You guys. I’ve been busy and haven’t gotten to tell you anything that  I’ve been up to since my birthday!

Highlights (since I’m in a hurry still today but I wanted to share!):

Finished a 5k. Actually finished 2 and I will tell you more. One went well, one went less well, but both were fun.

Played a concert with my quartet. I meant to blog about it more  beforehand but I forgot. Sometimes I even forgot I had a blog.

I went biking on Grant’s Trail today. I wore the wrong sort of shots for biking, but it was fun anyway. I am getting LESS excited about seeing cakes everywhere, but it is still pretty fun.

Had a bon voyage party for my friend April who is going to Africa for two weeks. Missing her but wishing her well!

I’m off to practice and play a wedding. Hope you are having a wonderful summer so far! I promise I’ll check back in soon as I know you are all SOOOO worried and curious about what I’ve been doing.

In honor of tomorrow being my birthday (on which I run a 5k and then play for two weddings…) I’m taking today off. I’ll probably do some practicing in a bit as I have a ton of music I’m working on, but for now…I slept in (glorious! especially after waking up initially at 4 am to take a friend to the airport) and am currently still in my pajamas. Life of a musician: not so bad sometimes.

My mom shared some photos from my sister Carrie’s graduation weekend the other week. It’s hard to believe she is all grown up!

Me and Carrie

Me and my mom

My dad and Carrie

My mom and Carrie

What we failed to do was ask anyone around us to take a picture of all four of us! Oh well, you can juxtaposition all these photos together if you like. Oberlin is a beautiful campus and we lucked out and were there on what was probably the only beautiful weekend in Ohio! I recall spring in Ohio being the best time…after about 7 months of winter that nice day you got was just GLORIOUS. Then the heat and humidity set in, and while that wasn’t so bad compared to other places I’ve lived, the difference is that I never had an apartment with air conditioning in Ohio so you felt every bit of the humidity. Then (if memory serves correctly) it was winter again, with perhaps a small bit of fall, aka the rainy season where we were just thankful it wasn’t snow yet. Which it usually just was.

All that being said, yes, of course, I miss Ohio. I loved it there overall…I have moved enough times in my life that I don’t really feel attached to any one place, (this is something I’ve thought a bit about lately!)–

for instance:

Clemson, SC 5 years

Clinton, SC 11 years (2 different houses)

Cleveland, OH 11 years (5 different places)

Charlotte, NC 2 years

St Louis, MO 6 years (3 places)

It’s no wonder I don’t have that feeling of “home” anywhere at this point in my life. I mean, home is where my stuff and my cat is, but to me it’s crazy when I meet people who hang out and have known each other since they were kids! And no, I suppose I haven’t really lived anywhere terribly EXCITING (not like Carrie, who is going to NYC for grad school now) but each place I’ve lived gives me a unique perspective on life.

But I digress.

Oh, and since tomorrow is my birthday:

My brother Jesse holding me…he looks pretty uncomfortable here.

He’d gotten better by now—this is the proper way to hold a baby…choke hold! Note how tan we are—I was probably only in the sun for about an hour for this level of tan.

This seems to be my first birthday and the pie is out of reach! WHY WOULDN’T THEY GIVE ME MY PIE?

Just like today, sometimes I just got very tired

Having some tummy time (I hear that’s what all the moms today call it.) This one is labeled “new baby Hannah” so I’m guessing I was pretty little here.

This is my 4th birthday (I remember this!). I still love pizza for birthdays today 🙂

I just like this one. Leslie had the world’s largest baby cheeks, and I don’t seem to be having that hard of a time holding her…

I look pretty cozy there, don’t I! Hard to imagine I was ever that tiny 🙂 but what a great head of hair!

And here’s where it all began? My mom, Leslie, and I playing violin together. My mom has picked it up again in retirement as a hobby. I hope Leslie’s posture has improved since this photo, and you can tell I am totally rocking the world’s longest T-shirt there…I was PROBABLY wearing shorts underneath.

Over the weekend, my friend April finished an Olympic triathlon. That means she swam for 1 mile, biked for 25, and ran for 6 miles, basically. She had been training for months, and was fundraising for a special cause, that I want to tell you about now–

In her own words:

My name is April. Many of you  may not know me, but I am the Deputy Director of Strategic Communications for Panzi Foundation USA, and I have been working with the organization for about two years now. I am passionate about the mission of Panzi Hospital and the work being done there – helping the women of Eastern Congo to rebuild their lives and communities. The women that come to Panzi have endured more trauma than many will ever know, but they radiate incredible strength. Far from being victims, they are survivors. I want to help them tell their stories, and you can be a part of that effort. 

I am a professional video producer/editor and this summer, I am donating my time and the use of my equipment and traveling to Eastern Congo with Dr. Lee Ann De Reus (Panzi Foundation USA co-founder) to produce a documentary project showcasing Panzi Hospital and the women who have come through its programs. This will be my first trip to Bukavu, and I am very excited to see the impact Panzi has had on the ground over the last 15 years firsthand. We will be talking to women who have been through the hospital and finished their treatment, hospital staff, members of the surrounding community, and others. Panzi Foundation USA believes there are many supporters in the US (and beyond!) who will be interested to see and hear these stories – and we’d like to be able to show you! But we need your help. 

As all of the labor is entirely volunteer and all of the equipment already owned and paid for, we need donations ONLY to fund the travel expenses and tape costs. We’ve set up a page on the crowdfunding platform >>>indiegogo.com<<< and are trying to raise $5000 to bring this project to fruition. To sweeten the deal, we’re throwing in some nice perks for people who are able to donate $50, $100, or $250 – including a limited-edition t-shirt we’re having printed only for this campaign, a producer credit on the documentary, and a photo of Congolese women signed by medical director of Panzi Hospital and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Dr. Denis Mukwege.

Just in case we haven’t given you enough reasons to donate – I am putting my body on the line as well. May 18th, I will be swimming almost a mile, biking almost 25 miles, and running just over 6 miles at the Gateway Triathlon (Carlyle Lake, IL) in support of this campaign and PFUSA. I have been training for months, and it has not always been a fun process. Whenever I feel like I want to give up, however, I get inspiration and strength from the women of Congo. Can you help us share their stories with the world? 

Please >>>visit our indiegogo page<<<, donate if you can, and share this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks. We cannot do this without your help!

(photo from the triathlon swim course)

They are nearly halfway to their goal right now, but they need your help!  Honestly, anything I am trying to add right now just sounds stupid, so I’ll just say: if you can, please donate to her cause. I did, and I’m looking forward to my t-shirt 🙂 I love how dedicated April is to what she believes in and I believe that she does and will continue to make the world a better place. And most important to me (being selfish) she is a wonderful friend and has been there for me many times when I needed someone.

Here’s a picture from last year of April and I running a race together. She could totally kick my butt now (not that she couldn’t then either…but still!)