Caroling, Caroling & Finals

Last week I went caroling at a nursing home with the student music therapy association. Lots of fun.


Then last Saturday I got to help chaperone some of the church youth group (with some others just for fun) on their own caroling adventures around town at assisted living, nursing homes, and the like.


This next picture shows the floor of our office covered by a blanket and way too many physiology notes as I studied for the final. I am happy to report that the floor is now clean again and I am done with the most ridiculous final of my education. (Ridiculous because I will never use this knowledge ever again!)


Now I have some visitors to look forward to! And the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance, of course. Yay!!

Milestones

Dun - da da - Dun!!! I am proud to announce that Charlie officially took his veterinary boards yesterday! I am soooo proud of him! The test is really long. He started at 1pm yesterday, and didn't get finished until 6pm. But he could have had as long as 7:30! Crazy. How can people focus for that long? Anyway, he said afterwards that he felt pretty good about the test. So even though he has to wait until January for the results, at least he can wait with a positive expectation.

On a much lesser scale, I also had a milestone this week. I presented at colloquium, which is a department-wide presentation on my practicum this semester. Not nearly as high stakes as Charlie's test, but it sure feels good to have that over with.

The snow here is not melting very fast, but I discovered something that I like about that fact. Usually, in our parking lot where we live, the spots are super close together and it's annoying to park so close. But with the snow covering up the lines, people park wherever they please. (Haha! Take that, parking lot!) I know it sounds silly but I am grateful for the small things sometimes. :-)

Dickens Caroling

Last weekend I sang two concerts as a Dickens Caroler and it was such a blast! One of our members made all our costumes by hand, and they looked magnificent. We sang during a dinner at the Fort Collins Country Club to raise money for the Larimer Chorale. One of my favorite parts was singing in the carriage outside the front door to greet guests as they came in. The horse always seemed to turn around and move when we sang "Away in a Manger" so it became our little experiment. We thought maybe the horse knew what a manger was, haha.

Here are some fun pictures.

This is my quartet. We match. :-)


This is our picture "ala St. Olaf Choir"


And the whole group


The quartets have more gigs around town this week and next week. It's so fun to bring joy to people's faces when they see us all dressed up and when they hear familiar carols. I absolutely love it!

December begins

Last Friday my friend Sujung had her senior piano recital and of course I went. It was absolutely amazing. So musical and such good technique, and I don't think she made a single mistake. And she played with no breaks in between or anything. My favorites were a Beethoven Sonata and 2 Liszt etudes. It takes a certain beyond-human ability to be able to take all our music therapy courses, a practicum, and prepare a senior recital.





Some of the faces I see on a daily basis. :-)




And this picture is for Melissa and Eric. I told you I was inspired by you to make this tiny snowman and as you can see I wasted no time. I started out just using my bare hands, but that didn't last long. It is supposed to get down to -20 degrees tonight. I'm not ready for that!!

Thanksgiving with Friends

Happy Thanksgiving! We had a nice, low-key day with some awesome friends yesterday. We know both couples from vet school - Andy and Nicola have been Charlie's classmates for 4 years now! And in those 4 years, they all got married. First Charlie, then Nicola, and then Andy. We all collaborated on the meal so that it was pretty easy putting it all together. We had quite a feast.


Happy Married Thanksgiving #3!



Nicola & Jeremy



Andy & Cassie (and Pia the dog)



Look what amazing trick Jeremy & Nicola taught their dogs! One can stand on the other's nose!!! Haha.

Then, after we ate, we all went to the park just down our street and let the dogs run around (yes, we finally got our animal fix) until it got too cold. Then we came back home and had dessert and played games. What a fun day.

Animals Everywhere

The animals are out for Thanksgiving...



First, I was at the store this morning and there was a GIANT St. Bernard in the back of a pickup truck. I mean giant - I've seen those dogs before. In the cab of the truck there were two more dogs, one giant and one little. Who takes 3 dogs to the store in freezing November?



Then I was driving home and this adorable fluffy fox kept running in and out of the road. It had obviously figured out how to dodge traffic earlier in its life, because it did an excellent job. It was so cute. I really really really wanted to pick it up.



And last weekend when we were coming back from San Diego, we saw an adorable wild rabbit sitting so close to us in the parking lot.

The real question is - why am I so fascinated with this today? I think I am in animal deprivation mode or something. I know Charlie is. We can't wait for my mom to bring the dogs for Christmas. It's just unnatural for a vet student and his wife to be without pets for so long. Don't worry, I'm not going to bring home a fox or rabbit tonight ... I don't think ....

Good Stuff

Last week was a great week. The week before Thanksgiving – yay! I found out I got my dream internship for when we move back to Arizona – yay! We went to dinner at the Melting Pot with our friends – mmm – and then we saw New Moon with them today! I have a horrible memory for the plot of those books (maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are a little too easy to read and thus I finished them in a few hours) but I liked this movie a lot. Much better than the first one.


And now I’m on break! So much to do, so little time. But I love the feeling of having an entire day with no classes so I can work on the things I want to get done. Apparently, so does the rest of our town. I went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon and I literally almost left because there were NO SPOTS. When does that ever happen? But then I caught someone pulling out just as I was turning down an aisle, so I got most of my pre-Thanksgiving shopping done. We are having Thanksgiving at our house this year (our first time!) and our good friends Andy, Cassie, Jeremy and Nicola are coming over and helping make a lot of the food. I’m not much of a meat lover, so I’m excited about the cherry-blackberry cobbler I will be making. I know Charlie is looking forward to the turkey, though.

San Diego

This past weekend was the AMTA conference (music therapy) and we went to San Diego! Charlie studied all day at the hotel and around the town and I attended lots of sessions and other events at the conference. I also interviewed for my internship the first day we were there. It was such a fun time, and I almost forgot that it was going to be cold and snowy when we got back....


We went to this fun restaurant on the water and had delish fish the first night we were there.


This statue was right next to the restaurant, as was the U.S. Midway



Lots of students from CSU came to the conference. I learned alot and I loved our hotel and the swanky mall that was just a short walk away. Good thing there wasn't much time for me to shop!



My friend Megumi and I at the Cheesecake Factory. Yay for vacation!

Getting Ready for San Diego

Last weekend we had our church Stewardship Dinner, which was the best one yet! The choir I direct sang "God's Gonna Set This World On Fire" by Moses Hogan and they sounded really good. The other performances were really great too, especially the pianist who played a medley of a Liszt Etude and "The Old Rugged Cross."

Then on Sunday the choir sang another piece that also had bells and flute, and it turned out really well. Charlie recorded it so someday when I learn how, maybe I will post it. I always feel like I'm on top of the world after rehearsal. I love my church choir. :-)

Charlie has this week off and he is studying for boards and getting errands done. I need new tires before it snows "for real" like it will soon.

On Thursday morning we are leaving for San Diego, where I am going to a music therapy conference and Charlie is going to study like a fiend all day in the hotel. It should work out well.

I have not been to San Diego in a long time - I think I was about 12 the last time. It should be fun!

Thanksgiving - or Rodizio Grill

The snow finally stopped on Thursday, but it took until Saturday to melt enough for me to drive anywhere. These pictures are of my walk to school on Thursday. Every school district in town was cancelled, but CSU was in session.


My friend Alice and I, and my winter coat (of course)



My school - the Fine Arts building - it looks so pretty all in white.


Then on Sunday we went to Rodizio Grill for the first time to celebrate our friend Nicola's birthday. It was such a fun experience and I felt like I was at Disneyland. The waiters were dressed in costume and they brought so much food to our table, it became a joke after awhile. I tried to have a strategy so that I wouldn't get too full, but I was only partially successful. Anyway, it was a great time and I felt like we already had Thanksgiving, with no cooking necessary.

Winter Wonderland

Dear Winter Coat,

Today you really saved me. I may have doubted your usefulness in the future before, but you proved that you do serve an important purpose. Even if we can only be friends for a few months more before I leave this strange snowy land, I am sure that we will be hanging out every day for a good while.

Love,
Me

P.S. Here are some photos to show my true appreciation.


The sidewalk entrance to our house. As you can see, the tree broke in half.





One of our neighbor's houses.



Me and my new best friend.

Concert weekend

Nothing exciting has happened lately, except that I had 2 concerts and 3 dress rehearsals in one weekend. One of the concerts was Beethoven's "Fidelio" and being a soprano, I stood completely still on stage for about an hour before singing 15 minutes of music. That was a funny and interesting experience and a test of my patience. At least I was right behind the horns, so I could watch their music and pass the time.

Also, I noticed that today there are less than 200 days left before graduation! 6 1/2months before I feel the warm sunlight of Arizona again. It's going to be a long winter, but at least we have each other.

On that note, and since I don't have any interesting pictures of late to post, this picture reminds me of the 110-degree weather of our wedding day. Ahhh...

What's new

Last week was a good week. On Tuesday I turned 25 (gasp!), then on Wednesday I had an incredibly hard physiology test (ok that's not the good part), then on Friday Charlie gave his grand rounds presentation (it's a big deal for senior vet students) and we saw the opera "The Magic Flute" with some friends. Then, for this weekend's weather, it decided to be summer again - yaaaay!.


This squirrel was watching Charlie through the window as he finished up his presentation work.



Charlie doing some surgery. I chose the most tame picture of his surgery pics. They got pretty gruesome.



Charlie and his happy patient.

Snow!

Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season! It snowed all day, and although it didn't stick, it certainly left an impression on everyone. These are two of my confessions: (1) I have been listening to Christmas music on Pandora. (2) We picked up our Christmas photo cards yesterday. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas.

You know you're in Fort Collins...

When the morning after it rains pretty hard, the air smells like beer. Specifically, hops. How do I know? Not because I like beer, or even drink beer. There are so many breweries around here that it just happens. It kind of makes me sick to my stomach a little bit, but I guess that's better than smelling like cows.

NMT - That is me

As of today, I am officially NMT (Neurologic Music Therapy) trained! That probably means nothing to anyone unless they are a music therapist, but it's an exciting milestone and accomplishment for me. Plus, I am finished with one of my classes for the semester - hooray! The training was 4 days long, and I feel like I stepped outside the real world for awhile. It's already October (when did that happen?)! But now I'm back and apparently we skipped fall and it's now winter - it's freezing outside! We made soup and lit some pumpkin spice candles and it feels very cozy in our little home.

Thank Goodness for Music

This might not be very interesting, but since I keep writing about how tiring school is, I thought I would write about how Lucky I am to be part of so many great choir experiences during our time in Colorado. When we first moved here, I joined the Larimer Chorale right away, which is a group of 100+ singers that rehearse major choral works and other great literature for 4 concerts a season. I love being part of a big choir - it's a unique experience, and I have met some of the most amazing people. I learn alot from our director about how to be a better director, too.

Shortly after I started that choir, I joined the Larimer Chorale Chamber Choir, which is a much smaller group that rehearses mostly early a capella music. This semester we are performing Christmas music around town and doing a big dinner at the country club. It reminds me of our high school madrigal dinner a little bit. We are wearing costumes and everything. I'm excited about it. To help out, I cut out a pattern the other day for the first time (I do not sew at all). I am realizing how much work making clothes is, and I really appreciate being able to just buy them at the store.

Then, last Fall, I joined the Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers, which is a small group of very talented musicians that performs a wide variety of a capella music. Most everyone in that group is a professional musician in some capacity, so it's incredibly fun to be part of. We have 2 concerts a year.

Last but not least, is church choir!! This summer I got to take over directing the choir and picking all the service music for church. It's been a labor of love. I absolutely enjoy every part of it - reading the Bible lessons for each Sunday and finding music that enhances the themes, and rehearsing a wonderful group of adults who want to give glory to God by using their musical gifts in worship.

So... I guess I am now realizing just how blessed I am to be involved in these wonderful musical experiences. Not just for the music, but for the friends I have made and will hopefully have a very long time. I truly believe that singing has kept me sane throughout the transition to living in a new town, to embarking on and finishing an intense masters program, and everything in between. I don't know where I would be without music.

Happy Days

Fall is here! It was so much colder today than it has been. Last night we had a big storm with lots of rain, and it really changed the temperature. I have also been spotting lots of leaves turning already. This weekend I will hopefully see more because we are driving to Estes Park again. I'm not sure if I'm excited that it's Fall or just excited that it's our last Fall here. It's not that I hate living here - actually, I have really come to appreciate this beautiful place alot. I will miss the seasons changing and the summer, especially. It's just that I absolutely, positively cannot wait for us to graduate and move on with the next phase of our life. I am considering putting up a countdown for May 14. Do you think it's too soon?

In other news, Charlie is now done with his internal medicine rotation, which means he gets to be home in the evenings again! We are both so happy. And this weekend I started my volunteer service for a class and I got to take care of nine 3-4 year olds. It was a blast!

Kilt, anyone?

Yesterday we went to the Highland Festival in Estes Park, which turned out to be a fun but cold day. We thought we were dressing warmly, but apparently we needed our full winter gear for this occassion, as it decided to rain the entire time we were there in the freezing mountain valley. We had never been to anything like this before (except the Renaissance Festival, like I said), and it was a truly unique event. From the moment we stepped out of our car and walked behind a family of 5 all dressed in matching kilts and plaid accessories to the bowling balls shot from 7 cannons before we left, it was a sight to behold.
My two favorite things we saw were the Scottish and Irish dancers and the sheep-herding dog demonstration (you're asking, what??). Charlie really liked the sporting events, including throwing a small boulder as far as you can, throwing a big stick with a bowling-ball sized weight at the end after spinning 3 times, and hurling a 56-pound weight over a 17-foot bar. Here are some pictures from the day.




Decked out Scottish man. Note the row of porta potties in the background



The dog obeyed so many different commands and it would lie in the grass like it was invisible.


And that's why the sheep followed orders.


They had a parade of Highland dogs and these were the biggest, the Irish wolfhound.

I thought these were cute, they look like mini-airdales.

These dancers reminded me of dolls, and their hair reminded me of beauty pageants.



We found the "Stewart clan" to which I am distantly related on my Grandpa Stewart's side.


And Charlie found this kilt. Actually, I made him pose with that, and no, he did not buy it or wear it.

Ooh, and I forgot one part of the day. We saw this band called "Brother" that was kind of a rock band, featuring a guy who played the bagpipes with such fervor it was like the electric guitar.

The Lately

So, nothing much is new lately - just more of the same for both of us. Charlie is working harder than ever at vet school. He is doing so much at the hospital, for so long, and he definitely deserves several gold stars. It seems like Charlie is doing work for the hospital at least 15 hours every day, and one day it was a whopping 26 straight! Yet he always has a smile on his face and time to talk with me about my day. I admire him so much for that ability. Charlie has patience for people like no one else. This is just one example of why he is so awesome and fun (this is at Disneyworld):


In my realm, I am home alot more than Charlie, and I really have nothing to complain about, but school is making me verrry tired. And it's only the 3rd week. I hate to start counting down to the end of the semester already, but I am so ancy for one class especially to be finished: physiology. I never took biology, not even in high school, and my last chemistry class was in 10th grade, so needless to say I have had a very steep learning curve in physiology. Thankfully we are kind of done talking about chemical structures and cells for the moment and we are learning about systems of the body (who would have thought?).

If we get very lucky and Charlie is free one day, we may be able to go to the Highland festival in Estes Park this weekend. It would be so much fun to go! We've never been, and people say that it's an amazing thing to see. In my mind I'm kind of imagining the Renaissance Festival, which I think is so fun, but I know it's not that at all. I guess I just haven't been to enough "Festivals" to know. Here's hoping!

Love You, Daddy!

"My daddy has to go away, but he'll return most any day. Any moment I may see my daddy coming back to me." That's the line from that Shirley Temple movie called The Little Princess, and for some reason, that's what I thought of today when my dad left for his deployment overseas with the Army Reserve. It makes me so sad that he has to leave and be away from my mom for a whole year, especially because it's not like he gets to go anywhere pleasant. But I hope this year will go by fast and we'll hear lots of good stories about the places he's been to. Love you, Daddy!