Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

First snow of the season! It's kind of unusual for us to have snow so early - usually we don't get anything until January, so this is pretty exciting! I love snow - white fluffy stuff floating down from the sky, covering everything in a spectacular glistening brilliance. Not to mention the creamy hot cocoa, the Christmas music playing, and the flickering candles...

By the way, since I'm here, I though I'd mention some new updates. I'm planning on taking the SAT in March, which is great. It's another step towards college, which is exciting. Also, I'm hoping to take violin lessons in February. Just a few to see if I like it. I've always wanted to do this, so I'm looking forward to it immensely.

I hope you are all having a lovely December! Keep warm and cozy!

30 Random Things About Me

I got tagged by my friend, Colleen, to do this random list thing, so here I am.

1. I love Ireland and hope to someday visit it.
2. I finished writing a novel a couple days ago, which is my first ever to be completed.
3. I'm a Christian.
4. My favorite singer is Ryan Kelly.
5. My second favorite singer is Andrea Bocelli.
6. Music is my most favorite thing in the world.
7. Someday, I hope to learn to play the violin.
8. Writing is my second favorite thing.
9. Photography is third.
10. I love Apple computers.
11. I've been planning on painting my room for three years.
12. I am the middle child.
13. I love the lights in downtown Fredericksburg during Christmastime.
14. My favorite color combination is blue and brown.
15. I envisioned the jacket I wanted a year before the stores carried it.
16. I want to go to the beach someday.
17. Speaking of seventeen, I am seventeen.
18. I can be somewhat dramatic, though it's usually for the sake of humor.
19. My favorite car is a Saab convertible, even if it would be expensive to fix.
20. At the moment, my favorite song is "Take Me Home."
21. My favorite hymn is "How Firm a Foundation."
22. Someday I'm going to open a Pizza Parlor.
23. I love the city and I love the country.
24. My cousin says I remind him of the violinist, Hilary Hahn.
25. I really want to meet a little girl named Emily Jane.
26. I want to have an ice cream cake for my wedding cake.
27. I get way too excited when I get a notification on Facebook telling me someone commented on or "liked" something I posted.
28. I like to randomly quote songs.
29. I like Punjana Tea commercials. Yes, I am weird. =P
30. If I wait long enough and try hard enough, I know that I'll find exactly what I'm looking for, because I always have.

I tag the following people -

Mom
Nicole
Rachel
Natalie
Becky
MJ

I'm Gonna Take a Little Time

Hello! It's been about a month since I last wrote - sorry for not getting back here sooner! As you can imagine, it's been a wee bit busy around here...

School is going well, although Thanksgiving week I took off and I haven't picked it back up again yet. I'm hoping to get on top of that today. I've been doing a week's worth of Biology and US History per day, and trying to make it through an Algebra lesson everyday too. I'm really struggling with the math, but I'm more than 3/4 into it, so I am not too worried.

Remember how I said I wasn't going to do NaNoWriMo this year? Well, about a week into the month I changed my mind. I got a pep talk email from the NaNoWriMo people saying that if I was one of those writers who still hadn't written anything yet, not to give up. I thought about the original story idea I had, but still didn't like it. So, I brainstormed and came up with a story set in Northern Ireland involving the IRA. I worked and worked and worked at it for three weeks straight and finished my story in the early hours of yesterday morning. It was the first novel I've ever finished, so I was pretty excited. I also had gotten 50,000 words by the end of November 30th, which makes me a winner. ;-) They had a special offer this year that whoever won NaNoWriMo this year, they would get a copy of their book in paperback! That's pretty exciting for me! I have a year window to send it in, so I'm already busy editing.

As far as piano is concerned... lets just say I forgot I had a piano for a little while. Not such a great thing... I played around on it a little bit as I passed by it yesterday, and I thought to myself, "Wow, I forgot how much I love doing this!" I'm planning on devoting this week to excessive practicing.

The Harvest Dinner was a couple weeks ago and that was very nice! My grandmother was able to come, which was really great. The choir did well, which surprised me - and I think it may have surprised Mr. Smith too! I'm not sure if the choir is going to sing on New Year's Eve. We normally do, but the Smiths will be out of town for their son's wedding, so I'm not certain what will happen. I'll keep you all updated.

On Thanksgiving, we got together with my cousins and my grandmother. Although it was a little sad, overall everyone had a good time. We ate and talked and laughed and ate some more. I'm so thankful for all that God has given me this year. It's so hard to see why God gives us trials, while we're going through them. As hard as it was though, I'm thankful for those times because it made my faith stronger and brought me closer to Christ.

I think my teacher is having a recital this month, but I don't know yet. (I should really get busy memorizing that piece...) My cousins' bridal shower will be this month, I'm hoping to spend some time visiting my grandmother, and of course there's Christmas too. Not too mention school and book editing... Should be a fun and busy month! Just how I like it! Keep warm and dry and in case I don't write again this month - Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!