Amber's Notes

My 17th Birthday....... Fun times!!!

2008-08-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! After my long, delayed, absence (for which I have no plausible excuse) .... I have returned! :) I had an amazing birthday and so I'll just post some pictures of my FUN FUN FUN week(end)! Enjoy:)

:) 11:00 at night laughing until we cried.... Eating oreos... This is the result:)....

He's so sweet....

"You're a brat.";) (Inside joke.

Can you tell we were TIRED?!?!

:) No comment.

:) That's the "Look"!

Shaving cream paybacks:)

:) After he got me first.....

YES!!! I got silly-stringed!(this would be AFTER my dear, loving father wanted me to fix the headlight.....:)

Brush, brush!

Exhausted!

We had a blast playing Pit!!!

Can you tell:)?! Too much Starbucks!!!

2008-04-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Let's see...rules first. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names.

What I was doing 10 years ago: :) Doing what most 6 yr. olds do:). Beginning school, coming home with little homwork, and enjoying life in general:)

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Church (check)
2. Make mom's birthday dinner.
3. Start the process of cleaning my room:(:)
4. Exercise
5. Text a friend.

Snacks that I enjoy: Apples and caramel dip, Oreos and milk, etc.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Make sure I was completely debt free
2. Get a baby grand;).... Well, then maybe a place to PUT the baby grand....:) Hmm... That might pose a problem.
3. Buy a car that was half way decent, but not super expensive.

Three of my bad habits:
1. Taking a drink of water and spilling it on whatever I'm near.... My phone, piano, etc etc:). Maybe that's not a habit, it's just clumsiness?:)
2. Procrastinating with practicing
3. Not writing something down and thinking I'm gonna remember it, and then forgetting.

Five Places I have Lived:
1. Fort Wayne, IN
2. Odon, IN
3. Rochester Hills, MI
4. Summetville, IN
5.

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Accompanist
2. Piano Teacher
3. Babysitter
4. ----------
5. ----------

Five people I want to know more about (A nice way to say TAG!)....
1. Leah P.
2. Olivia M.
3. Travis M.
4. Cheryl W.
5. Kathie M.

~A Teaching Perspective~

2008-03-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I start, I probably should clarify that I don't wear the glasses OR the scowl to lessons;).

As a student teacher, there are times of fun and happiness, and others of frustration. They are all different. Sometimes students come in, not having practiced enough to remember when it was, and other times when they practice way over the amount they were supposed to. At times, I'm tired, busy, or stressed. However, I have come to realize that every student is special and unique. And, as a Christian, kid-loving, young, teacher that I have a responsibility. Some of the students come to lessons and have no clue about Christianity or the God that I serve. Though it is sad, I may be the only one that will ever be a representation of the great, wonderful God that created the universe. Some of them are adopted, and need affirmation. Maybe parents that don't pay attention to them.....

The door opens and they enter.

Me: Smiles big, hiding a quick yawn; hoping for a good lesson with little problem.... "Hello!"

Student: Smiling quickly and excited about the lesson..... "Hi."

Me: Still smiling.... "Alrighty, let's get started! How was your week?"

Student: "Fine."

Me: "Good! Well, let's go for it! What would you like to start with?"

Student: Names off a random song that they weren't even required to practice....

Me: Readying myself for a long lesson while trying to keep my teaching lectures of 'You need to look at your practice sheet and stick to what's on it.' to myself. "Umm.... Ok..... Begin when you're ready."

Student: Plays song unperfectly with no dynamic, and little counting, but with infectious joy and turns to me with a BIG smile, waiting for my praise and opinion.

And then.... I have a choice. I can either start from the very beginning, giving lectures, making them count, and hounding theyneed to practice more.... OR..... I can praise their good feeling put into the music, and then begin the gentle corrections they need to fix and change. Through it all though, I want to show them the God we serve. I guess I got to thinking about it and just gave a sermon:). But, anyhow, off to do more practicing.... Oh, and I guess I probably shouldn't wear the glasses or the scowl to lessons tomorrow, huh?:)

A fun weekend:)

2008-03-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just posting pictures of my ~FANTASTIC~ weekend in Indiana:). I had SO much fun! Enjoy:)

Do we REALLY have to ride home together?!?!?!;)

Seth

Having a blast in the mall

Fourwheeling

Seth and I before church

:) Pretty much being stupid.... or normal??:)

Don't hurt me??:):):)

I had been waiting all week to do this;)

A1 and A2 in her room

:) Socks...... Don't ask.....

"The Bug"

2008-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know how much I hate bugs. Spiders, flies, bees, wasps, gnats.... Basically, anything that has wings. However, there is a bug loose in the Plemmons household. And it's a little worse than those.....

I have learned my lesson..... And I'm taking this oppurtunity to warn all my fellow bloggers to never say these words: "I've not gotten sick the whole winter."

Because, inevitably, you will end up with "the bug." And as the story plays out in the Plemmons household, there are officially three down.:) One to go. "The bug" has hit! My mom, Clayton, and I have formed the coughing trio. I'm convinced that there is not a more boring day, than a Sunday of sickness. :) Know what I mean? That day that you stay at home and contemplate attending church anyways, just to get out of the house:)

So, to all of you, stay well and stay warm.... Away from "the bug."

:) 'Til Next Time,

Amber LeShae

Splat

2008-02-17T16:52:00.001-08:00

Dad: "Amber.... Amber.... Amber...."

Sleep sleep sleep.....

"Amber..... Can you wake up and talk to me for a second?"

No.

"Amber..."

Uh.........

:):):) Sound familiar?:) This morning my parents were called to the hospital early for a man from our church. So, they left early and we had gotten ice early this morning. Needless to say, church was canceled and I was bored at home and my parents were gone a lot today. So, I decide to go out and get the mail from yesterday.... (reminder: it's icy).... And I made it..... Almost..... I was probably about a foot from the door. And it was a SPLAT. Not a graceful move to catch myself.... SPLAT! :) Now, you should understand that even in my pain, I had a little bit of pride left.... At which time a van was passing down our road:) You may also know that n spite of it..... I have a weird sense of humor:) I laughed.... my dog, which had been my shadow for the day, Stood and stared at me as if to say..... "What are YOU doing on the ground? I thought I was the one supposed to be this low.":):):) So, with a slightly scraped arm, and a hurt pride, I go on with life;)

Musings on Mistakes

2008-02-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein

Ok, so I was thinking about mistakes today:). Yeah, yeah, weird topic. But, hey, some people probably think I'm a little weird,;) so what do ya expect?:);)

Mistakes..... Everyone makes them. But, what is the true definition? An error? Destruction of a project or piece of work? Failure? Misinterpretation? Wrongly identifying something or someone?

It could probably be concluded to be any, or all, of the above.

There's not a person on earth that has succeeded without a mistake. Vocalist, greatest musician, most successful business man, presidents, lawyers, writers, and on the list could go..... They may've worked their way to the top.... But, they still made mistakes. You can't get anywhere without it. And the quote at the top pretty much sums it up. In order to get anywhere, you have to be willing to make mistakes.

So, if a mistake isn't failure, then what is it? It's a symbol of willingness.... Stepping out on a limb to try something new and maybe falling a couple times.... The limb breaks.... So what? You climb the tree again, and try a different limb.....

Mistakes are bound to happen. But, what matters... is that you get up, brush yourself off, laugh a little and try again...... So, you make another one..... What does it matter? God isn't looking for people who do things perfectly all the time. He is looking for the ones that are willing to fall a couple times.

My little Buddy

2008-02-05T07:48:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I take my very fluffy, ungroomed, long-haired, dog into the grooming place. Lots of fur, very cuddly........ So, the lady reassures me that the groomer is very good. I have nothing to worry about!

My dear dad leaves to pick up our fluffy, cuddly, Buddy up from the grooming place.... THIS is what he comes home with.....:):):)

Needless to say, we laughed a LOT!:)

So, now that he has lost most of his fur, he was shivering from being cold. So, my mom and I, (already having wanted a sweater for him anyways), find this adorable Michigan jersey:). And you can't see it from the picture but there is a yellow M on the back. So, now he is completely in style. Actually, his jersey is somewhat of a joke:) (You know who you are;)

So, he is slowly gaining a little fur AND starting to look like a dog, not a rat;)

Bless his heart:):):)

Battles With Bach

2008-02-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

Bach. Simply the name Bach raises many different thoughts with different people. Greatest composer in the Baroque period, amazing musician, many children... My thoughts didn't run along those lines too much today. I sat and got frustrated, let myself know that it was stupid and said that I knew I could do it. After which I promptly told myself that I couldn't, went home and told my mom that I had about two weeks to memorize 'Bach' and that I couldn't do it! After which, I went and practiced some more:). And pretty much, didn't make sense with much of it:). As the pianists out there have probably all done, my frustrations went from trying to play the piece perfectly, to banging a quick splat of whatever my fingers hit at the moment. So, as I make my visit to my teacher's today, I will get the whole 'You can do this' lecture and come home ready to face this head on. Thank God for teachers:)

When a blonde gets bored.... THIS is what happens!!;)

2008-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

It's a dangerous thing when a blonde gets bored!!!!! Have you ever wandered what goes through a blonde's mind??? Hmm... Well, OBVIOUSLY, I wouldn't be able to give insight on that one;);)..... But, maybe I could give you a few ideas.... NOT that I would know from personal experience.... I just happened to be bored!!!!:)

*What kind of fruit it in Juicy Fruit Gum?

*Are you breaking the law if you drive past those road signs that say "Do Not Pass"?

*Can you get cavities in your dentures if you use too much artificial sweetener?

*Do fish get thirsty?

*When I erase a word with a pencil, where does it go?

*When our mind wanders, Where does it go?

*Where did Webster look up his definitions when he wrote his dictionary?

*How do you write zero in Roman Numerals?

*How much milk is there in a Milky Way?

*If corn can't hear, why does it have an ear?

*Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a crisp that no human being would want to eat?

*If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

And probably the question that makes the least sense: (drumroll please)

*Why do people make fun of blondes?!:):):)

Adios!

~Things You Might Not Know About Me~

2008-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

*My middle name is LeShae.
*Born in Fort Wayne, IN.
*I'm not a fan of Michael Buble!!!!
*Love to shop!
*Favourite color: Pink
*I like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
*Hate tea!
*I'm somewhat shy.(No, really!:) Believe it or not!)
*When I'm stressed I: Play the piano
*I can't curl my tongue for the life of me!
*Hate Secrets
*Nike Running Shoes are the best!
*Don't like sour stuff.... Yeah, like those Warhead things.... YUCK!
*I'm right handed
*Bebo is way better than Myspace
*I like piano way better than violin!
*Candy Cane pie is absolutely the best pie ever!
*Don't like getting my socks wet!
*Like the scent: Twisted Peppermint
*I'm cold blooded.
*M&M's are better than Skittles

Musical Notes From Me

2008-01-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Haydn, Bach, Chopin, Schumann........... Prelude, Nocturne,
Invention............. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!! Get the
idea?:) I have begun preparing for MDML which takes place
on March 2. It is a very strenuous event which requires
preparation and practice. It is 2 hours long. I will be going
from room to room for different categories of piano testing.
I must have three pieces memorized, which must be from
the three different periods of music. I also will be entering
Theory testing, Technic, Ear Training, and I'm not positive
about the other categories. So, as life continues, so does
practice:). And practice..... And practice.:) This event is
nerve-wracking, but very rewarding!:)

'Til next time, Amber

~Christmas in Review~

2008-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted many pictures recently, so I decided to post random pictures of our Christmas activities!:) Enjoy!

Colts fans...........:) And I still love them:)....

After my own heart:).........

Are you as bored as you look?

Wrestling is an annual thing! I stay out of it:)

Aw.......

Bensen........ Isn't he a cutie?:)

Yummy treats!..... I helpe make a ton of those things:)

Homeschool birthday party for Jesus

The cake

And last night's snowfall!!:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

'Tis the season..... But for what???

2007-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

"'Tis the Season....."

For last minute preparations, frustrating lines, presents

we know we bought back on January 1st but have since

disappeared, dogs that break our ornaments (or, worse

yet, knock our trees over), Santa hats that make us look

dorky, ice storms that make us miss whatever the most

important event of our month has been...........

:) Ok, so now that I've gotten your attention, isn't this the

pattern? You go to the store and people are running you

over, grabbingthe very last item on the shelf which you

were just reaching for, and not finding a gift for the very

hardest person on your list to buy for-the one that doesn't

'want anything!'

So what's the point? It's not the presents, long lines,

ornaments being knocked over, shopping, lines, or

Santa hats that give the true meaning of Christmas.

Then again, it's not the manger, the hay, the animals,

or the stable either! When you get right down to it,

it's not gonna matter how many presents you gave your

eighth cousin-by marriage, it's not gonna matter that

you missed the important appointment because of the ice,

or even the electronic device your nephew wanted, but the

stores were out of, or even how many ornaments your

toddler broke.... After all, toys diminish in value,

appointments are reschedulable, and ornaments are

replaceable. What is going to matter is the things that

will last...... Did you make a place for Christ in your

Christmas, read the Christmas story? And no, not the

one about Scrooge. The one that really

gives us a hope! A reason for the season! Styles change,

electronic things get better and bigger and toys break.

But Christ is still the same and He will always be the

best gift of all!

~Winter Wonderland~

2007-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

"Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!" And snow it did! I'm not sure how much we received, but it was so pretty! So today we, (Buddy, Clayton, and I) inspire ourselves to build a snowman! Well, ok, so Buddy wasn't too inspired:) He loves the snow, but snowmen really aren't his thing:) But, I still love him. Anyways, you can see pictures below. The snow was very powdery, so he kinda doesn't look "normal":) But, hey, in order to live in our house, you can't BE normal!!:):):)

Our little Buddy.......

The finished product.....
Isn't he cute?!:):)

'Til next time...... Adios and Merry Christmas!!!!

Life in a Blonde's World:)

2007-12-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, so why am I even admitting to this?! I mean, Hello?! I'm a brunette:) Never the less, there are those(who I will not name;) who seem to think I am blonde..... No clue why! I'm the girl who went to get her picture taken on Thursday and put perfume on..... :) No comments please!

~The Wal-Mart Cat~
A blonde was weed-eating her yard and accidentally cut off the tail of her cat which was hiding in the grass. She rushed her cat, along with the tail over to WALMART!

Why WALMART???

WALMART is the largest retailer in the world!!!

Christmas Time

2007-12-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper 'cause you have a better chance at guessing the gift:), but if I'm the one giving, then gift bags:)

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial TOTALLY!!!

3. When do you put up the tree? This year it was up around Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? My mom likes it down soon after Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog? Not sure that I've ever tried it, but it doesn't even sound appetizing!:)

6. Favorite gift you recieved as a child? ????

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but my mom does.... Does that count?
8. Hardest person to buy for? Dad!!!
9. Easiest person to buy for? Mom and friends
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever recieved? :)..... Hmm.....
11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail!
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I started the day after Thanksgiving.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? :) Not sure.....
14. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Candy Cane Pie!!!
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear all the way!
16. Favorite Christmas Song? Way too hard a question!!:)
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Maybe not all, but some....
19. Angels on the treetop or stars? Either
20. Open present on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Depends....
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Why get annoyed? It's not worth the hassle.
22. Ever sat on Santa's lap as an adult? Well, I'm not an adult yet, but no:)
23. Ever been kissed under the mistletoe? Kinda nosy, but no:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

~Cincinatti~

2007-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

I have returned from my venture to Cincinatti! I rode down with Aunt Cheryl and other friends on Saturday morning, (might I add, EARLY:);), so we could attend the Saturday evening Christmas program at GBS. As usual, it was awesome! One of my favorite parts was the shepherd's song:) Totally cracked me up!

Ryan played the part of Joseph's father, Jacob. He did excellent! I didn't even recognize him at first:) I couldn't seem to get his picture to upload though. I'm not too great with this stuff:) Anyways, all in all, the program was phenominal!