Glow: Stepping outside my comfort zone

If we're friends, then you probably know I hate singing in front of other people by myself. I'm extremely self conscious about my voice and will only sing alone when a) I'm in the shower (if no one else is around), b) in the car with the radio blasting, and c) when I'm home alone. I do love singing in choir though. There's nothing quite like singing with a group of people to create a piece of music that has the power to make people cry. I love it. And I've missed singing in a choral group. I haven't been in choir since high school but in October I stumbled upon an opportunity to be apart of a virtual choir. 

Eric Whitacre created a song called Glow for Disney's World of Color, an evening show at California Adventures. The song will be a part of the new winter version for the 2013 holiday season. Can you imagine my excitement?! This was an opportunity for me to be a part of a Disney production - AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  :)  So excited. 

However, to participate in the virtual choir I would have to audition by submitting an accapella video of the alto part. Oh geez. I had one week to memorize the song, assemble a black background, and get over my nerves/fear of singing alone. But I managed to do it. For about 72 hours straight I listened to the alto part of the song - and drove Matt nuts I'm sure, to memorize my part. I threw together a makeshift black background made out of ikea chairs, a bag of toilet paper and some tomato soup containers (I wish I had taken a photo). And I recorded a video... several videos, managed to pick one and submitted it. 

I found out this morning that my video was not selected as part of the World of Color show which premiered last night. And, I'm not really upset about it. I'm bummed I didn't make the cut, but I've finally realized that my voice is not a defining quality of who I am as a person. Singing is just one aspect of me, not the aspect. Upon submission, I have not regretted my decision once to participate. It was a great experience for me to step outside my comfort zone and try something new. 

Here's a link to the Glow virtual choir of all the singers who submitted auditions, all 1474 of them. I'm not sure how long Disney will keep the recording up, so listen to it soon! 

http://worldofcolorhonorchoir.com/      

Month of Thanksgiving: Week 1

I'm jumping on the great idea of so many others and am making a point each day to focus on something I am thankful for. Here are the first seven!

Friday 1st: Made it through October without snow!

• When we moved to Moscow, I knew I would have to deal with snow - excuse me, OODLES of snow. Growing up in Salem, OR I never had the opportunity to drive in snow because the city usually shut down. So today I am thankful that I was able to avoid driving in snow through October. Though the weather forecast is predicting snow the first week of November... :/  

Saturday 2nd: Spending Saturday at home 

• I normally work weekends, so having a Saturday to relax at home, catch up on some household chores and spend time with Matt was a blessing.

Sunday 3rd: Free flu shot 

• Flu season is here! I'm thankful that my work values their employees' (and residents') health by providing flu shots. 

Monday 4th: My loving hubby Matt! 

• He made me breakfast and coffee this morning so I could sleep in <3

Tuesday 5th: Care Group 

• I am thankful for having a group of people who are seeking the Lord and encourage me to do the same. 

Wednesday 6th: Opportunity to work with Middle School Youth 

• I recently started working with MS youth as a leader and I already know I'm going to learn so much. It's amazing to see God through their eyes and hearts. 

Thursday 7th: New Girl (TV show) 

• This show makes Matt and I laugh until we cry. It was a great way for us to spend time together after a rough few weeks of exams and finals. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:1-3

Beauty in Death

When I first applied to work at an Assisted Living Facility, I was focused on two things: 1) the job would give me healthcare experience for PA programs, and 2) it would pay enough to start combatting my student loans. After talking with a former employee and listening to Becca's stories about working as a CNA, I was prepared to deal with poop, stories that started with, "when I was your age...," helping people get dressed, etc. The thing I was not prepared for was death, and how quickly a person can go from doing their own laundry to being bed ridden. Thinking back, I find it really strange that I didn't consider that the residents I work with may die. In my first month or so at work, 7 residents passed away. At that point, I wasn't too connected with the residents who passed - I did not work with them closely or did not form a relationship with them. I sympathized with the families who lost a loved one, and the other caregivers who really knew them, but the deaths didn't really effect me.

Now that I've worked for almost 4 months, I've built relationships with the patients, and some of them are very close. One of the ladies I worked with (let's call her Daisy) recently passed away and her death hit me pretty hard. I worked closely with the nursing staff the first day Daisy started hospice care and was amazed by how they thought of every detail to ensure that Daisy's pain was minimal and she was comfortable. Daisy passed away 4 days later and I am so thankful that I listened to my heart and visited her during my lunch break on Saturday, instead of waiting until after work (she passed away a few minutes before my shift ended). Daisy found her way into my heart because she enjoyed life and thought everyone was beautiful and wasn't afraid to tell them.

Daisy reminded me why my work is valuable and worth dealing with the poop explosions, inappropriate comments and other frustrations at work. When life happens and one of our residents is nearing the end of his/her journey, I have the opportunity to provide peace to a family by taking care of their loved one. Hospice is beautiful, and I never thought about it before. Daisy passed away peacefully surrounded by family and staff that loved her. This is the highlight of my job. I am praising God for the gift of life and the people who come into my life, if only for a brief amount of time. All interactions are purposeful, whether we realize it are not.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 John 14:27 

She loved the color pink :) 

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

It's pumpkin season! I've never done much with pumpkin before, besides baking the seeds after carving them. But I found a fantastic pumpkin muffin recipe that I had to try. (Matt is so proud of himself for getting me interested in food blogs and actually making the recipes I find).

  

The recipe is from a blog called Pinch of Yum. You can find the recipe here: http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-maple-glazed-pumpkin-muffins

These muffins are quick to make (I used canned pumpkin) and the maple glaze is amazing. These muffins are the perfect compliment to a cup of coffee. I usually take one to work to eat it during break.

P.S. Thank you Becca and Michelle for the matching plate (pictured here) and bowl! They are being put to use :)

Peters's Bed & Breakfast

Over the past month we've had Matt's mom and sister, my parents and Becca (PLU BFF) come and visit for a few days. Lately, it almost seems like we're running a Bed & Breakfast. Guests had the option to sleep on the fabulous craigslist futon or on the 3in memory foam pad in the guest bedroom/office/costco warehouse. Not to mention the variety of childhood blankets we have available to snuggle with. Our special amenities include a freezer with at least one type of ice cream, individual heaters in each room and an abundance of chocolate. Don't you want to come visit? ;)

I loved having everyone visit because it broke up the monotony of work and school. Plus, spending time with family is the best, especially when your visits are limited. Visitors also give Matt and I an excuse to branch out and experience something new. With ever changing class and work schedules to navigate, sometimes it's too easy to wear sweats and just stay at home.  Not that I don't love relaxing in sweats at home, but it's good for us to explore the Palouse since we'll only be here for a year.

So come visit us! Especially if you told me you would.. you know who you are.
We'd love to have you :)

This blogging thing...

After moving to Moscow, ID I decided to try out this blogging thing. I am not a great writer, nor do I really enjoy it. But when I'm living in a new community where I have yet to build a close support system outside of my husband, I need a new outlet. I need a way to communicate with family and friends that doesn't involve a dozen hour long phone or skype conversations (because I unfortunately don't have the time for it).

And so began this blog: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust. One of the memorable quotes from Disney's Peter Pan, I picked this blog title out of our wedding book. Katie is a good friend from Pacific Lutheran University (Go Lutes!) and she wrote this advice for Matt and I:

Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust

Keep these things in mind on this new journey. Faith: always keep Jesus first. Have faith in each other and the bond you have created through God's grace. Trust: Trust each other. Trust God. Trust the love you have for each other. Pixie Dust: keep each and every day and each and every moment magical. 

Not always easy, but the perfect ingredients to FLY! 

Love you both, Katie Bednark  

I really loved this message. It's simple, yet completely sums up how I view our marriage. Besides, I couldn't resist the Disney ties. :) 

So here we go. This is a new adventure for me and I hope you'll join me on it! 

Best, 

Sam 

P.S. Any blogging tips (especially on the design aspect would be much appreciated!)