2013: The Year of Change and Trust

Well, it is officially 2014!  I cannot believe how quickly this last year has gone by!  I have been thinking a lot about the things I have gone through and the things I have learned over the course of one year.  I have met so many wonderful people who have changed my life for the better and I cannot imagine my life without them right now!

2013 brought a lot of challenges.  Whether it was laryngitis, not making it into choir, heart break, stepping out of my comfort zone, or suffering from culture shock!  Yet, from all of the challenges that were brought, strength accompanied it shortly thereafter.

Along with those challenges came a lot of success as well!  I had my recital, I was the student conductor for the BYU-Idaho Collegiate Singer's for the first few weeks of spring semester, I finished my student teaching in Nampa, Idaho, I performed with a semi-professional choir, went on a lot of great dates, my first niece was born, and I graduated from BYU-Idaho with my Bachelor's Degree in Music Education with a Choral Emphasis.  My life has changed so much and I am so looking forward to more growth over the next year!

Every year, I feel like I have a theme that can sum up the entire year.  This year, I'm not sure if there was just one theme!  Because of all of the experiences I have had I'm not sure there is one theme that can sum them all up.  However, there is a theme that I think can cover most of it: God knows better than I where I need to be, what I need to be doing, and who I need to be with.  At the end of 2012 I thought I knew exactly where I would be at every point this year!  God probably just laughed at that!  He kept me in Idaho most of the year!  In fact, out of the 52 weeks this year, I believe I spent between 6-7 weeks at home in Utah.  The rest of the time I was either in Rexburg or Nampa, Idaho.  Yet I would not have wanted this year to pan out the way I wanted it to.  If it had, I would not have grown the way that I have; I would not have met the incredible people I have been blessed to come in contact with.  But, most importantly, I don't think I would have gained the testimony that I gained had I not gone through what I have this last year.

God is great, He knows best, and I will follow where He sends me!  Here's to 2014, another great year full of change and growth!!  :)

Final Barbershop Performance at BYU-Idaho (l to r: Kyrsten, me, Miranda, and Nykele)--February

Sending Deborah into the MTC--April

The day after Scarlett was born!! --May

My Senior Recital with my lovely accompanist and dear friend Sheryl--July

Collegiate Singer's in SLC--June/July?

Graduation--walked in July, officially graduated in Dec.

Madrigals singing with Critical Mass--September

Tyler and I performing with the Critical Mass Choir--September

Reader's Theater and Final Skyview High School performance--Dec.

"I'll Run to You" group that sang at the REader's Theater performance--Dec.
(l to r: Matt, me, Joie, and Nick)