Just Around the River Bend

Life is kind of low key right now. Not a lot is going on. Summer always takes me a while to get settled in to. Big and exciting things are about to happen- a lot sooner than expected. I'll keep you posted. But in the mean time, I'm going to enjoy life just the way it is. ♥

The Chop Etc.

So I'm kind of a long winded blogger. Sorry. I'm going to try to keep this one short and sweet.

I've got the best friend and boyfriend ever, I think. He has decided to establish "fresh flower Friday." Which means he brings me beautiful fresh flowers... every Friday. This was the first one. Orange gerber daisies. Love.

Other Nathan and Jamilyn highlights:

* We're getting pretty good at making homemade pizza

* Dancing at Studio 600- we still got our groove

* Finished watching The Office up to the end of season 5!! AHH!! Jim and Pam!!

* Rollerblading on the JR parkway

* Three various memorial day family BBQs- we're a happily co-existing omnivore/herbivore couple

Mostly we just hang out. He studies. I read. And practice cello. And it's great.

Other big news! About two years ago, when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Nathan left on his mission, and I moved to Michigan, I decided to start growing my hair long. The original plan was to cut it off and donate it to make a wig for my Mom to use during chemo therapy. But she ended up needing a wig way sooner than my hair was ready. So I just kept growing it, still with the intent to someday donate it to a cancer mom. In the past 26 months, I've only trimmed it twice. And it got long.

It was also exciting to grow it while Nathan was away, cause in all our years together, he had never seen me with long hair. It was fun to have it long when he got home! He loved it. Buuut, I was ready for a change. I was also feeling a little bit selfish for keeping my long hair when there are plenty of women suffering from cancer with NO hair. So I finally made an appointment for the chop.
And it got chopped! 12 inches!!
And now it's this long. And it feels great. And I love it. Thanks, Monica! Some chemo-suffering cancer woman will get a free wig from the Pantene Great Lengths foundation. And that's a good feeling.
Also... Nathan and I may or may not have found the perfect ring. For far in the future. :)

From 269 to 801 With 2,000 Miles In Between

I'm warning you off the bat that this might be kind of a long post. So for those who aren't so interested, or are short on time, here's an abridged version:

My last few weeks of living in Michigan were fun. Then Nathan flew out to be with me and help me move back to Utah. We did a lot of fun things. Then drove from Kalamazoo to Tulsa to Santa Fe to to Taylorsville. It was mostly fun. We had lots of good time to talk and figure stuff out. We reached our destination late Saturday night. And now I live in Utah again.

Here's some more detail:

Between my last blog post and when Nathan came to the midwest, I spent my time practicing cello, selling my belongings on craigslist, cleaning, and hanging out with friends I knew I'd probably never see again. I had one rehearsal for the Gershwin Lullaby CD project, and got the music only a few days before, so lots of concentrated time was spent practicing lullaby versions of tunes such as "Soon," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and "How Long Has This Been Going On." Cello pal Zack and I spent a day in Chicago at world famous violin shops trying out cellos that cost more than any car I'll ever own. Wish I could have bought one. *Someday* Zack and I also had "the best date ever," walking around the city, sharing a chicago pizza, people watching, and forgetting where we parked. :) We didn't get back to Kalamazoo until close to 4 am.

Nathan flew into Chicago the next morning, so after a good three and a half hours of sleep, I was headed back to the city. And in my tiredness, I drove to the WRONG AIRPORT! So lame. But luckily Nathan loves me and was patient while I found my way to him. I spent another day in Chicago with him, and was careful to remember where we parked this time! We went to the Chicago institute of Art, which happened to be the same day as the grand opening of a new Matisse Gallery. So we happily ate complimentary red velvet cake as if we had planned it. It's so cool to stand in front of original pieces of art that I've studied and seen in art books.

We also hung out in Millennium park and had fun with the bean.
And ate delicious Chicago pizza at Giordanos. YUM!
Then we walked out to Navy Pier. And rode the ferris wheel.
We drove back to Kalamazoo that night. The next morning, I had my first recording session for the Gershwin CD. I've never done professional recording before, and it took a little while to get used to. I was more nervous than I thought I'd be. It took 14 takes for Mr. Kevin Cole and I to both find our groove on the first piece, but after that it was smooth sailing. It actually was a lot of fun. And the recording studio happened to be right next door to my house! Who knew! After I was done recording for the day, Nathan and I headed to South Haven beach.

We hung out on the pier, and walked along the sand as the sun set. It was kind of picturesque. Such a beautiful evening.
That night, Nathan got to meet Joe Tucker and Zack Boyt. Enough said. :)

The next day, I finished up the Gershwin recording, and sold the rest of my furniture. We pulled a classic Nathan and Jamilyn and walked around the Mountain Home cemetery. That night, we made dinner for the missionaries, and then rented and watched the entire Office Season 4.

Tuesday, I finally picked up my repaired cello from the shop in Grand Rapids. It took more than two months, and $2200 to fix up that sickening crack from the American Airlines flight back in February. But now Woodruff is back and he looks great. It's a good feeling. The rest of the day, Nathan and I spend packing my stuff into my car and getting things ready to leave. We ate dinner that night with Ishtar at Food Dance, then headed to the Union to hear some good tunes. We had fun walking home, then spent the rest of the night with Joe, Caitlin and Zack. Kalamazoo definitely went out with a bang!

Wednesday, we hit the open road headed south-west to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit our good pals Lynsie and Steve. The drive was beautifully uneventful until we hit a nearly-tornado level rain storm around sunset. Nathan was an amazingly cool and collected driver, and got us safely there around 12:30 am.

That night, Lynsie- who is 8.5 months pregnant- went into labor! So exciting! But since she was early, they gave her some pain medication that slowed the labor, and by the next afternoon she was released from the hospital with baby still inside. It was an adventure! That evening, we went to see the Blue Whale of Catoosa off of Route 66. Steve also gave us a car tour of Tulsa, and we walked along the Arkansas River walk. We fell asleep watching Sherlock Holmes from RedBox.

Thursday we headed toward Santa Fe along the historic Route 66. We stopped at POPS soda shop, which has over 500 different kinds of soda for sale, and a gigantic LED light soda bottle out front. It was really fun. We filled up on gas, and took lots of cute pictures. But by the time we were out of gas again, a few miles away from Amarillo, Texas, we realized that we were missing the credit card, and the camera. AGH! Then on top of that, about five minutes later, our back left tire blew out on the freeway. We had to unpack the entire trunk full of my stuff to even get to the spare tire. Then the wheel was rusted on. Thanks to the Texas highway patrolmen, the handyman with a big hammer, and the tire shop at the Amarillo Walamart!! We ate dinner consisting of Bleu Bell icecream, Walmart deli macaroni salad, and whole grain Pringles. Mmmm. With low moral, we declared how much we HATE Amarillo, and finally got back on our way. By the time we hit Santa Fe, we were so grateful for a hotel with a swimming pool and soft beds!! Somewhat of a bad day.

Saturday, we spent the morning sleeping in, and lazily swimming and sunning at the hotel. Santa Fe sun is gorgeous! Then we hit the road again for the final leg of our road trip adventure. The GPS estimated arrival time said 3:30 am, but all day we watched the minutes melt away, and arrived back home in T-ville by 10:30 pm instead. What a beautiful drive!! The canyons between south-western Colorado and Provo Utah are gorgeous at sunset!! We were so tired and sick of driving. Sometimes the only thing keeping us going was the thought of a Cafe Rio reward- which meant we had to get there before it closed! And we did. One pork burrito, enchilada style with black beans and medium sauce, and two mahi mahi tacos with tamatillo were the perfect end to quite an adventure.

Sunday, we got to go hear MG pal Sarah C.'s missionary farewell talk. Then spent the rest of the night with the Beckstrom fam- together again for the entire 2010 summer! It was so fun to finally meet little Olive, and spend time with Caroline, Caleb, Andrew, and Hyrum, who have all grown up so much! Family is a good thing, folks! A very good thing!

And now I'm "home" in Utah. Living with Mom and Dad. I don't know how long this will last. It's so fun to FINALLY live in the same city and state as Nathan. This hasn't happened for more than 3 months at a time since high school!! I'm really excited to spend all summer with him, hanging out and seeing where things go. Official blog update: Nathan and I are together. A real boyfriend/girlfriend type thing. But we're not getting married for a while. Probably a long while. We're just going to spend this year dating and making sure we're what each other wants, and focusing on school and saving money. The way we see it, there's no need to hurry or rush. We've got plenty of time. And better to be ready than not.

I'm back in Utah. Things with Nathan and I are going well. And that's that.

How'd Spring Goals Go?

Well, it's much too late, and I'm "home" in the 801. Back in the home I grew up in and lived in for 18 years. But the home where I've only lived for summers and holidays for 6 years. Now I'm here for good, for at least a while. And I'm not sleeping.

So... spring goals, huh? Not too shabby.

1. no stress, baby steps- this goal is the only way I survived my last semester at WMU. And it worked pretty well for most of the time. Right before Nathan came home, right after my recital hearing and DMA audition and my cello was busted, I started to stress a little bit then. But rightfully so, eh?

2. don't allow laziness- gotta admit, there were some lazy afternoons of Gilmore Girls and naps on the couch. But I woke up at a decent hour, practiced my butt off, stayed caught up on homework, prepared for orchestra and trio rehearsals, and wrote to Nathan. Guess I could have exercised more...

3. practice cause I love cello- CHECK! Makes practicing WAY more fun than practicing cause I have a lot to do, or practicing cause it's on my schedule to do, or practicing cause there's a huge recital on the horizon.

4. make myself go to bed by 11pm- I think I sucked at this most of the time. ESPECIALLY at the end of the semester.

5. stick to the budget- this went better than ever before. Not perfect yet, but I'm learning.

6. stay on schedule- again, the only way I survived this semester. I really liked that I scheduled free time and fun time and things like laundry and grocery shopping, so that I didn't feel like I was wasting time doing those things. woot.

7. end masters with a bang- 4.0- SUCCESS! A's on all of my 8 graduate credits. Including my graduate recital, and ridiculous Dr. Ricci aesthetics class. That feels really good.

Summer goals. They've gotta be good. There's lots coming up and I need to get ready.

The Mom who Lived!

Happy Mothers Day

to the fantastic

Gae Beckstrom.

From whose genes I inherited

procrastination

listening skillz

love for living things

a creative mind

a big bum

and an audacious attitude!

(to name only a few...)

Who is talented with children

Who doesn't love vegetables

And who will listen to my silly dramatic life

for hours

When I remember to call.

Who raised 4 stellar children

And tamed an engineer.

Who loves sunshine

and hot showers

and buttery toast with hot chocolate.

From whom I learn

faith

resilience

courage

and forgiveness.

Happy Mothers Day!!

I'm grateful for every one I get

With The Mom Who Lived!

Traverse City Without a Camera

I spent the last few days in BEAUTIFUL Traverse City Michigan. It was wonderful and relaxing and gorgeous. My cell phone was dead, my ipod was dead, and I didn't even think to bring a camera! So here is a picture story... using pictures that I didn't take. :)

This is me and my pal Zack, who grew up in Traverse City. This picture was taken almost exactly a year ago when we were stand partners in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival Orchestra. I convinced him to come to Traverse City with me on Sunday to go to a chamber music concert. He had to go up anyway for his Dad's birthday. :) So I followed his little red mini van all the way up US 131 in record breaking time. It was a beautiful drive, and so liberating to drive fast on an open road to anywhere but Kalamazoo!

And who's Chamber Music concert did we drive all that way for? None other than the wonderful Fry Street Quartet!! Quartet cellist Anne was my cello guru, mom away from home, chamber music coach, and LIFE coach during my years at USU, and continues to be a wonderful friend and musical resource. When I heard they were coming to Michigan, even though Traverse is more than 3 hours north of Kalamazoo, I knew I had to be there! And it was COMPLETELY worth it. Even Zack thought so. I miss hearing them play!! Beethoven, BARBER, and melt-your-face-off beautiful solos in the second movement of the Dvorak American quartet. *sigh*

Immediately following the concert, there was a reception and chocolate tasting at Jacques Torres chocolate shop. This is not your average chocolate. It's like heaven melted down and mixed with ... I don't know, everything wonderful! We sampled dark Belgian chocolate, "Love Potion #9," dark chocolate mint tea truffles, and "Wicked" hot chocolate. YUM! It was so fun to just sit in a delightful chocolate shop, surrounded by little old music lovers, and catch up on life with Anne Francis while sipping the worlds best hot chocolate. After the reception, Zack and I were invited to join the quartet and the administration of Chamber Music North for dinner. LUCKY, huh! So we spent the rest of the night eating delicious food, and MORE delicious food, having good conversation with great company. And by the time we were done, it was too late to safely drive back to Kalamazoo, so Zack graciously invited me to spend the night at his parent's house.

...which included a midnight Meijer run for spend-the-night essentials, 1:30 am snacking on brie and french bread, two games of "Jamilyn-sucks-at-chess," and morning of fetch with adorable dog Griffin. Then Zack showed me some of the coolest places in Traverse. We drove through the historic district looking at beautiful houses, drove up the peninsula to look at the water (it really is as blue as it looks in that picture! Amazing!), stopped at 2 Lads winery, admired the cherry blossoms, visited the lighthouse, and drove back on the other side. Seriously, this place is so pretty!

When we got back from our long drive, it was time to celebrate father Boyt's birthday. They convinced me to stay for birthday dinner at a place called "Knot just a bar" which is right on the water of Lake Michigan. I sampled my first ever smelt- which apparently is a small and delicious fish, and I had an amazingly tasty blackened salmon salad. These Boyts are awesome people, let me tell ya! I'm so grateful that I got to spend a few days with them having fun! I hope I didn't wear out my welcome.

I drove back to Kalamazoo, listening to Interlochen public radio for most of the way. When the static took over, I turned off the radio to sort through some hefty thoughts. Life feels big right now. Decisions are big, changes are big, relationships feel big. But lucky for me to have a few beautiful days with a friend in Traverse City, where time seemed on pause, and pending life seemed miles away!

Morning Elegance

I haven't seen a music video I like this much in a long time. This makes me so happy!