Black Music Notes

I wanted to finally share the details of how my music teaching business has grown! Michael, the most awesome hubby ever, built me a fabulous website at www.blackmusicnotes.com to assist with all the growth that has occurred. It is a thing of beauty. 

As some of you may know, I record all my voice lessons for my students to listen to in between lessons as practice tracks, or to brush up on their warmup skills, or just to hear how much their voices have changed over time. I used to share these mp3s with students through Google Drive, but not anymore! Now, my website is built with a student login and each student can access their files and receive email notifications when new files are uploaded!

Also, I'm no longer limited as to how much storage space I have for files because Michael has hosted the website on our server downstairs in our home's "command center".

The website gives info about voice, guitar, and music therapy (even though I am not currently practicing).  I still need to add an "About Me" page with a picture and do some refining on the wording on the other pages, now that everything is officially launched and I've had some time to re-examine what I want to say and how I want to say it. Michael is currently working on a calendar feature which can be shared with each student and they can receive email or calendar reminders about lessons. Just a few things to always improve. But, all in all, isn't it a great website? I'm loving it!

And lastly, I wanted to share a video of myself performing at the Christmas Recital I hosted in December. I know many of my friends have wanted to see my performance! All my students did an awesome job and I was so proud of them, seeing as it was their very first voice recital. I was relieved that everything went VERY well, without any major hiccups or issues. Please be kind when watching my performance, as I was in the middle of a rather terrible 3-week long cold and had barely any voice the day before. Tender mercy that I was able to sing at all, and for that I was very grateful!

By the way, listen for my daughter "singing" near the end of the song at about 2:45. Yeah, it's cute.

So, let me know your thoughts. I'd love any feedback on the website. And, if you have compliments to give me on my performance (hehe, just kidding)....

{Baby} 31 Weeks!

Well, everyone, we're definitely into the 3rd trimester by now! Now it really feels like time is flying. My belly is getting bigger and bigger each day and feels pretty tight as if my skin is thinking it can't stretch anymore, but I know it still has lots to grow. I still have a belly button, albeit a very small one. I'm pretty sure it won't be too long before that decides to flatten out, then possibly pop. That will be the sign that this baby girl is ready to come out and meet her parents!

We are getting excited for her arrival, all the while gearing up for Christmas and working on finishing our big family room remodel. We still have lots to do before she gets here, and this mommy is starting to feel the pressure a bit. I've started cleaning all the baby stuff we've been so generously given by friends and family members, and I'm hoping to start really putting the nursery together in the next week or so! I just hope she decides to not come too early or anything, because I still have so much to prepare for her entrance into the world and our lives.

Baby girl is growing perfectly well, as she has throughout this entire pregnancy and I'm still right on track with my weight gain (such a blessing). I passed the glucose screening with flying colors, so no gestational diabetes for me! Thank goodness, because I had to take it the morning after Halloween, which meant I only allowed myself 2 tiny candy bars to munch on, so as not to skew the test results. It seemed to have worked and I made it through sipping that really sweet and syrupy drink. Not so much yucky, just REALLY sweet. Glad that's over!

Michael and I registered at Target for the baby registry the other day and I went to Babies R Us to register for a few items we couldn't get at Target. One being the car seat and stroller I really wanted. The highest rated, safest, and "best" car seat of the year is the Graco SnugRide 35 and Target didn't carry them in store, so I wanted to make sure to get that on a registry somewhere. And the fact that Babies R Us had an amazing car seat/stroller combo (the stroller folds with one little lift of 1 hand in 1 second, how awesome is that?), I knew I needed to register for it there. Can't believe that we're so close to actually being able to use all this wonderful stuff we've been given, and I'm sure will be given at our baby showers. People are really so kind and generous!

We've started going to OB-GYN appointments every 2 weeks, instead of 4 now, and are fully fledged into our birthing class, along with getting recommendations from our OB for great pediatricians. Baby girl is a mover and talking with our doctor the other day, I told her that I haven't had to do any kick counts because of how much this baby moves! Dr. Hebert said she was the same with both her pregnancies and that there is no such thing as too much movement from the baby in the womb, so just another sign that our little girl is super healthy! By the way, she really loves to wiggle and seems to get the hiccups at night, which is funny as I try to go to sleep. This tiny repetitive thump feeling is cute, but sometimes I just have to tell her, "I love you, but seriously? Could you please stop hiccuping so I can go to sleep?" I think she is going to have a mind of her own, and will probably give me a run for my money. Love it.

Lastly, I am so much more tired now and have to sit down after standing or doing anything "strenuous" (which is not strenuous at all) for a little while. Sleep is becoming interesting and I find that I'm just HOT and uncomfortable throughout the night. Poor Michael, he's so patient with me and lets me put pillows all around, encroaching on his bed space. He's a good man and so kind and sweet to me, helping me pick things up or reach them. Or, the other night, he helped my get my socks on my feet because I just didn't want to try and bend over to do it. That is true love right there, as he loves to pamper me and makes sure I take it easy. I love him more and more each day and am so glad he is my husband and the father of my child (and future children)!

Front Yard Before and After

 Time to show you what our front yard looks like and how far it's come since the land of "all grass and nothing else".  I thought I'd give you some pretty flowers to look at first before we delve into the ugliness that once was!

 As you can see, more sod that had to be removed, along with a couple bushes that weren't really doing anything for that little space by the front door, so we transplanted them. You'll see where in a second. 

 These are the front flower beds after the mulch was put in, along with feather reed grasses planted, and a border placed around the beds. The grasses are the same as in the backyard and they're going to look awesome once they grow to their full potential!

 These were the boxwood bushes from the front of the house, transplanted to in front of our shed on the side of the house. As you can see, this area is a little boring and needed some love. 

Plans we have for this side shed area:

• Scrape off old, peeling paint and repaint
• Plant some sort of trellis to grow upward and cover/protect the shed from the hot afternoon sun (roses?)

Front Flower Beds

 Now you can see what they look like since flowers have been planted. I mixed some perennials with annuals and they've already grown a lot compared to this picture (which was taken over a month ago). The grasses have really grown tall and are seeding right now. It's starting to look really great!

Plans for Front Flower Beds:

• See how the annuals fair and how the perennials grow, most likely plant even more perennials next year for less upkeep
• Remove window covers and replace with the metal grate type
• More mulch for the little corner spot by the front door

 Pretty flowers once again. Enjoy!

View from the Street

You can see, we moved the mailbox over to make room for the tree now planted in the park strip. Apparently that was the original location for the mailbox, but the old lady who lived here before us kept running it over, so the neighbors helped her to relocate it. We moved it back as I don't believe we'll risk hitting it as often as she once did! ;)

Anyway, the tree was transplanted from Mike's parent's house because it just did not fair well there, so we wanted to see if our sandy soil would be a better fit than their clay soil. It's doing wonderfully, so we're going to buy one more tree like it and plant it to the right, also in the park strip!

Plans for the View from the Street:

• Purchase and plant 1 more Eastern Redbud tree in the park strip
• Rework some of the sprinkler heads and such so we can plant a nice big shade tree (sycamore/london plane) in the front yard (our house faces full west so it gets a beating in the afternoon/evenings)
• Mulch for the trees
• Eventually expand the flower beds to wrap around the sidewalk
• Window boxes
• Shutters

 Front Porch

Yeah, this area needs some love. The planters and flowers have helped, but I've got big dreams for this front porch, such as:

•  New front door to go with the shutters we'll eventually do in the front (maybe paint the door an accent color before we can buy a new one?!?)
• Make a cute house number sign to go underneath the light fixture
• Update the light fixture, along with all the others on the outside of the house, so they match and look nice and fit our "style"

As you can see, more BIG plans for our home. We've got our hands full, that's for sure! But, we're loving being homeowners and enjoying this journey! What do you think? Any other fun ideas now that you see what we have before us and the potential for the space?

THE House!!!

There you have it folks. Our little home! Don't mind the fact that his picture was taken with Michael's cell phone, so it's not that great of quality. It may not look too cute right now, but we have some big plans for it. And that's what this post is about today. I'm afraid we're still not perfectly settled in enough to share inside pictures, so I'll give you a basic run down of our plans sans any photographic illustrations. :)

1. Windows - We're replacing them. They are the original single pane aluminum, put in the house when it was built in 1976. We just decided on the company we are going with to replace them and we're getting a killer deal. It will make such a difference for looks, sound, and insulation. Yay!
2. Shutters - That basically goes along with the windows. We plan on building them ourselves and we know that they will automatically up the "cute" factor. 
3. Landscaping - This is going to happen in the Spring, of course, and will make SUCH a difference on the welcoming appearance from the front of the home. Picture flower beds along the front and down the walkway, with some shrubs, annuals, and perennials. Pots on the porch also. And maybe a tree in the front yard or park strip!
4. Front Door - This one is planned for a bit further down the road, as it's not too essential, but will be purely aesthetic. Something in a nice wood, maybe some panels on the side. Nix the "country criss-cross window panes"!
5. Master Suite - There are 3 bedrooms upstairs and we plan on combining two of those to make a really nice master suite complete with a master bath and walk-in closet. It will be a thing of beauty.
6. Old Garage/Family Room - As you can see from the front of the house, that large room on the left used to be the garage. The previous owners closed it in and built another 2-car garage on the side and further to the backyard of the house. Now there is a large family room in its place. It has steps that go down to basically the level of the concrete. We plan to raise the sub-floor and create one open and level living space from the kitchen to that room. Likewise, that front window is not being replaced right now, but will wait until we alter that room as we'll have to raise the height and possibly put a larger window in too. More pictures to come for illustration!
7. Insulation - You can't see this, but we are upgrading our insulation in the attic. We need this to preserve a more comfortable temperature in the home.
8. Finish Work - Updating with crown molding, new light fixtures, electrical outlets and covers, and paint over time.
9. Energy Efficiency - Basically, that's the name of the game right now, with this home. We are replacing bulbs, windows, insulation, weather stripping, and doing all sorts of other things (tankless water heater included) to increase the energy efficiency of our home. We want to save money and bring it into the 21st century! It's about time!

So, what do you think? We got an amazing deal on the home, and with the market being like it is and rates as low as they are, we expect great things for our future in this home. We're so happy to finally have our own space again, to decorate, live in, and enjoy exactly how we choose. There's something to be said for getting back into your "normal" routines.

Our ward and neighborhood is great. Everyone is so happy to have us here and we have been welcomed with open arms. I love being in a nice family neighborhood with kids who just hop the fence and come into our backyard to say, "Hi". I think we are going to continue to feel happy here and know that his was truly the right choice for us at this point in our lives. We feel so incredibly blessed.

The next two weeks...

There are so many things happening in this lil' family of ours. I feel like I should write them down on here so I can wrap my head around them. Basically a blogger checklist of sorts. So, here I go.

• Phone interview this afternoon with Big Bend Hospice for my music therapy internship.
• Pick up graduation announcements. Mail graduation announcements.
• Practice for French final skit/presentation tonight after off work. 
• French final skit/presentation Tuesday morning.
• Michael's induction into Beta Gamma Sigma Tuesday night.
• Final Practicum Presentation Thursday afternoon.
• Compile all materials for Michael's birthday party on Friday night.
• Throw Michael an AMAZING party on Friday night!
• Work on Saturday afternoon. (Missing Young Women's annual chili and pie cook-off fundraiser for camp. Boo.)
• Figuring out my dad's estate on Tuesday...finally. Fingers crossed please, this has been a source of stress and worry for my family. Estates are always so difficult. It's insane how people get crazy over these issues. I'm just ready for it to all be figured out, hopefully smoothly and without more stress than there already has been.
• Developmental Psych final on Tuesday. 
• Young Women's Tuesday night. 
• Head down to Centerville to help my mother in her search for a temple dress for my soon to be sis-in-law!
• Yearly "girl" exam on Thursday. Yeehaw. 
• Michael's graduation on Friday afternoon.
• My graduation on Saturday morning/afternoon.
• Entertain family and in-laws during grad weekend. That will actually be super fun! Bring on the nieces and nephews.

Whew! We're busy here at the Black household. Not to mention my sis-in-law is in the hospital with some complications regarding her pregnancy. Please keep her in your prayers. It's going to be a long road ahead these next few weeks. 

I am such a slacker!

So there will definitely not be any blogger of the month awards given to me, because I have been slacking on my posting lately. Sorry to all you friends who check up on me and find nothing new and exciting here.

With my hand raised, I promise that I will TRY to be a better blogger from here on out and to post fun, new, exciting, maybe even boring, lovely, happy, or sad, spring-y, food-related, friendly things, etc. in the near future and beyond! I feel like I should say "Scout's honor"!

That being said, let's get on to business. What has been keeping me from all my fun blogging lately?

1. Internship applications - They are insane and require lots of time, thought, stressing, planning, crying, and effort. Been acquiring transcripts, solidifying letters of recommendation, practicing for my video submissions, answering VERY interesting questions, among other things.
   
2. CILs - Soapbox moment here. USU officially canceled/got rid of the CIL requirement for students. Only thing, it's not retroactive or effective immediately. Those of us who are graduating this May (ME!) must still take them 6 stupid computer-y tests. So dumb. They really aren't that difficult, but they just take time to schedule, study for, and take. So, I spend my spare time worrying about those.
   
3. Work - Trying to cut back on my Six Star time so I can start teaching Voice through The Book Table in downtown Logan. They GIVE me students and I get paid more than I would charge through my private studio. Plus their practice/teaching rooms are nice and beautiful. Just been putting together résumé/fact sheet materials for that. And Michael and I are working on printing out some business cards for me as well. It's all so grown up and exciting!
4. Young Women - My calling seems to be taking a bit more of my time. Makes sense when you are in the presidency, not just an advisor. There's a lot more teaching to this than before. And when I say teaching, I mean we have to teach our new leaders/advisers. They're new and haven't been in YW since they were teenagers. Takes some getting used to. So, some stress with that, but MANY blessing also. I love the girls and wouldn't want to be doing anything else on my Tuesday evenings than spend time with them!
5. Practicum - Hardest one yet. Still feel like I'm lost! I need my elderly people, adolescents are stressing me out! Lots of growth opportunities for real.
   
6. Running - Been training for my first 5k! Wahoo. Running has been a serious stress reliever for me. I've been really pushing myself and it feels good to see progress. Plus, it gives me one hour a day ALL to myself to do what I WANT to do. And I'm starting to feel and look better.
7. French - I do not enjoy my French teacher this semester. She's just not a good teacher. She's funny, but that's all I feel she has going for her. I'm not immersed in the language like last semester. Now my teacher last semester was amazing! I'd think and breathe French for the entire class period and then struggle to make the shift back to English once class was over. That was awesome. C'est la vie. Persevere!
8. On top of all these things, I've still got to make time to be a wife and a good one at that. I must focus on Michael and attend to his needs. We have to schedule time together because our lives tend to get insane. So, when we do have a night to ourselves, we must put away our electronic devices and focus on US. We've been trying to do that more lately, and it's harder than I thought. It's easy to become addicted to them. But, through our hard work and lots of love, we'll get better!
   

So, there you have it folks. Anybody else feel like I do right now? Is life just crazy and trying to kick you in the tush?