Family

Over Veteran's day, I went to Phoenix to spend the day with my youngest sister, Allison. It was such a nice treat to get to spend some time, just the two of us. We don't get that a lot, since we are so much farther apart in age, but I am loving spending time with her more and more as she grows up and is starting to become a young adult. She is really turning into an amazing person, and I love seeing her grow up. I didn't really watch that happen with Katie, probably because we are so much closer in age.

When I got home, I ran into Allison's room and woke her up by sitting on her. :) Then, we went to lunch and got a slice of pizza. It was delicious. :)
After pizza, we went and ran some errands and came home and baked some cookies. They were delicious, and it was just a lot of fun to do something simple like that together.




It was a really great quick trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

Then, two weeks later was Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was great, because I got to see Katie for the first time since September, when I went to go visit her for the day. We had a blast hanging out and spending time with each other. I have always cherished family time, but I think I do even more now that our family is starting to scatter across the state.



xoxo,

Sam

Country Music Fest!

I have nothing more to say... this picture is just too cute for words. :)

<3's

Sam

A Few New Projects

So, lately I've had all these great ideas for projects to start and have gotten really excited about quite a few things. Unfortunately, right now, I haven't had the time necessary to really get them off the ground, or out of the idea box- but here are a few of my awesome brain children that I hope will one day actually come to fruition:

1)Learn Guitar
I really want to learn guitar for several reasons. I've always been really impressed with the versatility of the instrument, and I think it would just be a great thing to know how to play. Also, my sister has been teaching herself how to play, and it just plain looks like fun. The other reason leads into project number 2- I want to be able to not only write my own songs, but also accompany myself on them. Piano isn't my favorite sound for the acoustic style I would write in, so the next most obvious choice for me is guitar. Thus, I need to learn.

2) Write my Own Songs/Perform them in some venue
I have always wanted to write my own songs, and lately I've been fiddling with it a little bit. It's hard to do right now, since I don't have a firm grasp on playing guitar, which is why this one sort of falls second in line. I've been using Finale lately to try and get a sound of chords and such, so far I've written a few threads but nothing that I find super awesome. Also, I'm still trying to really work out lyrics- it's hard for me to write them without thinking they sound cheesy and dumb, so I'm still working out the details and bugs. It's actually kind of frustrating to listen to some of the song writers that I aspire to write similarly to and not be able to capture my thoughts in the right way. Yet another project that I haven't had the right amount of time to devote to so that I can make something really good. I promise, if I come up with something I actually like, I'll try to post it here so you can listen.

3)Create a website/business of Custom Card making
I love love love making homemade cards. To me, nothing says personal than a homemade card. And because of this, I think I've actually gotten pretty good at it. I have recently come to the idea that it would be really awesome to have a custom card making business where people can visit my website and order cards I make. Something about that idea sounds awesome, and I think it could be very successful, if I had more time to make the cards, make the website, etc. This is probably something that won't happen, because it's at the bottom of the project list, and realistically, I don't have time to make cards all the time. Especially if I'm getting paid for it- I think I might be really stressed out about making them really good.

4)Grad School/Getting my Masters
This isn't so much a project as a dilemma. I already have planned on going to grad school eventually. It's almost a requirement these days if you're a teacher to get your masters. The original plan has always been to finish my bachelors, teach for a few years and then go get my masters. Lately though, I've been researching grad programs at some really awesome schools, and I've been stuck. They are some really cool programs, and it makes me excited to keep going in school. So now, I don't know whether to go to Grad school right after I graduate, or get a job to gain experience, or do both at the same time- I have no idea. I hate not having a plan when it comes to my future. I tend to not not have a plan for very long, because it drives me crazy. It drove me crazy when I changed my major freshman year, and it's driving me crazy now.

5)Be an AWESOME musician

Again, this one's not really a project. It's more just my recent aspirations in life. It's been a long time since I've been excited about playing, and now that I am, I just want to really work on making myself better. I want some sort of playing to keep me going even while I'm teaching- and that's also something that until recently, I was never sure about. I want to play in an orchestra of some sort, because orchestral playing's where it's at for me. I want to start playing rep for my recital really soon also, because I need something to get me excited to practice. Something to get me into the practice room really, so that I'll practice the fundamentals that will make me better.

I've had a lot on my mind lately, lots of things I want to accomplish,and frankly, just not enough time to accomplish it all. My projects are all just sort of ideas right now, except maybe the last one about being a better musician. And the only real reason that one's starting to actually happen, is because it's part of my curriculum already. Time..... the day needs to be more like 36 hours instead of 24. Maybe then I could get some things done and also have time for my little projects.

Maybe.

“Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't
own it, but you can use it. You can't keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it
you can never get it back.”


-Harvey MacKay

Thoughts to ponder.

Until next time,

~Sam

Silly much? That's Our Thing....

Sometime fairly recently ( I couldn't tell you the date, because my life has been THAT crazy!) I went to the UA Philharmonic Concert and enjoyed some lovely music played by some of my dear friends. After the concert, a few of us went out for dessert and things and this is what came of it. Pictures for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the sillyness ~ :D

They are very good friends. :)

Talking on the phone at the dinner table... how rude. ;)

We are silly lots.

Awwww.....

Bff's. :D

So many things, so long since a post!

I apologize for my lack of posting! There has been a lot going on, and I've been so busy, I haven't had time to post in ages. Tonight, while on duty, I'm taking some time for myself with some blog writing and some song writing, so here goes nothing! Enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago, it was my dear friend Paige's 23rd birthday. A group of us decided it would be fun to throw her a surprise party, themed as none other than a 1920's speak easy. Naturally, she was really surprised, and I was really glad we only communicated via text- I'm sure the lie of my unavailability would have been exposed sooner otherwise! I'm a terrible lie-er, and even worse when it comes to disappointing people I care about. So when Paige was super pouty and disappointed that I was unable to hang out with her on her birthday due to a random "Mandatory RA event," I had a hard time not spilling the beans. Had we been talking face to face or over the phone, I probably would have. I felt awful. Until, that is, she was surprised and loved everything that we did for her!


I LOVE my friends!

After Paige's birthday,the task at hand was the State Kick-off for CMENC, the professional Music Educators club that I am Secretary for. This year, UA hosted the annual event that bounces from school to school, and boy was it an undertaking. I was really excited about planning the event, especially the portion I would be helping present- a Make-n'Take workshop where participants could make basic classroom materials and take whatever they make for themselves. I, being who I am, spent a ton of time making sure everything was perfect for that presentation. I just can't bare to not give it my all! Moral of that story, I was up way too late working on things, and then was much to grumpy to be fun to be around during the event. I think overall, the event went really well, and everyone enjoyed themselves, it was just not my favorite thing to do, probably since I was so grumpy about not sleeping.

On a new topic, I've decided to start writing my own songs. I'm teaching myself guitar, and attempting to write my own lyrics and melodies. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I've been really enjoying it. I will try to post a copy of the track once my first one is done, so that any followers can listen to my work. I've decided my goal with this is not to get famous and have a record label, in fact, I have no desire to be famous. However, I would like to have people listen to it and give me feedback. Music is meant to be heard, even if it's just for a small audience. I ultimately would love to perform some of my stuff at a little bar or something on a Friday night, but who knows where all of this will take me. For now, I'm just writing to write. It's fun, and gives me a way to unwind from all the other stresses this semester has provided.



I'm going to say that's all for now. Until next time:
"If music be the food of love, play on" - William Shakespeare

<3, Sam

Back to Tucson, Back to Work

Another year of RA training has been completed. I am so excited about the amazing staff we have this year, and my wing theme has turned out wonderfully in my opinion!! I have spent this week being continually impressed with Res Life's ability to change a lot of things with training and make it more interesting for those of us 3rd year RA's that are going through training again. It was nice to not be sitting through the same sessions time after time, for sure!
Here are some pics from my Wing Decs- the theme this semester is Fine Arts! :D
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The violin is my favorite- and it definitely took the longest to make!

And then... My room. I love the set up I have this year, it's unlike anything I've done in the past, and I'm loving the way it's arranged. Here's what it looks like:





I'm so excited to see what the year will bring for me! Watch out for more posts, I'll be updating periodically throughout the year!

"Nothing in life is to be feared,it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less." - Marie Curie

<3/ Sam

Sisters

First it was just me. And then Katie came. I don't remember a time with out Katie as my sister, since we are only 2 years and some months apart. I've always loved being the older sister too. When Katie and I were little, before she could really talk, I spoke for her. I carried her around the house, and helped mom with every little caring need. Five years after Katie, we were both excited to find out that we were going to get a new baby sister. Allison has been a wonderful addition to our family. And now the three of us are super close.

We have been hanging out, having stupid sister fights, and loving each other for 13 + years. They have become my best friends, knowing exactly how to push my buttons, or what to do to make me laugh when I've had a rough day.

Recently, Katie went to Europe for 17 days. It was so weird for her to be gone for so long and for me to not have contact with her. Yes, I'm living in Tucson now for the most part, and rarely see her, but we still text and talk on the phone often enough, that it was weird to go so long without speaking to her. I am so thankful that I am close enough with both Katie and Allison that it is weird to not speak.



I love my sisters more than anything. I am so glad that I have them both in my life. I am confident that they will always have my back, and that means the world to me. Sisters are forever. <3





"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. " ~Amy Li


With Love,
Sam

A weekend to remember

I absolutely LOVE holidays. Mostly, I love them because I get to spend them with family and friends, but the time off of work and school (during the year) makes them pretty great as well. ;) This past weekend was no different. 4th of July weekend found me at Apache Lake with one of my dear friends and her family. Jen and I had a blast playing in the water, catching up on our gossip that has been building up for the almost 2 months it's been since we've seen each other, and roughing it in the great outdoors.

We left Friday morning and drove to Apache Lake with Jen, myself, Miranda (Jen's 4 year old) and Fizz ( the new(ish) puppy). When we got there, we had lunch, and worked on setting up camp. And of course, we played in the water to beat the heat. That night cooled down nicely, making me chilly and glad to have a sleeping bag. Oh, and did I mention the dogs got skunked? Eww! It smelled AWFUL!!

The next morning, we had a quick boat ride to the Marina to pick up some ice, water and tomato sauce to try and clean up the stinky dogs. We spent the rest of the day playing in the water. I rode and drove a jet ski for the first time- that was a laugh. Jen and I tried to ride together the first time, and we tipped it into the water. We decided it would be better to take turns, so as to figure out the whole balance thing. ;)

Sunday was our day to leave, so we woke up and ate breakfast, and then packed up camp to head for home. I was back to spend the rest of the 4th with my family by 2pm. :) We spent the afternoon relaxing and for dinner, my Dad made some delicious steaks. It was a wonderful weekend, one to keep in the memories for a long time to come.

"The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis & Clark expedition."-Dave Barry

<3/ Sam~

Daddy ~

I have been blessed with a wonderful father. He has been supportive of me in everything that I have done in my life. I have realized as I've gotten older just how lucky I really am. I always knew that I was lucky to have two parents in my life who loved me and supported me, but it never really sunk in until I met some of the people I know now. So many people I know did not have a father figure in their lives. Or they did, but he was never there to support them or show them that he cared. My father has always been there for me. I love that he is sometimes over involved in my life, and super protective. He looks after me, and makes sure that even though I'm on my own, I'm still surviving in the best way possible.

I've always been Daddy's girl. I may be 21 years old, but Daddy is still just that to me, "Daddy." I don't call him that because I use it as some lame attempt to get him to do what I want, or anything of the sort- it's simply a term of endearment for me. Of love and respect. I will always love and respect my father. No questions asked.
I love my Dad more than anything in the world. Just for that, he deserves a fantastic Father's Day. Happy Father's Day Daddy- I love you lots!

"Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever."- Author Unknown

With Love,
Sam <3

One week down, many more to go

I survived! My first week in my new job, is complete. I cannot believe how much I learned in my first 4 days, but it certainly was a lot!! These kids are amazing. It amazes me how some of these kids posses no verbal skills, yet they can still communicate to me their appreciation and affection for what I'm doing. They can also communicate to me pretty effectively when I do something they don't like. It's pretty amazing. Unfortunately, I can't talk about each child individually, for confidentiality reasons, but I can say that I adore just about every single one of them. I'm so glad that I got this job- it is so useful in everything I'm doing with my life. Hooray for another summer of learning and growing as a person and as a professional!! :D

This is a short post, I know, but I just had to share my excitement about what I've learned so far in my first week. I'm looking forward to another week of trials, tribulations, and fun.

Here's your quote of the day:
"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives." - Clay P. Bedford

'Till next time~
Sam <3

The Joys of Life

To me, there is nothing better than teaching a child something that you love. I get to help teach children at work every day, whether it's basic life skills, or the parts of the body. Seeing them understand, or at least come close is one of the greatest joys I have experienced. Then on the weekends, I get to teach violin lessons. These of course are the summer jobs to keep my occupied every day, but they are something that I look forward to doing. I woke up this morning with a sense of excitement, nervousness and anticipation. I look forward to that feeling every morning this summer- the excitement of going to work. It's not just some retail job to get me through the summer, it's a real job that has meaning to my present and future. An experience like none other. These kids are in all sorts of different areas of development, and it's my job to help them grow further in their developmental process. I'm one lucky girl for sure.

And then, to top it all off, I get to come home and spend the evening with my wonderful family. It's days like today that I will treasure forever. The little moments with my family that are getting fewer and farther between as I get older. Those mean the most. Laughing at the dinner table until we are all crying, hanging out and watching Ace of Cakes or some other random Food Network TV show, and just enjoying each others company is something that I try to never take for granted.

Well, it's the end of another night, and another post. For now, I will leave you with this quote:

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each others life." -Richard Bach

Until next time~
Sam <3

Summer Lovin'

So many things to accomplish this summer, and so little time. I cannot believe how quickly the time flies. Already, I have been out of school for a month and I have seen my little sister graduate High School, completed 38 hours of training for my new summer job and gotten half way through a new book. The rest of the list? I will spare you the details, but just trust me when I say, there is still so much to accomplish in the next month and a half. August 6th is too quickly approaching!

Summer is by far, my favorite season. No school for 2ish months, adorable sun dresses, flip-flops, BBQs, and watermelon. How can you go wrong?! Unfortunately for me, my days begin early as I have a new job. Fortunately for me, I have a new job. Tomorrow marks the first day, I will begin with a new field of working with people with developmental disabilities. The excitement for my first day is slowly building as the night progresses, I've spent a grand total of 38 hours in a classroom going through all the necessary training, now I get to put it all into practice. Specifically, with children in the summer day program. I have no idea what it entails for me, or what new adventures it has in store for me, but I'm excited to find out!

For now, I will leave you with this quote:

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who come alive." - Howard Thurman.

'Till next time,
Sam