Three Weeks In

Three weeks. 20%. one fifth. Not there yet. 

I am three weeks into my third year of this adventure! It's going really well so far despite all the stress. I have been given so many opportunities in just the first three weeks and it feels great! I just finished singing with the choir for the new university president's inauguration and it was so good for me to be able to perform with them this early on!

This week I also had the opportunity to sing for the "Homecoming Gala" held in the library on Wednesday night. The purpose of the gala was to showcase some of the talent in the CPVA college. There were selections from musical theater, instrumental music, and still arts. The part I performed with was a small selection of music students chosen to perform Opera pieces. This gave me the wonderful privilege to perform once again O mio babbino caro by Puccini. The rehearsals were confusing and a hassle to schedule, but the gala really was a wonderful experience. 

I am really loving not having to directly deal with the drama that I overcame last year, but I still receive updates on people who were causing such situations and it just makes me laugh to know that I have grown so much from where I was!! 

My schedule is ridiculously crazy and somewhat exciting, but I am focusing on my schoolwork and I am loving it here! Although I am focusing so hard I still find time to have fun, for example, tonight is the Forever Red Celebration for Homecoming and I am excited to go celebrate this wonderful school's history and spend time with some wonderful friends! 

So, until next time, have a very happy day!

Oh Happy Day!!

Just to Recap

When I said I was working full time for the summer I was completely serious....I sadly did not have the time or energy to blog, which seems terrible, but really it means that I was attempting to accomplish so much more than I could. 

I worked and worked and worked this summer. On my days off I did things like mow the lawn, clean the house, pack, and even extracted honey with my dad! I spent a lot of time with the people who are closest to me and really enjoyed being home for a little while. 

Now, I am one week into school and though I miss being at home, I am still loving it here! I am (yet again) taking a full course load of 18 credits, participating as an SUUSA Department Rep. and some of my 18 credits are in things that take more time than regular classes. I am participating this year in the opera (Dido and Aeneas) and two choirs (as usual) and in the spring I will be auditioning for a role in SUU's production of Fiddler on the Roof. This is going to be a very exciting year! 

One week in and I'm already exhausted, but I'm finally living in my own room and cooking my own meals and I can truly say that the drama is basically non-existent now! I am living with two of my best friends and we all are enjoying it here. It's a little more of a walk from campus than where we were living (on campus housing), but we are all enjoying the freedom and lack of strict quiet hours and shared rooms and confusion. 

With all the excitement of being a Junior in college, I still miss home like crazy, but I know that this is where I am meant to be and that when I finish this grand adventure I will be a much greater person for it! I have already seen the growth in my life and I am very blessed and happy to be here! I love the people who support me in all that I do and I want them to know that I love them very much and that I miss them and value them above all else.

Love, Corlissa

Oh Happy Day!!!

Landed It!

After the excitement of yesterday I got down to business studying for my other finals until I received a phone call. I just found out that I have a job for the summer!  

Full time, Good pay, and in the morning so I will have plenty of time to spend with my family and friends this summer! 

I'm very excited about this job. The store is holding the opening for me until I can go in on Monday to sign paperwork and do a drug test and then I am clear to work all summer! 

Also I have decided that in some of my free time after I get a new laptop I will be recording some things and doing some shameless self promoting! It's gonna be fun to sing simply for my own enjoyment and not for a grade!  

This summer is gonna be GREAT!

Oh happy day!

Halfway.

a Sophomore Gateway. 

a test of your dedication and strength in the music department.

to ensure that the students are learning what they need to be. 

to help students know what they have to look forward to in the music world. 

causing me grief for two years now. 

the gateway is done two years into the music degree and there are several requirements to pass. 

My Sophomore Gateway was today. 

This was the most stressful thing I have done in school thus far, but I got past it.

I PASSED MY GATEWAY!!!!! 

If you hadn't noticed, I am super excited about this fact! :D

I will now be continuing on next semester as a Junior!! I'm halfway there! In other news, I had the idea to do my Junior Recital with a percussionist. Apparently mixing voice and instrumental in recitals does not happen frequently. I do not believe that a percussionist and a vocalist have ever done it together at SUU, but it's gonna happen! 

I'm so happy that my ideas are working out!

Well it is finals week, so I must go study s'more Math and Form + Analysis. 

I will pass ALL THE FINALS!!!! (i passed the most worrisome one)

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!

(Halfway There!)

One Hour.

Today has been insane and will continue to be so, but I just wanted to make a short post about the fact that I only have one real hour of free time today but in that time I can accomplish wonders! 

I wanted to give myself a mini pep talk because I have a ton to do this week and none of it became known until today. I have decided that I can do this. I'm excited for this weekend when my mom gets home from Idaho and I can call her up and tell her that I am amazing! 

I'm really just rambling now, but I wanted everyone to know that:

No matter how little time you have, you can accomplish wonders! 

That is who you are! Don't let others doubt what you have and will do! 

Life waits for no one, but you can beat time!

That is all for today, but I just wanted you to know that you are amazing!

Have a wonderful day!

Oh happy (exhausting) day!

Good Morning!! it's not morning.......

In case anyone should drive by and ask you, today has been an immensely long day. That isn't to say that it has been negative in any way, I actually had a wonderful day. I just am BEAT!! 

I have simply been running all day and doing all sorts of things with little to no breaks in the midst of this insanity. 

Started simple today: went to all my classes. Pretty straightforward right? then everything kinda piled on top of that in some sort of psycho-physical dogpile! After classes I: worked out, did my math homework on matrices, went to a housing tour,morehomework,dinnermissionariesvoicepracticeandcamehometobeexhaustedbeyondbelieforrecognition!!!!!!! 

I believe it is safe to say that I am tired and need a bit of a break.....and it is only Monday. Only three more weeks. I Can Do This!!!! 

Luckily I have the best support in the entire world. I can survive the rest of this insaneo semester and make it to 20! 

I hope that everyone has the ability some time in their life to have support that can carry them through every trial that comes in their way. 

Oh Happy Day of Days.

Strength.

After missing a month I'm back. Yet again with the absences. If blogging was a class I would have an "F". Just got back from spring break a couple days ago and already I am realizing just how much I must do by the end of the semester!! I can do this!

I am really grateful for the joys and trials of this school year. All sorts of things have happened from my first "D" and losing people to getting to sing two solos in a concert and my best friend becoming a member of the LDS church. Every one of those things and more have helped to shape me from who I was at the beginning of the year to who I am now. I feel so much calmer and more myself than I ever have been. I am happy!

Even through disappointments and anger I am trying to be positive. I feel that some of the things in my life are testing me and training me into being more patient, calm and understanding. I feel kindof bad sometimes because I get down on myself for being upset, but I have to remind myself that I am allowed to be myself. I am learning that I don't always have to be for other people. Sometimes I have to be selfish and support my own feelings. I am learning this....finally. 

I know I don't say it as much as I should, but my parents are amazing. I am so glad that I have them because they always know what to say and how to help me. They know how to help me learn to change and to grow. They know when something in my life is bothering me whether I tell them or not. They know who I am and what I want to do and they have helped me to achieve even more than I ever dreamed I'd do.

When I was little I wanted to marry a rich man, live next to my parents, and have 8-10 babies. Those dreams have changed, but the dreaming girl is still here. I love that my parents will support me no matter what I choose to do. I am so glad that my parents have given me the skills I need to survive and to thrive in the drama and struggle of the world. I am glad they have taught me to move past things and to be myself.

I am so happy to be who I am. I love my parents and the help that they have always given me. 

I shall now end this slightly sappy post by saying.........

 I CAN DO THIS!!!!!

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!

about gluten and school life

Approximately a week ago in the dining hall my friends and I were given comment cards to put our ideas and concerns about the food and service on. Many people do not know this or realize it, but I am "gluten intolerant" which means a couple things. 

The first is that I cannot eat much with wheat, rye, or barley in it.if I eat too much these grains begin to cause HAVOC on my body because of a little protein called gluten.

The second is that eating in public places is hard and slightly complicated and sometimes embarrassing because much of what is served has bread, or cream based soup, or crumbs, or simply has been contaminated by food that does have these things. 

I wrote several nice things about the service and the appearance of the place, but when it asked about the food I filled the entire space with ideas on bringing back the exclusively gluten free foods. 

I get very frustrated as I have a meal plan that allows me to eat in the dining hall twice a day. At the beginning of this semester the dining hall management decided that they were going to "revamp" their system. They began putting out different foods, they started putting hamburgers on buns for us, they dressed things up a bit more. It was all fine and dandy except that with this change the gluten-free section with breads and cookies and bagels and snacks.......was gone. This life bringing section has been missing all semester and I was beginning to get a bit flustered and upset at every meal trying to eat things that were "safe", until today!

The GLUTEN FREE FOODS WERE BACK AT LUNCH!!!!! I had a wonderful sandwich and I was so happy!  

OH Happy Day!!

(also, when I have time I am going to put together an informative post on gluten and the fad diet that I do not understand)

Find Joy.

"Pray For You"

I haven't been to church since I don't remember when
Things were goin' great 'til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them
I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like  

I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are honey, I pray for you
I'm really glad I found my way to church
'Cause I'm already feelin' better and  

I thank God for the words
Yeah I'm goin' take the high road
And do what the preacher told me to do
You keep messin' up and I'll keep prayin' for you
I pray your tire blows out at 110
I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos
I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like 

I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your car,
wherever you are honey, I pray for you. I pray for you 

 

In all reality, I really do pray for people, not like this. I have been upset about some things lately and this song makes me feel a bit better because I think it's funny but don't think this way so I posted it. I have my own personal demons, like anyone, but I try not to broadcast them to the world. These aren't truly my demons, but I wish I were open enough to talk to people when I need help, but I'm not. I wish when I was frustrated I was brave enough to tell people what I think, but I'm not. I wish I were stronger than I am, but I'm not. I have flaws. Because of this I have learned and tried to be tolerant of those around me. I love this life and I am starting to love the person I am becoming more and more! 

 

I would never say these words to anyone in reality, but sometimes I get frustrated and don't understand how other people function. I get upset sometimes and try to hold it down to avoid unnecessary problems with the people around me. I am learning, however, that there is a point when kindness becomes a crutch that other people will take advantage of. There is a point when I have to be completely honest about the fact that some people have been given "enough rope to hang them-self with or climb to the heights." I truly pray that you learn to climb if you find you are standing at the end of your rope. 

 

Climb and then fly! 

 

Joy is the best medicine, this is why I will keep being the joyful young lady that I was raised to be.

 

I want to say now, after my rant, that I am so very grateful to the people around me for helping me to be joyful and keep my head up in the face of anything. Hard times may come, but with help I have the strength to have joy. 

 

I pray you find your source of joy.

Have Joy.

Oh Happy Day! 

Call us crazy. We are.

This entire post is going to be stories that I have been accumulating this year with some of my friends, not all of them however. 

Spacious as a Brick
On campus this year there is some construction being done outside of the student center. In order to get to the building in which I spend ALL my time I am required to walk across the new cement structure they have put in front of the library. The cement is really nice and well done and looks wonderful as an addition to campus. 
However.
The day after the area was opened for access I was walking along with my friends and one of them, Laura, got extremely excited about all the space! She made a graceful show and gesture of joy, proclaiming,"It's so spacious!!" This normally would have been really adorable and fun but in the process of doing this she tripped over the only object anywhere near. Right beneath her feet was a single red brick in the middle of nowhere!
Stolen Identity
Matt always seems to be accused of something somebody else did. The other day, while leaving the parking lot a young man was walking along the exit really slowly. He was right in the way of Kimmi getting out and she had no idea what to do in this situation. The boy glanced quickly over his shoulder and as he did Kimmi called out, "MATT!!!" This caused a chain reaction of her scaring me and Matt himself saying, "I'm in the back seat....."
I Like This Shirt
In the midst of several crossing conversations at dinner one day (this happens frequently when all nine of us are at dinner) we were all being rather rowdy and silly and suddenly. (a wild Austin appears)....Austin popped off rather randomly,"I like this shirt. This is my favorite shirt."    WHAT?? None of us were expecting this as it had nothing to do with anything, but it was ridiculously funny and has now become a pseudo catch phrase for one of the quietest people in this rambunctious group.
two three
Dead Woman's Intuition
DaLynn. A very devious young lady. She is so dang funny though. The other day we were having a completely mundane conversation while texting and then suddenly it turned into this......

And this is the conversation they had. 

What?


Also, just for information's sake "group" not mentioned:
Jessika (my cutie patootie roommate)
Jordan (my bud from down the hall)
Aaron (that guy who moved away)
Jesse (goofiest)
Truman (the NOT hipster)