From coast to coast like space ghost!!

Just got back from our trip to Orlando last Friday and it was really fun and totally exhausting! I never did finish reading that book on the plane ride back because I felt like sleeping instead. We got there Sunday night, picked up our rental car which was a Toyota Rav 4 and went off to the hotel to check in. After waiting 15 min to verify our reservation because the website we booked it through didn't send the hotel our reservation......we finally get to our hotel room and it's amazing! We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott and it was like a small studio apartment. Loved the layout of the room and Dave and I joked that we could actually live in something like that because it was so nice! His family didn't get in until the next afternoon so the next day we drove around looking at souvenir shops and ended up at Downtown Disney. We walked around there for quite a bit and I got my mickey hat!! Have always wanted one of those!! with my name embroidered on the back too!

We finally met up with Dave's family and headed to our rental home we had for the week. It was really nice!! It had a pool and hot tub in the community and free wifi!

On Tuesday his Grandma, great aunt and her daughter came to visit. We went to Old Town and walked around and went to a flea market! The next day we all went to Daytona Beach! We went down to the beach for a couple hours and walked around. It wasn't very warm out but it was neat to see the beach :)

We had Hooter's for lunch and then went on to tour......Daytona International Speedway!!! It was so AWESOME!!!

 The room where all the drivers have to meet for a mandatory meeting before the race.

 Victory Lane!!!

 View from the skybox, this was sooooo awesome!!!

Last year's race winner, Matt Kenseth's car! They kept it exactly the way it was after all the confetti and stuff was thrown at it after winner. totally cool!

Then next was.....DISNEY WORLD!!! It was a very long day but soooo much fun!! Got to ride Space mountain, teacups, dumbo, and it's small world....all rides you have to ride when you go :) and I got to meet Stitch!!! We stayed for the nightly lighted parade and got to see some of the fireworks before heading back. My feet felt like they were gonna fall off but I would totally do it again! Felt like a kid at heart!

                                                  On the teacups :)

                                                           Me and Stitch!!!!!

                                                            Dave and Stitch!!

                                                           Dave and I in front of Cinderella's castle in day and night :)

                                                    The lighted parade!!!

I thought the picture with snow white in front of the castle like this was one of the best pictures I took on this trip!! looks so cool!!

This last weekend all we did was relax after the trip. We went out and bought and Xbox 360 and the guys have been playing it alot. Dave finally found a use for the gift card my mom got him for Christmas so that made him happy! I went back to school today and it wasn't too bad. I only had one class today which was Nutrition. My teacher is an older lady who is a Registered Dietitian and she seems like a pretty good teacher! After class I went to see where my biology classes were for tomorrow. Campus seems different than the schools I went to in Illinois. Some entrances to classrooms are on the outside of the buildings. That's pretty common for other schools around here too from what I see. Also...it's true...I am a minority around here!! A lot of the people attending my school from what I've seen are all different races....not a lot of blonde haired, blue eyed people either. So it will take some getting used to but I'm pretty sure I can handle it!

Thoughts from 35,000 ft

Currently on a plane from Austin, TX to Orlando, FL. Dave and I left at about 9:30am in Cali and now it's getting dark here on the plane. The flight from San Jose to Austin was pretty smooth. Got to Austin and had some BBQ at a place in the airport for lunch. I would really like to go back to Austin sometime and visit. I think it would be neat to see. Heard lots of good things about the music scene and such too! I've been reading this book that Dave got me a while back.....basically a real world guide for musicians written by some lady who's been in the industry for 20 plus years. So far it's a really good book with some really great suggestions for artists just getting started in the music industry. I will have to post the title and author later because it's under the seat right now.....but will give it further review after I'm done reading it lol. I stopped because I'm halfway through and have to have something to do on the way back from Orlando. I'm currently typing this on my tablet....it's pretty awesome how it's like a computer but it's not lol. Dave is sitting here reading as I type, he says hello! Can't wait to get into Orlando. Found out there was a Chick Fil A in the airport but of course it's Sunday so it's not open.....always happen to want it when they are closed! haha! So we might hit up a waffle house or something after we get off the plane......Can't believe we are literally flying across the country in like 5 hours!

I'll go anywhere with you!

Got a call tonight from a guy I used to work with at Nestle in IL. He was always seemed like a father figure to me at work. Anyways, he asked me why I stopped doing youtube videos! I didn't even know he watched those! So maybe I'll do a few more....probably after we get back from Orlando. I am super excited!!! I can't wait to go! I will have to blog about it when we get back but for right now...not much going on. They announced the concerts at Shoreline in Mountain View today and I'm very excited for the lineup!!! Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert in May, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia line in August, Keith Urban and Little Big Town in September and Jason Aldean and Jake Owen in October!! Those are the 4 I want to go to. Dave said he wouldn't mine seeing Lady A and Brad Paisley but we'll see.......AND I got an email back from Al's Beef saying they will let me know when they are ready to open so....I might have a job after I get back from Orlando too!! Hopefully things fall into place and this turns out to be a good year with school and all! :)

Progress is the road to success!

Today I weighed in and now 3lbs lighter since the beginning of the year!! I logged everything I ate last week into an app called My Fitness Pal. If you have an account on there add me as a friend! My username is withthebandgrl! It's always great to have more friends on there that can motivate you! It's been 2 weeks since I've had soda/aspertame too :) I'm really starting to notice that my pants are fitting really well again which is a good sign. At the beginning of the year I really wanted to do this because I felt like I was busting out of my pants! It wasn't a good feeling at all :( I have to stick with this though and don't get off track like I did last year!

I somehow broke the top 10!

I am still very much so into making music. It's a part of me that can't go away and I don't think ever will. It all started for a reason and things happen for a reason. I have gone through many phases where I am completely into music, then sink into a point where I don't think I can do it anymore. Songs come and go and whether or not they are sad or happy, they are still a part of me as well.

Enough with the deep shit.

I checked my reverbnation website today to find that my local rank of artist moved from like 20 something to number EIGHT!! How in the heck did that happen?

 I don't even play shows around San Jose but what happens if I do? Move up the list more? For those of you that don't know, reverbnation is a very popular website for singers/songwriters.....basically anyone that makes music has one or should have one. I think it's a good way to get your music heard even if you are a less popular schmuck like me. I only have one song on there and one video from my youtube....I do have my youtube linked to my reverbnation account and my twitter account.

Maybe I can do both school and still do music on the side.....I know it sounds crazy but I think I can do both. We will have to just see what happens next!

Here's my site if you want to check it out :)
http://www.reverbnation.com/kristintoon

Growing up in the 90's....

I was born in 1987 and my childhood was mostly in the 90's! I found a survey.......

What spice girl were you when you were young?

I wanted to be them all.

Back Street Boys or NSync?

NSYNC!!!!!!

Did you watch S Club 7?

yes!! loved that show! 

What was your favorite, Sandlot or little Rascals?

LITTLE RASCALS

What year were you born in?

1987

Did you ever have light up sneakers?

yes, I think I did

What was your favorite thing about recess?

playing four squre

What year was it when you were in 3rd grade?

either 1995 or 1996

Cinderella or Snow White?

Snow White

Did you wake up really early just to watch cartoons one Saturday morning?

not really really early and I don't think I watched a lot of cartoons on saturday mornings, our dad would usually take us somewhere like a hike or the library

What grade were you in when you learned how to count up to 10 in Spanish?

I think high school...

What was your favorite holiday?

Halloween! lots of candy :) 

Did you ever try to stay up on Christmas just so you could see santa?

I did once when I was 9, then I found out who santa really was! lol! 

Did you leave milk and cookies or milk and carrots?

Milk and cookies

What grade did you like the best?

4 grade, my teacher would always tell stories and we wouldn't have much homework

Ninja Turtle or Power Rangers?

POWER RANGERS!

What Power Ranger were you?

I wanted to be the pink one of course

Did you ever own a chinese jump rope?

idk what that is but no

What was your favorite thing to eat?

cookies! 

What was your favorite color?

blue

Barney or sesame street?

BARNEY

Do you ever miss being a little kid?

of course

Do you wish you were older?

no way! 

Were you a girlie girl or tomboy?

girly girl

What was your first pets name?

spanky our dog until he got put to sleep in 1993 or 1994

Who was your best friend in kindergarten?

I don't think I had one then

Are you still friends with the person you were best friends with in the 3rd grade?

yes :) 

Where did you live when you were 9?

South Beloit

How many times have you switched schools including preschool?

In the same town or out of town? I don't get this one but since preschool I have been in 5 schools, 4 in the same town and one in Durand

Have you ever stayed back?

no

What grade are you in?

already graduated high school! 

What was your all time favorite movie?

Matilda

Which did you like Are You Afraid Of The Dark or AHH! Real Monsters?

Ahh! Real Monsters

Did you watch Rocko’s Modern Life?

YES!! 

Who was your favorite character in Doug?

Doug 

Did this quiz make you think about how good it was back then?

Yep :) 

"And everything is closing down, Til summer comes around"

Yesterday wasn't too eventful, we were going to take Kurt somewhere but ended up doing that today when we went to Santa Cruz. We did go out to the yardhouse last night for some drinks and appetizers. I went shopping with Jadzia earlier and got a cute new dress with pockets! I paired it with leggings because the fabric was thin, a jean jacket that I got from savers, and a necklace I got a long time ago from Target that I've only worn once before.

I had to take a picture and remember this moment because I hardly ever feel so stylish and last night I did lol! I've been trying to get more "grown up" clothes that look a little bit nicer than a concert tee, sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes.
I've been tracking so far all week on My Fitness Pal and have successfully logged two days in a row under my calorie count! If you want to add me as a friend on there my username is Withthebandgrl :) I made myself breakfast the past two days, my version of the egg mcmuffin with egg whites and a banana.....

For lunch we went to In-N-Out burger and I got a cheeseburger "protein style" which means no bun with a lettuce wrap on the outside. I didn't have fries and when we got home I had some Special K cracker chips that pretty much filled me up until we were in Santa Cruz.
It's been a while since we've been to Santa Cruz, I think the last time we went was when my parents came to visit....last April!! Of course the weather wasn't the greatest but it was nice to see the ocean again! The sea lions weren't too active but they were still there. The beach bums were missing from the pier thought, they must've migrated south for the winter but they are usually there begging for change...so annoying. I bought some bay scallops at the wharf and cooked some for dinner. They were alright but needed to be paired with a pasta or something, seemed kind of bland.

                                              Kurt looking at the sea lions and our friend Mike.

                            View of the boardwalk from the pier. It made me think of Keith Urban's song Til Summer Comes Around. "The boardwalk's quiet and the carnival rides are as lonely as my broken heart tonight" One of my favorite songs of his!

                                               The sleepy sea lions and maybe you can see it but there's a starfish too!

One week fizz free!

So far I have kept my new years resolution with giving up soda and anything with aspartame! I feel good about that but I need to find more alternatives that are healthy and have less calories. I started drinking more juice but that has a lot of sugar and calories that come with it. Regular green tea with ginseng and honey that I have been drinking also has more calories than I want. I bought some instant coffee for the mornings and will try pairing it with a balanced breakfast instead of drinking a glass of orange juice every morning. Jadzia and I went to Walmart earlier and I got some things that were sugar free. I knew it was too good to be true...read the labels while in line and all three had aspartame! So those 3 things got the boot! I started with tracking my calories again via my fitness pal. I know I said I wasn't too concerned about losing weight but I was wrong. I'm tired of feeling like crap and my weight is one of the factors that is bringing me down. I need to monitor what I put into my body and make sure most of it isn't garbage. I did pretty good today considering I went over my calories but it wasn't like a huge number. If I don't do the exercise that I planned to do tonight before bed then I went over about 100 but if I do them I will be over by only 12! I got an email today from my English professor saying what book I needed and stuff. It's all starting to sink in that I will be back in school before I know it.....which I think will be good for me. Get me out of the house and hopefully I can make some more friends here in Cali!

Uneventful times....

This weekend was pretty uneventful until our friend Kurt from Illinois landed in California today for a week-long visit! He brought along his PS3 and we have been playing some game that is like Super Smash Bros but for PS3. Pretty addicting and fun! We plan to show him around the bay area this week and play tour guide. It's always fun having a visitor!

It's what dreams are made of

So I'm about to turn in for the night in about an hour or so and I've been thinking a lot lately about my dreams. Do you ever have those dreams that seem so real that when you wake up make you think, maybe it's a sign? I had a dream that Dave proposed to me sometime earlier this week, and my ring kept falling off...and I kept losing it! So I told Dave about this dream and his reaction was to definitely get the right sized ring when the time comes lol. That was kind of a funny one....but then I have these reocurring dreams that I am back working at the Mcdonalds I used to work at in South Beloit, IL. I somehow start working there again and they make me take orders. I don't know any of the buttons on the POS system or how to make any of the new items. I guess it's more of a nightmare than a dream but still have no clue what it means since I don't think I will be working there ever again. I do know what one dream means though. Someone once told me that when my life is too busy I have a dream with a tornado in it. It seems pretty accurate because when I have these dreams I am pretty busy and life seems hectic. Do you ever wonder what your dreams really mean? I do, and I hope I can find answers!

The Sun Goes Down, The Stars Come Out

Today's blog is going to a be a little different, I thought I would talk about my top 25 songs played on itunes. This list has changed from time to time but some of my favorite songs are on it right now and I thought I would share some stories behind why I like these songs!

25. Summer On Fire by Dierks Bentley- This was off his latest EP Country and Cold cans that he released last summer. It's very catchy and gets stuck in my head from time to time. It's one of those feel good summer songs that you just want to crank up in your car and drive!

24. Fast Cars and Freedom by Rascal Flatts- This has been one of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs for years and I don't think it will ever get old!! Another song I would crank up, roll all the windows down and sing at the top of my lungs!

23. Banjo by Rascal Flatts- Again. Another one of those "crank it up" songs!

22. War of my Life by John Mayer- I don't know what it is about John Mayer songs but they make me feel at ease and peaceful. It's kind of like he's singing a lullaby to me every time.

21. Faith To Fall Back On by Hunter Hayes- This song has a really cool groove in it that makes me want to dance a little but not too crazy. By far one of my favorite HH songs!

20. If It's Love by Train- Ok...get ready to be bombarded with Train songs! I was listening to them constantly after seeing them in concert last year, and since the whole household liked Train....I couldn't be yelled at for playing it! :)

19. In Love With A Girl by Luke Bryan- It's weird to me that this song is in here but I guess I listen to it a lot for some reason....I think it has a really good melody and a good story. In the end...anything Luke Bryan is alllllright with me :)

18. Barefoot Bluejean Night by Jake Owen- question......WHY IS THIS SO LOW ON MY LIST?!?! I better fix that! Pronto!

17. I Got You by Train- So in love with this song and how at the end they break out into Black Water!

16. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye by Luke Bryan- One of his recent big hits and all I can think about when I hear this song is how he dances in this video......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHqA5QE5kzY&feature=share&list=FLPt_PUtG11aNgIs8KgQm7aQ

15. Sorry On The Rocks by Kelleigh Bannen- Since we saw her last year at Jason Stephens, I was begging for this song to be released on itunes! Finally it came out in October and of course it made it into the top 25!

14. Poor Lil' Heart by Joanna Smith- This song kind of sounds like old school country to me and I love it!

13. Bruises by Train and Ashley Monroe- I really love how Train collaborated with Ashley! Such a great song!

12. Drive By by Train- ahhhh this song makes me want to sing and dance, end of story!

11. Did It For The Girl by Greg Bates- This song is so sweet! Love the old school country sound :)

10. 50 Ways To Say Goodbye bye Train- This song is hilarious and one of my favs off their new album California 37, the music video is hilarious too!

9. Set Fire To The Rain by Adele- Do I have to explain this one? It's freakin' Adele!

8. Sleepy Little Town by JT Hodges- First time Dave and I heard this song it reminded us of our not so sleepy little town back home :)

7. Too Good To Be True by Eden's Edge- I <3 Eden's Edge! Love the lyric in this song, "Lie, lie, lie like a politician"

6. California 37 by Train- Someday we will get to drive on CA 37 while playing this song, that would be cool :)

5. Tornado by Little Big Town- This song is so spitfire! Love Little Big Town!!

4. Goodbyes Made You Mine by JT Hodges- A lot of goodbyes until Dave found me :)

3. Runnin Out Of Air by Love and Theft- Love. This. Song. It's so groovy and sexy, just love it!

2. Pontoon by Little Big Town- One of the biggest songs of last summer! mmmmm moterboatin'!

Now before we got to #1 I named this blog because of Glad You Came by The Wanted. I thought it was in my top 25 but somehow itunes messed up and deleted it!!! I heard that song at the Lady A concert we went to last year and had to download it when we got home! If you really want to know...I like The Wanted NOT One Direction :)

and the #1 song is.......

Cruise by Florida Georgia Line!!! Seriously have an unhealthy addiction to this song when it comes to listening to it multiple times in a row. I blame you Jake Owen for introducing me to such a great song! Really can't wait to see them in concert!

Back to the grind!

We ended up staying home yesterday and didn't go to the beach. My stomach was still bothering my from New Years Eve but I felt better later last night! We talked to our friend Andrew over in Illinois on Google Plus for a bit too. The guys went back to work today so I did some cleaning, took down the tree and went grocery shopping with Jadzia. She is trying to lose weight so she can fit into a dress her mom got her for Christmas. So we loaded up on a bunch of healthy foods. I have to say that I'm kind of happy the holidays are over. Walmart was still pretty packed, not sure why! But not as crazy as it was over Christmas! Back to eating right too.....all the holiday sweets and stuff are gone (well most of them). This year will be mostly about making healthier and smart choices! We have a few weeks until Dave and I go to Orlando and then I start school! It's coming fast! Our friend Kurt from Illinois will be here visiting us soon too and we can't wait to show him around!

Happy New Year! Here's to 2013!!

Last night we rung in the new year in a couple different ways. First we went out to see Django Unchained and that movie was awesome!! I wasn't a huge fan of Quentin Tarintino after seeing Inglorious Bastards but I think this time around was different! Of course there was lots of killing but I won't spoil the rest of it for those who haven't seen it yet! Mike, Dave, Jadzia and I then went to dinner at Yardhouse at Santana Row. Dave and Jadzia both got half yards and I had two margaritas. Mike only had one small beer because he was DD. It was a good time, we stayed there until about 9 and then we went over to Stephanie's house where she was having a party. At midnight we all ran out in front of the house screaming and there were sparklers and fireworks from other neighbors. It was kind of wild but awesome!! Today I am paying for it of course......thought I was feeling better but now my headache is back and have been having horrible heartburn. I'm not sure what we are doing today...we were planning on going to Santa Cruz to the beach and have dinner at Betty's Burgers but I'm not sure what is going on. It's 2:30 and we haven't left yet so we'll see what happens. I personally wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch for a little bit lol. Now, for new years resolutions.....I'm starting off the year by not partaking in any drinks that have aspertame in them. Right before we moved to Nashville I started not drinking diet coke but then substituted diet green tea which also has aspertame. The past two years my resolution has been to lose weight. This year I'm just going to try to focus on making healthier choices altogether. If I lose weight while doing so then great! I know I always complain about it but my weight doesn't really concern me right now. I've come to realize that my body is like this because it's supposed to be, I just have a lot more womanly curves than I used to. This year will be great I hope!