I've had a lot of delightful experiences in my life.  I've been blessed with super-parents and 8 brothers and sisters who I couldn't live without.  I've been blessed with a love and passion for music.  I've been so lucky to have so many people and experiences that have eternally marked my soul.  

Sharing my life with someone who fits so perfectly with me has been the greatest experience of all.  We have our own little world together that no one will quite understand, except maybe God.  I'm in love with my husband.

When the moon hits your eyes.

It's been a while.  

Life is has been oh so deliciously sweet.  I'm head over heels for mon petite chou chou (my little cabbage...an endearing french term).  He is oh so ravishing and I love him more and more each day.  We have officially decided that we are staying in DC for the next year and a half.  We will be learning the ropes of the pest control business.  I'm excited to settle down here (for a little while at least).  I am starting to feel a cozy and inviting feeling when I step in our apartment door each day and have developed the habit of saying "home sweet home" as I look around our first home.  Though it is INFESTED with house centipedes (google image search that shiz if you want to be grossed out) and I literally killed a spider on my forehead as I was laying in bed at 4am, we like it.  It is home.

Ben and I are finally taking our honeymoon!  Hooray!  And boy oh boy is Benny boo boo boo making up for the honeymoon tardiness.  We will be spending 3 beautiful weeks in Italy, Greece, and Turkey.  I cannot be more excited!  The last week we will be accompanied by Tim (Ben's brother) and Kelsey (my sister-in-law/my best friend's sister/one of my sister's best friends/my friend who I grew up with) on a Mediterranean cruise.   THAT is Amore!

We leave tomorrow!  Ciao!

Lighters

I know every single word to the rap in the first song on my playlist.  Yep.  Tight, dawg.

I have a music crush on Bruno Mars and Eminem.

First there's Bruno.  His writing style is simple and catchy.  His melodies have a big range and are quite dreamy while his lyrics are funny but extremely simple and cliche (haha I LOVE cliche).  My own writing style consists of pretty simple lyrics mixed with a wide ranged melody so I heart Bruno (On a musical level, you guys.  Totally platonic.  I'm a married woman and I'm insulted you would even think anything else).

Then there's Eminem.  Totally opposite.  In my opinion, Eminem is one of the most quick witted musicians ever.  Notice I didn't say rapper.  I usually brush rappers off.  I can count on one hand how many rappers I have respect for on a musical level.  I call Eminem a musician because his gift for rhythm is remarkable.  On top of that, his raps are completely unique and clever.

Eminem is a bluntly honest rapper while Bruno is an idealist lyricist.  Together it's chips and salsa.

*As a side note, the song on my playlist is edited.  I would not suggest downloading the unedited version.  I apologize for the one word that is not edited out.

Shout 'em, scout 'em, tell all about 'em...

I love watching so many of my music friends go on and succeed in the music industry.  One of my dear friends from high school, Daniella Mason, is well on her way to becoming something BIG.  She and I used to be songwriting buddies back in the day.  I'll never forget the dramatic boy-hating song we wrote and performed called "The Truth."  She's an amazing singer/songwriter and an amazing person.  Check out her new music video!

Oh bla di, oh bla da.

Hey remember that time I went out of town for like 6 weekends straight and the only noteworthy pictures I took were the following?

I suck.

I promise I have friends here in VA.  I just never take pictures of them.  I also promise that I do exciting things with those friends.  I just forget to capture those moments.

Like the other weekend we went to Rehoboth beach in Delaware.  So much fun!  I just love the ocean.  We went with the whole Moxie team.  It's always fun to take a break from the horrible schedule and have fun splashing in the waves (or for me, getting absolutely terrified that the waves were going to eat me).  Here's the beach, except imagine it with about 104874 billion people on it (approximately).

The boardwalk was pretty nice compared to other east coast beaches but it was also a lot shorter.  It was so much fun to sit back and relax with the Moxie crew.  I really do love them.

We also went camping.  Our intentions were to go camping in the beautiful Shenandoah national forest but all the campsites were booked so we ended up camping in a place called "Gooney Creek Campground" about 5 minutes outside of the forest.  It was basically the backyard of a trailer park. :)

There she is in all her glory.  I didn't take this pic.  I don't take pictures, remember?

We still had fun though.  Ben was able to set up his massive tent and we squeezed some fishing in as well.

We also went to Ohio for Ben and I's reception.  Lots of good food, good family, and good fun!

Ohio is pretty.  The east in general is pretty.  It's older too.  Like all the Walmarts are falling apart...but that's a whole different story.  The east has a lot of history behind it and I feel more "American" when I'm in the east.

Oh and how could I forget my weekend in Utah? Mawwiage is what bwings us togetha. I got married in this beautiful place:

For forever.

I feel really blessed to be able to spend eternity with Ben.  I also feel blessed to know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father.  That knowledge strengthens me.

So that's been my life lately.  No complaints here.

Oh and p.s.  Look at the shoes Ben surprised me with! So hot!  Such a good hubs.  They take me back to my childhood when I was absolutely obsessed with pink and purple.  Not just pink, or just purple, but the two colors together

Here's to daydreaming!

Once upon a time I want a house like this:

Or this:

Or this. I'm not picky ;)

And I want the inside to look like this (this is the interior of Jennifer Aniston's home):

It would be nice to have a kitchen like this (for Benny Boo of course):

With a view like this:

Is that too much to ask??

Who's with me?

No really though, I'm not done.

I don't know whether to laugh or be shocked at how good she is. She's just so bizarre, amazing, and out of place at the same time.  Love it.

Expectations.

I am married.

I could go on and on about how much better married life is and how much I looove spending every second with Ben and how life is 100% perfect and I am in complete bliss alllll the time while I jump on clouds in heaven.  I'm sure you've heard a post like this from a newly wed.

Let me get real with you.

I've heard it all.  "Oh, the first year of marriage is the best!  Enjoy it while it lasts."  or "Just make it past the first year.  You'll fight all the time but after you've made it a year you're home free."  or "Single life is better...you're gonna miss it."  or "You'll find that married life is sooo much better than single life.  You'll never look back!"

And while I appreciated all those little pieces of opinion and advice, I put them in my back pocket before I got married.  To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect.  I mean, dating life with Ben was great, and I looked forward to marriage, but I've heard so many marriage stories with so many different outcomes that I decided to look at my future marriage to Ben with a clean and white slate.  

So the wedding day came.  It was awesome.  Ha, to say the least.  I was way more relaxed than I had expected and felt "light" and happy all day.  I'm sure things went wrong, but if they did, I had no idea.  I felt a different kind of love for Ben on my wedding day (and now) then I had before.  It wasn't the twitterpated googley-eyed kind of love.  It wasn't even the "I really care about this person so I'm going to sacrifice for them" kind of love.  It was a deeper, more eternal love.  We became one that day.  I think of middle school when team captians are picking their teams and the two best friends demand that they are a "package deal" and will go together on one team when they are chosen.  Ben and I are a package deal from now on.  Heart/soul/future/everything is one.  I like that.  I didn't really expect to feel that difference emotionally, but I felt it the second we were officially married.  I was his, and he was mine.  But more than that, we were one.  

Then the after math.  Post wedding.  Ben and I skipped the honeymoon phase.  Ben is a summer sales man and every single day that he takes off makes a big difference.  Summer is his intense, hard working, go-go-go time.  So we spent a couple days after the wedding together and then headed back to the demanding summer sales schedule (Ben is gone from 8:30 in the morning until about 10:20 all week long).  Everyone gave Ben a hard time for not taking me on a honeymoon, and while a week on a beach sounds nice, I completely understand.  I also know that he'll make it up to me later.  Or at least, he better. ;)

It's fun to discover little things about Ben as we've been married.  Real life married...not the honeymoon kind of married.  In order for him to fall asleep each night, he must play a couple games of "words with friends" in bed.  It's like his lullaby.  Waking up next to someone feels absolutely wonderful.  It's comforting.  I also enjoy doing the things I usually do alone with someone, like looking up Youtube clips.  I love kissing him whenever I want and I looove cuddling with him and hugging him whenever I want.  He's a great help around the house.  One thing that he's so good at is following through with what he says he will do.  I look up to him in that way.  If he says he will pick up the camping supplies tonight, he will do it for me even if he is extremely tired.  Mmmm, mmm, mmm, I love him.  Of course there are the little things that we do that bug each other.  He hates that I keep my drawers open when I leave.  I hate when I find some of his face shavings on the counter.  We've actually improved on those annoying things and those habits haven't been as big of a deal as I thought they would be in a marriage.  All of our arguments are an identical cycle.  We'll argue about something, I'll be offended for about 5 seconds, he'll make a joke and pull me in for a hug, and all is well and we're back to our laughing happy selves after a grand total of 1 minute.

I won't lie.  I hate being away from him all day, every day.  We just have a few exhausted minutes together each night before it's another day apart.  

Though the schedule is rough and everything in our life isn't picture perfect, I'm sitting here baffled at why I am happier than ever.  

My life schedule may change.  It may get even more hectic.  One day I'll have kids to deal with (heh, I mean to enjoy) as well.  Life will be really hard some days.  I will be sick, tired, worn out, sad, angry, and everything you can imagine at some point.  While EVERYTHING could change in my life, Ben will not.  Ben will be here.  I will always (and I mean forever and ever always) have him to love.  Knowing that, nothing else matters.

And that makes me happier than ever.

Keep moving forward.

Yeah, I knew this would happen.
The minute I moved to DC I dropped off the face of the blogging world.
But here I am, sitting in an internet lobby in my apt complex, not dead. Still breathing, indeed.

Virginia is absolutely splendid.  I am so happy to be here this summer.

Things I love about being here:
-Trees.  I forgot how green and beautiful it is here.  I loved the Utah mountains but this is a nice change of landscape.
-Heat.  I do not miss the cold Utah weather whatsoever.
-Moxie Pest Control.
-The people that I know here (notice how I didn't just say "the people of VA").
-The pool at my complex...and how it's NOT packed with douchey guys trying to impress the ladies (cough, Provo, cough)

-My own apt.  Soon to be Ben and I's apartment.  WEIRD.
-Being able to watch movies on Ben's projector.
-Being a free little birdy out of college.
-Ben.
-All my Moxie girls.  Love them.

Things I'm not too fond of:
-Freaking VA drivers.  I thought that Utah drivers were bad. Nothing compared to VA drivers.  Don't even get me started.
-Traffic (the whole road experience in general is not very pleasant here).
-Humidity.  I feel like I am betraying Texas saying that I don't like humidity.
-Culture, or lack of.
-Being away from the fam damily and roommies.  I miss them.
-I work 8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday and Ben works even longer hours.  There's not much "chill" time.

There is one week left until I am a married woman.
Wow wow wow wow wow.

Wow.


Wow.

I can't wait.  The past month has been so amazing.  I feel like I could just melt in a little puddle of love (haha...how's that for cheesy?).  But seriously, everything is so so good.  Next Saturday cannot come soon enough.

BAM.

Ode to the HFAC

Tonight I was at the HFAC (Harris Fine Arts Center, the music building at BYU) turning in a final project for one of my classes.  I went to the familiar 5th floor mail room to shove my assignment under the door with a note that said "put this in Neil Thornock's box" because OF COURSE I finished my assignment after the mail room already closed...I'm such a slacker.


As I was walking through the HFAC I passed a glass case that had all the professors that had ever worked in the BYU School of Music.  I read through each name, searching for the professors who had been here the longest or professors that I've had experiences with.


Richard Anderson.  Piano Professor, Theory.  Been here since the 70's.
2008.  Theory 1.  Professor Anderson tells me that if I wasn't tardy every day I would be receiving an A in the class but because of my sleep habits, I will receive an A- (as if that will make me change...I am secretly cheering for that A-).  He was such a nice and gentle giant.  Heart of gold.  When I received my grade for the class, it was an A. 


Jeremy Grimshaw.  Music History.  Pretty new to BYU.
2009.  World Music Cultures.  After 30 minutes of passing notes and writing quizzes that say "which of the following animals does Prof. Grimshaw most resemble?", Professor Grimshaw makes us stand up and practice the Ra music in India.  Although most of that class was spent giggling, I still remember a lot about what we learned.  Grimshaw made things fun and interesting.  He was just a good guy.


Randy Boothe.  Music Dance Theatre.
2008.  Voice Technique.  A rambunctious group of acting and media majors who don't know how to keep their mouths shut get told for the fifth time that we need to behave and take this class seriously.  We then proceed to all sing a phrase from "Memory" using the "belt singing" technique that we just learned.  It's a good thing our class is so light-hearted, because there were many cracks and yells and sorry singers.  Randy Boothe was very patient with us and such a fun teacher.  And oh-so talented.


Ron Simpson.  Media Music.  Been at BYU since the 80's.
2007.  Songwriting 1.  I'm the girl who sits in the middle of the classroom and tries not to look Ron in eye so he won't get mad at me for a potential stupid question I could ask.  The other songwriters are so intimidating to me.  For some reason Ron makes me, the shy little freshman girl, feel special.  Ron has been my mentor in college.  He's a man who has a lot more to him than meets the eye.  He truly cares about each and every single student.  He's retiring this year and he will be tremendously missed at BYU.


When I finished reading the names of so many influential people, I turned around and looked down at the HFAC lobby.  My heart skipped a couple beats.  It was like the reality of my life set in right there.


The HFAC had never looked so beautiful to me.


It was empty at night, but I imagined what it was like mid-day.  Choral majors practicing their conducting on the slab for everyone to see (and for everyone to sneer at) were right below me.  To my left, on the opposite side of the building, were the art majors.  Guys in converse shoes and girls wearing funky hats and yellow tights walking to class with their canvases.  On the floor right below me were the group of students about to head into concert choir.  The ridiculous flirting that was going on was apparent to anyone standing within 30 yards.


This has been my life for the past 4 years.  I smiled as I thought of the good times I had had in this wonderful building.  Tonight was one of my last times being in the HFAC.  I wanted to soak it all in, to let myself get emotional over saying goodbye, but then I realized,


Life doesn't wait for you to catch your breath.


It just keeps going, without even asking your permission.  You just have to go with the flow, and try to make it out on top.  I looked down at my left hand and felt the ring on my ring finger with my thumb.  I smiled.  Life has been so good and it will only get better.


And I left.

I guess this is old news...

How did I miss this YouTube video!?

The lyrics are incredible...especially the bridge ("and Sunday comes afterwards...").

Oh and don't even get me started on the rap section.  

Did you know that this video has the most "dislikes" on YouTube (almost 2 million)?  Justin Bieber's music video for "Baby" comes in second place for most disliked videos on YouTube.  

HAHAHAHAA officially the worst song I've ever heard!!!


Next to Aicha, that is. :)

"A royal flush, in your honor!"

Have you ever been overwhelmed with a long list of tasks you have to complete?
Things that will change your future if you don't complete them (like graduation projects and wedding planning)???
Then, instead of completing this long to-do list, you do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING???
I have been playing Solitaire all day long while listening to Ke$ha.

Story of my life.

P.S. I will be super impressed if you know what movie I'm quoting in the title of this blog post.

Home, home on the RANGE

As if it wasn't sad enough to say goodbye to this chump:

I also had to say goodbye to Ben's Range Rover.  For good.  Heated seats, satellite radio, pre-programmed seat adjustment just for me, and all.  Ben's selling it for a dumb truck.

Not happy.

Range, it's been good, and it's been real.  Memories of sweaty summer days selling pest control, first dates to Uncle Julio's, midnight runs to Walmart, nice and warm seats waiting on cold Utah winter nights, and blasting rap (that immediately gets turned to top 40 when I enter the car) will always remind me of you.  I'll never forget you.

Then again, I guess all of those memories could be had with any car.  It's the people you have the memories with that make the biggest difference.  Aw shucks.  I will still love the Range always and forever.

Sincerely,
Heath

This guy sings every voice.  Absolutely amazing!!

Totes rant

*Note: if you don't care about music and you don't care to hear me ranting, then don't read this post.

Confession: I'm usually half asleep during my morning Music 306 (Survey of Music Literature 2) class.
Don't get me wrong, it's interesting stuff,
but combined with my professor's monotone voice and the morning hours, I struggle.
Today, however, something my professor said caught my attention and I haven't really been able to think of anything else since.

Here's a little background before I get into it:  Music 306 is a class that all music majors have to take.  MOST music majors consist of either music education majors, instrumentalist performance majors, or classical vocal majors.  Media majors (my major) are like the awkward "we don't know where to put these people so we just stuck them in here" majors.  The classes that aren't specific to the Media Music major are a mix of classes that the instrumentalists have to take with a few classes that the Music Dance Theatre majors have to take.  It really is an awkward major.  ANYWAY, most of the people in my Music 306 class are very well acquainted with classical music and already know and love music history.  Not me.  So while they are performing pieces from the past, I perform pieces of today, and pieces for the future (I'm a songwriter).  There is nothing wrong with this.  I appreciate music from the past because it has shaped the way music is today.  I just feel a little out of place as the students discuss "the variations of Bach's expositions and how the Recapitulations of Rachmanioff modulate and blah blah blah blah..."

This morning in class we were discussing the modernist composer "Berio."  He's from post WWIIish and his music is...different.  After we listened to a song by Berio, the class discussed why we should appreciate music like this.  Our professor said that "we have to listen to it for what it is."  I couldn't agree more.  This music doesn't have to be aesthetically pleasing, but it should be appreciated because it has changed the music world.
Right after this discussion, my professor went on to say that the only music people are listening to today is music from the past (he said from the 50s-70s to be specific).  Wait, what?  Um...no.  He then discredited what is going on in the music world today and said that it isn't influential...that it's garbage.
I couldn't believe that the professor that said we should appreciate a different musician's music for what it was turns around and contradicts his own statement.  By saying this, he was acting like the traditionalists that rejected Van Gough's paintings or the Soviet Union who criticized Shostakovich's music because they wanted music to be more like music of the past.
Music is changing every single day.  In order to have a part in what happens TOMORROW, we must appreciate and understand what is going on TODAY.  My professor admitted that he didn't know one song that was on the radio.  This man knows everything there is to know about music history, so how can he be so blind to music today?  If he were teaching the same class 100 years from now, I'm SURE that he would know everything there is to know about Lady Gaga, and though he may not like her unique musical style, he will say to his class "we must appreciate it for what it is."  Although there is definitely some crappy music out there (like there ALWAYS has been), today's musical world will shape tomorrow's musical world.

And there's my rant.
The end.

BORED BORED BORED

It's been what...5 hours...since Ben left and I am already bored out of my mind.  This is going to be a looooooonnngggg month.  Expect a lot of blog posts.  Blog posts about absolutely nothing.

Ben went on a trip for Costa Rica for a week and then he's going to D.C. to start his summer selling pest control.  I am stuck in this crazy little town called Provo until April 22, when I will graduate BYU!!

Until then, kill me now.

Balloon animals

The other day Ben pulled out a bag of balloons and this little balloon pump and started working away.  After hearing a lot of squeaking balloons, he handed me this:

How cute!  He is a man full of secret talents!

tag, you're it, no tag backs

If you know me at all, you must know that I love staying up late and I hate waking up early.  I'm the epitome of a night owl.  So here I am, writing in my blog at 1:30am, because I've been trying to fall asleep for an hour.  And let's face it...I'm not going to bed until 2:30.

Life has been reeal good lately.  Like roller blading down the road with the neighborhood kids without a care in the world good.  Since I've been a "grown up", I've always kind of looked back on my childhood years with a longing feeling.  I wanted to feel that way again.  I was a weird kid.  I wasn't outgoing but I wasn't introverted either.  I didn't care AT ALL what other people thought.  If I didn't want to make conversation, I was silent.  If I wanted to sing and dance and be a total ham, then I would be just that.  I was just me, marching to the beat of my own little drum.  My life feels like that again.

I mean, sucky things have totally happened.

Like, oh my freaking goodness, the hot pots in Midway are off-limits now.
Back in November I went to the hot pots and there may or may not have had signs that looked like this:

But I didn't think anything of it, so I went in anyway.
The hot pots are these natural hot water springs that feel like hot tubs in mud.  They are part of nature, so they've been around forever.

Good citizens of Utah have been attending the hot pots for a long time until recently, when the land was sold to the Grinch himself.  The grinch has demanded that any person in the hot pots be cited for criminal trespassing.  BAH HUMBUG!!
So after a few trips to the Wasatch County Criminal Court (I know, I'm such a rebel), I have to pay a $300 dollar fee and behave for 6 months to get the charge off my record.  Phew.

Mostly good things have been happening though.  Don't worry.
-Food seems to taste better these days.  No, I'm not trying to be deep.  Ben took me to this place:

I could not believe how good the food was!!  Heaven in my mouth.

-Spa packages are totes worth it.  I had my first spa day as a birthday present.  Loved it.  I probably couldn't get myself to spend that money myself, but it was a cleansing experience.  Benny's done it again.

-I'm worried that my fear of dirt bike riding will never diminish.  We went riding a couple weeks ago.  Even though it was such a great time, Ben had to talk me through every sand patch, rocky hill, and big turn.  He was so patient.  I am such a baby.

-June 11 will be an amazing day.  I CANNOT wait to marry this man:

When I'm with him, I don't long for anything else.
He makes it real for me.

Welllp...

The past few days have left me feeling like this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

And while I'm seriously glad it's all over, It's been a learning experience!! Roller coaster emotions bring out the best and the worst in people.  Yeppp.  That's all really.

Phew.

Love.

A lot has happened since last post.

I had a wonderful Christmas break with my family. 

I started my last semester at BYU.  Yeah, I know, weird.

I went on a cruise to Cabo.  A week of 80 degree sunshine and endless amounts of food?  I think yes.

Annnnnnddddd...

I got engaged!

Ben proposed on a beach at sunset in San Diego.  It was perfect.  He's perfect. 

Life has never been better!  I'm so in love and content with where my life is going.

Don't get me wrong, everything hasn't been handed to me on a silver platter.

(especially when it comes to love)

Don't you worry.  

It's been a long and dramatic path for Heather Neeley.

As I look back on the road I've traveled so far, I've realized a few things.  Life is not perfect, people make mistakes, crap happens for no reason, and decisions will be made that will be regretted.  And though I am in no way embracing these bad things that happen, the black holes, the sleepless nights, the tears that seem like they'll never end, and the cloudy days have made me a better person.  

I've also learned that life is beautiful.

Just when it seems like you can't take anymore, that ray of sunshine peaks out just when you need it to.

It's cliche, I know.

But there's a reason why so many songs talk about "the broken road that lead me straight to you" or "the light at the end of the tunnel."  It's true.  Happiness WILL be obtained.  These little gems in life will make you feel like a giddy school girl.  You'll feel happiness that you will never forget.  You just gotta bear through the storm.  Then after a refreshing day in the sunshine, it may rain again.  But that's life.  Would you have it any other way? 

Ben is the sunshine that I need (sorry to be so gushy).  I know that getting a ring on my finger is in no way a "happily ever after" and I will never say that it is but my goodness it is certainly the biggest freaking gem (ha, no pun intended) that I've ever experienced.  A milestone is coming in my life.  I'm graduating and ready to face the big bad real world.  I'm getting married.  MARRIED.  That's so crazy to say.  I'm moving out of Utah and across the country.  I have no idea where I'll be in a year and that's scary and beautiful all at once.  Utah has been good to me but I am oh so ready for this.  In fact, I have never felt so ready to embrace a new phase of life.  Though I feel like I've learned a lot so far, I'm just beginning.  I'm just a pee wee player in this game of life and I have so much more to learn and face. 

So here's to you, future, 

bring it on.