A moment of gratitude...

Things have been so incredibly crazy lately. Grandpa passing away, mom coming home and not doing well..while living with me for a month, taking 3 classes while working full time, dealing with personal issues and struggles, social life not being where I want it to be, and now not having the security of my job (I lost it this week!) So it's just been so frustrating and I just haven't felt like myself lately. I am trying to break free of that though. I have realized that I have to CHOOSE to live my life the way the Lord would have me live. I have to make the CHOICE to be happy even in the face of sorrow, frustration, and depression. What good will it do to just sit around feeling sorry for myself...

So as I make a lot of changes with my attitude and actions, I thought it would be good to express the things I am grateful for, and recognize that even in the depths of everything there is always light. There is always good. And most of all, there is always hope.

1. My sisters and brother-- My best friends through thick and thin. They are always there for me. Whether it's to be obnoxious at a family get together or a late night yogurt run after a rough day. :) Drea is so good to make sure I am taken care of. Always checking on me and inviting me to places and I just love how she makes me feel like a friend and not like her 5 year old little sister! "*Staretch it out Mill!!*" :) Angela is always fun to share all my weird experiences with. We seem to have similar odd stories that we can always laugh at. We also share the whole photography thing which I love! We help each other out with little projects and tips. Ashlee is just crazy and I love it. I love how she always tries to show me new music and bands to make sure that I am keeping up with the latest underground stuff. Dirty bit!! Rob is such a nice guy! Always so thoughtful and I am glad that I have him as an older brother. We haven't always been too close but I feel like as we get older we have been able to reach out to each other more. :)


2. My Music--I am so grateful for my love of music. It brings me so much comfort. Whether it's rocking out to I am thankful that I have been blessed with the talent to play the guitar and piano and write music. There is something about it that just lifts my soul! It's an odd concept to try and explain but it is something that it so special and dear to my heart! I am hoping to do more with my music and I am excited for future songs! :)


3. My ward--I have been so grateful for the members in my ward. Especially for the RS president (Adrienne), my visiting teacher (Tammy) and Hillary. They have really showed compassion towards me while I have been struggling. Always asking if I am doing alright, if I need anything, and just letting me know that they are thinking of me. That means the world to me. I am grateful for the words of wisdom they have shared with me, and the experiences they have shared to help me get through and push forward.


4. My Aunt Terri-She is so good at "smacking" sense into me. Although she is caring and comforting, at the same time she tells me what I need to hear and makes me realize that I need to take action and do what is best for me (which means turning to the Lord). She is such a great person and I am thankful that I have her in my life! Thanks Auntie! :)


5. ZUMBA!! ok yes it is probably weird that this has it's own category but honestly it is so much fun! It makes me happy to workout and have fun and to love doing it. I can include exercise in general but since this is my new addiction I will just leave it at that! I love it so much and am glad that I have Drea and Sheri that introduced me to it! If you haven't tried it yet...you need to. seriously. :)

Grandpa Bates

I wanted to give a tribute to my grandpa. He passed away May 17, 2011 and his funeral service was last week. It was a beautiful service and I know he was there and enjoyed every minute. It was filled with music and memories. I am happy that he was able to finally go home and reunite with not only his one and only sweetheart but his brothers and sisters and parents.

It was so great to meet people who have been touched by my grandpa's selflessness and caring. He was always thinking of others and wanted everyone to be happy. He absolutely LOVED music and he has been my number 1 support through my piano, guitar, and singing. I am going to miss playing for him but I have a feeling he will still be listening. Love you grandpa :)

Old Habits Die Hard

Ok so I officially suck at updating my blog. But I give up. I'm not going to try and say that I am going to get better at it because the fact is I just won't. ha ha I wish I were like Angela where I had more to share and say but I guess I feel like I just don't have that much going on. I can only post so many pictures of myself! :) But I figure when I remember I will post and for the 2 people that actually check my blog anyway, that will suffice.

I figure that since music is such a big part of my life, I should share more of the music I write. After all, that kind of is my personal journal and "verbal blog" if you will. My thoughts and feelings come out when I write music. It expresses what I am going through at a particular time in my life and it helps me get through things. Although this is a song that I wrote a few months back I thought I would share it anyway. It's called "In Horizons" and I wrote it for Jason and Drea. I hope things turn around for them soon! All in the Lord's time though. ....I am currently working a couple different songs that I hope will come around here shortly.