8 Months {Jessica}

 A few weeks ago, right around the time Jessica turned 8 months old, our little family took an overnight trip up to Logan to spend some time at our old stomping grounds. Michael had volunteered to do some recruiting for Intermountain Healthcare and so Jessica and I tagged along. We were able to stay one night free at University Inn, which was incredibly nice, especially since Michael upgraded us to the king-size bed in our room. Also, a stay at the University Inn gives you a free scoop of Aggie Ice Cream (Aggie Blue Mint is the best)! 

I was very impressed with how family-friendly the hotel was. The room was designed with an extra sink area outside of the bathroom (in addition to the sink also located in the bathroom). Our pack'n'play fit perfectly inside the bathroom. That made for a prime place for Jessica to sleep. I was able to hang out and watch TV while she napped and also, Michael and I were able to stay up later that night and have some time to ourselves without worrying about waking Jessica up when we eventually got ready for bed. It was meant to be!

 While Michael was doing his recruiting, Jessica and I walked around campus, and visited some old friends. It was beautiful weather, with crisp and cool temperatures. Made me miss the Autumn season there and brought me back to many memories while studying at USU. Michael and I made sure to get some pictures of Jessica on the "A" before we left. Our little girl is already an Aggie at heart!

 These pictures basically count as her 8-month photos. And aren't they just adorable?!?

 I love how she's looking at her daddy. Jessica just loves him.

That cute little baby body. And you can really see her chubby cheeks from the side. Her little nose and mouth kind of disappear in all the chunkiness!

Exciting Updates:

Her hair is growing longer and coming in thicker. And she is definitely a blondie!

Jessica has started "singing" during some of my voice lessons. The other day, she did it loudly and proudly while I was doing warmups with one of my students. We both started laughing and had to compose ourselves quite a few times. So cute...but a little disruptive!

Jessica will also try to imitate me when I sing sequences of high pitches. Her little vocal chords can hit those notes with great ease! My girl is on her way to becoming a great singer :)

She talks and uses the words "dadada" and "bababa" all day long. And these words are in all sorts of pitches, with inflection, and even sometimes in a whisper (which is my favorite). Can't you just hear a cute baby girl saying "dadada" in a quiet little whisper? One of the sweetest things ever.

This girl laughs all day long, and many times just to herself for funny things she does. She is so happy all. the. time. 

I love seeing how Jessica is learning new things. You can actually see the processing and comprehension in her eyes when she is focused on something. 

Still no teeth...!

Jessica is growing up so quickly, and into a beautiful and precious girl. We are so proud of her every single day.

Fare-thee-well Utah State!

Wow! Can't believe this is real!

Michael and I had a wonderful weekend of graduation. My mom, and his parents came to both our ceremonies and we had a grand ole time. We celebrated the fact that Michael is now "Master" Black. And I now have two bachelor's degrees.

It was very nice and the weather was perfect. Here are some highlights from the weekend!

 Michael making "the walk" to the Spectrum with his class.

 

 

Doesn't he look smarter already?

 The hooding ceremony. It's official now!

Michael's ceremony was on Friday and mine was on Saturday. So we were both able to attend and watch each other walk. It was perfect and so fun to cheer for him.

 My walk across the quad and to the Spectrum with my fellow music therapy and College of Arts people!

 Silliness with all our music therapy peeps. We've spent so many hours working towards this day, we tend to get a little crazy!

Sorry it's overexposed (bad lighting), but I still love this picture of me and Arianne. She is my fellow crazy double major. This girl helped me through it all. I love her more than words can say!

 

I call this my "can you believe it?" face. 

With Michael, my good looking and super supportive husband. Oh, and notice the pink shoes. They're my favorite. 

All in all, it was wonderful and I'm excited and nervous for the future. We are that much closer to being real grownups now. Yay!

Beta Gamma Sigma Induction

 Michael was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma earlier this evening. It is a National Honor Society for Collegiate Schools of Business. 

Because of Michael's scholastic achievements, meaning a stellar G.P.A., he was invited to join and accepted! This organization states that membership within is..."the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate program accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business". 

I'm so proud of him. As the time has passed since he's gone back to grad school, we've realized more and more that it was the right decision for our family. And now we are finished in just over a week!

Funny story from the ceremony:

They were announcing names and handing out packets and cords (for graduation) and Michael was not called up. His name was on the program and everything, but his name was not called! All his friends turned around once the ceremony was over and looked at him like, "What?!?" Turns out, out of the huge list of names, they skipped/missed his name, and ONLY his name.

We talked to the powers that be afterwards and they seriously apologized. The lady that was calling out names said that she was afraid she would miss or skip over one out of that entire list...and she did. It was really funny actually. And it turned out to be a better deal because instead of a rushed photo with the presenter, we got a real "posed" shot. This just illustrates, once again, the fact that anything big and exciting in our lives never goes to plan. It's actually uncanny how that ALWAYS happens to us.

 Here's a picture of the two of us. Sorry it's blurry but it's the best we could do. I still think it's cute.

This is Michael and his friend Ben. Ben's wife and family couldn't be there for the ceremony so I took some pictures of him and some with "the boys". It was fun. 

All in all, I'm proud of Michael. He's so smart, driven, and just an all around good guy. Guess you could say I'm pretty lucky. Yeah, I know it.

We're graduating!

This is the cute little announcement Michael and I made for our graduation! It's nothing special, but we figured we wanted to send something out to our loved ones so they could celebrate this joyous occasion with us. We are officially going to be "grownups" in a couple weeks. Feels good and a bit scary. 

We pretty much see ourselves as a super couple. I mean, look at that, Michael with a Masters degree and I with two Bachelors degrees. I think we have room to be a little proud of our accomplishments (just not too proud)!

Check your mail in the next week and you may see one of these cuties. 

Thanks to everyone who has supported us in this journey throughout the years. Your support and friendship has meant the world to us! Love you!

I'm a Guardian

I recently had to take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter Personality Questionnaire for my Developmental Psych class.

I love taking these kinds of quizzes. Usually, they don't tell me much more than I already know, but this one did surprise me with some new information about myself. Like my feelings and position regarding the workplace. I don't usually think about my personality in regards to the workplace, but now I've become a bit more aware.

So, here are my results...

Guardians® (SJs) are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply -- and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

All Guardians share the following core characteristics:

• Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
• Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
• Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
• Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly -- they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs the rest of the population takes for granted.

Guardians at Work

As a Guardian, you enjoy working as a valued member of a team, whether you are leading it or following a credible leader. You like to work with people who carry their weight. You appreciate having clear-cut responsibilities and being recognized for your dedication and achievements. Your natural traits are those that employers have traditionally valued - and that successful companies still respect. You are responsible and loyal to an organization once you've signed on.

Establishing and following a familiar daily routine is critical to your well being. In your ideal job, you and your coworkers would all share information so that everyone could remain "on the same page” as projects move forward. Because you genuinely care about the people you work with, your colleagues and your customers appreciate your unassuming kindness.

If you'd like to find out more about yourself, take the survey for free. It's about 70 questions and won't take you too long. Can't hurt huh? I think it's more fun than anything!

Last Practicum

My very last music therapy practicum will be at Avalon Hills, working with adolescents with eating disorders. Can't believe this is it before my graduation and internship (which I still have to locate).

As usual, I'm nervous about this practicum, mostly because it's with adolescents and I'm not sure what to expect in that area. What am I saying, I'm never sure what to expect for each and every practicum I fulfill, but I usually end up enjoying myself nonetheless. And I always learn A LOT.

I think I'm a little jaded from the last practicum I had because it was a difficult experience. I was working in a psych setting with adults with mental illnesses and it was intense. I learned so much but I didn't get that fulfillment after each practicum like I'm used to. I think I'm much more behavioral in my focus, not so much psychodynamic. I like seeing the results on paper as well as in person. I like being able to calculate, in numbers, charts, and graphs, the progress of clients. And I like to leave feeling like I've helped someone. It's hard to see that with mental illness because there is no "cure".

Also, from my last practicum I was with a partner that stretched me to my limits and not really in a good way. She struggled with many things, such as the English language which I think inhibited her in all other aspects of therapy. I didn't feel like we were a team, so much as she was relying on me to do everything for her. Now I'm fine with teaching and sharing my expertise with someone who has less clinical experience than I do, but we were the exact same in our practicum levels (both level 4, completing 3 practica prior). I felt alone almost every session even though she was there. And instead of us relying on each other to facilitate, I ended up turning to our supervisor each time I was unsure. It was not the best learning experience.

Now I feel like I'm just a baby, incapable of facilitating a proper session, I've become less assured of my musical and therapeutic abilities. I know I'm a bit out of practice because it's been over a year since my last truly FULFILLING practicum. I know that I just need to get back in the swing of things and I will be fine, but after last semester's craziness with my back problems, father's sickness then passing, I've been out of commission in many ways. I haven't been practicing like I should or studying like I should. I know that people will excuse that based upon the circumstances but I can't stand my procrastination any longer. This is my graduating semester! I have to get it together!

So, I'm resigned to make a change. And I'm excited for my practicum partner. Shaundra is amazing. Like, seriously. This girl is a guitar genius and songwriter, and even though I've never seen her clinical skills, I'm sure she's amazing. She just exudes calm and cool. I, on the other hand, get nervous before each session and try not to show it. And I OVERPLAN for everything, which I guess is not that bad, because you never know what may happen and you may have to pull a bunny out of a black hat (or something like that ) ;)

This will be Shaundra's 3rd practicum and she tells me that she has SO much to learn from me, but believe me, it is the other way around. I made sure to tell her that. I do feel like I have good skills to offer in the way of documentation, report-writing, and vocals. But she is going to teach me some awesome musical skills I know it. I'm loving this opportunity to work side-by-side with a guitar genie. Plus, I just love her. She rocks. We've known each other for a long time, before she went on her mission, and she's been back for about a year and is getting married soon. Lots of good and happy things happening here.

Anyway, just trying to keep it together and remember all sorts of protocols for working at this particular facility. There is a lot that you can't say or even refer to, but that's where the music will have to take over, I guess! Should be an adventure. Wish me luck!

{finir} French Word of the Week

finir = to finish

It's official! I have finished BYU's Human Anatomy course. I just received my final results and I'm happy just to have passed. It was quite the struggle sometimes.

Albeit, I did enjoy learning more about the human body, which gave me a greater appreciation for our Creator. When studying all the intricacies involved, one can have no doubt that God exists. Nobody else could design and create something so brilliant and detailed and make it function flawlessly as it does!

So, I can happily say "au revoir" to BYU forever. I'm grateful to never have to take a course from them again. Almost killed me as an Aggie and as a person with a desire to learn in an orderly fashion. Hint, NEVER choose BYU for Independent Study. What a joke.

Il est fini. Je suis heureuse.
(It is finished. I am happy.)

Internship Thoughts

I've been researching possibilities for my Music Therapy internship lately and it really is exciting! I know that I want to work with geriatrics, so that's mainly where my focus has been throughout my search. There are so many opportunities ALL over the country, that it's difficult to narrow it down to just a few. Technically, I should only have 4 prospects at a time when on the internship search, so that helps a bit.

One thing that I'm really looking forward to for my internship is the possibility to live somewhere new. Michael and I both enjoy the idea of living outside of Utah (as we were both born and raised so), and this provides the perfect opportunity to do just that! I've found some promising locations in Virginia, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, just to name a few. The only geriatric location in Utah is right here in Logan, and even though that is a definite possibility, we are exploring as many options as possible.

All in all, we figure that even if we do end up back in Utah some day, we want to take advantage of this chance to live somewhere unique and to explore the world around us! [Preferably back East...] So, even though the search and applications can be stressful, we're finding that it can be fun too!

The prospect of something wonderful is ahead ;)

Senior Voice Recital

I performed my senior vocal recital on March 25th and it was great! I'm so grateful to all the people who came and supported me, especially those who contributed to my success. Here are some pictures from that night. I'm afraid we didn't get a lot, as I forgot to remind Michael to bring the camera. But, luckily, my accompanist John and Michael's parents remembered. Thanks guys!

Silly time with John Sargeant, my AMAZING accompanist. He is a rock star! We laughed the entire time and had so much fun together!

Me with Cindy Dewey, my voice teacher for my time here at USU! She is one of the most inspirational and loving people I know.

Cindy, John, and me. So much craziness and love.

I kind of look drunk after all this is over. Probably my relief and joy that I survived. Oh, what a night. ;)

If anyone is interested in a recording, let me know and I'll get one to you. It's really good and I actually sound like a classical singer. Yay!

Posted Later:

These are the GORGEOUS flowers my mom bought for me, to be displayed next to me on stage. Aren't they just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Thanks Mom!

The Time is Almost Here!

A week from now I will standing on a stage, in a floor length dress, singing my heart out.

I can't believe I'm finally performing my senior recital!

It's taken quite a while to get here, but it feels good to finally be nearing the end.

I'll be singing in French, Spanish, Italian, and English.

It should be a great evening, wish me luck!

So much to do.

This semester is already proving to be, well, difficult. That isn't to say that the experiences and knowledge I gain from such challenges won't be beneficial to me, which they will, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed. Let me give a run down of what is in store in the near future.

I was chosen to fulfill my 4th music therapy practicum requirement at Bear River House, which is a center for Adults with Mental Illnesses. This means schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, depression, etc. Knowing that I want to work with geriatrics for my profession, this is quite the stretch for me. I feel like I am out of my element as I will be facilitating sessions in an intense psychiatric setting. And, I'm dealing with humility also as I have been, once again, placed with a partner who has difficulty speaking English. She is a talented musician and has great ideas, but I must be very patient with her as we try to coordinate on session plans and interventions in a language which is not her native tongue. I have asked myself, "Why me?" several times since the assignment and the only reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that my supervisors see potential for patience and acceptance(or something) in me. But, this gives me an opportunity to grow and also be more assertive and assured in my skills as a music therapist; preparing me for internship in the future.

On March 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the USU Performance Hall, I will be performing my Senior Vocal Recital! It has been a long time coming. I have a beautiful dress that I bought on sale at the same dress shop where I found my wedding dress. I'm almost finished with the program printout, and still have to solidify a few songs out of the 18 I will be performing in various languages throughout the night. Funny thing is that I had an accompanist on scholarship which translates into a "free" accompanist for me, yet she decided she did not want to be a piano major anymore. So, an application for another accompanist has been put in to the piano department and we are waiting and hoping and praying.

I'm in active search for a job in Logan. My boss at the place I worked before Michael and I got married said he would hire me back, which I was excited about. But, long story short...I don't think it's going to work out. I really want to acquire some piano and voice students, because not only is teaching fun, the hours and pay are so much better than other part-time jobs!

I'm researching and beginning the application process for music therapy internships next January. I have hopes for a particular facility in Logan, but also exploring other options. And did I mention that most internships for music therapy are unpaid? It's a cruel world.

I'm also working on the most difficult and grueling class a music therapy student must take in the midst of coursework. No, it's not Theory, Music History, Form, or even Elementary School Music (haha). I'm talking about Human Anatomy. Dreaded, feared, and at times, loathed. And, I'm taking it online from BYU because at least their course is easier and more suited to our needs that the super difficult one taught here at USU. I'm going to need prayers to survive.

Which brings me to my next goal, Michael and I are determined to attend the temple once a month. We were very consistent while living in Layton and going on Ward Temple Night, but during the move have missed out on a month of attendance. Granted, the Logan temple just reopened after a month-long closing for maintenance, but we aren't going to let that be an excuse for January pass by temple-less. It is such a blessing for us and our family.

And lastly, in the midst of 18 credits worth of classes, trying to find a job, and take care of a husband, I need to take care of myself. And that means going to the gym and exercising on a regular basis. It is a means to relieve stress, and makes me look and feel better. I have a goal to start out simply, working with breaks in my schedule, and I will keep it up.

Wish me luck!!!

Aggie Basketball

For the first day of the new semester, Utah State brought it home with a basketball game against Hawaii. It was good to be back in the Spectrum with all the Aggie fans, cheering on our boys to a sweet victory. Michael and I LOVE Aggie Basketball and were so happy to be back in the midst of friends and a large student section. It felt like coming home.

The halftime show featured the Utah State Dance Company dancing to a mix of Michael Jackson classics. It was pretty cool and very Michael-esque!

And here we have the final score. Yeah, we creamed them by a whole 44 points. Not much of a game for the poor Hawaii boys. Better luck next time!

And here's a video of me "dancing" and "cheering" along to the USU Basketball Band. Not my fault. Michael made me do it. :)

It's Official...

We're moving back to Logan!

Michael will start his graduate program at Utah State University in Management Information Systems this coming spring semester. I will continue with double bachelors in Vocal Performance and Music Therapy.

We're excited to be back in the frozen winters of Cache Valley as we increase our knowledge in our selected fields of study. We've found a nice little townhome to rent while we are there and are planning on moving right after Christmas so we can get a jumpstart on life in Logan before the new semester begins. Also, we're thrilled to be back in the town where we can get our Aggie Basketball fix.

Everything has fallen into place for us to be there, so we feel that it's meant to be. It's going to be quite the adventure as we are not fully sure what lies ahead, but we have faith that it will all work out for the best!

Finals Week

STAT 1040 - Monday

Social Psych - Tuesday
Practicum - Tuesday
Vocal Jury - Wednesday
Music History 2 - Thursday (7:30 am!!!)

And there you have my week of finals. Did I mention that my Practicum Final Report for this semester was due last week and was almost 100 pages? They are trying to kill us/prepare us for internship and real life as a music therapist. Sometimes I just feel it's the former.

Anywho, the party will start as soon as that crazy early final is over on Thursday! Good luck to anybody else who's experiencing the lack of sleep, nail biting, and crazy finals grunge!

Busy Week

Michael takes the GRE today. If all goes well, we'll both be in school at USU in the coming semester. This semester of commuting has been interesting, but I've been lucky to have days at home after my really full days in Logan. Michael has worked so hard to support us with his job and he's wonderful. Things are unsure as of now, we might be moving to Logan in mid-December, or we might still be here in Layton. If we are still here in Layton, I will have to commute to Logan 5 days a week because of circumstances of school beyond my control.

They always say that the first year of marriage is crazy and unexpected and we've definitely had our share of those kinds of things. Learning patience and exercising our faith has been BIG in this family. Alas, it will all work out and in the way and time of the Lord.

School is back in session!

And so, classes begin once again at Utah State University! Even though I'm taking an online STAT and Human Anatomy course and only on campus 2 days a week for other classes, I must admit that I'm excited for the semester! And we all know I tend to stress out and overwhelm myself with "too" much, but I do really LOVE school. It feels nice and right to be getting back into the normal swing of things, studying, learning, and what not.

I just found out the other day that I will fulfilling my practicum this semester at a Hospice in Logan. I'm so excited! This placement is the exact one that I secretly hoped for. And because I'm on my own and only working with my supervisor and not a partner, it's going to be such a great experience! I will learn so much from this I know! By the way, I really love this picture of such a cute child enjoying Music Therapy. I doubt I will be working with children this semester, as Hospice tends to lean in the adult-older adult area, but I still think the smile on his face shows how exciting and wonderful Music Therapy is and what it can do for EVERYONE!

If anybody is interested in learning more about music therapy and what it has to offer, please visit these sites:

American Music Therapy Association

Utah Association of Music Therapists
Western Region, American Music Therapy Association, Inc.

And there you have my plug for what I feel is the most amazing major or career anyone can have. I'm so lucky to have found something that I love to do and can share with others as I help them to improve, restore, and maintain their quality of life!

23 days left 'til the BIG DAY!!!

So much has happened since our last post. I finished the semester at USU and survived finals with relative ease. I was super happy to disprove people on their statements regarding the semester of engagement and how classes tend to fall apart, thus resulting in failing a course or acquiring many "C"s. I'm still waiting for my last grade (which will be the final out of 9 classes and 18 credits this semester) to be posted, but let's suffice it to say there are no bad grades or failed classes. Take that ill-sayers!

By the way, I really love being a Utah State Aggie, so I just had to post this. Triumph of completing another semester and only 1 1/2 years left to go until my double major is finished!

Did I mention how lucky Michael and I are? In these economic times, when people are losing jobs left and right and struggling to secure employment anywhere, Michael goes out and finds a wonderful job straight out of college undergrad! It is so great, in fact, that I will not have to work during the semester, nor worry about tuition...basically I will be a kept woman who only has to worry about school and loving and caring for my wonderful soon-to-be husband!


Speaking of "husband" or "marriage" things, we are now the residents of Sterling Pointe Apartments in Layton! Our search for an apartment was long and hard, and considering that Michael works in downtown Salt Lake while I'm still at school in Logan, we struggled to find just the right place in between both worlds. We knew we wanted to live in the Layton area as Michael has to commute 5 days a week, and avoiding the Ogden traffic would definitely make life MUCH easier, while my 2 day a week commute to Logan will really not be that bad as the worst traffic is usually heading to Salt Lake, not away from it. We were really hopeful for this apartment complex during our search, and knew once we toured that we wanted to live there. Everything just felt right. The complex has a swimming pool, year-round jacuzzi, fitness center, and just darn cute grounds and buildings. Plus, when comparing prices, we found out that the price per square foot is the cheapest of any places we looked! We will be living on the 2nd floor of a 2-story building which means more privacy and vaulted ceilings! I think we're going to feel right at home in our first little "love nest". Move in date is on May 12th and we'll start to slowly ease our belongings and things into the space prior to the wedding. It'll be nice to have it mostly set up when we return from our honeymoon!

We have been on the search for a bed for some time, as we have realized that we have basically everything but something to sleep on! Table and chairs, check. Couch, check. Coffee table and side table, check. TV, check. Washer and dryer, check. Microwave, check. Office desk, check. Large and amazing bookcase, check. My wonderful Yamaha keyboard, check. So, we are quite blessed in that many items have been donated to the new Black Family cause. We are really hopeful for this queen sleigh bed and mattress combo we found on KSL that is located in Tremonton. Keep your fingers crossed!


Pretty huh? We both LOVE sleigh beds and dark, cherry-ish wood for that matter. Here's hoping!