Sorry it's been so long!

As most of y'all know, I had a great year last year. . . lots of blessings in my life in 2013 for sure. This year has barely started, but it is pretty dang packed and stressful. I definitely have my doubts on a daily basis.
Weather doesn't exactly help either. For those of not living in Rexburg or the general area, it is COOOOLD. Like, deathly cold. I am really craving some warm weather, that's for sure.
However, the people here are so friendly and supportive. I have made many lifelong friends.

I have the opportunity to ski at Grand Targhee Ski Resort every Saturday. It is definitely the relief to my week! It's nice to get out of town and ski my worries away sometimes. 

Grand Targhee, errbody. 

So Grand Targhee Ski Resort was SUPER foggy and powdery last Saturday. Like, blinding white. You literally could not see anything in front of you and it was windy and it really threw off our depth perception. So I got stuck a lot in powder, but I eventually got out usually. This one time though, I didn't see a bump coming and I fell face first into a bunch of powder, and I was all tangled up and literally couldn't tell what direction I was facing and I couldn't breathe because there was so much snow against my whole face. I can't even explain how I stuck I felt. It was so scary. I was probably only stuck for a minute but it felt like forever, and then I felt someone pull on my leg and they completely pulled me out of the snow, like with ONE hand. When I finally could see and breathe, I didn't see anyone, like at all. It makes no sense and I sound like a lunatic but someone or something basically saved my life and they did it in one swift motion. It's so unreal. I honestly feel like an angel saved me. If I had been under that powder any longer I probably would have lost consciousness.

Anyways, I am a witness of a miracle and I am grateful that I am not dead!! Yet. 

In other news, I was recently interviewed on BYUI Radio about the composer Paganini and I performed an excerpt from his caprice no. 24. (The post popular and overplayed one) This will be aired on February 17th, 2014. It was a neat experience! I'm trying to seize any cool opportunity I can grab my hands on. This time of my life is definitely no time to waste!

I am so determined for this to be a great year, just like last year. Great years and success are required to come with trials and doubts. It's the doubts we have and the mistakes we make that help us grow. I have definitely learned to understand that concept intimately. There are times when I know exactly why I am having a problem, so I can plan out how to fix it. Most of the time, though, I have no idea what the heck is wrong with me and I don't understand why I'm having whatever the issue is, and it's just a sucky feeling. I just have to have faith that it'll all work out as long as I keep doing all the right things consistently. Plus, I have realized that thinking about my problems all the time does not solve them. I do need to rely on God and trust that He will help me through things. I can't do everything on my own, even though I think I can sometimes. 

And, when in doubt, just wear a cow suit. 

God bless all y'all!

Stay Classy, 2013

Ya know what? I think I can say that I kicked 2013's butt. This year has been SO epic. I think it was the one of the most accomplished years of my life! I'm honestly not sure if 2014 can beat out this year. Well, that would be pretty wicked awesome if it did. 

January was full of college auditions and then my last year of AllState Orchestra. I sure did miss a lot of school from that! So worth it, though. 
February: I got to participate in a program called the Honors Performance Series that performs in Carnegie Hall. That was probably one of the coolest experiences of my life. I have never felt so much adrenaline during an orchestra performance. That hall is seriously the bomb diggity. 

Picture doesn't really do justice, but that hall is HUMUUUNGO. I felt like an ant on that stage. 

March was a fun month! I had officially decided on attending BYU-Idaho after receiving an amazing scholarship offer, and a few days later I vacationed in Kauai, Hawaii for ten days!

Beautiful Napoli Coast, Kauai. 

Shakalaka, brah. 

In April, I got to experience both Senior prom and LDS prom. Senior year is a PARTY. 

April was also full of friends coming and going. My dear friend Danielle Fox left for Her mission to Las Vegas. I felt so lonely after she left. She is doing AMAZING things, though. 

BUT THEN, I met Madi Bass and wasn't lonely anymore. I have come to realize she is basically my female soulmate. It feels like we've been best friends forever but I actually only met her this year, and now we literally talk every single day. We were both the only LDS kids in our high school so we had many things in common. I LOVE YOU BASSY. 

May? I GRADUATED FROM FLIPPIN HIGH SCHOOL!

I was glad to be done, but I do not regret one minute of my time at All Saints Episcopal School. I love every single one of my teachers. They really helped me go where I wanted and needed to go. 

Since BYUI didn't start until the middle of September, I had a looong summer. I did get to go visit the beautiful campus in June. Then, I vacationed in Florida for a week and experienced something called sunburn. A photo is not necessary here. 

I also attended Music in the Mountains in Durango, CO in July and enjoyed lovely summer mountain weather and the magnificent music.

I got super bored in August aside from my 19th birthday in Port Aransus, TX with my dad. At that point I was REALLY ready to get out of Texas and go to college already! Plus, Texas during August isn't exactly. . . dry. Blegh. 

September-December: COLLEGE. First semester. Success. I survived with a decent GPA, improved a lot as a musician and person, and made life-long friends. 

Dr. Hansen, my violin professor. One of the best teachers I have ever had! Yes, I'm in a cow suit, and he's in a knight suit here. 

This just about sums up my college weekends. 

Ok, now I gotta gush on all the famous people I met this year. I can't help myself. Did I mention this year was like the definition of STARSTRUCK?!

Joshua Bell-world class violinist. He came to Bass Hall in Fort Worth and I got his autograph after! He knows my violinmaker, Jan van Rooyen because he has actually made a few violins for him! The current chin rest on my violin actually used to belong to Joshua Bell. Fun fact. 

Rachel Barton-Pine, world class violinist. This inspring woman performed at Music in the Mountains. She was in a terrible subway accident several years ago and lost her legs. Luckily it did not affect her playing!

Mark O'Connor, world class fiddler. I got to meet Mark O'Connor after my college audition at Utah State. He was so awesome and chill. 

Josh Groban- singer. Ok, most of you know this one. It's a long, but amazing story. Read the experience here: http://cristaguthrie.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventure-groban-mission-possible.html

Jenny Oaks Baker- world class, LDS violinist. Jenny came to BYUI and did a concert. She played absolutely beautifully and I was so touched when she had a girl who had lost some fingers on her left hand and was able to still play violin with a special violin made BACKWARDS for her. It was incredible! Anything is possible!!!!

This year would have been a failure without my savior. I seriously can't thank The Lord enough for all the blessings in my life. I have a wonderf family, great friends, and I have been blessed gifts and talents and high quality education. Brownie points to JC for getting me through all the bumps this year! (I know I just listed off the awesome parts, but there were definitely stressful times as well.) 

Let's hope 2014 treats us all nicely. Happy New Year.