chance it’ll come back since it’s come back for the last 2 years, but who knows!

In other great news, next week is finals!...no? Not great? Well, I think it’s great because that means that summer is coming, and I only have 2 more class sessions, 3 concerts to go to, 6 finals, 1 graduation to attend, and 1 drive home!
As I write it out it seems a tad more daunting than before, but whatever.
So what am I doing for summer you may be asking? (I know you all were!)
Well, I got my church music internship approved!!!! I am officially the Cedar Grove worship intern!! And it’s legit. It is official-official. Just ask Tom. :)
I’m also leaving for Spirit West Coast in 92 days. Not that I’m counting down. Maybe it was just a fantastic guess…
AND, drum roll please……
My brother is getting married in August!!!!!!! And yes, I am singing in the wedding. Hopefully without crying. (Psh, like that will happen.)

That’s it friends, I’m trying to think of some witty remark to end this, but I’m really not coming up with anything. So I thought I would just be honest, and then end it.
The end.

Headache Update

Hey peeps,

I wanted to write something to explain what’s been going on with my headaches.
Let me pause and say that I am going to be 100% honest and open about this so…uh…watch out! Hahaha
Let me recap really quick:
I woke up Monday morning (almost 3 weeks ago) with a headache
**note** My headaches are seriously painful. I can’t begin to explain to you (although here I’m trying to, right?) but I wake up in the morning (feelin’ like P. Diddy…sorry. I couldn’t help myself!) and along with feeling severely sick to my stomach, I feel like I have an ice pick driving through my left temple and out my eye. It gets so bad that it makes me want to cry, BUT crying always makes it even worse, so it’s just pointless. Although there’s always one point where I just break down and cry anyway. This time it was in chapel. Chapel was SO LOUD that I couldn’t stand, and I leaned on my friend’s shoulder and she covered my ears and hugged me while I literally sobbed into her shoulder.
Moral of the story: These headaches are the WORST things EVER.
So when I wake up with this headache, I make an appointment with the health center ASAP and I go in the next day. I made an appointment with my usual doctor but once I get there I get paired up with a new doctor, which was actually a blessing. She gave a new perspective on the headache, gave me a few new prescriptions, and told me to come back in a few days and to make an appointment with Dr. Emerson, the head doctor of the health center.
Well, a few days later I make the appointment and since the headache has not gotten any better, he prescribes me Vicodin.
The weekend goes by, and there’s no real improvement, so I go BACK to Dr. Emerson. He decides to prescribe me something stronger and when that doesn’t work I go back and after a little bit of talking he decides to refer me to a neurologist.
He told me that he thinks what I have is called “cluster headaches”.
Cluster Headache: A type of severe headache that tends to recur over a period of several weeks and in which the pain is usually limited to one side of the head.
Also commonly known as the most painful type of headaches.
I looked it up (which was dumb) and mothers who have had these headaches (which are un-curable by the way) and they say that the headaches are WORSE THAN GIVING BIRTH.
I know that everyone has different pain tolerances and different levels of labor pain and everything but still!! Gah!!!
So I made an appointment with the neurologist for Friday (yesterday).
For the sake of being honest, I was in full-fledged panic mode from that point till my appointment. I know if something was seriously wrong there would be some kind of permanent damage, but at this point, any kind of logical thinking was just not going to happen.
After what felt like months, I made it to my appointment, and after telling the doctor about my past headaches and symptoms, he agreed that I really do have cluster headaches.
I have another appointment with him in a week to talk about things that might be causing the headaches and ways to prevent them next time. He told me that he doesn’t know what this might look like, but he’d take time to look over some things and hopefully have some ideas.
So, that’s pretty much it. I’m in massive amounts of pain with a smile on my face, because really, what else am I going to do?
Prayers are completely appreciated, and I will make sure to write again after my next appointment (a week from this Monday).

Oh, last story. It’s good, I promise! :)
The day I was told to make an appointment with the neurologist I went to my last class early to make up a test, but it was empty. So I sat down and waited (trying not to freak out again) and I look up at the white board and it said this:
“God is our strength and refuge. A present help in times of trouble.”
Psalms 46.1
:)

Day Eleven

Day Eleven: A photo of your favorite movie
....this one was hard BUT I decided to pick just ONE!
Aren't you guys soooo proud?? :)

Here it is folks!



So if you know me...at all, you really won't be surprised. This was (still is obviously) my favorite Disney princess movie. I still love these kind of movies, but that's just the girlie-girl inside of me!

Side Note: My roommate can attest to my love of this movie: 22nd birthday: wake up, put on Sleeping Beauty crown, grab breakfast, watch "Sleeping Beauty".
You're all jealous, I know.
:)

So there it is. It's my favorite. It's heart warming, suspenseful, there's a princess and a prince, they fall in love just by dancing in the forest, they sing together, she's put under an evil spell, he's captured, breaks out, kills a dragon (a dragon who has summoned "all the powers of hell!" thank you very much!!), and kisses her, and they live happily ever after.
It's just my favorite! :)

While I'm here, let me announce I AM GRADUATING IN MAY OF 2012! I have worked out the classes, and between taking a few classes over the summer and whatnot, I have it all ready!
Let me tell you, it was getting close AND I have been somewhat freaking out (!!!) for the last week or two.
But now Alicia is happy.
Alicia is also happy that her prescription is working!
I can't remember if I mentioned but I was diagnosed with "cluster headaches" possibly the worst kind of headache (awesome, right? How lucky am I??), and was then given a more 'fitting' prescription, and it seems to be working.
I'm going to the health center tomorrow for a follow up appointment, and I should be getting a prescription to take everyday to prevent me from getting these lovely headaches ever again!
Can I get an amen??

Alrighty friends. Now that you're all caught up, I am going to go study me some music education, church history, 1 & 2 Samuel, math, some songs memorized, then it's off to bed for me!
Or possibly more procrastination.

And let's get real, there's definitely going to be SOME procrastination.

Sorry Mom.

Day Ten

Day Ten: A photo of you as a baby:



Sorry folks, this is as "young" as I can manage.
No. I did not come out this age or size. Haha..awkward...?

However I just don't have baby pictures of myself on my computer because...that would just be completely random. But I guess that's sort of the point of this, eh?

Anyway, this picture was from one of Andrea's epic birthday parties. I believe I am wearing one of my dad's old shirts that looks like a dress on me. It was actually one of my favorites because it had a cat on it.
Yes, I like cats. :)

I have homework, reading, and my chapel band callback songs calling my name...
Oh, and I have a recital this Saturday...I should REALLY memorize my last two songs...eeck!!

Day Nine

Day Nine: Photo of your family:

Well...this is awkward, but I don't have a picture of my family. Like...all of us together. At least, not that I know of.
But I DO have a picture with each member of my family...
So...


Daddy:

This picture was taken at Spirit West Coast :)



Mommy:

This was taken in San Diego



Jonathan:

Well this was taken at Jr. Camp! Hahaha, clearly we've just gotten a package or 3 letters and were subjected to sing a duet of "Teapot".
It was epic.
It was also "our" number. :)



Michelle:

Michelle is the one in the middle. I'm on the right, and her little sister Andrea is on the left. Michelle will be my sister-in-law this August, and I can't wait! :)

So this (in a nut shell) is my family!
And if I wasn't so tired I'd go into some more detail.
Also my roommate just yelled for me. LOL

Have a great rest of your Sunday, and an even greater week! :)

Randomness that Happens "late-ish" in the evening...

How cute is this kitchen?
And more importantly, how PERFECT is this kitchen for ME??

Just had to share.

:)

Day Seven and Day Eight

Hey there Folks!
So it happened. I missed a day.
I could hear you all weeping, but do not worry! I'm here now!
:)
Day Seven: A Photo of someone you love:



There are a lot of people I love and who mean the world to me, but my mom is one of my best friends.
Yep. Be jealous folks, my mommy is one of my best friends. :)
I have a lot of other friends who have so many problems and issues with their moms, but my mom is always on my side, my number one supporter, and encourages me with every decisions I make. :)

Day Eight: A Photo of your favorite Band/Musician
*sigh*
I'm sorry, there are too many. I'm tired, and I have a toooon of homework to do, so for the sake of MY sanity, I'm just going to list off some artists who I've been listening to lately:
Adelle
Addison Road
Ella Fitzgerald
Audrey Assad
Lecrae
BarlowGirl
Civil Wars
Francesca Battistelli
Kari Jobe

Maybe I'll post pictures later.

The reason I'm so tired is because I worked the High School Choral Festival yesterday. God smiled down on me when he placed me working with several attractive young men. Heeheehee...
Oh, and I looked really cute. Like...boots, skinny jeans, pretty top, brown belt, brown leather jacket, and YES! I had my very own radio (walkie-talkie status!) that was hooked into my jacket, and all the cool high school girls told me I looked really cute.
Moral of the story: I looked cute.
I should also mention I hadn't eaten all day, worked from 12:15-9:00ish, I was on drugs and soda, and I'm pretty sure my heart might have stopped at some point, but praise Jesus it didn't!
Cause then I wouldn't have been able to finish this! :)
Anyway, I'm feeling much better, both mentally and physically. I think the medicine is beginning to work!!

Ok. I'm going to make myself some breakfast (yes, I'm eating breakfast at 11:50 in the morning. Don't judge me.) and then I have some serious homework to do.
Oh, and I'm singing in my friend's senior recital today. So I got me a busy day today.
Why am I not stopping to go start my day?
Because I don't want to do homework.
Look who's awesome at procrastination now!

Ok.

Seriously.

.....I cannot think of anything else.

So I guess I'll go.....

Mah. :(

Day Six

A photo that makes you laugh:



Andrea being in the picture with me strikes again!
As soon as I read "a photo that makes you laugh" I INSTANTLY knew which one to use.
Andrea and I have this thing with making silly encouraging cards.
This one read something like, "We're sure glad you're on our team!"
That's not it exactly, but you get the general idea.
And really, who cares what it says, because the picture is just too funny. :)

Day Five

Day Five: A Photo of You:



And funny enough, of Andrea too! :) She is like my other half, so it's rather appropriate.
This was taken by the talented Neil from Spirit West Coast, in a van on the way to Starbucks. We were completely ambushed, and it was fun. :)
Spirit West Coast is possibly one of my favorite things EVER. I only get to see my SWC family for these few days of the year, so I treasure every minute. I have made great, great friends and extra moms, dads, aunts, uncles, and siblings.
I have laughed my hardest with these people (as obvious in the picture!) and Neil is talented enough to document it...I think this was post-snorting..hahaha
Snorting as in laughing. Not the cocaine stuff.
No thank you.

So that's it for Day Five!
I have a doctor's appointment later today, so I'll try and give everyone another update later today. :)

Day Four

A photo of the last place you went on holiday:



I consider my birthday a holiday. And for my birthday I went to the happiest place on earth!

I'd write more but I need to get going to class in a few minutes and I still gotta get my stuff together!!

:)

Day Three

A photo that makes me happy:



And this cutie here is the other little stinker I had the privilege of nanny-ing last year.
Katelyn was quite a challenge when I started. After many, many tantrums and tears, she learned that we had a lot in common. Like pink, dresses, music, dancing, Glee, and Disney princesses!! From that point on it was love. :)

Now that I'm away at school I miss them terribly. I have their pictures up in my room, pictures on my computer, and as my phone screen saver.
I never thought I could love these kids so much, and after much (much, much, MUCH!!!) debate, I can't wait to have my own kids.
Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm not getting married and having babies anytime soon.
I just love kids, most especially James and Katelyn. :)

Day Two!

Well here it is folks!
Day Two: A photo of yourself from a year ago:



Psst! I got a secret...
I have a mondo crush on this little guy! :)
James is just one of the two adorable little tykes I had the pleasure of nanny-ing last year!
But I'll tell you more about them tomorrow....
Heeheehee...

Aren't you proud that I'm keeping on top of this challenge?? I mean, I know it's only Day 2, but I'm impressed with myself!

Update, update, and boredom!!

Ok, let me get through the boring stuff.

I went to the doctor Friday, and 1. I got a new prescription. And...eh....it's not working that great...but maybe with time. We'll see!
And on top of everything, I have bronchitis.
Ok, I don't ACTUALLY have bronchitis, but it's basically the same thing. So I have antibiotics and should be better within 10 days.
Well...now 9.

Fun news!!

I had my chapel band audition this morning! (Yes, WITH "bronchitis"!!) And it went great!
I had to sing 2 songs of different tempos and/or different genres. So I sang "The Revelation Song" and "My Redeemer Lives". I should hear back Monday!

Ok. So....
*insert awkward pause here*

Guys, I'm bored.

With my migraine there's not much I can do.
Obviously I have homework to do, but it just takes me so long to do everything, and I have to take breaks...it's really frustrating.
So what's a girl to do?
Think about new and fun things to do on her blog!! :)

So here's what I came up with...
30 Pictures in 30 days!
I don't know if I'll be able to post something everyday, but I suppose that's part of the challenge, yes??
So here goes!!

1. Your profile pictures on Facebook:





My gorgeous roommate took this picture of me in Sleeping Beauty's Walk Through in Disneyland! We were there for my birthday (http://princessaavery.blogspot.com/2011/03/birthday-escapades-part-2-disneyland.html) and this is by far my favorite picture of the day. :)

There you go lovelies. Let's see if I can keep this up!!

Update and Insight

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been battling migraines for the last 2 years. They last for quite awhile, from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I’ve gone to doctors, and the medicines I’ve taken haven’t really worked, at least not that we’ve been able to notice.
Last Monday I woke up with one of these migraines.
I went to the health center on campus on Tuesday and I received a shot and new medicine.
The medicine hasn’t worked as far as I can tell. It just makes me tired, but that’s not a bad thing!
If my head still hurts by Monday, I’m going to see the head doctor and he’ll point me to a neurologist.

Here’s where my insight is going to come in. ☺
Once in awhile I wonder, “Why me? God, why did You choose ME to give this pain to?”
However a very wise professor said in class last Tuesday that if you ask the “Why me?” question, you have to KEEP asking the question, like, “Why did You give me my family or friends who support me? Why did You give me a home and food?” and so on.
So, Why me? Why does He give me these migraines? Why does He give me the ability to STILL get up and go to classes (well, some of my classes at least)? Why does He give me a roommate that makes sure I’m ok and keeps it quiet in the apartment? Why does He give me a friend who hugs me and covers my ears during a LOUD chapel worship morning while I’m bawling because it hurts? Why does He give me professors who understand my pain and are willing to work with me one-on-one?
Why me?
Despite the pain, I’m still surviving. I know that God won’t give me anything more than I can handle, and apparently I can handle it, and I have faith in that.
As much as I want to stay in bed all day with the blinds closed and take my medicine and sleep all day, I don’t think that’s what God wants me to do.
So though I don’t know WHY I have these migraines, I won’t to let them stop me.

In Oratorio today we sang “Confutatis” from Mozart’s Requiem. Here is the translation:
“When the accused are confounded,
and doomed to flames of woe,
call me among the blessed.
I kneel with submissive heart,
My contrition is like ashes,
Help me in my final condition.”


So call me blessed, and here I kneel with my submissive heart.

Birthday Escapades Part 2: Disneyland!

Once upon a time, a 22-year old to-be went to Disneyland…
Ok, seriously. If anyone knows ANYTHING about me, you know that I love Disneyland.
And “love” is not a strong enough word.
So, when my roommate mentioned going to Disneyland the Sunday before my birthday, you KNOW I’m down!
I woke up early and got ready, went to Subway to get lunch/dinner, Starbucks, and picked up Deb, and we were on out way!!
We were meeting a friend of Jen’s to get Jen and Deb in for free (I have a pass) and we arrived around 10:30ish.
We went inside the park and I instantly went to go get my birthday badge! Then we went on the “Find-Deb-A-Pretzel” excursion! It actually took us awhile, and when we found one we had to wait 5 minutes for them to “open”.
While we waited we planned out afternoon, and we went to California Adventure.
We went into the Hollywood area and we ran into the Monster’s Inc parade, where the man leading the parade said happy birthday to me, and it made me SO EXCITED!!





Then we went and did Tower of Terror, Monster’s Inc., Toy Story 4-D, and California Screamin’!
After the rides I got my Sleeping Beauty crown!! It was my birthday present to me!





Then we went to spend the rest of the day in Disneyland! We had so much fun!!
I made the girls go see Captain Eo (I love it. Don’t judge me. Michael Jackson is epic). We did the Sleeping Beauty walk-through (my FAVORITE thing in the park. Ever! Just ask my parents. I made them go through it 7 times in a row as a little girl!), Indiana Jones, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, and Haunted Mansion…
Haunted Mansion. Let me tell you. First of all, my Dad loves Paul Frees (the narrator). He has the whole ride memorized. So naturally I know a great deal of it too. I never knew I had so much memorized.
Now the ride isn’t THAT scary…unless it breaks down. Twice.
The first time it wasn’t bad. I was in the room with Esmeralda (is that her name?) in the Tarot card room…the head in the glass ball? Yeah. Not too scary then, and it was only broken down for a few minutes.
The second time? Uh…ha! Yeah. That time it was shut down for awhile. AND I was in the “attic” room and I happened to be JUST next to the dead bride. I have done some research, let me share.
“Always haunting the mansion’s attic the bride is considered one of the spookiest characters in the ride’s history.”
“Constance had married – and murdered – at least five wealthy men in the late 1800s…Her ghost utters sinister variations on classic wedding vows as a gleaming hatchet materializes in her hands.”





I almost peed my pants. She’s scary.
So after THAT experience we were passing the Princess and the Frog show (have you heard of it?) that I have been wanting to see FOREVER and they were just starting! So we stopped and watched! Let me say, these people sound a LOT like the original voices from the movie.
After the show we had dinner and went on a few more rides, then did the fireworks (Jen and Deb hadn’t seen them!) and it was so much fun!
Secret: The first time I saw the fireworks (I think it was 2 years ago when they had just re-done them) I cried. Don’t judge.
So the moral of the story is that Disneyland IS the happiest place on earth, and if you think you know me, come to Disneyland with me. You will see the real me (or at least the 4-year old inside me!)





Oh, and they all lived happily ever after! <3

Birthday Escapades Part 1: Shopping with Tati

I decided in honor of my birthday I deserved a new cute top to wear on my birthday and to wear to Disneyland! So I asked Tatiana if she wouldn’t mind taking me!
So our adventure began Friday, March 4th around 11:45am.
Here was our schedule with some brief notes and explanations
11:45am: Tatiana picks me up and we drive to West Campus to grab lunch (Sam’s Subs – delicious!)
12:00pm: Lunch is ordered, we are on our way to sit down and eat when Tatiana gives me (wait for it….wait for it….) A DATE CARD!!! That’s right. Enter “The Bachelor(ette) reference(s).
“The petals may fall but our love still grows strong”
…ok I don’t remember if that was it word for word, but you get the main gist of it.
We are going to go see Beastly (Beauty and the Beast) later that night. Yay!!!!
So we eat out lunch and catch up.
12:30pm: Drive to the mall. The mall in the middle of no where. Pretty far away.
1:00pm: We get to the mall and found the bridesmaid dresses Tatiana needed to pick up then do a bit of shopping. While in that specific store I find two pairs of earrings that I like and Tatiana gets them for me for my birthday!!
We step out of the store and Tatiana asks, “Alicia, can we sit down for a minute? I want to talk to you about something.”
Um..I’m a little worried.
So we stand off to the side, and Tatiana grabs into the bag and pulls out a pair or earrings (studs of white roses) and asks, “Alicia, will you accept this rose?”
Yes!
1:00-4:30pm: Serious shopping with a minor ice cream break.
4:30pm: Leave the mall to go to the movies.
5:00pm: Buy our tickets, buy girl scout cookies, grab Starbucks
5:30pm: Beastly!!!
*Review: Weird/Random storyline. Not bad though considering what they had to follow, you know?
Acting: Terrible. NPH (Neil Patrick Harris) was great, as always. Vanessa Hudgens was better than I excepted (although considering the character she had to portray…not that difficult, right?). Alex Pettyfer: Veeery pretty, but NOT a good acting job in this movie. I’ve seen him in another movie and he did well in that movie, but not this one. A bit disappointing.
7:00pm: Out of the movie, go to car to leave.
7:01pm: Discover Tatiana doesn’t have her keys.
7:02pm: Deduce that Tatiana left her keys in the trunk after we put our girl scout cookies in the trunk.
7:05pm: Call AAA
7:10pm: Check back in the theater, crawl on our hands and knees to look under the seats. The keys are not there.
7:15pm: Go into Barnes & Noble to wait for AAA to arrive.
7:30pm: AAA gets there, able to unlock the car door, but the seats in the back don’t sit down AND we can’t find the trunk release latch.
7:31pm: Tatiana is accused of stealing a car.
7:32pm: AAA guy apologizes but says that he can’t help us and leaves.
7:33pm: Tatiana calls her parents to ask if they can find the spare key and drive to us.
*Side Note: Her parents were on a date night and had just gotten out of a movie, and hadn’t eaten dinner yet. They had to drive to their house, find the key, then drive to us. About an hour and a half total.
7:35pm: Decide if there was ever a time for us girls to go and get a drink, the time is now.
7:36pm: Walk across the parking lot and go to Chilli’s
9:00pm: Tatiana’s parents arrive and we open the car trunk and find the keys!!! Celebrate!!
9:02pm: Join Tatiana’s parents for dinner (sushi).
9:30pm: Parents done eating, we say good-bye and drive home.
9:45pm: Arrive back at my apartment.

It is a great day. I come out with two new pairs of earrings, a new top to wear to Disneyland, a black dress to wear to in my friend’s recital, and Girl Scout cookies!!
And even better, great quality time with one of my best friends. Thanks Tati, and I love you!!!

Stories and Spontaneous Rant

So I went to Performance Forum, and come to find out we have academic advising, aka juniors/senior-get-out-of-class-early-because-they’ve-done-this-enough-times-to-know-what-to-do! So the church music majors are sitting in the room, waiting for the “academic advisor” (he’s just one of the professors. He used to be in charge of the church music majors but then someone took over, but then that person left, so now we don’t quite have anyone) and as we get permission from the TA to leave, the professor comes in and tells us to stay because he has something exciting for us.
Yea. Like I’m really excited to stay in class for a little bit longer, right?
So we’re all sitting, pretty impatiently, when he walks in with a campus pastor and two other men who I’ve never seen before.
It turns out that these two men are kind of a big deal, which isn’t that surprising, because let’s face it, it’s APU, and we’re in southern California (not like I’m bragging or anything….oh….well…ok, I am!). They are record producers.
They are worship music producers.
They are British.
They are my new best friends.
And instantly my impatience goes away.
John (the head guy) told us about kinds of things they look for in song writing. He said ultimately they look for songs for the church, songs YOU write for YOUR church, and even writing for congregations for the year 2024.
He shared a story of when he was in the Amazon sharing with a local community, where he didn’t know their language and vice versa. They spent the whole time without verbal communication.
Yet as they were leaving, they heard the community singing “Heart of Worship” in their own language. He had no idea how they had come to know that song, but it’s amazing how a song can find it’s way almost anywhere.
The second story he shared was about an Indian woman who became a midwife. She was a Christian, and made it a point to ALWAYS pray for the women and the children about to be born, and by the grace of God, she never lost a woman or a child.
Not one.
How amazing is that?
When asked about her faith, she shared that she had never read a Christian book, never grew up in a church, never even owned a Bible, yet she DID know a worship song. One song. That’s it. And that song gave her faith everyday.
How incredible is that?
Unfortunately John didn’t know what the song was, but still….I was shocked. It affirms my faith in the power of music, and not just music, but worship music.
I know nowadays there is a lot of bad music out there, or even worse: mediocre music. Music that floats past that is only good, not great.
Let me point out an example: the corny “Jesus is my boyfriend” songs. Ugh.
Ok, there are songs that are great, but sometimes….ugh. They just get under my skin. What about the cross? What about His grace? Jesus isn’t for our comfort, Jesus is for our souls.
Ok. End of rant.
It shows that there are songs out there that can push a person through life and continue giving them faith everyday.

This is random, and I apologize, but my thoughts are rather scattered, and….well, my birthday is in 20 minutes and I’m watching Princess and the Frog and sitting on my couch with my Sleeping Beauty crown on.
I’m gonna go celebrate now. :)

10 Awkward/Uncomfortable Situations in the Last 10 Days

1. Last Tuesday I went on vocal rest. And, of course Tuesday is one of the days I have choir! So I show up to class, manage to mime what I need to, and lip synch my way through class. That is until my professor noticed a student without his music, and he called him out on it. Apparently the student never got his music, so the professor looks at me and asks me about it. Ok, firstly, I didn’t even hear the question. I had no idea what to say even if I could. Secondly, I can’t talk! What am I going to do? Luckily a friend of mine told him that I couldn’t talk, and my professor leans back in his chair, smiles, and says, “Well this is a nice conversation, isn’t it?”…and then he said IT. “This must be every man’s dream!”
....um….WHAT?
People laugh awkwardly, I get some apologetic glances from some of the guys I know, and then the girls start asking things like, “You want to take that back?” and so on.
Let me just say, I love you Oratorio girls, you got my back! ☺
Then, my professor realizes what he just said and says, “Well not YOU of course!”
Sorry. Too late.
Awkward.
2. So I’m in math class. My teacher begins passing out our tests. Mine is the last to be passed out. He says my name, “Alicia?” I raise my hand and he hands me my test (A+ thank you very much!) and proceeds to take roll.
My name is 2nd on the list. So in the 30 seconds it took to take one step to pick up his roll sheet, to say the first name to himself (because he KNOWS her name and doesn’t even look up), says my name and looks around.
I raise my hand, and he finally sees me and says, “Oh there you are! That’s right. I forgot about you.”
He then checks my name off and goes on to the next person.
I didn’t know I was that forgettable.
It didn’t help that everyone around me start laughing at what he said.
No cool.
And awkward.
3. Sex trees. Yes, you read that right. At APU, we have what are commonly known as “Sex Trees”. They are trees (duh.) that have tiny flowers that smell like…well…I’m sure you can guess.
Let me clarify here, I am TOLD they smell like sex. Just saying.
By the way, they STINK! Just saying.
On my way to the trolley stop to go to class, I passed by two guys who were talking to each other.
Unfortunately they were talking about the trees.
And unfortunately they were talking about sex.
And even more unfortunately they were (hopefully) joking about having sex with the next girl that walks by to really see if the trees smell like sex.
NO!!!!!
And awkward.
4. I was in line waiting to order my food. I was waiting behind a man. An attractive man. The girl taking our orders seemed rather TOO perky while helping him, and when he was almost done, she asked him if he had a class with her last semester.
He said he wasn’t sure.
She said a class name and the professor.
He looked back at me with a face expression that say, “Is she for real?” and looked back at her, said yeah.
He then bought his food, and left.
Then she “helped” me with my order, but she was grumpy the whole time. Whomp, whomp. ☹

5. Five minutes before choir started I was standing behind the piano figuring out some of my librarian stuff. Suddenly up walks this guy who I barely know, and he starts singing the Beatles, “All You Need Is Love”.
Now, this isn’t too surprising, must of us here are music majors.
Until he says, “There! I hope I brightened your day!”
…what?
Not that I don’t appreciate it, it’s just….what?
Want to know what makes it awkward?
Is that Cute Boy was standing close by and saw the whole thing.

6. I sat down for my class. In walks a guy and sits down next to me. Class begins. Guy next to me starts to nod off, until he is asleep.
Like…asleep-asleep…twitching-asleep.
My teacher doesn’t notice. Or if he did, he just didn’t care.
By the time class is almost over, I glance over, see him twitch, then OPEN HIS EYES AND LOOKS AT ME!
AWKWARD!

7. After #6, I was walking back to my apartment and walked by a couple sitting on a curb.
It’s APU, this isn’t news.
The problem was as I was walking by she said, “But what does that mean for us?”
The guy said something that I couldn’t hear, but the girl quickly replied:
“But I love you!!”
Followed by uncomfortable silence…
I quickened my pace to get to my apartment ASAP.

8. The best part about this story is it’s not the first time. So keep that in mind.
After classes one day I checked the bulletin board in the School of Music, then walked to the doors. Well in front of me was a guy, and behind me were two guys. The guy ahead of me walked out, and held the door for me.
Or so I thought.
He really just held it open for himself and ½.
So I’m thinking he’s waiting for me, so I hurry up a bit so he doesn’t stay around forever, when he lets go…
And the door slams on my forehead.
With two guys behind me.
Did I mention they were cute?
Yeah…this is the second time that’s happened.
I think I need to wear a helmet to classes now. It’s getting dangerous.
No wonder I have such bad headaches…

Now, I’m just too excited to post this, that these last 2 are my BEST awkward moments. They’re sooooo good, I just have to share!

9. So…there’s a boy. We shall call him “Cute Boy”. Cute Boy invited me to a concert he was playing in. So, obviously, I went! Afterwards I went up and talked to him, but then he asked how my head was doing. (This was right after I had one of my headaches) and I said, “Oh, it’s all gone!”
He gave me a questionable look, and I realized that I implied my head was gone, and said:
“Not my HEAD, the head ache. Cause that’d be pretty weird if my HEAD was gone. How could I be talking to you right now? Or have listened to your concert or even be alive cause of all the blood that would have been gone, and my brain wouldn’t be functioning because it’d be separated from my body and…and that’d just be bad.”
Seriously?
VERBAL VOMIT.
Lucky for me he seemed to think it was funny.
Little does he know that it’s just me getting tongue tied and light-headed and all that icky mushy stuff…

10. Spirit West Coast. It makes me so happy! However SWC ’10 was most definitely the most awkward year EVER.
But, as to not embarrass the other person involved, I will refrain myself to this ONE story.
There’s a group called the Navigators made up of people from different branches of the military and their families.
The thing I loooove about the Navigators is that 1. I’ve grown up with half of them, 2. Some of these guys are just flat out HANDSOME! And 3. They all love God with all their heart.
Side Note: My mom always says if there’s a cute guy I want to talk to, to let her know or signal her somehow and she’ll make sure that we serve or work or whatever next to each other. heeheehee
So one day, we were getting lunch ready and a small crew of guys (I should clarify CUTE) guys came to help. I was working on buttering bread and putting it on the skillet (grilled cheese obviously) and saw Him.
He was gorgeous.
He was memorizing a verse.
He was tall.
He was my future husband.
So my mom told him to have me show him what I was doing so he could take over my job.
Which worked out well…until I had to do something else cause he was taking my job…
Nice job Mom.
My new job was to take the HUUUUGE bowl and fill it with grapes. Well, after I filled that bowl, it was pretty darn heavy…
So what’s a poor girl like me got to do? I can’t carry the bowl…
Heeheehee
So I kindly as Boy to help me carry it out to put it on the line, and we walk all the way there and back, then I ask him to carry the bowl of pasta salad all the way out there and back.
I’m very sneaky.
Then it’s time to start serving lunch. He keeps working in the kitchen and my friends are on their way to eat, so I find them and sit down, but one of my friends comes over late and gets in line…BEHIND BOY!
After she gets her food she sits down next to me and I quickly tell her that HE was behind her in line!
So, obviously, we giggle over this and I LOUDLY say, “He…he’s just…he’s just so cute…I WANT HIM!!!”
And at that EXACT moment, Boy walks by.
Right behind me.
Aaaaawesome.
Of course he didn’t know I was talking about him but…c’mon, what are the odds?!?!


And with that, I hope you enjoy laughing at all my uncomfortable and awkward situations...because I sure enjoyed creating them!!