Summertime! :)

So, you may have guessed that my summer has been slightly busy, since I haven't posted anything on here in three months... :D

I've been working two jobs and taking two classes. Working at the concession stand at the pool and at the elementary special ed summer school (the summer school is only during July). Classes are Language & Communication and Reading & Writing in the Content Areas. The classes met for the last time last week, and my final paper and unit plan are due this Tuesday/Wednesday. I need to get "crackin" on those...eek!

My cousin Brenton Salyers passed away July 4th after another round with his melanoma. He had been married a little over 13 months to Cheree Coffman. We all went down for the funeral and then left Mom down at her parents for a week. When Dad and Andy went back to get her, they brought back a surprise...



...my cousin Ashley! She was at our house last week. Monday she went swimming with Andy...Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday she went to summer school with me in the mornings...Thursday she went shopping with me, Mom, and Laura Beemer. Friday morning Ashley and I headed back down to Missouri. This time, I stayed at Shane and Alaina's. Here's what we did on Saturday...



...it was tons of fun! I've heard about SDC my whole life, but this was my first time there.

Even better than SDC, though, was a whole weekend with the twins!



They were 9 months old July 6th...they are SO adorable and so much fun!

I have a BUNCH more pictures from my summer so far (especially of the babies) on Facebook. You can view them here. Enjoy!

I've Been Tagged!

I knew it would get around to me...Dalayna tagged me :)

4-4-4
I've been tagged......
1. Choose the fourth folder where you store pictures on your computer. 2. Choose the fourth picture. 3. Explain that picture. 4. Tag 4 other people.

I currently only have three picture folders on my computer, so here's the fourth photo of my third album...



This is Thanksgiving 2008 at Uncle Gary and Aunt Liz's. I'm holding baby Sean (one of Shane & Alaina's twins) and that's his auntie Ashley kissing him.

I tag...Amy, Laura, Jeanne, and Jessica

The weekend at Mark's...

...turned out a little different than we had planned on, but it was still fun! My camera stayed in my purse, but today we took some pictures on Mark's camera before we left (me to college, Mark & Relyssa to meet Dalayna), so I'll get those from him sometime.

It's FRIDAY!!!

I normally think Fridays are pretty cool anyway, but this one's extra special! This afternoon I'm headed to Mark's for the weekend...along with Ryan, Relyssa, and Lyss's friend Ashley. Fun times! I'm taking my camera...we'll see how many pictures I get though, I tend to take my camera places but then forget to use it, haha. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it. Haven't seen Mark/Ryan/Lyss since York convention...that's been 6 months! And my birthday is next week...so this is like an extra-special early birthday present :P

What I did today

I'm doing a piano recital in a couple months. I have this skirt that I've never worn:



But I don't really have a top to wear with it. My roommate's grandma is a seamstress and I've asked her to make me a recital top. Here's what I bought today for that...the material is sparkly, I don't know how well that comes across in the picture.



I ordered this pattern online yesterday:



Here's what the material looks like with the skirt:



I also bought these two pieces of fleece to make a tie-blanket to keep me warm and to brighten up my living room by hanging on the back of the blue couch when it's not in use



This evening was Andy's choir concert. He's the one in the black shirt and white tie.
Here are the guys singing:



Chamber Choir





Incidentally, the girl sitting on the front row in the pink coat is one of my best friends from high school, Melody.
It was so weird to sit in the audience and not sing or play the piano! lol

Thanksgiving pics

I'm late...but here they are!

I'm holding one of my cousin Shane's twin boys, Seth. That's Shane's little sister Ashley kissing him.


Seth's twin, Sean, being held by his grandma Townsend.


The whole group! Salyers', Weedas, Townsends, and Hertz's.


Shane, Alaina, and the babies. Shane is holding Seth, Alaina is holding Sean.


Mama and Papa Salyers


My cousin Brenton's new house.


Ashley wanted to try my glasses on and pose for pictures

A visit from Mark!

I just realized I hadn't posted anything about Mark's visit! He came over last weekend to hang out and go to my choir concert on Sunday. We had so much fun, hopefully we can do it again soon!

Arm wrestling tourney:





Introducing Andy to the illbunyasarous:



Checking out Mark's cool phone



That smile might have something to do with a text from a certain girl...lol!



Next, he was talking to her on the computer...didn't even take time away from the conversation to go get a chair!



Then they got into gaming...



The three of us had so much fun entertaining ourselves/each other! :D

Love ya Mark! Please come again!

Playing catch-up

It's been awhile since I've posted anything from my life, so here's what I've been up to...

My roommate, Kelly, had her senior organ recital October 24. A couple pictures I took at her run-through...


And a couple pictures her mom took at the recital (I turned pages for her).


This past weekend, I went to NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), where I accompanied for five people in the vocal competition. Here's me with Liz, one of the girls I accompanied for.


Mama and Papa (Mom's parents) were up from Missouri this weekend.


I've been busy, as usual! Things are heading towards the end of the semester now, with papers and projects due pretty soon. Better get to bed so I can get up bright and early for another day!

Exciting news!!

My cousin Shane turned 21 today, and is also now a father...times 2!! The twins were born this morning, via c-section. What a birthday present! Sean and Seth Salyers, welcome to the family! 5 lbs 7 oz and 6 lbs 7 oz, respectively. I bet Alaina is glad to be eating for one again, instead of 3!! I told Andy to take some pics...we'll see if he remembered to. I hope to be down there for Thanksgiving, so then I can see them for myself and take my own pics!

Pictures and commentary from my sophomore year

triplets who were at our house for meeting, the two Heathers (me and one of the triplets)


the ladies of Mu Phi Epsilon at the annual Lekberg Tea, my good friend Rachel who lived down the hall and I


Mu Phi Epsilon at the All-American Concert, my bro Andy and I on my 20th birthday


Mu Phi Epsilon initiation, my Mu Phi "family" (top to bottom: me, my "dot," my sister, and my mom)


Andy and I on the day of his piano recital/my choir concert/my piano recital (poor Mom and Dad!), my favorite practice room piano


playing Uncle Dave's piano, Sarah and I shopping in Peoria


Sarah and I driving back from spending too much money, showing off our purchases


Kelly and I (my roommate for next year, and good friend) in the lobby of the music building, Rachel and I in costume and ready to rehearse


our performance of scene 1 of Pirates of Penzance, Dr. Larsen (opera director and all-around amazing man) and I at the end of two long nights of opera scene performances


That's an overview of a crazy year of college! I can hardly believe I'm half done....

An explanation of some of these pictures, events, and groups is probably in order. Mu Phi Epsilon is the professional music fraternity I joined my freshman year. We do a lot of things with Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men's music fraternity at Simpson. It's so much fun! Music pretty much rules my life at Simpson...besides Mu Phi, I'm in the Women's Chorale (and on the Chorale Council), I take two credits of private piano and one credit of private voice. That means lots of practice room time (hours each day) besides group rehearsals. I'm also a student accompanist--I receive a paycheck at the end of each semester for accompanying for other students (this year I had 8 students...which meant a couple nice checks!). I also share the accompanying for Mu Phi and Chorale. Whew!

Then, for May Term, I decided to enroll in the opera workshop, a bi-annual event for the music department. For three weeks in May, I was completely immersed in opera--I was the rehearsal accomanpist for several scenes, was onstage for 2 scenes, backstage for a couple scenes, and either page turning or taking pictures for all the other scenes. We performed these scenes Wednesday and Thursday of the third week...5 1/2 hours each night, so 11 hours of performing total. And we got it ready in 2 1/2 weeks! Wow!

So, even though I have two jobs and an online chem class this summer and keep driving all over to visit family and go to conventions and weddings, I'm getting to relax compared to being at college! :) Then at the end of August, I'll jump right back into the tornado we call the Simpson music department. I'd better relax while I can!