The End is coming in the Spring

I graduate in 3 months and 7 days from my undergraduate programs. I am blessed to have a husband that loves me and is willing to work for us to be able to live together. A family of loving parents and wonderful siblings that care for me whether I am going through trials or in peace. Friends that love and support me no matter what. Extended family that loves me know matter how often I see them. And finally my Sunday School class. They are some of the most awesome 12 and 13 year-old's I know!

Today in Sunday School we were talking about how we could help others understand our Heavenly Father. An older gentleman walked in asking if he could sit in on our class and I agreed to let him stay. We start the lesson with asking the students if they were able to remember what we talked about last week with learning about the Holy Ghost. They were shy about it at first but they opened up a little. After a while, we started talking about Heavenly Father, who he was and how we understand him. The guest then injects and starts having the kids go through different sonarios of how people question about God and how they can share their testimonies. They really got interested and really started sharing their testimonies! Even one who doesn't participate much even did more than normal! And closed it off real spiritual. He then came up to me after the prayer. He then tells me that he is on the General Sunday School Board! I had a humbling experience today! He said that we need to plan the experience not just the lesson. It was great!!

That was my Sunday? How about you?

Miracles Do Happen

I have been blessed to have seen a miracle in progress this week. Some of you might know that I am the Assistant Director for the musical this fall at school, Little Women. The director, a dear professor and friend, suddenly fell over in pain. He was in the middle of passing a kidney stone. I had only seen my dad go through this on a few occasions in high school. He never reacted the way my professor did that Thursday night. I saw this man curl up in pain once I got him to his car, screaming terror from the pain. I was scared out of my mind. He then turned to me and yelled "Get out of here. I don't want you to hear this." I closed his car door and ran. I walked back into rehearsal and the youngest member of our cast asked to have a prayer in his behalf. I was so touched at that moment of faith. We must have prayed at rehearsal 3 times for him to at least find some comfort while in his pain. Found out he also got a blessing from two of the men in our cast and then was driven to the ER for further care. 

After rehearsal, the cast decided to have a fast for the professor so he will be able to overcome the kidney stone, find comfort, help his family, and give inspiration to him, the stage manager and me to figure out how to go about rehearsals until he has a full recovery from this kidney stone. So, most of us fasted on Friday until about the hour before rehearsal. As much as it was a bonding time for us as a cast, it brought time for us to see what our sacrifice was for. When the time for rehearsal came around, in walks our dear professor with his wife and adult daughter. What joy was brought in that room! Everyone applauded and hugged and smiled. He was only with us for an hour, but it was a blessing and a miracle all the same! We are still praying for a full recovery, but he is doing much better with the help of good pain medication. 

So, life at SVU goes on and the Lord shows us that He does listen and care for us all.

Senior Year!!!

I realize that I am horrible about keeping up with this blog! I can only hope that I can get better eventually.

Anyway, this past September began my senior year at SVU. Can you believe it? I have been at this great and expensive school for 4 years now? I hardly can! I am on track to graduate April 27, 2013 with Bachelor degrees in Music and Theatre. The work load though is amazing. I am constantly doing something everyday. My class list this semester is:

• Music Theory III- learning how music is made closer to what we hear from modern composers
• Acting III (Musical Theatre)- learning how to act while singing and some possible dancing
• Music History I- learning music's history from Ancient Greece up to Bach in the Baroque period
• Scenic Painting- learning how to paint for the stage (this class is a lot harder than it sounds!)
• Orchestra- playing percussion for whatever pieces Professor Taylor decides to have us play
• Wind Ensemble- similar but I am first flute 
• Aural Skills III- training my ears to hear music events and sounds
• Piano lessons- yup, picked that up again
• Performance Attendance- yes this is a real class
• Production Workshop- learn how to work behind the scenes of the theatre so all performances run as smoothly as possible
• Senior Project- consisting of acting as Assistant Director for Little Women, the musical we are performing this semester, compose a percussion score for that show and perform it. I also had to perform percussion for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. That show did REALLY well! We even took it on the road for one performance.
• Sunday School Teacher- with my husband, we teach the amazing 12- 13 year olds in our ward. Some of the best youth I know!
• Relief Society Chorister- leading the music in the RS meetings on Sunday

I think that is it... if not I will let you know! This semester has been busy, tiring, exciting, and fun. There would be very little I would change about it. I better go, I think the dishes are calling my name (ugh). Love you all and I hope that I can see people at Thanksgiving!

New Year, New Classes, New other things

So, Life has started to become interesting again. Let me start with Christmas break.

I got to go home for a couple of days to see my big, little brother who was visiting from BYU. It was nice to see him and catch up with him on how our lives are going. I also got to see my best friend in the world and hear about her life in college. It sounds so exciting and I am glad she is making new friends but still has time for me.

After that, I went to my husband's family Christmas party. It was fun meeting more cousins that are now mine and getting to know the other members of my new family. Christmas day, we woke up and had pancakes with grandma! They were so good! We then drove back home so he could go to work. I know! He had to work on Christmas! Sad, huh?

The rest of the break I had to survive through cabin fever. Most of my friends went home for the holidays, including my close relatives here. I got real bored. Then the new kids of school came in and the school took whoever wanted to go on an ice skating trip! I was so excited! I rode with two cousins and had a blast! I even broke my frames of my glasses from falling! They were an easy fix though.

Classes this semester are fun, a lot of work, and so interesting to learn about. More complex theories of music, how to conduct instrumental music, how to act for film, and so much more! I am still the Relief Society chorister and a visiting teacher. I hope to post more when there is more. Love you all. Y'all come back now, y'ah here?

Pride & Prejudice and other life stories

Following the example of my younger brother and updating my blog too. This week was pretty good. We opened the show Pride & Prejudice this past Friday. The audience was great! We sold out the first night and almost the second! The cast was so pleased with themselves with the job they did both nights.

As far as church goes, I am officially the Relief Society chorister. I don't think I will ever get out of conducting now. XD Fun for me!

School wise, I am doing fine. Classes are challenging but fun to learn about!

Lorenzo is a 2 job man with a job at Wendy's and at the local gas station owned by a member of the bishopric!

Well, I love you all and I got to go! See you at Thanksgiving!

Jennifer Smith and the Year of Big Changes, book 3

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long break, but some big things happened to my family and me this summer. First off, Daniel is now serving happily in the Boise, ID mission for 7 weeks and is loving every minute of it! Yay for him!! I love my big brother; I miss him but I am glad he is happy! Brandon is waiting for his call to come in any day now!! Yay for him too!! Stephen is at BYU in Provo, UT. To hear about his adventure, read his blog! As far as I can tell he loves it out there with his friend Tanner and the girls from his FHE group. Rebecca is playing Melophone in the marching band, French Horn in concert band, and trying to survive sophomore year of high school. Nathan is now in 6th grade and in the middle school with a new teacher and a class right by the band room... I sometimes wonder how that goes...

As for me, I got married this summer! I am now the lovely bride to my love Lorenzo Jacob Harris Smith. We live in Virginia, in the same town where I go to school, attend church, he works security for Target, and we are happy and surrounded by great friends and family. School is going great and I am learning a lot. Umm... We will let you know if anything changes! Love you all!

Extra! Extra! Read All about Me!

Hey Everyone! I hope all is going well. Anyone who read my last blog knows about my great- grandmother and that situation. Well, what I had heard last is that after spending a week in ICU and watch, she is safely home with my grandmother. Nothing recent about her health though.

Last weekend was amazing! I went to Blacksburg, VA with boyfriend Lorenzo Smith, his cousins Samantha and Angel, and his friend David. We stayed with cousins Chris and Serena. We played apples to apples regular and reverse versions, watched the movie Charades with Audrey Hepburn, and we watched Tin Man, a sci-fi spin on The Wizard of Oz, which was actually really good. Sunday we all went to church together, leaving after sacrament meeting, having an adventure in Roanoke, and watching the Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and little Smith at Jeremy and Marrissa's house. Amazing.

The next few days kinda stunk and not fun, except that I did well in my interview for RA. Thursday, I auditioned for The Wizard of Oz we are performing in September! I find out the results of both this week! Friday, I played in my wind ensemble concert and watched the movie Tangled with my friend Johanna Shiraki. I then got to stay the night with her watching the Pixar Short films late into the night.

This weekend was the annual General conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. It was AMAZING!! It gave me plenty to think about for the next 6 months... a lot...

I will try to keep you posted on what is new, but no promises. Love you all!