Hmmm....

You KNow? I really don't tell you guys very much about me anymore. Maybe I should have put that in my poll. And even though some of the pictures I've taken can be a little old, I'll just show you what I've got. But first, I must wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! And then I have whatever news I can think of.
And first ting I think of is the Christmas Concert that took place last Sunday at the Marysville Stake building, and that was really cool. I played in a string ensemble and accompanied the choir on the very last song. But the highlight of the evening was when Jennifer Thomas accompanied on the piano with a friend who was a soprano on O Holy Night. It was so pretty and so powerful that I cried, right there in the front row, sitting between the two boys I was going to play with not long after this song. I was actually as little scared that I wouldn't get myself together in time to play our song because after the soprano came one song from the choir and then we were on, but I was so touched I was in hysterics. But I did fine. And there are definitely hopes for next year's successful performance, this being only our third annual Christmas concert and already blowing away crowds with the talent and the wonderful, powerful arrangements, just think of the future! So that was basically the big family night (it was also my dad's birthday).
And then Monday became really hectic once I got home from school. Go to violin lesson, and then go shopping for gifts and to find the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack that I've been wanting forever!!!! My mom cut it really close and I was a few minutes late for Everett Youth Symphony, even though no one said anything about it. I was fairly peeved when I got there, but thanks to the girl I was sitting next to, Stefanie, I was cheered up. She kept digging into her purse because there was a bag of Hugs in there that she was eating out of, and a cd fell out once while she was doing this. It turned out to be Riverdance, and she offered to give it to me. Of course, I asked if she had her own copy at home before just taking it because for a second I was kind of caught off guard by the offer. But anyway, I got it, but because it was so scratched up I could only get half of the songs to play. What I have is still good, though. So then everyone there said goodbye for the holidays and my mom took me out for MORE shopping. I was starting to get really piqued then, until we finally found everything we needed and went home. So I left the house at 3:00 and got home at 9:30. And I didn't any homework done. I crashed.
I really don't remember much about Tuesday because it was pretty uneventful, but Wednesday was band night. Me and my dad always go to Lake Stevens to practice, because thats where our drummer lives. This brings out Ed from Camano Island, and I don't know where Dave lives, but he's Nate's (drummer) brother. And then Liz is Nate's wife, and then me and my dad. I'll just rattle off who plays what: Nate- drums, Ed- lead guitar, Dave- rhythm guitar, Evan (dad)- bass guitar, Liz- extra percussion, Me- keyboards, and we all trade off singing, but Liz sings most often, so I guess she would be the lead singer. But on nights hen she's trying to handle the kids, I try to fill in, even though I have to admit, I can't sing classic rock. Now, just plain classical music and folk and jazz are fine, but I would actually need a good deal of voice lessons for rock to ever happen. It was cool at the start because the missionaries were over and me and my dad knew one of them because they had been in our area for a long time before he transferred. And it was fun to play Jump while he was going out on the drumset for a few minutes. He's good at the drums too, maybe not like Nate, but good enough to get his own band going once he came from his mission.
So we had fun and I got home at 11:00 and instantly crashed (I didn't even change out of my clothes). Thursday was just that kind of day where everyone's bouncing in their chairs because school's almost out for the break and no one can wait. And Friday turned out to be satisfactory. At seminary, we had a really good breakfast (even though I didn't eat too much because I'd already had my normal bowl of cereal). I collected a ton of candy because I hadn't had time to pack a lunch and that was my only chance to get something to eat because I was, and still am, basically broke, thanks to Monday. And then after PE I changed into my real Christmas spirit, which I don't have a picture of, but it looked really cool when I wasn't carry a backpack and purse. In band and science, we did nothing but party and exchange Secret Santa gifts. I got the fuzzy blue socks I'm wearing right now, two Caramello bars (I'm saving one for Christmas, but it's really HARD), and The Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot. I already had the cd, but the guy who gave it to me, Nate (a really troubled but really sweet guy that basically calls me his sister) couldn't find the receit for me to return it so I'm going to figure out what I going to do with it. If he finds it after break and gives it to me, that'll be fine. And after school I practically messed around until we went to the church Christmas party.
Now, let me tell you about the Christmas party. There was a a small band playing, one guy on guitar, and then a brother and sister who would switch off on fiddle and the brother also played mandolin, the girl also played flute. Strangely enough, I already knew the brother and sister from before. From where? From the old building that Old Time Fiddlers was held at, in an old grange that was bought out about two years ago. When I began going there, the brother was the child fiddle prodigy and his sister was the follow-up. I remember his name is Toby, but I forget her name. My dad recognized them first last night because he'd seen the dad every time I went. But for some reason they just stopped coming altogether, and then the grange was bought and everyone was ousted into the old Arlingotn High School building. But, small world, there those kids were playing for everyone to enjoy before and after the actual program began. I'd forgotten that Toby is actualy younger than me, because he totally looks sixteen, but he's actually fourteen. It was pretty cool to talk to the family afterward while my dad took down all the sound equipment (he's the sound guy for everything, I swear). Eden's friend Jessica kept on getting up on how I should totally flirty and scare the crap out of myself pretty much, but it was fine just talking like I normally do. My parents did their old 'brga about Madison' trip on them, even though I think they just though it was cool that I was just as interested in Celtic music as they were. They didn't seem proud; actually the dad kept telling me to keep up the fiddle until we all had to leave. But it was almost literally like a time warp to the past. Toby still plays better than I do, but then, I need to get out of my whacked up state and start practicing more. So yeah, last night was cool. And then Eden, Jessica and I watched Tristan and Isolde (which I would rather have not wanted to watch, now that I've seen it) and we all spent another hour trying to fall asleep afterwards. So that explains why I'm not at church practicing with the choir right now and writing this post instead. :D!
And you know what? this post is long enough to read, so I'll scare you with the load of pictures later. Now you are spared. BYE!