Currently Listening Broken & Beautiful By Mark Schultz 1,000 Miles see related

Life

~Job hunting is probably the most depressing thing in the world...I despise it. I have been rejected thrice now, and it was very disheartening. However, I do have a possible part-time nannying job, so all is not lost.

~I am leaving with my family early tomorrow morning to drive up to Spokane, WA. My grandfather is sick and has been given 6-12 months to live, so the family is taking this opportunity to visit for possibly the last time. On the way up we will be visiting my other grandparents in Redding, CA (who are doing quite well, health-wise, in case you were wondering), and on the way down we will visit all kinds of relatives in Eugene, OR. It will be a bittersweet trip, and I would appreciate your prayers

~I spent much of today at school, studying Western Civ. 1, which I am determined to test out of by the end of the month. This first section is interminably boring, and I don't know how I shall ever get through it.

Reading over this post, I have come to realize that it is singularly pessimistic. This is quite strange for me. I'm the sunshine and happiness girl Well, I'll try to lighten the mood a bit:

~It is really very good to be home, to be with the family, to catch up with old friends. I've really missed people.

~It has been a fun challenge trying to cram my stuff back into my room, which I share with three other girls. I don't know if any of you have experience in this area, but four girls in one room equals a whole stinkin' lot of stuff!

~My brothers and sisters are loving that Jennifer and I are home, and have been pretty much talking to us non-stop since we got back.

~My grandmother has volunteered Jennifer and me to sing for her church on Sunday. We're singing a duet together (a song that Jennifer picked and I have yet to learn) and then apparently we are singing "leads" on the worship team. My grandmother informed Jennifer of this and then said, "what is a lead?" It should be a highly amusing experience if nothing else.

Well friends, that is all for now, and I think that it is quite enough. I hope you are all doing well. Blessings on you all!

~Shaina Nicole

Currently Listening Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Original Piano Version & Orchestral Version: Ashkenazy) Baba-Yaga see related

People faces!!!!

 Alrighty, so I went to this lovely event on Friday called Spring Party. It was put on by my school and held at the Odyssey, which, for those of you who don't know, is a lovely restaurant situated at the top of a hill and overlooking the San Fernando Valley. I had a "blind date", which was an interesting experience that I have never had before. But it was loads of fun times as you will see from the pictures that follow:

This is when we were lost on the way to the restaurant. Tyler is very cheerful and happy as you can see. Leanne, however, has kept her sense of humor

Me and Alicia. Our friend Morgan did our make-up, and pretty much she did an amazing job!

Me 'n Kels.

The Three Caballeros (sp?): Alicia, Me, and Rebecca.

Feet! Just 'cuz.

Marcus was very atttached to the bouquet...lol

Jenny and Jordan

Tyler and Leanne

Me and Cliff. lol

The gang. We had way fun times

THE END.

Currently Listening She Will Be Loved By Maroon 5 see related

Friends!!

So it is April and I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but it most definitely did. Yesterday was my friend Michael's birthday. He turned 18. Holy cow. I feel so old, which I'm not - not really anyway - just comparatively. I wish that I had a camera...there are so many things that I would love to capture and share with you all, and a picture is worth a thousand words, and I'm sure you'd all rather look at a picture than read a thousand words written by me . I went to Panda Express tonight with my friend Lindsay...orange chicken is probably one of the best foods ever.

My Easter was good. We had a Good Friday service at my church and I sang with the choir. People kept telling me they heard me singing. I hate it when they say that! They're not supposed to be able to hear me. *sigh* I suppose I still have to work on blending. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful and worshipful evening and I was reminded once again of God's great mercy. You know how the Bible says that the wisdom of God is foolishness to man? It's so true! Seriously, why in heaven's name would God send His own Son to die for us - the scum of the world. I mean really, we can't even love Him on our own. And yet somehow, this is how God is glorified and we are saved from damnation. Foolishness. Amazingness. Mercy. The choir sang again on Sunday morning. It was our last Sunday with our choir being led by Tavi. He is moving on to another church, and I for one am going to miss him and his wife awfully. Our music program has grown so much under his direction, and he has challenged me and taught me in so many ways. I guess that this is God's timing and that He has something else for us now, but I will still miss them and I wish that they weren't leaving

In other news, I ate way too much candy this weekend, and have decided that I will eat no dessert type foods for the next two weeks. I was going to make it no sugar, but then I realized that I would have to drink my coffee sans sugar, and I just can't do that. Anywho, we'll see how I do on the dessert thing, I am notoriously lacking in self-control, as evidenced by my very ample waistline and generous hips...perhaps that's an awkward thing to talk about on xanga...oh well.

Well, as is my habit, this is extremely rambly, but I thought I should write something updating-ish. Have a wonderful day, and take sometime to think about Christ and His amazing love - it is so helpful to put things in a proper perspective.

~Shaina

Out With Chorale

or...

We're so mature.

Me and Crystal at Cracker Barrel

Jamie, Lindsay, and I on the bus

Jason and Randy. Please note the color of Randy's hat (it's pink - in case you can't tell)

Jamie and I just love Elvis

Lindsay and Grant...Wow...just...wow.

We had way fun times.

The End.

The Death of Me:

Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 11, Op. 26, Mvt. 3

Oh stink-face-head...