the day i felt perfection and like death all wrapped up in one

my eyes are droopy.
my nose is stuffy.
my throat is itchy.
and i am battling what is either the worst allergies known to man,
or a terrible and dreaded cold from H-E- double hockey sticks (ya, I just went all 4th grade on you right there)
excuse me while i go chop off my head right now....

all of this may be the case, but yet I can not seem to close my eyes.
because right now, in this moment.
i am happy.
and i am exhausted.
that combination is also known as perfection.

why you ask?
maybe because life is a strange, twisted and a down right fan-freaking-tastic journey.
and i am currently loving it.
i feel like for once i have control of the reigns and i can do whatever i want, and be whatever i want to be.
it is a strange, scary and simply exhilarating feeling.

there is no saying what will happen next week. or next month. or next year.
and the thought of that in the past would have had me in a down right, eye-gauging, panic mode.
but not now.
i'm not worrying any more.
what good does that do? i can't plan out the rest of my life like some fantastic musical, because
A. i'm not talented enough to go all rogers and hammerstein on you
B. i would end up disappointed when it didn't go as i planned
C. people might stare at me during every song and dance number....(actually i KNOW they would stare.)
D. and i have not found anyone to play the dreamy male lead yet

but seriously. my main man Jason said it best "I won't worry my life away...." because he is a genius, and that is the truth. there is no point in worrying whatsoever.

life is meant to be spontaneous, and adventurous and i think the past few weeks/months, and the way the rest of the week is shaping out, is a clear indication that i LOVE spontaneity and adventures.

it is the beauty in being where i am today. the trials i have faced, and have yet to face, well, today i am grateful for those. because these pot holes and bumps in the road, have allowed me to find...me.
and have allowed me to truly find the joy in all of this.

it is a beautiful thing. and is something i have been searching for...i am telling you kids, prayer works.

so here is to more blissful summer nights, full of awkward singles ward FHEs, top secret ice cream club runs, flirting with boys, talking for hours, stories in the parking lot, zumba nights, taco tuesdays, poodle head stare-downs, softball games, battle wounds, and anything else that comes my way.

just pray i don't snap at my students after so many late nights....

and just because a post wouldn't be the same without a video.... 

even if it is old news, went viral a while back, and is so totally yesterday,

i just can't seem to get enough. so here. happy day to you. 

Let's sing to be happy, to feel things, to communicate, and be heard...

It is a very lovely day indeed.

did I purposefully wait up for the exact moment in which I could hit the 'complete my album' button on itunes? 

and do I plan on staying up until who-knows-when listening to it all on continuous repeat?

well....you will never know will you?

oh this album is basically perfect. 

perfect I say!

and I can't wait for my pre-order package to come in the mail!

it will have an awesome new t-shirt, bumper sticker, and of course my hard copy of the album. 

yes... I realize that technically I purchased the album twice.

do I care?

no.

would I do it again.

heck to the yes.

gosh i love this chap.

very very much

and those are all 4 letter words. 

just sayin. 

oh this is an exquisite day if you ask me. 

Beethoven's 5 Secrets

this give me chills. Probably because... 

A. It's the cello, and I downright believe that the cello is the most angelic sound on the planet

B. Beethoven's 5th is my absolute favorite classical piece. ever. serious. 

C. I love love love a clever mashup

D. I just think The Piano Guys are downright stellar

Description taken from their youtube page-

Story behind the song:
The Lyceum Philharmonic (Youth Orchestra) and its director, Kayson Brown, approached us with this idea. We loved it. It combined two of the things we are working to accomplish -- inviting people to classical music and inspiring young musicians. Steven Sharp Nelson had soloed with the orchestra the previous year and loved the spirit and the talent that the orchestra showed at such young ages (ages 13-18!) Together we developed the concept of "Beethoven's 5 Secrets," combining OneRepublic's tune "Secrets" with melodies and moments from all four movements of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

We used 5 different melodies from the 4 movements of Beethoven's 5th Symphony (not including the "bridge" the orchestra plays in the middle). Try to guess where they are and where they come from!

What are Beethoven's secrets? He had many. His most prominent secret that he desperately tried to keep from the public and that caused him to be considered extremely eccentric, irritable, and hermit-like was his "weakness." He was deaf during most of his life. Imagine that...one of the greatest composers that ever lived could hardly hear. And yet, he wrote his life's greatest works after becoming deaf. He believed that art itself had "secrets" that had to be "forced into" in order to obtain art's highest level. There is no doubt Beethoven discovered many of the "secrets" of art -- people all over the world enjoy them every day. He was a true master of music, blessed by God. This piece and video are dedicated to him.

Perform "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" and the entire Beethoven Symphony No. 5 with Steven Sharp Nelson at Lyceum Music Festival this year! Work up-close and personal with Steven and other amazing professional musicians like the concertmaster of the London Symphony and Rotterdam Orchestra. Advanced players ages 13-21 are invited to audition. Visit http://www.LyceumMusicFestival.com for details

I Won't Give Up...

Today I have come to the most interesting of discoveries.

Flirting gets you places.

Now don't get me wrong, I have realized this for many years, but have never taken into consideration that I have this power. 

Until today.

It was a simple January afternoon in Park City, Utah. Katie Jane and I were on a Sundance adventure. And two security guards were telling me I needed to be 'someone special' to enter this old building on Main Street. This old building on Main Street happened to be the 'Bing Bar.'  

It was then I realized that flirting was the only thing standing in the way between myself and Mr. Jason Mraz himself.

Yes. Thats right. Mr. A-Z was within reach and I wasn't going to let anything get in my way.

So I pulled out all the stops. I flirted with the security guard, even telling him I loved him... and landed myself in about the 3rd row, at a private, closed name-on-the-special-list, Jason Mraz concert where probably only 75 people at most were present.

Talk about a dream come true!

It was the most magical 70 minutes of my life... so far. Some of you won't understand or appreciate this, but this was a big deal for me. If you know me AT ALL, you understand this for 2 reasons 

A. I LOVE Jason Mraz with my whole entire heart

and
B. I don't flirt. I don't know how, and have been told so by a few people...nice, right?

But I did it today. 

We were led by a security man in all black into a dark a sketchy back alley type stair well, where I could hear Jason's sultry voice in the not so far off distance. Seconds later I stood in awe with my darling friend Katie Jane and we sang along and laughed, and I was just as happy as could be.

Observe:

 

and this new song from his new album, which he announced the name and date of AT this performance, is sure to be my favorite. it was probably my favorite one he did at the concert.

I know right?

Thats how CLOSE I was

I even saw Blythe Danner in her coke bottle glasses walk by later, Melanie Lynskey, and a couple other celebrities that I have already forgotten.

And if that wasn't enough, Liz and I drove back up a couple hours later and flirted our way into a free covered and heated parking spot! 

Cute boys in the parking booth. One had very sparkly blue eyes. Hum.... We also saw Joshua Jackson. That was nice. 

What a fascinating and downright happy day! Love!

Whit and Liz...and a famous person...not really, but thats okay. 

and if you are still confused as to why I love Mr Raz so much, this explains it all:

"Music is the medium I use to recover from life’s often deafening blow. I constantly reawaken thru music. The act of making music is how I tune in and/or tune out to solve life’s puzzles, trying to make the most sense of that which I can’t seem to stop questioning. In life there are problems. In music, if not a direct answer, comes a divine perspective." 

Taken from here. Simply Beautiful. 

oh happy day...literally

i want this. i need this. oh baby oh baby

please please please please

Because when you know something, its yours forever...

I honestly don't even know how to start this post, because I don't know how to effectively express something that means so much to me, without sounding ridiculous...but here it goes anyways.

I distinctly remember being in Miss Sanderson's 3rd grade class, and deciding that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I wanted to be in school for the rest of my life, because I loved it that much. I loved learning and I wanted to teach others to love learning. I remember always playing school in Emily's garage, and demanding to be the teacher. I would give Emily and my little brother Ethan 'assignments' that they would need to complete before the next day. Well, as you can see, not a whole lots has changed. I had a dream, and I did it. I am a teacher now, and I couldn't be more happy. Yes there are struggles, yes the legislature is a bunch of crap, and nothing in the education system is fair, but I do what I love. I work with kids every day and I have the opportunity to make a difference, even if it be small and simple.

Well, last year during student teaching, I had the opportunity to work with 3 amazing women who will always hold a special place in my heart. Two cooperating teachers who taught me more than they will ever know, and one supervisor who guided me and helped me be the best I could be. My supervisor was Stacey Bess, and she is without a doubt a remarkable woman. The first time I met her, I was a scared little pre-teacher, intimidated by her teaching history and amazing-ness. At the age of 23, Stacey was assigned to teach at the 'school' at the homeless shelter in downtown Salt Lake. She was given no resources, no training, but just told to show up and hopefully keep the kids off the street. So what did she do? She changed lives. The experiences she had as a young teacher are remarkable and as she shared her story at our little pre student teaching orientation, I was moved to tears....well, more like sobs. Then I found out she was my supervisor, and I was scared to death. How could I ever impress a teacher that had impacted so many lives? How could I teach in front of her without being nervous? But then I met her face to face, and knew I could learn so much from her and was excited to begin the journey. She came in every other week to observe my teaching, and always gave me great advice and ideas to help improve. We had seminars with the other student teachers in the school, and we usually ended up just talking and laughing about who knows what.

During student teaching I read and re-read her book "Nobody Don't Love Nobody" 3 times, and am almost finished with it again. It is seriously an amazing story that makes me multiple times throughout the book. Well, Hallmark purchased the rights to her book and made it into a movie entitled "Beyond the Blackboard", and tonight I had the chance to see one of the first screenings of it in Logan. To say I cried throughout the entire movie would be a complete understatement. It was a beautiful movie, yes cheesy Hallmark-ish at times, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The movie showcased how remarkable of a woman Stacey is, and what she did to help change the lives of these people. Watching the movie definitely gave me that reassuring feeling that I am in the right profession, that I am lucky to be a teacher, and lucky to have the opportunity to make a small difference.

Clearly, it was a wonderful experience. And to be able to talk to Stacey afterward was fabulous. The movie is going to be aired on CBS on Sunday, April 24th and I think everyone should watch it. Its cute, its funny, its happy, and its a touching story about an amazing teacher. What more could you ask for?

what feelings sound like

i think the passion i have for music is clearly something that i have made a point conveying on my blog. its my way of expression, whether it be what i am listening to, how i am listening to it, or what i am singing. theres just something that i feel, that i cant describe in words...music makes me who i am. so when i saw this post by my friend lindsay, i was moved. the video is 14 some odd minutes long, but let me just tell you that i had chills the entire 14 minutes. i even teared up a little. music is such an infinite power...and how amazing is this? eric whitacre is simply a genius. watch this. you seriously won't be sorry.

you better believe virtual choir 3.0 im going to find a way to be a part of...

watching, longing, for the lights, along the shore...

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy from His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
For to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
[or Some poor struggling, sinking sailor you may rescue, you may save.]

Dark the night of sin has settled, loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing, for the lights, along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Eager eyes are watching, longing, for the lights, along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Trying now to make the harbor, some poor sailor may be lost.