Need Music Lessons...

My good friend Andrea and her husband Kevin have opened a music studio near Denver, CO. If you have friends that live in the area, you should definitely refer them to this website: www.jamconservatory.com. Both Andrea and Kevin have degrees in music and are brilliant musicians! You need to look into it if you are in the area!

Driver's License

So I was very pleased to get to the DMV today and there was no line! It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! I started my morning about 7:30 when I headed to one of the three emission testing sites to get my car tested. Then I headed to the DMV where they told me to take of my Texas license plates (pause for sad sigh) and come back in. Well I couldn't get the back one off! I asked someone at the DMV if maybe someone could help. They said they don't do that. So I made my way to a Discount Tire Co. where the man nicely removed my back license plate for me. Then I went back to the DMV where I got my license, car title, and registration in about 15 minutes total! It was amazing. Did I mention it was raining so my picture looks ridiculous due to the wet, drowned cat look I was sporting. And do you want to hear the best part?? My license doesn't expire until 2046!! Have you ever heard of such a thing??

A Couple of My Favorite Songs...

I love Kristin Chenoweth and these two songs make me endlessly happy so I thought I'd share!

Road Trip 2008...

I just got back from a road trip to visit some (unfortunately not all) the most important people in my life. Ben and I recently ended our relationship and this trip provided me the perfect opportunity to run away for a bit and gain some perspective. It's always nice to be able to run into the arms of people who love you when life takes such turns. Unfortunately, I hardly took any pictures! I'm so mad at myself.

Tuesday, December 16: Left Tucson and headed to Karessa Parish's house in Earth, TX. She was my roommate in San Antonio. She married Trent this summer and moved to Earth, where she teaches and he farms. It was wonderful to hang out with her again. Both of us share similar struggles in that we haven't met many friends in our new locations.

Saturday, December 20: I headed to my parents in Guymon, OK and we watched the U of A win the Las Vegas bowl! It was a fun evening.

Sunday, Dec. 21: We drove to Shawnee, OK to spend a few days with my sister and her family. We had Christmas and played wii with the kiddos.







Wednesday, Dec. 24: Drove back to Guymon. Jessica's sis-in-law was having a baby in Houston so they traveled south for that. I spent the next few days relaxing and watching movies with my sister Stacey and my parents.

Monday, Dec. 28: I left Guymon to go back to Karessa's for a few more days. We did some shopping in Lubbock, saw a movie, and, of course, watched tv all day in our pjs!

Friday, Jan. 2: Headed to Oklahoma City to spend the night with Josh and Amanda. Amanda and I have been friends since our freshman year at OC and we talk on a daily basis. She never ceases to be a source of comfort, compassion, encouragement, and an never-ending supply of laughs. My time spent with her is always so cherished.

Saturday, Jan. 3: I went back to Shawnee for a couple more nights with my sister and her family.

Monday, January 5: Jessica and I picked up Amanda for some much needed girl bonding time. The three of us went out to brunch, got our nails done, and went to see Twilight! We've all seen it but we all really wanted to see it together. It was so much fun to spoil ourselves a little bit! I stayed the rest of the week in Oklahoma City with Amanda.







While at Amanda's, I enjoyed time with many of my favorite OC people. Monday night, we had Matt Boydstun over for dinner and games. Karessa would be happy to know I taught them "golf" and won!

Tuesday night I had dinner with my OC voice teacher, Laura Coale. We talked at the restaurant for 2 hours! I wish it could have been longer! Taking voice lessons is a vulnerable thing and the relationship one makes with their teacher is usually very strong. I was lucky to have her guidance throughout my college years!

Wednesday, I went to Clyde and Gwen Antwine's house. This is the couple who took me on two summer campaigns to East Germany during college. I owe much of my spiritual development during my years at OC to this wonderful couple. It's amazing to me how encouraged and rejuvinated I feel every time I visit. I used to go to their house each week in college to have special time of prayer with Gwen and my roommates.

They are just as silly as ever!





Thursday, Jan. 8: After one last dinner with my sister, Josh and Amanda and I rented Mamma Mia before I started my two day trip back to Tucson. What a wonderful blessing this trip has been. Thomas was a trooper (he's been sleeping non-stop since we got back home!).



Casen, Josh and Amanda's son, is getting sweeter and cuter by the day! We had a lot of fun together.



So after 24 days, and almost 3000 miles later. I feel God has really blessed me and rejuvinated me for my life here in Tucson. It's a new year, a new semester, and I'm going to be just fine.

Santa's Visit

We went to Shawnee, OK to see my sister and her family before Christmas because they were going to be out of town on Christmas. The kids were going to get bikes for Christmas and my dad thought it would be fun to dress up as Santa to deliver the bikes early. The kids still believe in Santa and Alison (who is 8) was not so sure it could have been the real Santa because it wasn't Christmas eve. Unfortunately, it was freezing so the kids were too cold to run out and check out their new bikes. Here's some video footage of the story.



Alison was so unsure that she went through the house looking for a Santa suit. She finally deducted that the santa she saw must be a helper like the ones in the mall. But then she remembered that the santas in the malls don't give out presents. She finally decided that Santa did come early in Shawnee because they were going out of town. Of course, Santa came to visit Christmas eve too. The kids had fun! I know Alison doesn't have much more time of believing in Santa so it's fun to experience while it lasts.

24 Days and 2560 Miles Later...

Thomas and I are safely back home! We had a wonderful trip visiting family and friends. Well I probably had a better trip than Thomas did considering he never knew where he was being taken from day to day. In the following days, I will start to document parts of my trip. Tonight, I will leave you with a couple videos of Thomas in the car...just imagine enduring that meow and aimless wandering for hours at a time! He was a real trooper! Pay no attention to the giant zit on face. Those always happen at the worst times!




Did you notice Thomas said hi at the same time I did? We are so in sync! Ha!



Thomas had to look out the window every time I started to slow down, then he would quickly run back to the hiding place of his choice.