Audrey's 2002 "Year in Review"

    In the past year since we were all in Tennessee I have kept very busy. Here are some highlights.  In January I auditioned for the All-State music festival in piccolo and flute. It was a good experience for me. This January I will be auditioning again.
    Through the year I have been involved in our church youth group where I have developed a close group of friends. Over this past summer and fall three of my close friends from this group moved away and it was hard. I am also active in the church’s music program participating in the youth choir, instrumental ensemble, and occasionally the youth band. These activities take up my entire Sunday leaving little time to rest.
    In the spring I participated in track. This is always a great opportunity for me to make new friends and reunite with my friends that I don’t share classes with. The event that I earned the most points for our team this year, was long jump. This was my first year doing it and I think I’ll stick with it. My farthest jump was 15 1/4”! The other events I participated in were the 100m and 300m hurdles and either a 400m or a 4X4 relay, depending on where I was needed to fill in.
    This summer I began to really take part in the Milton Community Band. We played in the town’s Fourth of July Parade and held several other concerts. I am now getting Community Service Credit at the H.S. for it. Our band is made up of adults and students from Milton and the surrounding communities. We play gigs just about anywhere; at church potlucks, apple orchards, senior citizens homes, outside the library and other places in and around Milton. It’s fun and a great musical experience!
    In July I went to Field Hockey camp at UVM for the third year in a row. I went with five other girls from my school and we had lots of fun together. All we did was play hockey, eat, and talk for five days straight. We didn’t get much sleep so by the end of the week we were worn out!
    Two weeks later I went on a retreat with my youth group. We spent about five days in a house on the Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondacks of N.Y. This was my second year going and it is the most relaxing trip I have ever been on. We just hung out and went water skiing, tubing, cliff jumping, played mini golf, and during the time between we simply sat around, talked and played games. Following that trip, I went on three other camping trips with my family. In August I celebrated my 15th birthday!
    In September I went through some hard transitions. First, our youth pastor changed positions within our church and our present pastor took over. It has been difficult because we (my friends and I) were all very close to our old pastor. Thankfully our old pastor still lives next door to the youth building so we haven’t lost touch completely. Then shortly after school started one of my friends from school died of heart failure. At first my friends and I took it pretty hard, but now we are past that and have gotten on with our lives but will never forget her.
    On a happier note I made the varsity field hockey team this year and had a great season. I mostly played mid-field but am willing to play any position but goalie!
    I am in my 6th year of home schooling. This year for classes at the H.S. I am taking Band, Spanish I, and German II this semester (German III next semester). All my core classes(Biology, Algebra I Geometry, World Literature, and History) I am doing at home with mom. So far I have been able to keep up an “A” average in all my classes.  I have also just started piano again after a long break. I auditioned for the NW Music Festival in December. Last year I was 1st Flute Chair in the Concert Band. This year I was selected to be in the Select Wind Ensemble.
    I just recently participated in several concerts back to back playing my flute, piccolo and singing. In our school band concert I played at least two solos on piccolo. I also played flute and piccolo on two numbers with the select chorus, then the next day I played one of the pieces on piccolo at a chorus festival that took place at our church. The following two nights I sang in the teen choir at our church’s Christmas cantata. Lastly I played flute and piccolo again for a concert at the elementary school. So you see, my schedule is packed with music!
    In January this year I am going to a winter retreat in New Hampshire and am hoping to go to DCLA this summer, which is a big youth conference in Washington D.C. Hope you all are doing well and I can’t wait to see you again!

Audrey