hero

It's been a while since I've linked up here, but I am looking to grow my blog community (I love making new friends via writing on this little page and seeing their pages!) so here I am! Also, I'm awake watching Jimmy Fallon interview Melissa McCarthy and am trying to tire out my kitten so I can get a little deeper sleep tonight.

If you haven't been here before, I am Alexandra Anne, a  20-something blogger who is currently a music student in Houston, Texas. I love Jesus, music, my family, my friends, my kitty Zoe, and my blog friends. I write to share my life stories and to connect with others who may relate or offer new perspectives. Everyone has something to share :)

Five Minute Friday is where we link up with Lisa Jo (who I am also joining by watching and being part of a group on (in)Courage this winter) to write for five minutes straight without editing, correcting, or over thinking. It's a very raw and vulnerable way to write, but it also brings us closer to each other AND lets the Lord speak through us in His wonderful way. Words are magical to me; they are my friend. So this writing prompt has always been one of my personal favorites.

Here we go.

Are you ready?

Today's word:

Hero.

GO.


Hero. We often picture a hero as someone strong, someone who has it together. The hero of the story saves the damsel in distress. The hero has a conflict that somehow always gets resolved.

But that's fiction. We don't live in a fairy tale. 

To be a hero doesn't mean to be squeaky clean.


Sometimes the hero falls down

I am not perfect. I have moments of weakness; sometimes the moments last longer than I'd like. I fall down. I'm not in control.

She doesn't have a job, but she tends to the family

He wakes up every day and feeds the animals

She finishes her degree even when she really cannot agree with the school system

They stay together and fight for their marriage, to keep the vows they made to stay true forever

These are real examples of heroes.

Life isn't pretty. Life is full of messy gross and dirty mistakes. Sometimes we even have the best of intentions, but it doesn't work out.

But we keep going.

One day at a time.

We're still here aren't we?

And those we've lost? Those are the heroes we honor. We will always remember her confidence in us, we will remember his funny stories, we will remember how she took care of her family.

Life is full of journeys of heroes.

I'm one of those heroes. And so are you.

STOP.

What does the word "hero" make you write? 

Have a blessed weekend,
xoxo, Alexandra Anne 

ps. After writing this post, the nerd in me must declare that I have "Everyone's A Hero" from Dr. Horrible stuck in my head!! :)

good, bad, and ugly- rose version

Have I mentioned my awesome sisterhood? Last semester I was initiated into the music fraternity for women (yes, you read that correctly!) Sigma Alpha Iota (or SAI). I love love LOVE my sisters. Love. LOVE.

Sometimes my sisters and I do something we call "Rose, Bud, Thorn." It's a good way to update each other on where we are lately and to end on a positive note.
The thorn, as you might guess, is something negative or not so pretty going on in our lives.
Bud simply is something in progress; something we are looking forward to, perhaps, or something that is in the process of coming to be.
And then we end on Rose, something positive or happy.

:)

Here is my not so good, my hope, and my positive:

Thorn: Healing is hard. Whether physically, emotionally, or all of the above. It stinks.Words do not seem adequate enough for this. But I am choosing to not dwell.

Bud: I am exploring alternate options for my future and I am really excited about all the steps that will involve! I get to travel, I get to sing, I get to be daring! I have no idea where the path will lead me, but I am trusting God and am super excited.

Rose: I love the people (and furry critters ;) ) in my life! I am beyond blessed by my family, boyfriend, sisters, friends, and my kitty. Every day God shows me that I am loved and will be taken care of. He puts the right people in our life at JUST the right time. It's wonderful.

To end this positive post, I'm going to share some pictures for my sisterhood :) They just make me so happy.
Our motto is from the Latin: Vita brevis, ars longa. This translates to, "Life is short, art is long."

Please comment with your thorns, buds, roses, or whatever! I would love to get to know you more and am happy to pray for you as well <3

xoxo,
Alexandra Anne 

Love my sisters!

My first shirt with letters!! And it's BLUE! :)

Recruitment shirt; I approve.

My Big sister, Sharon! 

Sisters off to the Renaissance Festival  :) 

Snow Day in Houston?

I'm grateful to have time during the middle of the day to write in my comfort space :) Houston has a "snow day" currently (which really just means there is too much ice on the roads to drive on).

Today I've sipped coffee and read the words of other bloggers; I've met my new suitemate (who shares a name with my kitty!); I have bundled up under all my fuzzy blankets.

I want to praise God for life, even when life is hard. I've suffered a loss recently, and I will hopefully open up about that here eventually, but I will still be grateful.

Life is beautiful. Life is hard. Life is not easily explained. Life requires a big cup of coffee some days, and a calming cup of tea others. We don't walk through life alone. God puts people in our lives just when we need them. Sometimes, they've been there all along!

Today I registered to be part of the blog community with (in)courage; I'm going to be part of a 30 member group and we will possibly never meet. But that's the beauty. God's women will come together and heal together and I am so excited for this step in my journey.

I'm grateful for my friends and sisters here. I'm also grateful for the sisters I'm going to meet with this group.


God is good. Always.

xoxo,
Alexandra Anne

Thankful Thoughts

I would like to spend a moment to be thankful :)


Also, I love lists, so here is a listy list!

I'm thankful for:

*A roof over my head even if the lights go out and I can't mess with University property

*Maintenance crew that come within 24 hours of my work order to fix said lights and who also fix the living room light!

* Parents who call to send encouragement and make me giggle

*My sweet sweet kitten who curls up with me all through the night and lets me be her Momma

*A wonderful boyfriend who brings out the best in me, even when we are 800 miles apart

*Skype calls to catch up with old dear friends

*My Bible app on my phone that reminds me to read my devotionals and scriptures

*Video games; simple as that

*Younger siblings who try to take the phone from my parents and who laugh maniacally at my dislike of speakerphone

*The blog community who has stuck with me over the years of my posts

*The best boss EVER who treats me like an equal

*Decaf coffee that tricks my brain ;)

*True friends that love me unconditionally and don't shun me in my times of need

:) :) :)

What are you thankful for?

Have a great three day weekend!
xoxo,
Alexandra Anne 

New Year, New Post

Hello blog friends,
It's been a while, hasn't it?

I'm learning many new things. And I'm not just talking about school, I mean about life and living it. No, I really mean LIVING it. I'm 20, a young college student chasing a dream that could hold a career someday. And I love my life.

But it isn't always easy. In fact, I know I have it easier than some people, but it still has its struggles every day. Last semester, I dealt with a myriad of health issues that made it extremely difficult for me to get out of my bed each morning. I couldn't drive. I couldn't sing.

I'm a vocal performance major. And I couldn't. Sing.

That was my identity; I was brokenhearted. I wasn't me anymore.

Or so I thought.

A few months have passed, and I am still figuring out my medical mysteries. I still cannot sing an aria or for more than a minute or so.

But I'm happy.

I am so grateful for life. That's all I need. I know I'll get better. I have faith and hope in my future healing.

So I'm getting back to the writing world. I've missed it. Don't need a voice to type something on a laptop ;)

Also, where else am I going to share my thoughts on knitting, books, music, and share my cute cat photos? (Oh wait, my facebook is already flooded with those....whoops!)

I pray that each of you find the healing you need and that 2014 is a year of growth for all of us!

xoxo,
Alexandra Anne

First arm knitted scarf I've done :)

Strength Isn't Easy

I need to be writing again. I firmly believe that it will help me, it has helped me so much in the past.

Also, my friend Austin wants me to blog about him. So, here you go Austin. You're officially on the internet for ever and ever in a documentation on blogspot.

But seriously. I wanted this year to be about strength, physically and emotionally. I've kind of sucked at both lately. (Sorry to whoever reads this and actually knows me, I'm gonna get real on here, that's the whole point of my blog). Some see crying as a solution, and I know that chemically speaking it can be helpful, but for me I would love to cry less.
What?? Alexandra Anne cries a lot? But...she's so perky and smiles and cracks jokes and sings and is just super joyful.

Yeah.
That's the thing though.

I'm an excellent mask-wearer.
Sometimes the mask is my ideal, I'm not just faking happy for other people, I truly *want* to be happy and joyful. So I adopt a persona that reminds me of my happy past. But so often, I just want to hide in my room and not give a mask of any kind to anyone.

I am blessed, and I am doing well overall, I don't mean to sound miserable.
But I haven't been taking care of myself, not truly.
I'd rather take care of YOU and YOUR problems than constructively deal with my own. I would assume that we're all guilty to that to some degree (unless you're just that selfish and egotistical, then all you care about is yourself, so you must be good to go).

I'm in love with music, it's what gets me through my day and is what has taken me all over the country. I think right now I need to focus more on God and my faith walk, while still staying passionate to music.

This post is a little...sporadic I suppose. I'm being raw and real, ya'll, just writing down what's going on in my head.

To keep this post from being entirely self-centered, here's where you come in: I *know* I am not the only person who feels this way. I want to share and connect with my online readers.
And I want to get better.

Read James 1:2. Actually, I recommend reading that whole chapter. I did.

I set out to make 2013 my year of strength. Time to make this happen!

xoxo,
alexandra anne

This Blog Thing

I've been meaning to write..seriously, I have....

When I drove back to Houston after Christmas break, I had 14hours in a car all to myself. This means I had wonderful (and several) blog topic ideas. Of course, I don't remember half of them now. You can't really blog while driving.... (if we had a robot that could dictate our blog ideas as soon as we get them, that would be amazing! It would just write down our thoughts while we do other things; drive, workout, dance, read, anything! Engineers...come on....ya'll can do this....)

Ok, I am WAY too A.D.D. to do this right now...

Here are some random brain spurts, since I AM actually sitting down to write today.


*School started this past week. 2nd semester at the University of Houston.

*I moved into my house, where I am renting a room and living with a wonderful Christian lady. Since I get asked about this ALMOST EVERY DAY, I shall explain (for the billionth time) on here as well: My former church music director is Susan, my family is close with Susan. Her sister is Sylvia. Sylvia lives in Houston and has hosted exchange students and foster students, etc, over the years. I am now living in Sylvia's house. Make sense ya'll? It's not even that complicated. But for some reason, getting asked to explain it seems ridiculously silly to me.

*I came back to Houston a week before school started so I could go to rehearsals for our opera/musical-comedy Cheryomushki (a cute and funny show by Shostakovich, originally in Russian, but we are English-i-fying it up).

*Weather in the south is just berserk

*God puts the right people in our lives at just the right time

*Les Miserables and The Hobbit were both enjoyable, but not as amazing as I'd hoped. (please don't shoot me for saying that...)

*Speaking of shooting, I'm a huge 2nd Amendment gal. So, if you try to take away my rights, I'm gonna be more than a little vexed.

*20 days until the boyfriend visits me! I believe our plans include: NASA stuff (because...I live in Houston! Duhhhh), baking/cooking, swing dancing (Houston is a big swing town, I love that), and lots of gaming. Yep, I'm excited.

*February 27th, Lindsey Stirling comes to Houston! I GOT MY TICKET YA'LL!!!!! Slightly excited......

*Mozart is sticking to me a lot. But, he'll probably be the one responsible for my future employment, so I'm okay with that.

*Oh yeah. Employment. I got two part time jobs. I started one, and am dealing with the stupid silly government about the other one (let's just say, don't lose your social security card, it's a BIG pain in the butt to get stuff taken care of after that). My jobs will be: Music teacher (beginner voice, beginner piano), and Box Office for the music department at school. I'm looking forward to income again, once I actually start working.

*Music keeps me going. Jesus does too. But He gave me music. Therefore, music keeps me going.

I think this is enough random for one post.
I'll try to post more regularly. <3

xoxo,
alexandra anne

New Year. 2013 Style.

I wrote this a few days ago, and have decided to share it with ya'll. Here are my thoughts about the past two years and how God has worked in my life. He's so amazing, and the journey continues...

"2011 was the year I fell in love with opera, fell back in love with God, and fell in love with a new man. I had many ups and downs, and they both were extreme for me. At age 17 I had to grow up quite rapidly. My 18th birthday was spent away from family, this was part of the down of the year. 

2012 has been my year of growth. Where in 2011 I discovered my passions, in 2012 I tested them. I flew around the country trying to find my new home. There were times when I had no idea of the future at all, and I had to completely trust God. I gave Him my everything, all my dreams, and one day I said "God, I need an email from Houston today." Within the hour I was accepted to the University of Houston, and had been given a music scholarship from Moores School of Music. 

The past two years have taught me a lot about faith, passion, love, and hope. 2012 has truly been a year of hope for me. I hoped I would get into college, I hoped for my relationship to strengthen, and I hoped to stay strong on my own. 

2013 is here. Beyond this upcoming school semester, I have no idea what this year will hold. I have 3 and 1/2 years left to finish my double major, so school looks like my focus. But where does God want me? What does He want my focus to be on? Where will He take me? What does 2013 look like? 

Healing.

Wisdom. 

Love. 

Strength. 

I'm gonna shine for His glory. 2013 is now." 

 May YOUR 2013 be blessed! 

I'm gonna start this year with gratitude. What are you thankful for? 

xoxo, 

alexandra anne <3 

One Month Later...

Ciao amici! (Hello friends!)

I sincerely apologize for the complete lack of posts this past month; life is too crazy! But Christmas break is close, therefore, I can write more :)

Some quick updates:

*This girl is finishing up her first semester fulltime college living away from home! This means I have 15 credit hours under my belt! (Next semester it appears I will take 13 hours: Music Theory 2, Aural Skills 2, Vocal Diction [French], Piano 4, Voice Lessons, Choir, and American History; super excited!!)

*Next week I head back home to Alabama!!! WAHOO!
*This week I move into my newest place in Houston! WAHOO! (Gonna rent a room in a house! No more dorm life, super duper excited for this change).

*Lindsey Stirling is coming to Houston in February; definitely NEED to go to this concert. She's just amazing. Seriously.

*I love granny smith apples. This isn't new, so it shouldn't fall under my "update" list, but this is  my personal writing space where I make the rules and I can break them! ;)

*Thanksgiving was crazy, busy, but loads of fun! Michael (the boyfriend) came with my family to Edenton, North Carolina to visit the grandparents. My family is a crazy bunch, and I miss them terribly. Our roadtrips are always fun fun fun. :)

*I'm QUITE excited for Christmas; I'm singing at the Christmas eve service at my church (such an honor!) AND I am pretty darn excited to give my people's presents. Seriously. I am just giddy about this :) :) :) (you're gonna love your presents, ya'll, truth!).

*Being healthy is hard. I don't mean to sound whiny, but when you live in a dorm and eat cafeteria food all the time, it is difficult to be healthy. This chick definitely gained a wee bit between orientation to Thanksgiving. I'm trying, ya'll. Trying to get fit and healthy again! Gotta be strong opera gal ;)

*Lately I haven't been a great long-distance communicator, so I feel like a terrible friend. But hopefully ya'll understand, and I promise to write over the break!

*My break is only a little bit over 2 weeks honestly...but I'm okay with this fact. My break ends earlier BECAUSE I come back to Houston a week earlier for opera rehearsal week :) :) :) My first opera with Moores School of Music! (And my 8th opera overall, in a 3 1/2 year period......crazy!)

*God is amazing. Again, not an update, just a fact. :)

*I should probably do my laundry this weekend, I'm running out of socks and undies. (TMI? Apologies. It's all real-talk here).

*I'm a gamer girl. Not an update per se, but I am definitely spending my free time catching up on gamecube and pc games. Just found out that all the original Tomb Raider games are now available on Steam for only $10 each!! Also, I desire more gaming consoles....all I have is my boyfriend's gamecube, which is wonderful, but now I want more ;) Thanks to a music friend here, I also have my own tv! (This is good for study breaks, fyi). So yeah. Gamer girl. This chick. <3

*Music is the hugest blessing in my life lately. On Thursday I woke up very very sick, threw up four times, and had horrid violent dizzy spells. I eventually made it out of my room, and to the music building, because I absolutely had to meet with my pianist. (Friday was my voice lesson final, Thursday was my last chance to practice). Singing was actually what made me feel better! It was the best part of that day, and I am convinced that music is God's personal gift to me. Music is full of healing, and that is a wonderful fact.

So yeah! That's my crazy life in a quick (ish) glimpse :)

Picture time! I'll write more later, promise ;)

xoxo, alexandra anne

The aforementioned Gamecube (well, controllers haha) I'm in a phase. Gamer phase. mhmmm...

Josh's recital; music majors go to a lot of recitals. Since we're random friends, I went to his :)

the man and I on the drive to North Carolina for Thanksgiving <3 

yep, we were color coordinated for Thanksgiving dinner. I love this guy and his handsome face :)

hanging with my little sister (whom I miss a lot a lot!)

right before I visited Huntsville; was SO excited! 

that's my man. no, you can't have him. I'm too darn happy with him <3 

November Gratitude

Have you ever read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp? It's a lovely book, and it will change your life. She introduced me to the concept of writing down gifts and constantly being thankful for everything. Well, as it is now November and the "thankful" month, I want to get back on track with counting gifts!!

Today I'm thankful for:

*new friends
*pumpkin spice latte
*music
*free candy
*fresh fruit
*the passion to write
*the passion for music
*passion for God
*frustration that gets my rear into productive action
*NaNoWriMo
*squirrels
*walks outside
*hugs


What are you grateful for?
xoxo, alexandra anne

NaNoWriMo Gal

Yup. I'm gonna write. This might seem crazy considering I'm a fulltime college student AND I can't even blog regularly these days. WELL, I need a release, a source of creativity that isn't academic. So I am going to write a novel. It's for me. Sound selfish? I might be. But hopefully this will be a wonderful experience.

It's November ya'll. National Novel Writing Month.

In other news...
20 days left til I go home for Thanksgiving; so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, time to write ;)

xoxo, alexandra anne

Serene Singer

I apologize for the lack of posts; midterms like to dominate a student's life for sure!

Last weekend, my anniversary with Michael, was wonderful and perfect.

This week, where my exams started, was tough. I cried every day four days in a row...

But you know what? I am still filled with joy.

There is pain, emotional and physical (I have a sore throat now), but God is wonderful and full of blessings. He has given me music, so that everyday I have a physical constant I can depend on. I think He gives everyone something tangible to enjoy and glorify Him with. For me, I find joy in music. Whether it is experimenting in a practice room, or mastering a new technique in a lesson, music makes everything better!

Just a quick glimpse of my past week:

Our first hug when I picked up M from the airport

Actually...he picked ME up ;) (I tackled him in front of the escalators, so we had to make a quick relocation haha!)

                                   

That hug was wonderful...being apart for a month and a half is no fun

So so happy!

Hehe, we look so cheesy

After my first college choir concert; he's so handsome, especially all dolled up :) 

Oh, and I wore pigtails one day this week. Because, I'm definitely a grown woman and stuff....

I promise to write more and soon, but now I must rest up so that I don't get more sick =P

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!
Go Coogs!
-Alexandra Anne <3

My First Anniversary

I have a myriad of interesting nicknames; my favorite of the odd ones include "List girl," "girl who has to know," and "date girl." When I say date, I don't mean getting all dolled up and going out on the town (although I LOVE dates like that), I mean I keep track of time and countdown to things almost religiously. For example, how long has it been since I lived in Italy, how long have I been in Houston, how long til I see my family again, how many hours have I sat in this chair, etc etc etc.

Well, October 4th is a day I have been counting down to for a while now. I didn't even know originally how wonderful a day it would become. First off, it will be my 1 year anniversary with my wonderful man, my guy, my boyfriend Michael.

If I recall correctly, he asked me out on October 3rd, 2011, and I accepted on October 4th, 2011. That's when our relationship started. Our first date was a little less than a week later. :) I don't think I realized back then how much I would fall for this guy, and how much fun we would have! Honestly, I didn't even want a relationship back then. If it weren't for God tugging at my heart that night, I wouldn't have even talked to him. But I am so so so glad I did!

The night he met mom and two of my best friends :) 

His 20th birthday, where I met all of his friends for the first time; talk about nervous! I ended up loving all of them and they're all *my* friends now too ;)

My little brother wanted to be in pics too, so cute!!

Right before our first movie date! Sherlock Holmes 2 :) Such a fun time, even though I spilled popcorn in his new car... whoops =P

We took Jessika (one of many best friends) out to coffee after her recital this summer, and she snapped this shot. I call it, starbucks hug ;)

He's so handsome :) :) :) this was right after I graduated high school!

Can you tell I was sick? We visited Jessika and Jarrod that weekend, and got some early morning pics. I like this one. 

This summer, before I left for school, he took me on a sueprise picnic! I was definitely shocked. He and our moms planned it all out and deceived me ;) good job guys. One of my favorite dates for sure! 

That weekend at Jessika's :) I love this shot. I trust him so much!

Hehe ;)

After my senior recital in July :) 

 Anyway (sorry for the cornucopia of pictures...I'm just happy!)

I am super excited that we have been together for a year now!

But wait....there's more ;)

As of early September, I've been even MORE excited for October 4th. Why?
He's coming to visit me in Houston; yay!!!!!
First, I get to see my best friend/boyfriend for a whole weekend, but also, he is bringing me a part of home. That's what he represents to me right now. Not just someone whose hand I hold, but someone who is part of my home life. I won't see my family until Thanksgiving, which is still 2 months away, so it'll be nice to have part of that here. (Don't get me wrong, I love Houston, and love my new home! But my family will always be my family, so naturally I miss them).

Ever since M got his plane ticket, I have been counting down the days on a little chalkboard in my room ;) yeah, I'm slightly obsessed with countdowns. But it's part of my positivity and optimism. See, my system is such: I try to find something positive to look forward to in each day. It makes the days more enjoyable, and I  then become truly appreciative of each day! (We're never guaranteed tomorrow, make today count!)

So, on October 4th, I might ignore the world for a bit, but I will be cherishing each moment for sure.

Siblings and myself, Christmas 2011; I miss these kiddos!!

Family back home: I miss you lots. You should visit too ;) I'll see you soon though. I love you so much and thank you all for supporting me on this crazy adventure!
Friends back home: I'm sorry for not writing back quickly all the time. But I love ya'll and we must catch up when I am back home! (Feel free to visit ANY time; I have a couch hehe)
Friends in Houston: thank you for making me feel welcome :) I can't wait to meet more of you! It seems every week I make a new friend. This is a lovely town, and I am proud to call it my new home.

Have a good rest of the week, ya'll!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo, alexandra anne <3 

The Shire

Tonight is a freeing night for me; any homework/studying I do is "ahead" because all of my work due tomorrow is already completed and turned in. So, I am relaxing in some studying.

As I read and study, some beautiful Howard Shore is joining me with his orchestrations for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I had forgotten how wonderful this music is, and it takes me back. (As a nerdy girl, I am very very very excited to see The Hobbit!!) I remember seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring" in theaters TWICE when it came out. And every time a new movie came out, I got the soundtrack. The orchestrations are just marvelous and wonderful!!

It is music like this that reminds me how much I love music. I had a conversation yesterday with a friend about my future and my career path; she said it would be so sad if I lost my voice and couldn't sing, my career would be over. Well, this is true and untrue. Yes, I couldn't do opera if that were the case. But guess what? Opera is merely my focus right now! I'm passionate about MUSIC. If I am involved with music in any way, I am a happy duckling. Truly, I could be so happy in so many different vocations.

So, tonight? I'm going to let an orchestra surround me and overwhelm my senses. I have a date with music tonight, that is. And I couldn't be happier.

I thank God for the blessings of music and joy and happiness! Music is His gift, I believe, to me, my only true physical constant. Life is full of changes, especially for a college student. But God and music are always there. Always.

I'm in love. With music.

xoxo, alexandra anne

ps. have a lovely week!

I Really Really Love You

God is good; God is SO good! Can I please learn every language in the world and shout this out? Il mio Dio e' benissimo! (Ok, my grammar might be awful there, but the thought still counts I say!)

This week has taught me a lot

And I am so grateful for the people in my life

And the music.

Let's start with that shall we?

I'm currently studying Vocal Performance at the University of Houston Moores School of Music; I couldn't be happier. My music classes are challenging but in the best way; I am constantly learning new things! I am surrounded by people JUST LIKE ME who have the same passion about music (even opera!!) and who just GET me. I can't describe it. But I love my music friends for the mere fact that they "get it." Plus they are just really kind and lovely.
My private lesson teacher is AMAZING. (If he ever reads this, hehe, I promise I'm not kissing up! I honest to goodness love working with him!) He DEFINITELY challenges me in every lesson. But he is full of encouragement and wisdom, and never puts me down. I also appreciate that he can SEE how hard I'm working in a lesson. It's different to be with a new teacher after having the same one for 4+ years, but I love love love it.

The great thing about Moores? I get to sing sing sing ALL the time! And? I get to listen and watch other performers ALL the time! I watch the graduate students and think to myself "Holy cow...can I please be you when I grow up?" ;)

Music has treated me well this week!


I also thank God for my relationships.

*There were tears in my eyes when an old friend did indeed return an email.
*My heart jumped when I read a blog friend's post that mentioned me (if you're a blogger, I'd love to be your friend!) I seriously LOVE my blogger friends. I can open up to these ladies so easily, and I 100% believe these friendships are because God knew I needed them. He's awesome like that, you know ;)
*12 days until my wonderful man arrives in Texas to visit me for a whole weekend starting on our one year anniversary (relationships ARE work, but if they are God honoring, they can be so very wonderful. I thank God all the time for my relationship, especially since I didn't want it at first! Ha! ;) So glad I didn't just wimp out and ignore God. Don't do that ya'll =P)
*The girls in my dorm are so wonderful; I've been blessed with good friends that hug me when I need it, who seek ME out for conversation (I'm always so grateful when someone else wants to hang out with me, I love to feel wanted)

I miss this guy a bunch. 12 days left <3 

One of my dear friends here (I don't have pics with the girls on my floor yet, need to fix that!)

God is so good!

So, the point of this post is merely this: I love you. If you are reading this, I love you. And if we're not friends yet, please, let's be!

God is wonderful. Music is wonderful. Life is wonderful. No matter what!

Yeah, I had some crappy days this week. But despite that, I love my Lord and can't wait to see what each day brings me. Every day has something wonderful to offer.

I hope you have a great day!

xoxo, alexandra anne

ps. Thanks to Emily for nominating me for a versatile blogger award! I'll repost that soon! :)

Puddles

*Drip. Drop.* The rain has left remnants of its visit. Deep lakes are disturbing my regular path. Our group tiptoes around the puddles, so as not to get wet.

But the child in me wants to JUMP right in and SPLASH a rainfall of my own.

Society says no...


The crowd is quiet in a hall, not daring to speak up against a wrong. I long to scream at the top of my lungs.

The crowd says no...


This *isn't* what God calls us to be! We are supposed to be loud for Him! He doesn't call us to be a bunch of indifferent lemmings.... why do we follow society's standards? Why do we not speak our hearts, and only say what the crowd has taught us?

"Shout, and sing for joy!" -Isaiah 12:6

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men..." -Colossians 3:23

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."- Romans 12:2


Let's live these words this week, and SHOUT for our Lord! :)

in Him,
alexandra anne 

3 Weeks Down

Can you believe it? I have been a college gal for 3 weeks now, and I'm still adjusting and figuring it all out. Apparently this means I only have time to blog on Sundays. I might write more once I'm truly settled, but am needing to prioritize my classes and music.

I love Houston, I really do. And I love school; my classes are interesting, my classmates are kind and inclusive, and my music is my love.


Oh, and I'm 19 now. Which means I have a post coming up, soonish. One of those "20 By 20" posts. I want to grow so much more this year, as a daughter of Christ, as a sister, as a friend, as a musician, as a person, as a lover, as a student, etc. I want to be the best Alexandra Anne that God intended me to be.

I'm working on it.

Also, I need to find a job. This will work better once I have wheels...I'm praying that God takes care of my financial situation, and that He guides me to the right scholarships and jobs.

Speaking of prayer; I am currently praying for my Dad's safety in Afghanistan (and his safe travels home, he should be back in Alabama on October 5th!!!) and for healing in his family as his grandmother passed away 3 weeks ago today.

God is good, and He will provide.

These are just the thoughts on my mind today.

Have a good week, ya'll!
xoxo, alexandra anne 

World Traveler, This Girl

Tomorrow, I will no longer be "Alabama Alexandra." It's gonna be Texas time for this ragazza. Huntsville will always be my high school love, and for the foreseeable future it will be the "home" I visit every holiday. But, ya'll....I'm moving to Houston. Leaving bright and early tomorrow with my Momma to move into University. 

I'm mostly all packed. I'd say 92%. It's a little strange to look at your life smooshed all together into three suitcases. You kind of think "Huh. This is me...in a few pieces of luggage. What does this say about me?" 

I moved to Huntsville, Alabama a little over 5 years ago. May 2007. Good heavens how time flies, and then...how it drags! I love this city very much, and have grown immensely and learned so much. 

What will Houston, Texas bring? 

I will admit, I am nervous AND excited. Happy AND sad. Scared AND ready. God has definitely put it very clearly to me that I need to be studying opera at the University of Houston Moores School of Music; gotta listen to God!! (He does truly amazing things, and I am so excited to see where He takes me!)

Today I am finishing up some last minute packing and cleaning. I must vacate my room, which will be really strange for me. It won't really be my home anymore. I'll be a Texas chick. (Good thing I already use lotsa hairspray and wear dresses a lot ;) )

I'm not good at goodbyes...I am much better at see-you-later's. God has a purpose for taking me to Houston, and I can't wait to see what He does this year. 

Prayers for safe travel and adjustment would be lovely; I'm a little overwhelmed, but trusting in God. I might not be able to blog for a while, we'll see how crazy life gets. 

Hope ya'll have a great rest of the week!

xoxo, alexandra anne 

PS. If you live in Alabama, I already miss you way too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please please write me all the time, and visit ANY time. :) I love ya'll so so so so much! <3 <3 <3 Be back soon ;)