My mom and I went shopping for stuff for my graduation party today. I've already seen enough purple and gold to last me a lifetime, and the graduation madness has yet to fully start! I wanted to do green and brown or blue or something other than purple and gold...but my mom insisted on the use of school colors. Personally, I thought it would be quite the unique party if we hung up mexican flags and used white, green, and red...you know, to commemorate tacos.

Well, I was hoping to go either to Sam Ash or Wildwood today to look at guitars and such, but due to some uncontrollable circumstances, we could not go. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Both my parents are gone tonight and nick is working, so I've got the house to myself. It's nice to be alone for awhile...plus it's giving me some time to practice up for th next couple of sundays. I don't like to play the guitar/keyboard/singing when people are around the house listening. Well, I'm going to go wander around the kitchen to see if I can find some decent food for dinner!

With a few exams left next week, I'm pretty much done with Malone for the year! And speaking of being done with school and graduation, my mom and I sat down and talked about my "present" that my parents are hopefully going to get me. (a guitar) So hopefully within the next couple of weeks I'll be able to start looking around. Maybe that would be a good road trip for some people on the worship team and I. Well, I just got home from Benny's where we watched "revelations." I can't believe that I actually enjoy that show--I thought it was going to be so dumb at first. Anyways, these past couple of days have been interesting.

Today I finally sat down with Sean and talked about this summer and where I am headed as far as worship team stuff. We've decided that I am going to step down at the beginning of June and then Sean and I are going to study some material together this summer. And then we'll just have to see where things go this fall. I think a little separation time is necessary though...it'll be nice to finally have some time off since I've been consistently playing for the past 4ish years. That is, of course, separation time from the playing and responsibilities of the team, not the people. Honestly, with the exception of christmas and vacation over the summer, I have literally played almost every week. I'm sad that I'm stepping down, but at the same time it's exciting to try and figure out where God is going to lead me next.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Classes at Malone end tomorrow! But with that comes about a million papers that I have to write. I'm on my break between Jackson and Malone right now...there's not much to do. I'm going to be really bored once Malone is out and Jackson is not. Don't get me wrong...it's going to be great...but everyone else will still have to be at Jackson so I'm probably going to be bored. But it's great that I don't have to get a job this summer either...that means my schedule is going to be whatever I want it to be. See, I'm teaching 13 lessons now, so I should be fine. Oh, by the way...marke your calendars for June 4th. That's right, it's going to be the "mother of all taco nights" at my house for my graduation party! Oh, I can't wait...it's going to be just like the good ol' times with even more people! Well, I've got to get headed off to Malone!

Well, this week has flown by...and this weekend is going to fly by too. I'm pretty much going to be devoted to the writing of my papers since the end of the semester is quickly approaching. Anyways...I'm heading off to go do some reading. Have a great night!

Well, today has been great. The new coldplay song was released which in itself would have made today great even if it was freezing cold and snowing outside. But it was so nice outside I spent the evening reading out in my backyard. I feel like it should be summer. How nice would it be to live on a lake on a day like today. Relaxing and looking out over the water reading...that brings me right back to Deep Creek last summer...too bad I never did finish that book. Speaking of reading, Malone has given me a new appreciation for reading this year...mostly because you have to atleast pretend like you like it or else your life is miserable.

Well, this weekend has been alright. I've pretty much just been relaxing and taking a break from life because the past couple of weeks have been ridiculously hectic. I realized in my english class at Malone last Thursday that I only have about a week and a half of classes left there this semester. I can't believe it, school is coming to and end so fast. I don't know what I'm going to do when I don't have to get up and go to Jackson everyday and do all the high school stuff I'm so accustomed to. Like quitting the worship team--I'm dreading that. I really don't want to, especially since they're cancelling One18. It's like Sean, Josh, and I have been working so hard this past year to acclimate all of us to new positions and work on our leadership and musical abilities. It's almost as if we've done all this work just to let it all be thrown away. What the heck...why do all my friends have to be either two years older than me or two years younger than me. But here's the thing...The people that I was friends with that were older than me all graduated and moved on. I never talk to those people anymore. I'm desperatly trying to make sure that doesn't happen with the people that are younger than me. Seriously the entirety of the worship team is two years younger than me...if not more. I feel like graduating and relationships are the only things I ever talk about here...but I think that's because that is what is real to me right now. Plus I don't think anyone read this anyways...but these are the things that I am facing head on a day to day basis. I feel like I just need some good old starbucks and an afternoon with a go-to person.

Well here's your chance to learn about Leanne!

First name: Leanne
Birthday: 5-7-1987 (yep...my birthday is in less than 1 month!)
Who do you live with?: Mom, Dad, Nick
Any Brothers or Sisters?: 3 Brothers--Bryan, Andrew, Nick
Any pets?: A dog named Christy
What school you go to?: Jackson/Malone College
Whose your teacher?- Have have 5...do I really need to list them all?
Got a license?: Of course
Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?: nope...when the time is right
Why do you like them?: refer to the previous question
What do you guys got incommon?: refer to the fact that I don't have a boyfriend.
Besides your family who is the closest person to you?: I don't really have just one person that I'm really close to...so probably my friends at church.

What's Your Favorite...?

Bands: David Crowder Band, Coldplay, U2..and many more
Movies: Billy Madison, The Italian Job
Song: Oh...so many to choose from! But Just to name a few...
Your love is extravagant-Casting Crowns
Yearn-Shane and Shane
Amsterdam-Coldplay
Sometimes you can't make it on your own-U2
Food: Chicken or Tacos
TV show: Trigger Happy TV...too bad it's never on.
Thing to do when your bored: Play an instrument or read
Stores: VDO
Color: Brown and Green
Book: Lady In Waiting by Debbie Jones and The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

This OR That

music/movies: music
black/white: black
computers/tv: computers
cd's/cassettes: CD
snow/rain: Snow (but not when I have to clean off my car)
hot/cold: Cold
penguins/llamas: Penguins...llamas are mean! (trust me I know!)
coke/pepsi: water
summer/winter: Summer
email/aim: Depends on the conversation
mohawks/shaved heads: neither

Have You Ever...?

Smoked: no
did drugs: no
gotten drunk: no
laughed when you were by yourself: yeah
thumb wrestle and lost: probably...who honestly remembers
got kissed in the rain?: no
been on tv?: not that I know of...
been on the radio?: no
broken the law: Do you count slight speeding breaking the law?
snuck out of the house at night?: no
won a bet: the last time I made a bet...we both one (but i guess it was more of a deal)
slow danced with a guy/girl: Yeah, at my brothers' weddings
won a trophey?: Yeah, for swimming in California
yelled at the teacher?: no

Some Personal Stuff

In The Past 2 weeks have you...
Cried: no...but teary-eyed at the wedding
Cut your hair: no
Worn a dress: yeah...some of you guys even witnessed that occasion
Been sarcastic: yes
Missed someone: for sure
Hugged someone: yeah...just about every single person at the wedding because we were in a receiving line.
Wished upon a star: i don't think I've ever actually done that
Watched the sunset: Yep...it's so beautful, how can you not?
Laughed until you cried: probably
Went to the beach at night: let's think about the fact that I live nowhere near a beach...
Read a book for fun: yep...but i'm not done with it yet
Been lonely?: probably
Been happy: yeah...now that I'm finally done with this thing!

Well, I have nothing interesting to say. Lately I've been getting pounded with stuff to do. We had the wedding, plus now all the scholarship application deadlines are approaching. Plus, the end of the semester is soon so I'm getting pounded with work.

So I'm stuck on this one line of a coldplay song that says "just open up your eyes" because sometimes you don't realize that what you need and want is directly infront of you. It's like you've been blinded and you can't see that the one thing you desperately need is just inches in front of you.

Sometimes people put up walls to keep people out--or sometimes people put them up just to see who cares enough to break them down.

Well, I read that last week and since then I've just kept thinking about it. Mostly because it is so true. But moreover, it made me really think about all of the people in my life that have put up walls that I haven't cared enough to break down. We've all experienced it...you know when you see someone starting to drift away from you and you just let them go instead of grabbing on and taking their arm along the way. I wonder if those people put up those walls to see if I would break them down...and I didn't...

Well, the last of the relatives have left (except my grandparents). It's weird having them all around since I hardly ever get to see them. I literally get to see them at most once a year. Anyways, the wedding went great...I was all dressed up. To bad you guys all missed it. (well excpet the few people I saw on Saturday night) We're talking dress, hair, makeup, nails...the whole 9 yards. The next time I'll be dressed up like that is proably at my own wedding...haha. That'll be awhile yet....I've yet to set a date...or even find a guy. Anyways, we had people over last night after the reception...yep that's right, we had an "after party." So right, I'm really lacking on sleep since I've been up extra early all week, plus the wedding and getting up early for worship team tonight.

Well, the wedding madness is in full swing. With the ceremony tomorrow, all of the relative and friends are in town. We spent all day decorating at the church and then had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner tonight. No one was paying any attention so instructions had to be repeated over and over and over until finally everyone understood what they should have heard the first time. I'm already tired of everyone trying to map out the day tomorrow...I can't wait until after this is all finished so that I can be on my own schedule again. Everyone right now has to know where everyone is and what they are doing and what everyone's plans are. The best part is that I got home and had a message asking about Sunday morning. The last thing I wanted to do was start worrying about a schedule for Sunday! I'm just needing some serious sleep cause I've been up extra early every morning while house-sitting to make sure that the kids got up and ready for school in time. And the worst part is that I have to be up ridiculously early tomorrow...plus I have to get up early on Sunday for worship team...then we're back into another school week! Well, I must go grab some sleep before time evades me!

Well, it's nice to be able to just sit down and rest for awhile. Although house-sitting really isn't that hard, it's nice to get away. I just can't be in the same place for too long without going nuts. If I'm not giving lessons somewhere, I'm stuck at the house....and since it's not my house, there's really nothing for me to do there.

Well, the seniors all got to pick up their graduation announcements and such today. Wow, did was that a reality check or what? I can't believe I'm actualy graduating in May. This year has flown by so fast! Honestly, I'm kind of scared. Not that I'm scared to go to Malone or anything. The change itself is not the scary part, it's the effect that this huge change is going to have on my life that is nerve-racking. Like finally leaving the SH ministry after being a student for 6 years...I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself after I have no biblestudies to go to and no worship team to be apart of. What is most "scary" per say is the effect that graduating is going to have on all of my relationships. The only people in the SH that I've really become friends with (besides the seniors group...which is all leaving Canton for their school) are a good 2 years younger than me. Unfortunately, I've seen some of my relationships with people go down the drain as soon as they graduated and I was left in high school. I just hope the same thing doesn't happen when I graduate. I guess only time will tell...

Think about this:

God already had the perfect relationship and He has suffered a betrayal in the heart of heaven simply for the offense of sharing it.

Well, one week from today is the wedding! There are so many weddings all of a sudden. I'm almost happy that next week I won't be staying at my house because it's going to be crazy. I'm house-sitting/kid-sitting monday through friday afternoon. It'll be nice to be away from some of the hecticness (if that's even a word) that'll be going on with relatives coming in and such. House-sitting is great. With the kids there it makes it a little bit more of a responsibility though cause I have to make dinner and stuff...but I really don't have to do much other than that. It makes me want to move out and onto campus next year...but then when I think about it I realize that I would hate every waking moment of living in a dorm full of dramatic girls. You guys should hear what I'm listening to right now...you'd all be very confused and maybe even a little bit weirded out. I've actually found quite a liking in Gregorian Chants. I have to do a presentation on them for my "exploring the worlds of art and music" class at Malone so I checked out a couple cds from the library. I'm not going to go run out and buy the cds or anything...but they're actually very calming to listen to. Well, I'm going to head downstairs to go see if Nick and Adam are back to start working on my car, then I have to go pick up the keys for the house I'm staying at this week!