I'm an Iowa Girl ♥

I’m an Iowa girl.
I love the cornfields as far as the eye can see.
Back country roads and romantic nights.
Light nights under the stars away from the city lights when you can see a million lights in the Heavens.
Walks on the sand beside the little lake.
Hobo Fest, Watermelon Days, Tulip Time, America’s Favorite State Fair.
Country Music Blasting.
Getting caught by the cops for being at a park.
Fifreflies that sparkle in the wheat fields after dark.
Breathless sunsets and sunrises.
Photoshoots in a silo.
Crazy country people with their shotguns, “Are you gonna jump the train?”
The road to insanity.
Dirt roads are the best, though.
Cow tipping.
Snowy winters—sub-zero temperature.
Thunderstorms that shake the whole house.
Sledding then hot chocolate.
Snow Days.
Heat Days.
Tractors on city streets.
Small Towns, friendly people.
Watching dreams grow.
Summer Love, Romance, and Heartbreak.
Faith and the crazy journey that led me to God.
Family and friends.
It’s my life—and I love it.
Just like I’d always imagined.
Only Better.
I love Iowa. (:




♥

GRAND CHAMPIONS!!

I wrote "GRAND CHAMPIANO" the first time. hahaha. Piano is a natural typing function for me. XD

Anyways, this weekend both my school's show choirs traveled to Monona Grove, Wisconsin to compete in the Silver Stage Invitational. Ovation placed first place in the prep division out of (I believe) five schools. In the day round their were thirteen open class groups (which Westside competes in). We placed second, to Prairie, going into the night round. And we took the caption awards "Best Vocals" "Best Choreography" and "Best Crew." And, obviously, we were the GRAND CHAMPIONS!!

It was an incredible and emotional moment. We all wanted it so badly!! Two years ago we competed at Monona Grove and Ovation won the prep division but Westside got second to Prairie, and we wanted to change that.

It was a PERFECT way start to the season and I'm really excited for the next four competitions and the performances in there. (:

We're going to Davenport North this coming Saturday--which also happens to be large group district speech competition. It'll be busy, but fun.




Just a quick picture of Kristin and ME (not I... as my dad pointed out...) with our Grand Champion trophy;;

♥

2012

God said he wouldn't destroy the earth again by flood, so clearly the movie 2012 is inaccurate.
I went to see it today with Ashley, Jake, and Jordan.

We sang some special music at Ashley's church this morning then went over to Ashley's made some breakfast, hung out, then went to see 2012. I seriously thought it was going to be scary, and, just in case you didn't know, I really don't do scary movies well. I'm like the flinchiest person on the earth... it's legit. lol. But of course I sat next to Jordan who just laughed the whole way through. The graphics were terrible, it wasn't scary, and the story-line was ridiculously predictable--but it was still really fun. lol.

My parents are officially in Ireland--my dad has a job there and it was their 27th wedding anniversary on the 8th. But, Ireland is experiencing record low temperatures, so everything's closed. I think it's ironic that they left cold Iowa to go to a cold Ireland. Haha.

Anyways, it's Sunday again, and I still have chapter notes and other homework. Of course. (:




♥



P.S. Here's a link to a recording of us singing during the service if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWlgtQXJofI

Week

This week I:

wore mismatching knee-high socks;
procrastinated;
fought with my brothers;
found a heart-shaped potato in my refrigerator;
missed a day-and-a-half of school because of cramps;
slept in past jazz band;
decided that I am going to quit orchestra next term;
blogged;
watched Iowa beat Georgia;
stayed up 'til three in the morning on a school night;
am excited for large group speech districts;
cannot find my dad's card-converter that lets me put pictures on my computer;
cried;
wasted time watching reality tv shows;



Basically.
Nothing too interesting.



♥

Just a Regular Sunday Night

Sunday's are pretty routine for me.
I get up in the morning, go to worship band practice at church, then Sunday School, then the Service, and then come home, eat, etc. Go back to church (usually) and then from about eight p.m. on, I cram all the homework I didn't do Friday night or Saturday. I DID do a lot of homework yesterday and I actually started around six tonight--but I had a lot more to do than I realized.

Here's how it went.
I was doing my chapter notes like a good little block student (block is the AP LA and AP U.S. History classes "blocked" together to make connections, etc.) And I was feeling tired.... and then the texts started pouring in:

My Study Area: Textbook, notebook, pen, iPod (playing Glee), phone

"What chapter are we supposed to be doing?"
"Do you know when our presentation essays are due?"
"Are the presentations essays due tomorrow?" -- "I have no idea..."
"Does anybody know if Emily did her presentation? Do we have to write that essay still?"
"When are we discussing the readings? Thursday or Friday?"
"I thought the readings were supposed to be done by Monday"

and the conversations went on and on.
Oh, and, this happens every Sunday night.
lol.

And then there was the moment when I realized that I was gone for three of our seven presentations so I needed notes. Luckily my neighbor Colleen is in my block class. So, in my pajamas, I threw on a hat, coat, and gloves, and ran about six houses up my block in -12°F weather at 9:30p.m. to borrow some notes so that I could spend the rest of my night writing essays on topics that I know nothing about.

Me and Colleen :)

Welcome to my Sunday Night.
:)



♥



P.S. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how much I LOVE it when people comment on my blog. It. Makes. My. Day. :)

New Year's Resolutions

So, I decided to try something a little different this year, in hopes that I'll actually accomplish some goals. Instead of making one big New Year's Resolution, I decided to make 51. They're goals, as well as things that I would like to accomplish and do this year.

So, just for fun, here are my 51 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog at least once a week
2. Keep a journal
3. Read the entire Old Testament
4. Prepare awesome vocal/piano college auditions
5. Score a 30 or higher on the ACT
6. Sing a solo on a concert
7. Volunteer to do something in the community
8. Visit at least one pen-pal
9. Actually do three block journals a week... lol
10. Pass the APUSH and AP LA exams with a 4 or 5
11. Buy a camera
12. Decorate my bedroom
13. Go one month without borrowing any money from my parents
14. Roadtrip somewhere with my girlfriends
15. Go camping
16. See a Broadway show
17. Memorize Bible passages
18. Learn to windsurf
19. Draw
20. Sit by someone that I usually don't sit with at lunch
21. Write my brothers Jedidiah and Jon
22. Give my heart fully to God
23. Go to a piano concert
24. Make All-State
25. Write and finish a short story
26. Learn how to improvise
27. Go to a non-classical concert
28. Go to the Hobo Fest or Tulip Time
29. Do something special with my little siblings
30. Learn to drive
31. Learn to play a new instrument
32. Visit colleges that I'm interested in
33. Write a paper in which I end zero sentences with prepositions... lol
34. Meet someone famous
35. Write a piece/song
36. Keep notebooks with my friends
37. Learn (and memorize) something fun on the piano
38. Cook a nice meal
39. Post-it note a friend's locker
40. Learn more about photography
41. Have something on display at the State Fair
42. Bring a sick or sad friend their favourite meal/food
43. Watch a meteor shower
44. Stargaze out in the country
45. Get to know the younger girls at my church
46. Tithe
47. Go somewhere I've never been
48. Stay friends with the crazy-awesome people I claim today
49. Make a snowman
50. Throw a surprise birthday party
51. Have the best year yet: this includes "best end of (school) year" award, the "best summer" award, and the "best beginning of (school) year" award :)




We'll see how it goes--hope it's wonderful, just like yours.

♥

Fresh Start :)

So. I haven't blogged since, well, since Jordan broke up with me... It's taken a while to just get my head on straight again, but I've found that lately I have been the happiest person I have ever been. :)

Here are some highlights from the last two months:

I visited Grace College in NE and Northwestern University in MN with my youth group. :)

I went to All-State and had some fun times with the kids from my school :)

My audition quartet :)

We had three snow days in a row, so I went sledding with some friends at one of the middle schools.

I had my first show choir concert of the year.

I had a killer Christmas Party with my favourite people :)

Post-it-noted a friends room to surprise her with two of my best friends.

Had some photog fun with the lovely Megan Bauer.

And, I've been taking some pictures myself lately


I'll update again tomorrow.
Promise.



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