Wow! What A Week!

This picture was taken at my sound check proceeding the biggest gig I have ever had: The Jacksonville Supercross!
To some, it may seem like a small feat, but to me, it was the most exhilarating moment of my entire life, I think! I have had some very exciting moments. I was Valedictorian for my graduating class-- I had the opportunity to say the things that I wanted to say to everyone in my class as well as their family and friends, something not everyone was able to do! I've been to beautiful places. I've seen beautiful things. I have sang solos that mean the world to me in front of people that mean the world to me. I've been through a lot, and I have experienced a lot. But this moment was the craziest, most intense, sublime moment ever! The lights and the noise and the people and the busy-ness of it all. Those two minutes that I was singing were filled with so much emotion that I won't ever be able to express it. I am a very lucky girl!
My best friend, Jade, got engaged to her boyfriend, DJ, while in Disney World! So many folks from high school are getting engaged and having babies, but something about Jade and DJ seems to fit. And maybe some people that plan on getting married in the near future shouldn't, but Jade and DJ are different. Of course, I am biased. I love DJ, but Jade is family. I want her to be happy, and I want her to be taken care of. I know, without a shadow of doubt, that DJ will do everything he can to make sure those things are taken care of. They don't have petty arguments, and they work well together. They have become such a part of each other's families and each other's lives. There's no bull with them. They just work, so what's the point in searching around for anything else. I am so happy for Jade, and I know they she and DJ are capable of making this work.
Hahah. Why is it that I have so much to say about Jade's engagement? Well, since fourth grade, Jade and I have been partners in crime. There have been several years that all I had was Jade. I love her so much, and I just want her to be happy. Always! :)

Mackenzie-

If I could give my sister, Mackenzie, one piece of advice that she would never understand the importance of until she graduated from high school it is this: Pick Your Friends Wisely.
Yes, it is cliche, but I have never understood how very true it is until now. In high school, everyone is so good at being fake. Pretending to 'love' everyone just so you can all hang out around one another and save face. In high school, we're fake so we don't have to waste time arguing. We're fake so we can smile in the pictures and have memories that aren't flooded with animosity and hate. We're fake because that's what we've been taught. To paint on a smile, hand out some southern charm and power through.
Well, one day, you'll wake up and look around and find out that we lost track of who's smile was real. Who really cared about us? Who really wants to hang out... Even though everyone says they do. "Yea, I'll be home next weekend. We should get together." "Let's plan something." "Ohh yea. Next Saturday. I miss you so much." Facebook seems to be the only thing holding us together, but we can't even truly say that it is a stable connection. Facebook is simply a portrayal of what we want others to think that we are. I can't say that it's a sham, but it's a shadow. It's just a blank interpretation of what we desire to call ourselves. It's not genuine.

Dear Mackenzie,
Choose friends that build you up. You know those friends that crack jokes about how you might be smaller than they are or younger than they are or not as 'cool' as they are. Forget them. You are the coolest 12 year old I know. Hah, You're way cooler than a lot of the people I go to college with!
Choose friends that answer their phones when you call. Friends that don't break plans. If they're already doing it now, they will do it forever. I promise.
Choose friends that understand that boyfriends are absolutely less important than your girlfriends are. If you already have friends that are ignoring you or leaving you in the trenches for a guy, BUMP that. It only gets worse.
Choose friends that have are going places. Those friends that cuss and talk about sex and alcohol and drugs (yes, I know you have those and YES I know who they are)... Forget them! You will waste so much time trying to keep them out of trouble, and you will end up in trouble yourself!
I have been blessed with the most amazing friends you could ever imagine, but the real and true ones... they only come once in a lifetime. I had a blast for the past 18 years, and so many different people helped me to have that much fun... There are only a few that will actually stay a part of my life until the end, though.
Finally, I guess I have two pieces of advice. Pick your friends wisely, and don't be fake. Everyone fakes a smile to get by sometimes, but don't pretend you're somebody you're not for anyone else. I can honestly say that I didn't create any new personalities throughout the years of my life, and it certainly made things less stressful.
I watched friends change everything about themselves to accommodate a lifestyle I'm not sure they ever wanted. Man, especially for guys. I watched people that I love change what they liked, what they acted like, who they were and who they were friends with simply so they could make their boyfriend happy. Don't be that girl. You will end up miserable and stuck with no way out. When you tell everyone around you so many lies about who you are, you'll end up forgetting who you were in the first place. You are beautiful. And amazing. You are incredibly independent and hilarious. You are already a magnet for the boys... And I'm not sure how I feel about that... You're already having arguments with your friends that I went through before you. I wish I could give you all the answers, so you could coast through and be crazy happy. The only answer I do have id Just Be You.
Love you,
-M

A New Chapter Begins!

Today, I was accepted to Georgia State. It took so long for all my application stuff to get there, but today, I was officially accepted! I kinda feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. A new chapter will be beginning. I also accepted a Winshape Camp job as an 'actress'. It sounds really promising and very exciting. It had been on my heart for a while before I applied, and I finally did about three days before the deadline. I went through the interview process, and I was offered a job with the C3 camps which would last until August. I had to turn it down because my semester will start before the camp is over. I am so very thankful I did, because I was offered a job that fits me a whole lot better, I think. It works with my schedule, and it just feels right. I could not be happier! I think that I have a lot to offer to the girls I will be working with, and I know they have so much waiting for me. I will learn so much about God from the people that I will be surrounded with, and those girls are going to show me the grace of God, I know it!

I just got back from my first college spring break in Panama City. I had a good time, but who wouldn't have a good time at the beach?! I just love it there. And easily could live there! It was a good time, but I am ready to get back to school and get through this semester. Spring Break is great, but summer will be so much better!

Next weekend is the performance at Jacksonville Supercross. I am hoping and praying that I can get over this sickness before next Saturday. It is a really really really big deal, I like to think. Thousands of people are going to hear me and see me. I am thrilled and so nervous and so excited... I can't even stand it. This week is going to be crazy long because it will certainly be everything and the only thing I will be able to think about! :) Very exciting! :)