2012 Review

2012, to say the least, was not one of my best years. 

I know.. most of the time when you see blog posts reviewing their year they start gushing on and on about what was really great about the year and what they've learned. I can definitely tell you there were some great moments & I also can say that I learned A LOT. 

A lot of happiness, along with heartbreak. A lot of excitement, along with learning experiences. A lot of moments trying to figure things out about myself... and what I want.

I'm very hopeful that 2013 will bring a lot more happiness. As of where I stand right now, I feel myself getting closer to that place each and every day :) 

I'm proud of myself, yet scared of the decisions I make sometimes. 
I've learned that you need to live with and believe in the decisions you make for yourself to be better off. 
I keep reminding myself that I need to put all my trust and faith into God's timing, because I know he wants nothing but the best for me.

Maybe I won't be working for Disney or doing humanitarian work just yet, because God knows something greater is in store for me. Maybe the people who walk in and out of my life so quickly were only there to teach me a short lesson. Maybe the path I'm choosing school wise is the right place to go, and maybe not? 
Maybe this... maybe that. All I KNOW for certain is that I need to put all my faith in the Lord's plan for ME. As long as I do that, I know everything will be fine. 

That is one of the MAIN things I learned in this past year... and believe me sometimes it's hard. But, I have great people around me that help me get through it. 

I'm starting to do things that will help me GROW. 
I'm beginning to show people my love for singing for the first time in 20 years.
I'm letting people know how much I love photography and want to do that as a career choice. 
I'm going to go to places that help me reach that goal
I'm eager to go to the temple more often
I'm trying to be more proactive by going to the gym more than I did (once a week is a very good start for ME)
I'm cooking meals (which is Pinterest's fault... but it's been great regardless)
I'm hanging out with people that also help me grow more (especially spiritual growth)... That's what I need more than anything. 
& more. 

The second half of this year, I had completely lost myself. I had never been so out of it in my life. I had changed a little in a negative way, which was not good. But, now I'm thinking a little more positive each and every day. Thanks to the people who have stayed in my life and helped me get through this change & back to normal. I know they'll be there for me in 2013 and many other years to come :) 

I won't allow myself to get so down like in the past year ever again. 
So all I have to say now is.... DEUCES 2012. You are now my past.
2013... I welcome you with open arms and high hopes :)

In the Mood..

To sing some Les Miserables! 

I've been listening to the music since I saw the movie a few days ago... Let's just say, I can't really stop. 
So here's me singing 'On My Own'

Kinda messed up some of the lyrics since I just learned it, so bare with me...

That Time I Sang a Song

In the beginning of December, I went to a recording studio to make a Christmas present. I recorded three songs. Catch Me by Demi Lovato, Maybe This Time - Glee Version, & The Finish Line by Train. I was planning on going to the studio for a while at the time, but my vocal teacher told me my vocal cords have been swollen for what seemed like a month. I went to a real doctor and found out I had asthma and possibly heartburn. The doctor technically told me I was not allowed to sing for another month while I am on medication so my cords could heal up. I figured I'd just go in a record, THEN begin the one month of no singing because I scheduled to record a while back. It's funny because when my vocal teacher had told me for weeks that my cords were swollen I didn't understand how she could know by just listening. But as soon as I put my headphones on and heard myself in them, I could hear it bright as day. I was kind of upset with how my voice sounded throughout the session, but at the same time it was probably the coolest thing I've done! I love recording. If I had all the time in the world, I would have stayed their until I got every note and detail right. But, since time is money (literally in this case) I could only stay for an hour (I accidentally went over by 30 min). I did every song twice in that hour and one song three times. 

Here is one of the songs I sang that day. Before you judge too harshly, remember that my cords were swollen and I couldn't put my all into the song. That and I'm not trying to go anywhere with this, I was just doing it for pure enjoyment because I LOVE to sing (and it was a Christmas present) 

So without further adieu. My cover of The Finish Line by Train (P.S. It sounds better with headphones, seriously.) 

if you enjoy dancing and singing...

Then you'll enjoy my hilarious roommates and I celebrating the end of finals! 

Video #1 - Steph and I doing the hair flip dance

Video #2 - Classic roommate song; Pretty Girl Rock

Video #3 - GANGNAM STYLE!

Video #4 - We need somebody to love...

                                          

                                         

                                           

Oh! & to get you in the Christmas spirit.. let me and Jason sing ya a little Christmas tune. 

This was our first attempt (trust me, when we practiced we laughed every time)

Attempt dos! 

If you watched all of these.... You must have a lot of free time on your hand. Or you just wanted to see me sing and dance ;)

I hope you enjoyed those as much as I did. Life is fun.

Couple Shoot

This past Sunday I had a photo shoot with a really cute couple! They've been married for almost two years and you can tell that they were just meant for each other by how compatible they were. Looking at how they were goofing around together and being cute made me realize more what I want in a future spouse. Here are a few photos from their shoot! :)