Danny and Annie

I know I am posting WAY too much! But there is one more thing I wanted to share for today. A friend shared this with me, and I am still in tears. Ha! What a darling little couple... 

TYLER< I LOVE YOU!

Summer

The NUMBER ONE reason I love summer... the flowers! Here is a picture of some flowers I picked from our yard just the other day. I think they are unique and absolutely magnificent! 

-Airs

Big News

Hello again everyone! I am definitely on a blogging role here. (Granted I have nothing else to do with my time... all I do is clean the house 5 times a day, and journal. Ha!)

Anyway, the finale of these blog updates is another big change that will be happening this coming year for Ty and I. The last semester I researched and applied to a few different internships. Two hospitals Texas and one residential facility in Pennsylvania (Bethany Children's Home). To be honest, when I applied I just had a good feeling about Pennsylvania and truthfully I didn't put a whole lot of effort into the other internship applications. I got a call from Bethany Children's Home for an interview around mid-May and I was super excited! The interview (I thought) went really well. They said they would be calling me at the beginning of June sometime to let me know their decision. 

Well, mid/late-June hit and I began feeling scared I didn't get the internship. Last week I even began researching online again for some other options that would be similar to Bethany's. 

Then this past Sunday night I had a dream... (yes I like being dramatic!)

I actually dreamed that I had been given the internship and I literally remember feeling SO RELIEVED!!! Monday morning arrived, Ty went off to work, and I stayed home and began my cleaning rituals. I was in the middle of doing the dishes when my phone rang in the other room. I couldn't get to it fast enough so it went to machine. I looked at the number and immediately recognized the area code as being Pennsylvania. I got so excited and literally sat down holding my phone waiting until it signaled that there was a voice mail. 

After that DING signaled the message, I listened to it intently and literally screamed when it registered that they were offering me an internship position. I was by myself jumping, yelling, and balling!! I am sure if anyone was watching they would have thought loony bin for sure!

Anyway, (wow that was a LONG explanation... I apologize) the end to this long blurb is that Tyler and I will be moving to Wormelsdorf, Pennsylvania in January of 2012. I think both of us are a little scared for this new adventure... but are also ecstatic that we have been given such a great opportunity! 

If any of you are interested in reading a little about Bethany Children's Home and what I will be doing, their site is HERE. You will also find great information specifically on their Music Therapy program HERE.

Till Next Time...

Airs

Embracing Change...

To be honest, I am feeling scared out of my mind about all of the changes that have been happening in my life as of late. As I blogged before, graduation came first. Well, the next abrupt change was not one that I had planned or even thought about. As most of you know, I worked at a facility with troubled teen girls, and had been there for just under on year. I honestly cannot express how much those girls meant and still mean to me! Well, about three weeks ago, it finally hit me how much that job was taking a toll on my physical, emotional, and psychological well being. I was literally turning into a different person; a person I didn't like, and a person my husband was definitely struggling with. So, with a lot of hard thoughts, prayers, and deliberation... I decided to put in my two weeks notice and leave all of these girls I cared about so much. I fought with myself consistently for the two weeks and went back and forth on the decision (probably driving my boss crazy), but when my final day came it was definitely bitter sweet. I worked a double that day and even though all of the girls struggled  (as well as myself) when I told them that would be my last day, I really did feel right about the decision I had made. That night, I left the girls with a song that I wrote awhile ago for a music therapy session. It may seem slightly cheesy, but it seemed to mean a lot to them and it definitely meant A LOT to me! Here are the lyrics...

EMBRACE THE CHANGE

Change, it's a word I know well and as far as I can tell you do too.

Change, when you just got back on your feet and your thinking that the suns coming out.

Trials tend to come around right when we think that we have just found happiness.

So let me introduce to you a concept that I wish I knew better.

Smile through the change! 

And dance even though the rain is pouring down.

Embrace what you feel!

Life's lessons will teach you and make this journey surreal.

Now I know that this lesson may seem much easier said than done. 

But change, through perserverance and time can become a verse well sung.

Though hard times tend to leave us down. We lose our path and hold on ground, remember...

The future can't be set in stone, sometimes what's best is the unknown

And so....

Smile through the change!

And dance even though, the rain is pouring down!

Embrace what you feel!

Life's lessons will teach us and make this journey surreal!

Anyway, I think that sharing this song with the girls and seeing them have to deal with change and struggle on a day-to-day basis really taught me how to embrace the changes and challenges in my life as well. Ultimately, the decision to leave my job was hard, but I know that it was a necessary change for both me and the girls I worked with. 

Till next time...

Airs

Long Time...

I apologize for my absence from the blogging world. Not going to lie, things have been INSANE!!! However, there are definitely some changes that have happened in my life the last few months. 

First: graduation...

Although I technically won't be getting my diploma until I finish my internship, it still felt like such a huge accomplishment walking in front of my friends and family to accept my "fake" diploma as a double music therapy/ vocal performance major. What an accomplishment that was ultimately six years in the making. Here are a few pictures from THE DAY!!!!

Me accepting my blank diploma. Ha!

The woman who made it all possible... Maureen Hearns! I love you Maureen!

 My darling husband who supported and encouraged me the entire way through!!

And all of my music therapy girlies that did it right along with me! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Ultimately, it was a great day and was very much worth it! 

I AM A PROUD GRADUATE OF UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY