Get in here!

Just a normal day, a Monday, I went to school and somehow managed to carry my overloaded backpack on my exasperated back through the halls and through the classes. A near miss in English, acing a Geometry quiz, managing to squeak out a few spanish words, typing some pointless "re-type me" document, and listening to lectures. After 8th period I went down to the over crouded sophmore section of the  lockerroom and collected my necessities for softball practice. Practice seemed to drag on FOREVER, it was a "hitting day", so after about an hour of base running, we set up hitting stations and got our "cuts" (swings) in. Finally, coach called us in for a breakdown and we were allowed to leave. FINALLY! The night I had been waiting for since I found out I was moving back to Syracuse, Encore audtion night. I walked into that choir room completely covered in dust, sweat, and a little bit of dried blood from catching my arm on someone's steel cleat. I looked like a mess, I was still wearing my horendous smelling sliding shorts, pads, and protecters. No one said anything about my appearance, much to my surprise. A lot of people had to leave early for certain events, so they "HAD" to go first. I sat in that choir room for an hour before a cranky senior came in and pointed at me and said, "You, get in here, we need an alto." Finally, the moment I had been waiting for. I sang "My Counrty tis of Thee" and then it was time to start the audition song. The soprano and tenor singing with me had already auditioned, so they sang their part quietly in the back, so all you could really hear was me and the wimpy bass singer next to me. We sang all the way through the audtion song, and then they had us all sing it again, but this time they had me stand on the other side of the large room so they could hear the bass singer. "Thank you, please leave quietly." Ms. Poe said. I was not thrilled by the blank look on her face. I searched that red-head for any sort of expression at all, I needed some sort of reassurance that I did not just completely screw my audition up, but she gave me no expression at all.

Two days later, Ms. Poe posted the list in the hallway outside of the choir room. I raced out of eighth period to see the list, there was a crowd around it, my friend Kensie was crying, and at the moment I couldn't tell if it was tears of joy or sadness. I looked at the list, I scanned for my name, but didn't see it, my heart sank and I was about to walk away when another one of my friends said, "Congrats Annastazia!" I turned around and reread the list. Sure enough, right in the middle of the list it said "Annastazia Stofer". I was so happy! I could barely contain my eagerness! I couldn't stop smiling that entire night. I smiled all the way through softball practice (my coaches probably thought I was loosing my sanity or something... nevermind... I never had any sanity). My parents were very pleased and excited as well. September 10th is our first Encore practice! I can't wait! That night before I fell asleep, I thanked God for talent and desire he gave me. My only plea is that my talent would be used to glorify Him.

For those of you who don't know what Encore is, it is a select (audition only) show choir type of choir. It is the "ellite choir" in Syracuse. There are 5 sopranos, 5 altos (that's me!), 4 tenors, and 6 basses.

It's Unofficially Official

I have already endured 9 days of school at Syracuse. (That's a lie I went there for four and a half years before I moved). And frankly, I'm not very happy. My classes are so easy, and things just aren't the same. I HATE getting the "New-Old-Kid-Who-Randomly-Came-Back-After-Only-Being-Gone-For-18-Months" Treatment. It really bugs me, and I feel so out of the "Syracuse Loop". So many people have changed while I was gone. School is different, it is like picking up where I left off but in a different environment because everything is so different. I changed while I was in Ogallala, and it was for the better, but sometimes I wish things wouldn't change. It's times like this that I need to know that I'm not in controll of my life, God is. He had a reason for moving us out to Ogallala for me to expirience the best year and a half of my life, and then rip it all away. He has a reason for me being back in the place I was so anxious to leave, and He has a reason for everything. I need to chang emy attitude about this, or this is going to be the worst 3 years ever.

Bald in the Bible

This week I came across a verse in the bible that made me laugh so hard! I told Byron about it and I thought I would share it with all of you!

Leviticus 13:40
"Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean."

Our beloved Ex-Choir Director is clean! Congrats Mr. H (aka: Baldman)! :)

Missing Home... or Leaving Home?

This weekend I had the pleasure of going to Ogallala and visiting my Grandparents and many of my friends! I guess I didn't realize how much I missed all of my friends and family in Ogallala until this weekend. And then I started thinking to myself (and partially out loud...). Was I visiting home, or was I leaving my home to go visit a strangely familiar place. I was only in Ogallala for 18 months, but it still felt like home. Maybe it was the welcoming comunity, my amazing friends, or the fact that I adjusted so easily, but whatever it was, it made Ogallala seem like home. Ogallala was the perfect place for me. I knew when I walked into that Middle School the my first day (the first day of second semester) that I was going to fit in with the people here. And I did, I have 6 amazing friends from Ogallala that accepted me into their litte group shortly after I moved in. We are all so different, but we are also similar and get along amazingly. I cried and cried and cried when I found out that we would be moving back here. I was a little excited to get out of Syracuse when we moved out to Ogallala. I don't fit in, I have friends here, but they don't even compare to my friends in Ogallala.

But as I am faced with some of theses challenges, I am reminded of how extremely blessed my family is. Dad got his job in Omaha back with in 2 weeks of getting "laid of", that is truely amazing. With the economy the way it is, most people in this situation are still looking for a job. We have a place to live, we grumbled and complained while we were in Ogallala about how we wished this house would sell, so we could finish our new house there, but it never sold, and that was truely amazing.

One thing I have learned through switching schools and moving is that the friends that really care about you will do their best to keep in contact even after you move away. All six of my best friends in Ogallala have done so, and I hope they keep it up. :) And as much as I grumble about having to go to the orthodontist every 2 months, it gives me a reason to go to Ogallala and see my friends and family. :)