Fall, fall, fall!

I'm so excited that fall is finally here! The weather is still sticky - humid, no cooler than 68 degrees at the lowest - but just knowing the fact that soon, I'll be able to bring out my peacoat makes me so happy!

I'm also excited to announce the births of Aeralind Grace and Bronwyn Hope, on September 11th 2009!!! Congrats to Mommy Melissa and Daddy Derek Aldrich on two beautiful baby girls! I'm hopefully going to visit and spoil babies (and Mommy!) during our fall break in October. Please visit the blogs "Bumblebee Grace" and "Derek and His Women" to find out more about these blessings and their parents!

I'm often amazed at how music affects me so emotionally & so much. There are days when I have the opportunity to sing/hear music and I'm filled with SO much joy that it comes out through tears. Today was one of those wonderful, joy-filled days. On Tuesdays & Thursdays, I have a voice lesson at 10:55AM and concert choir directly following at 11:30. I study with the PHENOMENAL Dr. Ann Benson, who I adore both on a professional and personal level. She reminds me very much of Beverly Sills - whom, consequently, has become a favorite of mine, after reading her memoir "Bubbles". Anyway, Dr. Benson helped me pick out my junior recital rep about two weeks ago. Among that rep is the ridiculous "Ah! Je veux vivre!" from Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod. It ranges from a D below middle C to a D above the staff, and it's going to take an inordinant amount of work to make it performance-ready. I discovered the aria when I was 14 and have been slowly but surely working on it ever since. I've always done bits and peices of it, just as scales or what have you, but I've never sung it completely through, with accompaniment.

Until today.

Today, Dr. Benson and I decided to give it a go. She played, I sang.
It was one of the most amazing three and a half minutes ever.

It was difficult to finish, seeing as how I'm still getting over the flu I had last week, and it was MUCH faster than I thought, and I wasn't exactly singing with my voice. However, it. was. amazing. I'm so excited to be able to sing it!

After my voice lesson, I went directly into concert choir. Most of our rep is alright, but there's one peice that we're doing that is my absolute FAVORITE of it's kind. It's the Biebl "Ave Maria" - one of the ONLY "Ave Maria"s that I like. I've been trying to get Dr. Sinclair to let us do it since 2005. She FINALLY decided to do it this year and I couldn't be happier! I'm also priveledged enough to be singing the soprano part in the "trio", with Samantha singing the alto and baby Laney (one of my favorites ever!) singing the tenor. It sounds phenomenal and I feel so blessed to be singing it. Today, when we worked on it in class, I was so joy-filled that I got teary-eyed. Seeing as how I was in the front of the room, singing with the trio, I quickly tried to hide my weepies and continue singing, which I did successfully.
I feel so close to God when we sing that song. I love it.

Well, it's been quite a day. I'm looking forward to sleep that is SO close!
...and enjoying another episode of "18 Kids and Counting". I adore the Duggars! they are such an inspiration to me. I'm trying to model the way I'm training myself on the way that they live their lives - completely and totally for the Lord. Right now, I'm focusing on living with a servant's heart, and always praying for guidance and strength!

That's all for now - love to all!

I have GOT to be better about blogging!!

for the first time in months, I put on a sweater when I took Lucy out this morning. I also have my bedroom window open to enjoy this cool air. I'm excited for fall!! this season always seems so full of possibility to me - I know with most people that usually happens with spring. I guess that's just a way I'm different :-) with fall comes Halloween costumes, crunchy leaves, and sweaters. the church prepares for the start of another liturgical year; Advent isn't too far away. and my excitement is already starting to build for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - the night before Thanksgiving might as well be the night before Christmas, where the parade is concerned. this is definitely my favorite time of year.

classes have started once again - and once again, I am a music major! I've come to the conclusion that I really can't NOT have music in my life. plus, I have more credits towards a BA in music than anything else, so I'm looking at about three more semesters, maybe four - praise God!! I'm incredibly excited to be studying with Dr. Ann Benson, a world renowned soprano and an AMAZING woman. I've only had a few lessons with her, and already I'm a little in love with her :-) my other classes are interesting, but alrady I'm struggling with making myself actually go. I would much rather be at home working on turning the junk room back into the guest room, or starting to prep for the holidays. I'm such a homebody. but I'm trying really hard to stay disciplined and keep up with my classes. it's difficult, but I'm at least trying.

Lee is no longer at Coastal, or in Myrtle Beach. that's really, really hard to deal with. we're still together, very very much together. we're just doing a long-distance relationship. I think that, in the long run, this will be good for us. we're looking at it as a test and so far, I think we're passing. we talk to each other every day, sometimes as many as ten times a day, just because we want to hear the others' voice. it's very odd to not have him here at all, as opposed to last year when he was here almost constantly. but it makes the times that we're together so much sweeter. he came and visited from last Friday to yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, and it was almost perfect. it just feels right for him to be here, and for us to be together. I really think I'm gonna marry that boy.

enjoy this first taste of fall, everyone! and pray for my friend Missa - or Melissa Ann, of the blog Bumblebee Grace-, who is 36 weeks pregnant with twin girls - Baby A is feet-first and needs to flip around so Missa can have the natural birthing process that she wants.