Life threw its self into overdrive then minute the New Year started.  I had a really great Christmas break and it was really restful despite all my traveling and working.  I’ve been taking advantage of the break and working a lot to help financially.  Starting Jan. 2^nd I started a winter class at the local community college.  It is an English class and this will be the first time I have ever taken a college class at anywhere but Masters.  I just need a little bit of pressure taken off my last semester otherwise I would be stuck taking 22.5 units for my last semester.  That wouldn’t be fun. So, now I’m only at 19.5 units, which  is still bad, but not as bad as it would have been.  I thought this winter class at the community college was going to be fairly easy but its not looking like that.  The professor is warning us that the each days works is equal to a week’s worth of work in a full semester!  That is proving to be true.  I just have to be very discipline this next couple of weeks.  I just pray it doesn’t get to overwhelming since the regular semester and my winter class are going to overlap for a week.

I have a lot of good things to look forward to this year.  I have to make a decision about going enrolling in a credential program.  I would really love to stay at Master’s and be in the credential program here but I’m not sure I can afford it.  We’ll have to pray about it.  Well, life is busy and I’m trying not to get stressed as my last semester quickly approaches.

-Amy   

Sing sing sing! I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.  We are three nights into our Christmas concert series.  It has been a blast and we have five performances left.  I’m in the toyshop scene and everyone in my scene is dressed up like a toy.  We have a Barbie, a wined up Doll, G.I. Joe, Raggity Ann, Winnie the Pooh, a Jack in the Box and me.  I’m dressed up as an Etch-a-Sketch.  It is awesome.  I had so much fun making my costume and I have a blast singing in it.  My costume is just a huge box that looks like an Etch-a-sketch.  I cut a hole for my face in the screen and drew on a stick figure person on the front of the screen as my body.  Its awesome.  People love it!  Everything has been going really good with the concerts.  The Music is awesome.  In fact we are singing that same work, “John Rutter’s Gloria” at Carnagie Hall in May.  That is exciting.  I’m really looking forward to that.  I sing a solo on the work so it will be interesting to see who sings it at Carnagie Hall.  I think that would freak me out if I ended up singing it.  AAHH!!! A solo at Carnagie Hall.  He’ll probably replace me with someone way better. 

Other than that,  weather has been extremely cold lately.  Wow!  We’ve been wearing large coats, gloves and scarfs.  Those students who are from places like Arizona are freezing and those from any of the cold states are feeling homesick.  I can understand, but there are only like two more weeks of school left so it won’t be long before we can all see our families again.  I get to see mine at tonights performance.  I hope I can make them proud.

Classes are pretty busy too but many of my professors are very gracious during concert week because they realize we don’t have a lot of time to do homework.   That’s about it for now.  Until later.
A. Hiappotomous

Be praying for Miguel and I.  We aren't doing very well financially.  Every month we find ourselves in a hole.  Miguel doesn't make enough for us to put some away from those unexpected things and it seems like each month hits us with something unexpected.  Thankfully one of the leaders of our small group is a financial guy and he is going to meet with us to help us with our budget.  Its looking like I'm going to have to start working if we can't figure something else out which is going to be very challenging.  I'm already buried in homework and I know that if I get a job, my grades are going to sink considerably.  Be praying that God gives us wisdom with our money.

a(me)

            On Friday (Oct. 13^th) my choir, The Master’s Chorale, did a car wash to raise money to help us go on tour this summer where we’ve been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall.  We are really excited to be going since we know this will be a once in a lifetime experience.  It’s also going to be very expensive so that is why we are doing things like car washes to offset the cost.  We were a little bit worried how well our car wash would go over since the weather report predicted rain, but it went great.  Praise God it barely sprinkled and that we didn’t have much down time.  A lot of people from the school came over to support us.   

            On Oct. 15^th my Sunday school class from Grace Baptist church had class at a retirement home here in Santa Clarita, Oakdale Heights.  We go their once a month and have a church service with the residence who are interested.  We sing hymns with them, preach and then take communion with those who are interested.  This was our first week going with them to Oakdale Heights.  I had the privilege of sitting with a women named Inez.   She grew up her entire life in the Catholic church and was raised by Nuns at a convent here in the Valley.  I prayed with her and tried to help her understand what church we were from.  I don’t think she quiet understood but it was nice for me to just be a friend and a help to her.  I will continue to pray for her and I hope that our monthly visits will make an impact on her life and allow her to see the truth of the gospel. 

A. Kleinstressig(a little stessed)

  Horray for the 1940's.  Here are the pictures from that party Miguel and I had at our place! hehe.

That was so fun!  We wished we could have had more people over but the How to Host a Murder game is only written for eight players.  We all had a great time.  Katy Ford ended up being the murdered!! Hahaha! So funny.

Yah, so that was that. Hope you like the pictures.

Amy