Dear Boys...

My friend Elise frequently does "Dear boys" posts on her blog. I love it! I decided that I should do it too because I love it so much. 


Dear Choir Boy,
One piece of advice: man up. 
You're welcome,
Sam


Dear ...,
If your love has conditions, I don't want it.
Love,
Sam


Dear Blondie,
It's not going to work out. Sorry.
You're still cool,
Sam


Dear New Boy,
You're so full of crap you might have your own planet.
Love,
Samantha

Hotchalugan Day...

Happy Hotchalugan Day! For those of you who don't know here is a history of Hotchalugan Day...

Once upon a time a tropical mermaid princess was stolen from her tropical paradise by the evil dwelves. They took her to live in their frigid, snowy home. The princess was very sad and wanted to go home more than anything. One day the Abominable Snowman saved her, but by the time he saved her she acclimated to the climate and wasn't able to return to her tropical paradise. He took her to the local Wendy's and bought her a delicious chocolate frosty to show her that cold could equal awesomeness! The princess tasted the Frosty and loved it! She then spent the rest of her days in the cold climate but was very happy. This rescue was so epic that it is celebrated every 9th day of the month by going to Wendy's and getting a chocolate frosty!

A Fine Frenzy...

I LOVE A Fine Frenzy! Her music is amazing! Whenever I am super stressed about my life I play her music on the piano and sing. It's awesome! I just downloaded her latest album and it is quite fantastic. Everyone should listen to her. These are some of my favorite songs:

Almost Lover...the first song I ever listened to by her. Thank you Carlie for playing it for me!

Near To You

Electric Twist...finally a happy one!

11/11/11...

I have been waiting for this day the entire year and it definitely did not disappoint! This morning was fantastic! This afternoon I went to Wal-Mart and my total came to $11.11. I was ridiculously happy because of this and the client that I was working with at the time told me that I needed to tell everyone that we knew...haha. This afternoon I also saw the Wienermobile in a parking lot. I don't know why but I love the Wienermobile and singing the Oscar Mayer Wiener song. To finish the day Utah State beat BYU in basketball...and it's FRIDAY!

Jackpot...

Last weekend I went to Wahooz with Brad. It was super awesome! We played air hockey (which I won because I'm an air hockey champion) and then we played skee ball. Then we started playing a different game where a light spins around and you try and stop the light on the jackpot spot. I've wanted to win jackpot my whole life but I've never done it. I've always gotten the spot right next to the one that I'm supposed to stop on. Brad started playing and it happened...He won the jackpot! I was so excited! I'm quite positive that I was WAY more excited that he was.

These are all the tickets that he won.

This is the SUPER awesome prize that we were able to get because of all the tickets that he won!

Weekend in Logan...

Last weekend I went to Logan. I forgot how awesome Logan can be! It was a fantastic weekend filled with adventures. I was able to see my super awesome friends, have a dance party in the parking lot, celebrated Franz Nacht day, played the guitar and learned awesome songs, went to the Homecoming parade and football game, and then went to a sweet dance party on campus. I love Logan!

Waking Jordan...

I LOVE music. I especially love finding new bands and new kinds of music to listen to. The latest band that I've discovered is FANTASTIC! I went and watched them perform last weekend and they were great live (which doesn't happen so often with new bands). Everyone should listen to and like them...they are 
Waking Jordan.

You can check them out here, here, and here. They are also on iTunes and Spotify. Happy Listening! 

People...

Everyday you meet new people. You meet people at work, at church, the store, everywhere you go. Sometimes you even meet them while you're walking down the street. You never really expect to see most of these people again or form any significant bond, but it's super awesome when you do meet someone and that person completely changes your life. I'm always shocked by the people that do change my life so completely. These people are never who I think they will be, but it's always a fantastic surprise! 

Camping...

This week I went camping with my family at Fish Lake in Oregon. While camping I learned some very important things:

1. Head lamps are AMAZING especially when...

2. My family will never get to a campsite before it starts 

to get dark.

3. Never buy a new tent and then try to put it up in the dark.

4. My family works very well together even when frustrated and very hungry. I was very proud of us.

The morning after we got there my sisters and I took the pontoon boats out on the lake. The lake was so clear I could see down to the very bottom. It was awesome! After we were on the pontoon boats for awhile Brenna decided that she wanted to row one by herself. It was quite the experience. I ended up having to push her back to shore with my boat. 

Once we were done with the pontoon boats we drove up to a this

 and climbed it. It completely freaked me out. I don't like heights that much and the wind gets kinda crazy when you're up that high. The view was awesome though. We could see Hell's Canyon, the Seven Devils, and the Wallowa mountains from where we stood.

After the watch tower we found snow! It was fun to play in for a few minutes. 

Awkward...

Brenna's new favorite work is "awkward." According to my mom she says it quite frequently. Last week Brenna told me to smell something and I said that I couldn't smell. She then said, "Oh Sam, that is just awkward." Then she walked away shaking her head. This is one of the many reasons why Brenna is so awesome!

Happy Franz Nacht Day!!!

Today is Franz Nacht Day! It's the day the giant gerbil saved the Germans from the French. The gerbil is of Mexican heritage therefore everyone must go to Taco Bell and celebrate! If you forgot about Franz Nacht Day today, no worries you can go next month. It is every 23rd day of the month!

River Rafting...

Last weekend was AMAZING! I went up to Riggins with Michelle and Tyler for the annual YSA river trip. I haven't been river rafting in 4 years so I was super excited about this trip. We got up to Riggins and listened to the last part of a fireside that was going on and then went to camp for the night. The boys and girls were supposed to be camping in different places but we didn't know that, so Michelle told Tyler just to sleep by us. Then a girl saw him and yelled (as she pointed), "It's a BOY!" Then Michelle said, "No, it's not." Tyler said that he didn't know which was worse...being called an "it" or Michelle saying that he wasn't a boy. He ended up sleeping in the car.

The next morning (after sleeping out under the stars where I had dreams of bugs and snakes attacking me all night) we got up much too early (6:15 AM to be exact...sick!) to go rafting. I was so super excited because I hate getting thrown out of the boat by other people and our guide said that the water was too high and moving too fast for anyone to go swimming or change boats. YAY! That didn't mean that I didn't go swimming though. The first rapid that we came too was super awesome until our boat almost capsized and everyone except one person and our guide fell out. I have never been so terrified in my life. Once I was out the boat and in the middle of the biggest rapid we would see that day I felt like I was drowning. Then when I finally got through the rapids I was sucked under the water from the undertow. It just sucked me under with no warning. Then I started floating towards shore where the boats couldn't rescue me. Finally people from another boat rescued me. I will be forever grateful to the two guys who pulled me out of the river. I think I said, "Thank you" about 20 times in 2 minutes. 

The rest of the day wasn't quite as dramatic. I even got my shoes back after they fell out of the boat when I fell out. A very nice kayaker man gave them back to me about 20-30 minutes after I fell out. Yay for the kayaker man!

Drum Circle...

Today I went to a Healing Circle at the International Rescue Committee. This is a group where women who are refugees can come and relax and learn stress reduction. I was asked to come to their last session and lead a drum circle as well as some chants. I was super nervous because I've only led a few drum circles and the women spoke very little English.

I don't know why I was worried. Everything went great! I love how music can unify people young and old and from all different backgrounds. Music is also an equalizer. Everyone was just having fun and playing their instruments. When we were done with the drum circle the women in the group taught me some of the songs that they've been singing in the group. It was a great experience and I'm excited to go back! I just need to learn some more chants...so if anyone has any suggestions let me know!

Rock It...

I have a new motto in my life: "Rock it 'til you make it." Everyone always says "Fake it 'til you make it." This is a good thing to do, but I think you should not just fake it but ROCK IT! Throughout my life I have had people tell me that I have a great amount of confidence. I'm always shocked when someone says that. I don't feel very confident about anything that I do, even things that I have been doing for years, such as playing the piano and organ. I still feel very NOT confident. Apparently I'm a good faker. 

Throughout my training to become a music therapist and now as I begin my professional life many people have told me to "fake it 'til you make it." This has been great advice, but faking is not nearly as convincing and rocking something. In order to "rock it" you have to "exude confidence" (as someone once told me) This is just a heightened way of faking something, but it's much more convincing.

Last night was a perfect example of this. I LOVE dance parties. I'm not a super fantastic dancer, but I love to dance. I probably look like a spaz but it's still fun. When I was younger I never really danced that much in public. If I did dance it was very small movements. I don't think you would ever know that now. Anyway...whenever I dance I always want people to join me because it's just awkward if you are the only one dancing (which hasn't stopped me from doing it, it's just more awkward). Among other people I asked my cousins Kara and Kristen to dance with me but they were very adamant that they could not and would not dance, but eventually I convinced them. I think it was my speech about my being a music therapist and a music together teacher, so it's my life goal to have everyone make, listen, and move to music. I know that my speech definitely convinced Kara :) Anyway...dancing was super fantastic and Kara and Kristen definitely rocked it!

Piano Lessons...

I'm now teaching Brenna and Makayla piano lessons.  I LOVE IT! Makayla has been taking piano lessons for a year or two, but Brenna is brand new to lessons. They are both doing great! I'm teaching Brenna from a book that I've never used before-The Mayron-Cole Method. I really like this method. The method is very kid friendly. Brenna will practice by herself sometimes for up to an hour. She has always amazed me with her musical ability since she was very small. The other night she even made up her own song. It was quite fantastic!

Weeding...

This week I went home to make some extra money and visit my family. On Tuesday night Brenna, Savanna, and I went out and weeded part of the field by our house. For the first half hour or so Brenna was a weeding machine. I've never seen someone work so hard to get all the weeds out. She didn't have much help with her little hoe though. 

She even fell flat on her back sometimes trying to get the big weeds out.

Soon she began to tire out and constantly ask when we were going to go home. Then we found these...

and she was all excited about life again. She asked me to take a picture of them. Then she asked me to send it to my mom because she wanted the picture on my mom's phone instead of mine. She also had to go back to this row and find the eggs every time we went past them. 

Towards the end of our weeding Brenna asked me if I wanted to know how to say hello in Chinese. Then she did this...

I asked her how that was Chinese and she said, "It's not Chinese! It's Hawaiian!" 

Old Friends...

Today I was sitting in the chapel of my brand new ward. I knew approximately 5 people in the ward, but was sitting by none of them. I was all alone. Then I heard "SAM!" and saw a friend from college walking quickly toward me! This was possibly the best moment of my entire month. I haven't seen this friend in over a year. It was great to talk to her about her life. This meeting was completely random because this friend is now married and lives in Utah. She happened to be in my ward today because her sister-in-law was speaking. It's weird how I haven't seen her in a very long time but our friendship hasn't changed at all. I LOVE IT! To make this moment even better two cute boys came and sat by us. :)

I gutted a fish...

This weekend my family and I went fishing. I really like fishing, but if nothing is biting and I'm not catching anything I get bored really fast. I was quite proud of myself that I stuck with it as long as I did because NOTHING was happening and then I was reeling in my line and THERE WAS A FISH ON THE HOOK! I got super excited and finished reeling it in. Everyone else caught a few more than one, but I was perfectly happy with my one. I didn't have enough patience to try for another one.

We had lunch and then my dad told me that I had to gut all the fish that my family caught for him. I had to gut all the fish? I only caught one! Earlier in the day I told Kristin that I liked doing this job. Apparently I forgot everything that is inside a fish because it was SICK nasty. The fish was super slimy, and then when I was washing it in the lake it slipped right out of my hands. It was quite the experience to get it out of the water but I finally did it. After I did the first one I ended up doing several more and then helped my cousins and sister learn how to do it too. Savanna said that if she is expected to clean the fish she is never fishing ever again. This was a big deal for her to say because she loves fishing, but she HATES cleaning it. Apparently she has some tactile issues.

Here are some pictures of the process:

Making my super awesome cast :)

Justin, Joshua, and I got our lines crossed...whoops!

One of the fish caught!

Cutting the fish...I wasn't smiling on the inside.

Pulling out the guts...sick!

Savanna REALLY didn't like this part.

Finally...washing the fish. It's not as easy as it looks. That fish was so slimy and slippery!

I ended the day with one of the worst sunburns I have ever had. At least I'm not white anymore!

MT...

Today I taught my very own Music Together class. I've been co-teaching for awhile now, but this summer I'm teaching two classes by myself. I LOVE IT! I took the Music Together training in November just because I thought that it would improve the quality of music therapy that I did. Now I like Music Together just for the program itself. I really like watching the kids get excited about their favorite songs and being able to play with them through music. Today almost everyone in the class was new. The kids were awesome as well as the parents. Everyone participated and had fun. I'm super excited for the rest of the semester and many more semesters to come!

After my Music Together class I facilitated a music therapy session for a group of kids with disabilities at a children's learning facility. This facility has never had music therapy. The kids were awesome! The staff was very supportive which was super awesome! The group didn't go as I planned, but it usually never does. I'm so thankful that I did my music therapy internship where I did. The director, other music therapists, and staff at the school were amazing and I learned so much. It definitely helped to prepare me for my career. I never realized how much I actually learned while I was there. 

After today's class and session I'm super excited to begin my music career and see where life takes me. I love seeing the change and happiness that music can bring to people's lives!

A Whole Rainbow...

Today I came home and actually saw the end of a rainbow! Makayla really wanted to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She still doesn't believe me that there isn't gold to be found. Oh how I wish that there was!

 As I was walking into my house I saw beginning of the rainbow. Then I noticed that it was a double rainbow! My week has been made.

Brenna's road rage and more...

On Friday my mom, sisters, and I went to St. George for the weekend. Everyone always tells me that I get road rage. I now know where I get it from...my mom. Apparently Brenna is well on her way to also having road rage. She was sound asleep while we were sitting on the freeway for awhile because of traffic. She woke up and saw the semi-truck beside us that was also just sitting there, and she said (very disgustedly), "Is that truck just going to park in the middle of the road or what?!?" Then she went back to sleep.

Later that day she was watching a movie in the car with our cousin, Zac, and wanted to change the movie. We were almost to St. George, so my mom told her that she couldn't change the movie. Brenna sat there for a few minutes and then this conversation happened:

Brenna: "We need to make a pit stop!" 

Brenna singing: "I need a pit stop! I need a pit stop! 

I need a pit stop!"

Me: "What's a pit stop?"

Brenna: "A pit stop is where you stop and we change our movie."

Zac: "No, it is where you stop on the side of the road and fix something on your car."

Brenna: "Can we PLEASE just make a pit stop? There's a good place for a pit stop." She then started singing I need a pit stop!" again.

Movie Workout...

Last Saturday my sisters and I played the Wii. We did a body test on Wii Fit. Let's just say that I wasn't where I wanted to be, so I made a few goals about my fitness. Today I worked out with a Jillian Michael's DVD. Brenna decided to do it with me. As we were working out she asked, "Are you sweating?" I said, "Yes." Then she responded, "Well I'm not. Why are you?" Haha...a few minutes later she said that she needed to stop because she was too tired.

A few hours later Brenna asked my mom to put "the movie that Sam had" back on. She then told me that she wanted to work out some more. She wanted to do ALL the movie workouts that I had. She thought that "movie workouts" were so awesome and she wanted to invite her friends over to do them with us. I don't think that I will have a problem working out with her around!

She did a really good job trying to do the moves right. She really likes jumping jacks 

she said. Apparently she's never done them...weird!

Bored Shepherds...

This video makes me SUPER happy...

I PASSED!!!!!

Today I accomplished something that I have been working toward/dreading for the last 5 1/2 years!

I passed the board certification test to become a board certified music therapist.

This officially ends my undergraduate college career.

It's a good day!

The Pipe...

There was also a pipe involved in this weekend's activities. My family and I went on our weekly drive around the farm with my dad on Sunday to help him check on things. While we were out and about we stopped by a pipe across the ditch. My dad told Savanna to walk across it. After some freaking out for a minute she did. Then Brenna crossed it while holding onto my mom's hand. Then Makayla crossed it. She was super freaked out, but she did it. Then my dad asked me if I did it. I didn't want to. I don't like crossing things, even across ditches. I'm ashamed to say that it freaked me out a lot, but I did it :)
While we were all doing this the dogs were there running around. Buster crossed the ditch many times but Molly never did. Apparently Molly is SUPER afraid of water. I didn't know this. She really wanted to play with Buster, but she didn't know how to cross the ditch without getting wet. She tried crossing the pipe many times but always backed up. One time she fell into the water while trying to walk across the pipe. She made some super weird jumping movements in the water and finally got across. Then it was time to leave and she had to cross the ditch again. She freaked out again. She tried to walk across the pipe again and repeated what she did the first time. It was probably one of the saddest but funniest things I've seen a very long time. 

The Weekend...

I feel like this blog has turned into "My life is so fantastic on the farm." I didn't want it to be like that, but that's my life these days...my family and the farm. I'm rediscovering all the awesome things about living in Nyssa and working with my dad. I do want to move on soon though, but until the music therapy certification board gets back to me about taking my test I will enjoy my life here. This weekend was a perfect example of farm awesomeness.
On Saturday my dad asked me to go get the 4-wheeler with him so that we could use it to clean out the garden. Savanna came with us. We went up to the shop but we didn't get a 4-wheeler. We got a back-hoe and a dump truck instead. I drove the dump truck and my dad filled it with manure (SICK NASTY!) but at least it will help my mom grow super awesome produce in her garden! Then I got to drive the back-hoe back to my house and my dad drove the loaded truck. I've never operated either one of these machines so I was super happy.
I always forget that most people's gardens aren't as big as my mom's. Most people don't use tractors to work in their garden. These are some pictures of my dad unloading the manure and then tilling the garden. They make me happy!

After all the yard work we had a hot dog roast with our neighbors. It was super fun! We roasted hot dogs and had a variation of a s'more (we put marshmallows and chocolate in a tortilla and then put them in tin foil and put them in the fire for a few minutes. They were delicious.) Then the kids and I played laser tag and night games. We had to end at 10:00 though. That's what happens when you play with 5-year-olds.

Savanna built the fire all by herself. It was much bigger when she first built it.

They really liked sitting there.

LASER TAG! LOVE IT!

Easter!

I LOVE Easter! It could possibly be my most favorite holiday of the year...it's at least in the top 2. This year was no disappointment. I didn't get to go to the city Easter Egg hunt like I always do with my sisters, but the rest of the weekend was fantastic!
We...

colored Easter Eggs

were visited by the Easter Bunny

were visited by the Easter Bunny again while at church (He hid our colored eggs!)

 and......had a candy hunt at Grandpa and Grandma's house!

GPS Awesomeness...

Today I got some quality bonding time with my dad and I drive this:

I guess I didn't really drive it though because it has GPS! All I had to do was set the line to drive by (who am I kidding...my dad set the device) and then press "resume" and it drove itself in a perfectly straight line. If I moved the steering wheel at all it went out of GPS mode and went crazy. When I got to the end of the row I had to lift up the ripper, turn the tractor, drive to the line shown on the GPS machine and press "resume" again. Genus! I love it! Now there just needs to be one on the swather and life will be fantastic!

It just keeps getting better...

Today I met with two music therapists in Boise. They own a music therapy business and are expanding. When I met with them they said that they really liked me and could see me working with them....awesome! They said that they don't have any contracts for me right this second, but things are looking very good for contracts in the near future. I'm super excited about this! If I work with them then I will be an independent contractor and will work through their business. The director of Music Together said that I could use her studio to do music therapy sessions. Now I have a way to find clients to do that with. This is almost exactly what I wanted to do! When I met with the music therapists they said that they had to stop advertising because they were becoming too busy. They have been trying to find someone that could work with them in order to bring music therapy to more people...that would be me! This morning I was having a TOTAL freak out moment because of my decision to live in Boise. I started thinking that maybe I made the wrong decision. Now I know that it was the right decision. It's a great feeling! Now I just need to take my test and become a board certified music therapist. 

Farm Life...

I'm back on the farm and loving it! Today I woke up to my dad calling me and asking me if I wanted to drive a tractor....uh...duh! I LOVE driving tractors. Today I did something I've only done for about an hour before...groundhogging. It looks like this...

Brenna came and rode with me for awhile. She was very entertaining and it made for a fun few hours. One time I accidently made a slight hole in the field and she said, "Oh, Dad's gonna fire you now!" Luckily I did not get fired which means I get to drive a tractor again soon!

Home...

I LOVE THESE GIRLS!

Today Brenna asked me when I was going to go home. When I explained to her that I was home. She said, "Noooooooo, when are you going back to your home." I said, "Brenna, I am home. This is my home now, at least for a little bit." She said, "Nooooooo, when are you going back to Idaho or (O)hio or wherever you live. I don't think that she gets it still. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised by this though. I haven't lived at home since she was 2 1/2. I'm so super excited that I will be living near my family! I've missed them! Savanna and Makayla say that when I move to Boise I have to visit every other day. I don't think that will be happening, but I will definitely visit often!

Life Unexpected...

I don’t even know why I bother making life plans…they always change, ALWAYS! The only Plan A that’s worked out since high school was going to Utah State and majoring in music therapy. That worked out very, very well. My life always seems to work out just fine though. Last week I went to Utah for a job interview. All during my internship I planned to live and work in the Salt Lake area after graduation. That was just how it was going to be. I found a place to live and a job. My life there was going to be super awesome. Well…life had other plans for me. The job in Salt Lake didn’t work out. Then I went to Logan for another job opportunity. I set up an appointment to discuss the job possibility. A few days before I was supposed to meet with the supervising music therapist, she emailed me and said that they were on Spring Break and wouldn't be able to meet with me for awhile, so I went back to Oregon. 

I started thinking about working in Boise. The more I thought about it the more I rebelled against it, but then I started praying about it and it just felt right. I still rebelled against it though. You would think that I would learn to stop doing that. It did take me reading D&C 38:32 "...Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to Ohio..." before I accepted the fact that I needed to do my internship in Ohio. 

I wrote an email to a Music Together center and also a music therapy company in Boise. The directors of each place emailed me back and said that they would love to meet me. Today I met with the director of the Music Together center and she said that she was very excited that I contacted her. She is going back to school in the fall and the other teacher there is having a baby, so she needs a new teacher…ME! She said it was a miracle how fast I contacted her when she needed someone. I start next week. She also said that I could use her studio and facilitate music therapy sessions. She also said that she knows a speech therapist that I could meet with to learn where to find clients. 

I meet with the directors of Music Therapy of Idaho on Friday. They said that they are in need of a music therapist in the next few months and are very excited to meet me. 

Through this experience I have once again learned that Heavenly Father always knows what is best even if I don't at first agree. As long as I read my scriptures, say my prayers, and live mostly like I should then He will help me figure my life out. Life is good!