Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Letter 2011
It seems like 2011 has just flown by. I think having a little one running around the house seems to put everything into high speed. Anya celebrated her first birthday on June 4 with a big birthday party on what was probably one of the hottest days of the year. She got lots of gifts and enjoyed opening them. Anya started walking on her own at around 14 months and she has really taken off! Her vocabulary also now contains too many words to count. Though we can’t always tell what she’s saying, she seems to have a lot to say! Some of her favorite pastimes include doing her puzzle, riding in her toy car, serenading us at her toy piano, and telling poor Peanut Butter “No, no.” She is a busy little thing!
Eric and I have also been very busy. I completed my thesis in August which means that I am finally finished with my Master of Arts in Music Therapy. The bound copies of my thesis came in the mail in late November and it was so nice to see my name in print. I am still working part time at Deaconess Cross Pointe, though I have gotten more music therapy contracts over the past year and also have some other projects started that I’m hoping will amount to something this coming year. I will also be supervising music therapy practicum students from UE next semester. In addition, my piano studio has grown from one piano student to six students. Eric has now been working for Keller Schroeder for over three and a half years and has consulted on a variety of projects with various businesses around town. He is a Co-Leader for the SharePoint User Group and President of the Evansville Technology User Group. He is also taking an active role in working on the website for our neighborhood association.
Eric and I also both turned 30 this year. Eric had a 30th birthday/Halloween costume party and I had a travel-themed party followed by an adults-only game night at our house. I’m sure we would both rather stay in our 20’s, but I feel like we have accomplished a lot in 30 years. We have also both lost quite a bit of weight, making us the smallest we have been since we can remember, so that definitely makes turning 30 a little easier!
Things this year have been too hectic to get much done with the house. However, we did have new carpet installed in our bedroom, the upstairs hallway, the stairway, the family room, and the living room. It was a mess during the process but we were glad to get it done. We hope to install carpet in the other 3 bedrooms this coming year, as well as install a new countertop in the kitchen and a new kitchen floor.
With Anya being a little older, we were able to do a little more travelling this year than last year. In April, we took an extended weekend to St. Louis so we could visit the art museum and the zoo. Unfortunately, Anya got a cold that weekend and slept through most of the zoo, so we’ll have to go back another time. In July, we spent a week in Chicago seeing the sites, including a Food Tour, an evening boat tour, lots of Chicago-style pizza, the Lincoln Park zoo, the beach, the art museum, Shedd’s Aquarium, The Field Museum, and Navy Pier. We had a good time and Anya did really well. At the end of July, Eric and I had our first overnight without Anya and spent the weekend in New Harmony. We also spent a family weekend in Louisville in September and took Anya to the zoo, which she really enjoyed. In October, Eric and I spent a week in Jamaica at Sandals Whitehouse celebrating our anniversary, while Anya split the time with each of our parents. Though we missed her, it was really nice to get away. We did an evening sunset cruise, but the rest of the time was spent doing a whole lot of eating, drinking, and just lying on the beach. It was really nice to get away and we hope to go back someday. In early November, Eric got to go to a Colt’s game with his parents for his 30th birthday which he had a great time doing, though I’m sure he wishes the Colt’s would have played a little better. I also got the chance to go to the American Music Therapy Association conference in Atlanta in mid-November. I got to network and gather new ideas for sessions. Now that I’m finished with grad school, I am going to need the extra motivation! The weekend after Thanksgiving we also travelled to Cincinnati to see Eric’s dad’s family.
We are both looking forward to the new year and have a lot planned. Besides house projects, we are also planning another European trip and plan to take Ani with us. Our route this time will be Madrid, Budapest, Vienna (with a day trip to Bratislavia), and the Middle Rhine area in Germany.
Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!!
Rachel, Eric, Anya, and Peanut Butter
Eric and I have also been very busy. I completed my thesis in August which means that I am finally finished with my Master of Arts in Music Therapy. The bound copies of my thesis came in the mail in late November and it was so nice to see my name in print. I am still working part time at Deaconess Cross Pointe, though I have gotten more music therapy contracts over the past year and also have some other projects started that I’m hoping will amount to something this coming year. I will also be supervising music therapy practicum students from UE next semester. In addition, my piano studio has grown from one piano student to six students. Eric has now been working for Keller Schroeder for over three and a half years and has consulted on a variety of projects with various businesses around town. He is a Co-Leader for the SharePoint User Group and President of the Evansville Technology User Group. He is also taking an active role in working on the website for our neighborhood association.
Eric and I also both turned 30 this year. Eric had a 30th birthday/Halloween costume party and I had a travel-themed party followed by an adults-only game night at our house. I’m sure we would both rather stay in our 20’s, but I feel like we have accomplished a lot in 30 years. We have also both lost quite a bit of weight, making us the smallest we have been since we can remember, so that definitely makes turning 30 a little easier!
Things this year have been too hectic to get much done with the house. However, we did have new carpet installed in our bedroom, the upstairs hallway, the stairway, the family room, and the living room. It was a mess during the process but we were glad to get it done. We hope to install carpet in the other 3 bedrooms this coming year, as well as install a new countertop in the kitchen and a new kitchen floor.
With Anya being a little older, we were able to do a little more travelling this year than last year. In April, we took an extended weekend to St. Louis so we could visit the art museum and the zoo. Unfortunately, Anya got a cold that weekend and slept through most of the zoo, so we’ll have to go back another time. In July, we spent a week in Chicago seeing the sites, including a Food Tour, an evening boat tour, lots of Chicago-style pizza, the Lincoln Park zoo, the beach, the art museum, Shedd’s Aquarium, The Field Museum, and Navy Pier. We had a good time and Anya did really well. At the end of July, Eric and I had our first overnight without Anya and spent the weekend in New Harmony. We also spent a family weekend in Louisville in September and took Anya to the zoo, which she really enjoyed. In October, Eric and I spent a week in Jamaica at Sandals Whitehouse celebrating our anniversary, while Anya split the time with each of our parents. Though we missed her, it was really nice to get away. We did an evening sunset cruise, but the rest of the time was spent doing a whole lot of eating, drinking, and just lying on the beach. It was really nice to get away and we hope to go back someday. In early November, Eric got to go to a Colt’s game with his parents for his 30th birthday which he had a great time doing, though I’m sure he wishes the Colt’s would have played a little better. I also got the chance to go to the American Music Therapy Association conference in Atlanta in mid-November. I got to network and gather new ideas for sessions. Now that I’m finished with grad school, I am going to need the extra motivation! The weekend after Thanksgiving we also travelled to Cincinnati to see Eric’s dad’s family.
We are both looking forward to the new year and have a lot planned. Besides house projects, we are also planning another European trip and plan to take Ani with us. Our route this time will be Madrid, Budapest, Vienna (with a day trip to Bratislavia), and the Middle Rhine area in Germany.
Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!!
Rachel, Eric, Anya, and Peanut Butter
End of the Year Review
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? Completed a Master’s degree, finished a (real) research project
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m not sure I made any strict resolutions other than just ideas in my head that I tried to keep in mind throughout the year, though I keep saying I’m going to make real ones each year…
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Holly, Abbie, Beth and several cousins…I’m sure I’m missing people…Also, Eric’s cousin and her husband are adopting a 7-year old little boy. I have several friends who are pregnant and will be giving birth next year as well.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes
5. What countries did you visit? Jamaica...We are hoping to increase this number in 2012
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More free time, enough contracts to leave Cross Pointe, to not have to work weekends or holidays, to do another European trip
7. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 1-3 – Weekend in St. Louis
May 7 – SMWC Graduation
May 14 – Memorial for Brandon at UE
May 25 – Anya’s surgery (ear tubes)
June 4 – Anya’s 1st birthday party
July 10-16 – Vacation in Chicago
July 30 – First night away from Ani; weekend in New Harmony
August 31 – the day my MA was added to my transcript
August 31 – September 1
September 17-18 – Weekend in Louisville
October 1 – Graduation party at Turoni’s, then a night out!
October 16-22 – 5th anniversary trip to Jamaica!
October 28 – Eric’s 30th birthday
October 29 – Eric’s 30th birthday party
November 17-20 – AMTA conference in Atlanta
November 26-27 – Weekend in Cincinnati
December 10 – My 30th birthday party
December 12 – My 30th birthday
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing my thesis/research study, completing my Masters
9. What was your biggest failure? Not doing enough to educate people about music therapy
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not any more than normal
11. What was the best thing you bought? My used Seagull guitarJ, paying someone to clean my house a couple times a month
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? All the people who have made it a priority to spend time with me and make things special on days like my birthday, graduation, etc.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? People who didn’t find me important enough to spend time with me and/or just completely dismissed important days, like my birthday, graduation, etc.
14. Where did most of your money go? Vacations, (Jamaica and Chicago), new carpet
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finishing my Master’s, Jamaica
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011? “Grace” by Kate Havnick
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier…the postpartum pregnancy hormones finally calmed down and I’m learning more and more about myself each day
ii. thinner or fatter? A lot thinner…thanks to Weight Watchers!
iii. richer or poorer? Maybe a little richer…I am working a lot more than before!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? relaxing and just enjoying life (same as every year)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying (same as every year)
20. How did you spend Christmas? We are planning to spend Christmas Eve morning with my family, Christmas Eve evening with my mom’s family, Christmas morning doing our family Christmas, lunch on Christmas with my dad’s family, dinner on Christmas with Eric’s family, dinner on the 26th with Eric’s mom’s family, out to dinner on the 27th with another aunt on Eric’s dad’s side, probably out to dinner with an out-of-town friend on the 28th…it’s really true when we sing about “The 12 Days of Christmas!”
21. Did you fall in love in 2011? Fall in love? No, but still in love with my husband and my baby girl!
22. How many one-night stands? One year I’m just going to delete this question…
23. What was your favorite TV program? American Horror Story (love this show!), New Girl, Whitney, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, So You Think You Can Dance,
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, just irritated with a few
25. What was the best book you read? Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult – it was cool to read about a music therapist; Travels by Michael Crichton – I never realized he’d had so many experiences abroad
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Using my guitar more, finally started using Pandora
27. What did you want and get? To go to Jamaica, to finish my Master of Arts
28. What did you want and not get? more time to relax, to leave Cross Pointe
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Crazy Stupid Love, and I’m planning to watch The Music Never Stopped before the end of the year…I’ve heard it’s good!
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30 this year, so we had a big party a couple days before my actual birthday. It was travel-themed and included foods from all the countries we have been to. My cake was a suitcase. Afterwards, we had an adults-only game night at our house.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? more relaxation, less worrying, a different job
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? This isn’t really a “fashion concept” but this year, I got to wear clothes I never thought I’d wear – “skinny” clothes! I’m smaller than I’ve ever been (at least since I can remember) so it is nice to feel good in my clothes…
33. What kept you sane? Not really sure…
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No clue…
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Healthcare…again.
36. Who did you miss? Friends that I don’t get to see often
37. Who was the best new person you met? Courtney
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. I have three:
i. It seems that most people in “higher-up” positions in the workplace don’t go out of their way to recognize others who are doing a good job or ask them their opinions, so if you have accomplished something you’ll just have to “toot your own horn” and if you have an idea, you should just share it even if you aren’t askedJ
ii. You can’t control how other people act, and you can’t always control how you feel about how people act (I tell the kids I work with this all the time!), but what you can do is accept that you have no control over this. In other words, I am done inconveniencing myself for other people who don’t find it worthwhile to return the favor and go out of their way for things that are important to/for me. I’m slowly working through my frustration about this, but I’ve decided that from here on out, it’s not worth it to me if I’m not worth it to you.
iii. I’m starting to think it’s not a bad thing to be just a little “selfish.” Typically, people don’t have your interest in mind and they are too busy/not motivated enough to worry about your needs or desires, even the people you would most expect to do that for you. In other words, it’s important that you take care of you (physically, emotionally, and mentally) because, let’s be honest, no one else is going to do that for you. In the end, the only person you can truly count on is yourself.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Nothing comes easily, fill this empty space. Nothing is like it was. Turn my grief to grace.”
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m not sure I made any strict resolutions other than just ideas in my head that I tried to keep in mind throughout the year, though I keep saying I’m going to make real ones each year…
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Holly, Abbie, Beth and several cousins…I’m sure I’m missing people…Also, Eric’s cousin and her husband are adopting a 7-year old little boy. I have several friends who are pregnant and will be giving birth next year as well.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes
5. What countries did you visit? Jamaica...We are hoping to increase this number in 2012
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More free time, enough contracts to leave Cross Pointe, to not have to work weekends or holidays, to do another European trip
7. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 1-3 – Weekend in St. Louis
May 7 – SMWC Graduation
May 14 – Memorial for Brandon at UE
May 25 – Anya’s surgery (ear tubes)
June 4 – Anya’s 1st birthday party
July 10-16 – Vacation in Chicago
July 30 – First night away from Ani; weekend in New Harmony
August 31 – the day my MA was added to my transcript
August 31 – September 1
September 17-18 – Weekend in Louisville
October 1 – Graduation party at Turoni’s, then a night out!
October 16-22 – 5th anniversary trip to Jamaica!
October 28 – Eric’s 30th birthday
October 29 – Eric’s 30th birthday party
November 17-20 – AMTA conference in Atlanta
November 26-27 – Weekend in Cincinnati
December 10 – My 30th birthday party
December 12 – My 30th birthday
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing my thesis/research study, completing my Masters
9. What was your biggest failure? Not doing enough to educate people about music therapy
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not any more than normal
11. What was the best thing you bought? My used Seagull guitarJ, paying someone to clean my house a couple times a month
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? All the people who have made it a priority to spend time with me and make things special on days like my birthday, graduation, etc.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? People who didn’t find me important enough to spend time with me and/or just completely dismissed important days, like my birthday, graduation, etc.
14. Where did most of your money go? Vacations, (Jamaica and Chicago), new carpet
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finishing my Master’s, Jamaica
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011? “Grace” by Kate Havnick
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier…the postpartum pregnancy hormones finally calmed down and I’m learning more and more about myself each day
ii. thinner or fatter? A lot thinner…thanks to Weight Watchers!
iii. richer or poorer? Maybe a little richer…I am working a lot more than before!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? relaxing and just enjoying life (same as every year)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying (same as every year)
20. How did you spend Christmas? We are planning to spend Christmas Eve morning with my family, Christmas Eve evening with my mom’s family, Christmas morning doing our family Christmas, lunch on Christmas with my dad’s family, dinner on Christmas with Eric’s family, dinner on the 26th with Eric’s mom’s family, out to dinner on the 27th with another aunt on Eric’s dad’s side, probably out to dinner with an out-of-town friend on the 28th…it’s really true when we sing about “The 12 Days of Christmas!”
21. Did you fall in love in 2011? Fall in love? No, but still in love with my husband and my baby girl!
22. How many one-night stands? One year I’m just going to delete this question…
23. What was your favorite TV program? American Horror Story (love this show!), New Girl, Whitney, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, So You Think You Can Dance,
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, just irritated with a few
25. What was the best book you read? Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult – it was cool to read about a music therapist; Travels by Michael Crichton – I never realized he’d had so many experiences abroad
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Using my guitar more, finally started using Pandora
27. What did you want and get? To go to Jamaica, to finish my Master of Arts
28. What did you want and not get? more time to relax, to leave Cross Pointe
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Crazy Stupid Love, and I’m planning to watch The Music Never Stopped before the end of the year…I’ve heard it’s good!
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30 this year, so we had a big party a couple days before my actual birthday. It was travel-themed and included foods from all the countries we have been to. My cake was a suitcase. Afterwards, we had an adults-only game night at our house.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? more relaxation, less worrying, a different job
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? This isn’t really a “fashion concept” but this year, I got to wear clothes I never thought I’d wear – “skinny” clothes! I’m smaller than I’ve ever been (at least since I can remember) so it is nice to feel good in my clothes…
33. What kept you sane? Not really sure…
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No clue…
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Healthcare…again.
36. Who did you miss? Friends that I don’t get to see often
37. Who was the best new person you met? Courtney
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. I have three:
i. It seems that most people in “higher-up” positions in the workplace don’t go out of their way to recognize others who are doing a good job or ask them their opinions, so if you have accomplished something you’ll just have to “toot your own horn” and if you have an idea, you should just share it even if you aren’t askedJ
ii. You can’t control how other people act, and you can’t always control how you feel about how people act (I tell the kids I work with this all the time!), but what you can do is accept that you have no control over this. In other words, I am done inconveniencing myself for other people who don’t find it worthwhile to return the favor and go out of their way for things that are important to/for me. I’m slowly working through my frustration about this, but I’ve decided that from here on out, it’s not worth it to me if I’m not worth it to you.
iii. I’m starting to think it’s not a bad thing to be just a little “selfish.” Typically, people don’t have your interest in mind and they are too busy/not motivated enough to worry about your needs or desires, even the people you would most expect to do that for you. In other words, it’s important that you take care of you (physically, emotionally, and mentally) because, let’s be honest, no one else is going to do that for you. In the end, the only person you can truly count on is yourself.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Nothing comes easily, fill this empty space. Nothing is like it was. Turn my grief to grace.”
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
30!
This year Eric and I both turned 30, so we decided to have big birthday parties. I had a Halloween costume party for Eric at Burdette Park. Then, I had a travel-themed birthday party at La Quinta Inn that included food from the various countries we have travelled to. One of my birthday cakes was even a suitcase!
I know some people have issues with turning 30, and I guess if I were given a choice, I would choose to stay in my 20's, but I think I'm ok with being 30, especially when I think of all the things I've accomplished before turning 30, most of which happened in the past five years:
1. Finished my Masters degree (in addition to 2 Bachelors degrees)
2. Had 1 child
3. Got married (and have been married for 5 years)
4. Own a decent-sized home
5. Travelled to 11 different countries (including various countries in Europe twice, Jamaica twice, Mexico, and Canada)
6. Work full-time hours as a music therapist
I will have to work hard to top all this in the next 30 years!
I know some people have issues with turning 30, and I guess if I were given a choice, I would choose to stay in my 20's, but I think I'm ok with being 30, especially when I think of all the things I've accomplished before turning 30, most of which happened in the past five years:
1. Finished my Masters degree (in addition to 2 Bachelors degrees)
2. Had 1 child
3. Got married (and have been married for 5 years)
4. Own a decent-sized home
5. Travelled to 11 different countries (including various countries in Europe twice, Jamaica twice, Mexico, and Canada)
6. Work full-time hours as a music therapist
I will have to work hard to top all this in the next 30 years!
So Busy!!
Things have certainly been crazy around here. I went to the AMTA conference in Atlanta in mid-November and got some really great ideas for interventions. It was also great to network with other Music Therapists.
Then, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went to Cincinnati to have Thanksgiving with Eric's dad's family. It was a great time but a very busy weekend.
Since December started, it feels like we have been going non-stop with trying to get ready for Christmas. There is lots to do: baking, Christmas letters and cards, Christmas pictures, Christmas parties, and shopping...
Then, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went to Cincinnati to have Thanksgiving with Eric's dad's family. It was a great time but a very busy weekend.
Since December started, it feels like we have been going non-stop with trying to get ready for Christmas. There is lots to do: baking, Christmas letters and cards, Christmas pictures, Christmas parties, and shopping...
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