Little Drummer Boy - or Girl!

So, I have this thing with music. When there's a song that makes me feel warm and fuzzy, then I feel the need to analyze it - not too deeply. Just enough to get the gist of why it was written, and what was meant by the words. It's the quazi-poet in me, I guess. For example: Hey Soul Sister. I love, love LOVE!!! this song. Why? Simply because it's just a super cute love song full of randomness. It's not a typical love song, but then Train doesn't always sing typical songs. Like Drops of Jupiter. So, it makes me super happy. yes, random tangent.

So, anyways, I'm considering doing a random "Let's Discuss Christmas Music and Why it Makes Me Feel Warm and Fuzzy" segment. We'll see if it happens. So, as I took a nice, long nap (which, when I woke up, I felt drunk. Word of the wise, if you go to bed at 1 the previous night, don't take naps, because you'll never want to get up.) I decided I'd listen to some yummy Josh Groban Christmas music. So, the song that comes on just as I'm about to go to sleep is Little Drummer Boy, and my last conscious thought is "I like this song a lot."

Come they told me,
A new born King to see,
Our finest gifts we bring,
To lay before the King,
So to honor Him,
When we come.



Little Baby,
I am a poor boy too,
I have no gift to bring,
That's fit to give the King,
Shall I play for you,
On my drum?



Mary nodded,
The ox and lamb kept time,
I played my drum for Him,
I played my best for Him,

Then He smiled at me,
Me and my drum.

I took off the parum pum pums, because they aren't exactly necessary. So, anyways, part of the reason why I like this song so much, is because it brings me back memories of my piano lessons. It was one of the first Christmas songs I learned on the piano. A super simple version, but still, the Little Drummer Boy all the same. Some people find this song annoying, or pointless, but I feel it is one of the few non-hymns that really grasps the true meaning of Christmas.

Think about it, a poor boy goes to see the baby Jesus, knowing who he is, and that he deserves the best of gifts. He doesn't have much, so he gives what he can - which ends up being his talents. And, in the end, it's this poor drummer girl's gift that the baby Jesus recognizes with a smile.

Now, in relation to the Christmas season, what is the importance? Well, think about the boy's attitude. He knew he needed to give something. And, though he had little, he put his heart into the gift that he gave. Even in this Christmas season, some of us can be a little selfish. We see how little we have  - how that $2000 in my savings account is essential to college, and I can't spend a penny of it more than I have to - but, we always have things we can give. Service. Our talents. Our time. Our love. We don't need to give just fancy shamncy things. That's what the boy understood. So, this Christmas season, while you definitely shouldn't spend more than you should, try to give more of yourself than you normally would. Serve a little more. Show your love a little more. Use your talents to share the spirit a little more. *cough cough go to Vespers cough cough*

I love Christmas! Love it SO much! It makes me happy. And it makes me think of others a little bit more than I usually do. Peace on Earth and all that!

There can be no true happiness without service

It's amazing how often I forget this truth and become selfish and not think of others. But this weekend has been a great reminder!

Yesterday after school I went to Quiltfest. It's super simple (well...unless you get the yarn tangled or get loops on the back and stuff...which happened to me and Kaitlyn multiple times. Yarn is NOT my friend.) and is a lot of fun when you do it with friends. Especially when there's Christmas music on and you start singing along in an obnoxious manner. Ok, that may just be me, but we can pretend otherwise. But, I loved it, because it was super simple, and super fun, and despite the simpleness and funness, I was doing good. I think sometimes people get in the mindset that doing service is time consuming - which it can be, but not always - is boring, and is really difficult. When, in reality, a lot of the time, it isn't. And not only does service make the people you are serving happy, but it makes you happy. If you honestly put forth effort and try to think of others before yourself, you will be filled will a great happiness.

And then, today was my stake's Turkey Round-up. I'm part of the stake youth committee, and were kind of put in charge of it all, so I was at the stake center from 8:30 to about 12:00, helping the people who were bringing turkeys and keeping a tally of all of them. The leaders of the stake really wanted the youth to be involved in this, so in my ward I started a coin jar that I passed around during mutual - actually only for two weeks, because there were lots of times where we weren't all together. We ended up raising $46 dollars. Which is AMAZING considering I passed it around only two times. I was so proud of them! And so, I went to Frys with my mom this morning, with a letter that a member of the bishopric had written for me. We showed him the letter, and he let us buy 10 turkeys - he would have let us buy more, but there was this corporate thing that wouldn't let us. So, we got turkeys at 29 cents a pound, not having to do the whole buying 25 dollars worth of stuff first. There ended up being 10 dollars left. So, I went to the stake center with the turkeys, and gave the ten dollars to one of the leaders and he went to go see if he could get some more turkeys for me.

Here's the amazing thing. He went to like 4 different stores, showed them the letter, explained what we were doing (keep in mind we're gathering turkeys for the Food Bank. A legitimate donation.) and he got laughed at. All four times. He said me and my mom got lucky. My mom called it blessed. It truly was a blessing. The manager of the Frys we went to was so willing. He would have loved to let us get more than just the ten turkeys, but couldn't. As we were leaving, he kept saying that what we're doing was such a good thing. Because of him, 10 families get turkey dinners for Thanksgiving that wouldn't have before. Because of those 4 punk managers, at least two families will not get a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. We got lucky - we were blessed. It was just eye-opening for me. Because it showed me how the Lord will bless us when we do His work. He'll make it possible for us to help as many people as we are willing.

Service is awesome. I'm grateful for these experiences. Seriously, probably the best weekend I've had in a long time. On a random note, I think Gary, my pet gecko has either run away or died. I haven't seen him in a really long time. I blame my brother Michael. :( And, I miss reading. A lot. Stupid school. :( Oh! and on Monday, I have Vespers auditions! I'll be singing an duet with Johnathan Speakman. We'll be singing What Child is This, and I'll also be accompanying Katie Alston and Taylor Hansen for their duet. Wish us luck! I hope we all make it. :) I lurve Christmas music!

Family :)

So remember that one time I was in Utah for my niece's baptism? Well, one of the highlights of that trip was the chance to see my little niece Faith. I had never seen her before (except through Skype), never held her before. Which is super tough for me, because I love being an aunt and having a relationship with my nieces and nephews. So, when I got to hold her for the first time, I was super excited.

This is us getting acquainted with each other. :)

And this is us all acquainted and having fun and being happy! My count of times seeing her is up to two now - my brother and his family came down from Utah for my sister's wedding. Speaking of which.....

My sister Amy is no longer Amy Root. She's Amy Hale as of October 29. Which is awesome and weird, all at the same time. I'm so happy for her - because she's so happy, and Stephen is a great guy. But it's just weird for me, because she's three years older than me. Which means that in three years I could get married. (Actually, my brother swears I'm getting married in two years. Which kinda freaks me out.)

This was done for them by my sister in law Leigh. And I just like it lots. :) And guess what?! At the reception, I caught the bouquet! It was kinda funny.

This was taken after I caught it. Isn't Amy beautiful?! All in all, it was a pretty great wedding. I happy for Amy...and though I'm DEFINITELY not ready yet, I can't wait to get married.

So yeah, I love family, and I love when we all get together. I always miss them so much, because there's some that I hardly ever see. But then we all get together and we have lots of fun. :) My family makes me happy.

Life...and stuff

Welp, I've been super busy with school and homework and life. I had honest intentions to blog regularly. But since I have no clue how many people actually read this and since I have very little free time, I don't post as often as I originally planned. But, since I'm procrastinating my homework - my gimpy brother is watching TV anyway (He hurt his back so he has been sitting in the chair and watching TV for forever. And since he's a cripple, I must humor him.) - I decided to do a post. It's basically going to be a big jumbled mess. Which is typically what's going on in my brain, anyway.

So, this Friday, my sister is getting married. It's pretty awesome. Except it's kinda freaking me out, because she's three years older than me. Which means I that in three years I could be getting married. As much as I really want to get married, I'm am NOT ready for that.

Last Saturday was the Homecoming dance. It was lots of fun. I had a great group and a great date. Unfortunately, I didn't get to slow dance with him, because we were only there for one slow dance, and that ended up being the dance where all the Homecoming King and Queen nominees danced together. So I just kinda stood there awkwardly, until McKenna, being the sweetheart that she is, told her date to dance with me while she went to get a drink of water. So, I ended up dancing with my date's younger brother, Joseph! But, all in all, it was a fun night.

October Break was great - sorta. That was when my grandma died, but it was also Girls Camp. Let me tell you, being a YCL is one of the greatest experiences a person can have. I'm kind of a selfish person. But, for those few days, I dedicate myself to serving those girls that I'm over. I try my best to leave my wants out of the picture, and give myself up in service. And the relationship that is formed is amazing. I still consider some of the girls I was over last year as really good friends. In fact, one of them helped me a lot when I found out my grandma died. I just love them lots! When I think of Girls Camp, now, I picture the sweet faces of those girls I was over. And I miss them! It's hard not seeing them constantly like I did at camp. As a YCL, you learn how to love completely, how to see others as daughters of God, who are of great worth. It's been a couple of weeks, and I'm still thinking about and missing camp. But, the great thing about it, is that our stake youth activities are that much more fun, because I get to see everyone! Like softball this week! I'm so excited for that! Softball is possibly one of my favorite mutual activities.

Welp, I prolly should get to work. There's an unfortunate choir festival tonight that takes up half the night, which means less time for homework and such.

Thank you for the music - a tribute.

"Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me"
-ABBA

This Girls Camp was...interesting, for the lack of a better word. Depending on the mood I am when you ask me, I might say it was my best, but I also might say it was my worst. There was just a lot that happened - but I do know all of it has potential to make me stronger.

The weekend before, my grandma Root had a massive stroke. She wasn't expected to live much longer. So, I went off to camp, telling my dad to call one of the leaders if she did happen to pass away. Monday night, the first night up there, a leader pulled me aside to tell me that Grandma wasn't doing well, and that my dad didn't think she'd last a whole lot longer. I was fine. A little sad, but I was expecting it. Then, Tuesday night, I was pulled aside again. This time, I was told that she passed away. And I was devastated.

The thing is, I was expecting it. And I know that her spirit is still living. I know that she's happier now - that she's finally reached her happily ever after (the camp theme). But, I was just completely and utterly devastated. I couldn't face anyone. The rest of the time there, I kept smiling and laughing only because of the girls around me. It's easy to smile for others, and then eventually the smile becomes real.

But, this isn't supposed to be about me - ok, I guess it is a tiny little bit. But this is about my grandma, and what she has done for me. She has given me one of the most wonderful gifts I could ever ask for: music. I was eight years old. My dream was to become the first woman in major league baseball. I planned on being in every sport possible in high school. I was a die-hard sports fan. Then, for Christmas, my grandma said she'd give me piano lessons. I knew a little bit - my mom had taught me a bit. But, basically all I could play was Mary Had a Little Lamb.

So, I learned piano. And, while I didn't exactly like practicing, or all the songs she assigned me to play, I grew to love playing. Once I got into Young Womens, I started learning hymns, and I loved it. I started attempting John Schmidt songs. I played for a niece's baptism. I learned to feel music, not just play it. Because of those piano lessons, I chose band and choir my 9th grade year over volleyball and softball. I gradually lost my athletic skills, because I wasn't working on them. Basically, the only sport I'm decent at now is softball.

Now, I'm wussy, hate exercising, hardly ever watch sports, but music has become my passion. I sing, play piano, am a former drummer/percussionist, and play a wee bit of guitar. I attempted to teach myself violin, but that lasted about a week - I'll prolly need lessons if I ever really want to learn. Music helps me survive life.

I've been going through a whole lot recently. Just struggling to get by - but hey, that's life! And, what's been helping me get through it, is music. I believe it has power to heal the soul. It invites the Spirit, it makes me happy, and I can put my everything into it, whenever I'm having a lousy day. I forget myself in the music. Music is a part of me. Music can also be used as service - a song unto the Lord, to invite the Spirit, to help others. And service makes me happy.

I don't know what would have happened if I never had those piano lessons. Would I be a hardcore athlete? Would I even be in choir? Would I love to run? (Running is something I really dislike doing.) Would I be the person I am now? I don't know, I honestly don't. So, I just want to say, Grandma, thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thank you for the music, for giving it to me.

Homecoming? Why yeesss!

So, this morning, I wake up to my alarm at 6:00. I forgot to turn off my alarm. I get up anyway, since I had the SAT to go to. I change, but then fall alseep on the living room couch. Half an hour, my mom walks in, slightly confused to see me sprawled out on the couch. She then goes outside to turn the fountain on, but instead of coming back in, she yells, "Beth, why is the house TPed?" I was confused. I walked outside to see on the doormat:

Umm...sorry. It turned sideways...and I'm too lazy to try to fix it. Ya'll can read sideways, right? (Is anyone else confused by the random sun?) 

So I take down all...or most...of the toilet paper, and there were letters written one them. So, I ripped the letters off, arranged them to get this name:

So why is this one normal? Oh well. So yeah. Johnathan Speakman. Needless to say, I'm like ridiculously excited. I actually wasn't expecting to get asked. So getting asked by one of the nicest boys ever was a pleasant surprise. Hence the ridiculous excitement. It's going to be freakin' awesome.

In other news...since I haven't updated in, like, eternity...school has been stressful. There may be certain teachers *cough cough Garcia cough cough* that, if they happened to disappear, I wouldn't mind too much. Though I swear I would have nothing to do with it...

I've quit my job. I've been super stressed, and had been considering it for a little while. And then, my daddy's schedule got changed, so I have no ride. So, no more work! Which also means no more moolah.

Also, music is amazing. Not that you all didn't know that already. But, lately, it's something I've come to appreciate even more. (I know, I thought it was impossible too. But, hey! Miracles do happen!) I've started playing Olivia a little bit more often. I'm bringing her to Girls Camp this next week, for our singing trees song. And I'm kinda excited to show all the little 1st years I'm over this year how cool their YCL is. Because I can play the guitar. Yes, Olivia is my guitar. Here she is!

See! It turned again! but...it's almost better this way...perhaps...but yeah. This is Olivia the guitar. She's purty, isn't she? Technically, she's not mine. She's my brother's. But I just like to pretend she's mine.

So, yeah. That's been my life in a nutshell. Minus some stuff. Like how I considered dropping A Cappella, (long story, but no worries, it's not gonna happen) and how I went to my sister, Amy's, bridal shower and bachelorette party - in less than three weeks, she'll be married! And a few other minor details.But, it's been...life! I'm just plugging through it.

Well, that's it for now. When I get back from girls camp, I'll prolly share some stuff about it. And I'll try to post more often. As long as I don't get too lazy...haha. :)

Awesomeness

Ok, so there's a lot that happened this weekend that I want to share, but I'll do it one at a time, and not in the order that it happened.

Last night, I had an awesome experience. I went to the Lamb of God concert, performed by the EVMCO (East Valley Mormon Choir Organization) and conducted by Rob Gardner.

Oh my gosh is was SO amazing. Let me tell you. I love music. And that is exactly why I love music. The spirit was so strong. The music told a story, sometimes in a different perspective that what you normally would. It was about the days leading up to the Atonement and then the Resurrection. I learned some things. I was inspired by others. One thing that really struck me was Mary, Jesus' mother. How many of us think of her, and the pain and anguish she must have gone through watching her son suffer and die, and not be able to do anything about it. I know whenever I see someone I love in pain or suffering in some way, I want to help. It almost physically pains me to see them in pain. And it must be like 50 times worse for a mother to watch a child go through something like that, and have absolutely no power to help. It must have been a sacrifice for Mary. She's definitely someone I want to run up to and give a big hug to when I get the chance to meet her.

So, yeah, that concert was inspiring and refreshing. I love me some good music. And not only was that inspiring and spiritually music, but it was just good! Seriously, that choir was amazing. Amazing tone, amazing balance, amazing blends, amazing power. Just, you know, all-round full of amazingly awesomeness.