Thanksgiving 2010

I've added pictures for your viewing pleasure, be warned there is a lot.

So for Thanksgiving this year we went back east to Maryland! Its my parents old stomping ground, and that's where my sister was born too. It was my Dad, David and me. We were there for a week, we left the Saturday before and left the Saturday after.

We got to the airport about 8 and got through security and such without too much of a problem. And no I didn't have to go through a full body scanner, SLC only has one and we weren't in that line. Before we got on the plane we got lunch and then we got on the plane.

On the plane they showed the movie "Salt." I didn't like it that much, it didn't keep my attention and it was kind of boring. We got to Maryland around 4 EST. We got to Fredrick about 5 530 and so on Saturday we just had dinner and hung around my uncles house.

Sunday we went on a hike out at Monocacy battlefield. And after that I needed to just relax so we just hung around Fredrick again. We also went to the Here Kristna Temple Virgina and we made a special trip for me to see the Washington DC Temple (Where my parents were sealed). It's kind of funny because we didn't need to make a special trip because every day after that we saw the Temple!
(This is the best picture I could get of the temple from my phone while we were driving down the belt way)

Monday we went to DC and we went to the Air and Space museum for a little bit then we went to the Post Office for lunch. On our way to the Post Office we passed by the National Museum of Art. I've wanted to go to an art museum for awhile, but I knew my dad wouldn't go with me to it. And David definitely would not go either. I wanted to go to get some culture and see an art museum besides the Springville Art Museum.
The pictures above are all from the Air and Space museum
The first picture is the closet I could find of a gas mask, its a Doctor Who episode

This totally surprised me, I talked to my dad and asked him if I could go to the museum by myself, and he was a little hesitant, but he let me! I felt very odd going by myself because I'm used to my dad taking the lead and guiding us, so doing something by myself for a change was an odd thing. I left my backpack checked in and just took my wallet and phone with me around.

The place is HUGE. I sort of did a full scan of the bottom floor and barely got to the second level in that one afternoon. Some of the paintings and sculptors were odd. There was this one that looked a kid I know so that was funny.
( This is of the ceiling above where the fountain is)

(This picture is of the fountain on the second floor of the museum)

That night we had dinner with my Aunt and Uncle who live in Tacoma Park. Which is right by the "border" of Washington DC. It was a great dinner, which was very simple but it was great. I love having relatives that are vegetarian like me and my dad.
(don't mind the picture being a little messed up, T-mobile was having issues, i got a picture from Tedi that was a little messed up.)

Tuesday we went back to DC. This time we tried to go through the capital but it was just David and I and I couldn't figure out how anything worked and I didn't like leaving my dad. But we got off the metro stop at Union Station and there was the biggest shoe I have ever seen in my life! It was outside just because of a shoe sale in the Station. After we tried to go to the capital we went to the Native American Museum for lunch because my uncle we were staying with suggested it. It was really good. So after that David and Dad went back to the Air and Space and I went to the East part of the Art museum which is more contemporary and new. I went through that building pretty fast because there wasn't too much art. So I had heard from my relatives that there was a walk way between both of the museums. I had yet to see it but I went down to the very bottom level of the East building and I found it! Just to clarify it was a walk way but there was a book store and a restaurant in there too.

This is the shoe, huge right?

I called my dad and let him know where I was so he wasn't worried and tried to look at all of the art in the North end of the West building, still there was SO much art. That night we were able to do to one of my favorite restaurants Panera Bread. It was great.

On Wednesday we kind of just took it easy. We had lunch with my dads friend Steve at an all vegetarian Chinese restaurant. We kind of go all out when we go there and everything was really good. Also that night we went to my cousins Belle and Joey's house for a cousins night only and we had pizza and we played a game that was really fun. It was like pictionary and legos combined.I love this picture, the because my little "nephew" Hurley is now in the Priesthood :)

Thursday was the big event, the reason we were there in Maryland, Thanksgiving. I decided this year I would pace myself and not completely pig out and make myself sick. So I decided to eat a light breakfast and just let myself eat a lot.

Because we were going to have a van full my dad asked me if I would drive down with my cousin McCamie who was leaving for Miami the next day to make room in the van. I did and I had a great time chatting with her.

Dinner was great, I paced myself and I didn't eat as much as I thought I would. The tofurkey was delicious too.

Friday we went to Wonder book and then Gettysburg in Penn for the day because it wasn't that big of a drive. So we spent some time there, we saw the movie and my uncle bought me a book because I had run out, I had read all of the 5 or 6 books I had brought with me on the trip. We went and hiked on Little and Big round tops and then we got fries at McDonalds and then headed home.

Saturday we packed some and then we went to Antitem with my cousins John and Alexandra and we hiked there a little bit but not as much. Then it was almost time for us to leave for the airport so we headed home packed and then we headed to the airport.
We got there in plenty of time to sit in the skydeck and just watch the planes. I kind of wanted some Starbucks so my dad gave me some money and i went on a quest to find and retrieve starbucks.

I noticed that from my walking around that security was kind of crazy and there was a lot of people so when I got back to my dad and David I told them how crazy it was and so we sat there for a few minutes and then we headed to security. After we got through security we got dinner and then went to our gate and waited for what seemed like forever to get on the plane.

That plane was one of the funniest I've ever been on, everyone had their own screen in front of them and you could watch a variety of movies tv channels and you could even play games! So the plane ride didn't seem to be too long. Then we finally were back in UTAH! I loved it except for the snow and cold. But my mom picked us up and then we finally got home!

I know this is a really long post and kind of boring but I like documenting my experiences.

Its Official

So its official that I really am a senior now, I'm turning in my applications for college. Which I thought would be hard. I'm applying to BYU and I'm already a student at UVU so I don't have to apply there, but I thought that my recommendations from my bishop and my stake president.

I had BYC on Sunday and so before it started I asked if I could get my recommend renewed because it was going to expire and if I could get my recommendation, he told me to talk to the secretary and he got me in pretty much right after BYC, so I got that one done.

During sacrament I asked my mom if she would go with me to see the stake president, just to set up an appointment, because I thought he's probably busy, we went right after church and my mom said my daughter would like a recommendation from you, and he said come right in. So I got that one taken of.

I thought getting those things in would be hard, are they supposed to? Because from what I experienced it wasn't.

Springville High School

As most people know I'm going to be a senior in high school/a freshman in college. I have been going to SHS since I was a sophomore and they have always messed up my schedule somehow.

Sophomore year: I was just going to take regular 10th grade english because I didn't want to deal with honors english again because I knew I would have to read books before school started and I hadn't even paid attention 9th grade to what the books were. So we went on vacation for two weeks that year and got back the week before school started and then we got home and I checked my schedule when we picked up the mail and they had put me in honors english! I was furious how could they do that to me? I didn't know what books to read. So my mom and I went in to the high school and found my teacher and asked her what I could do and she said to hurry and read the books because it was too late to change classes. So I went through with honors english and I'm glad I did it.

Junior year: I wanted to take just honors english, I didn't want to take an AP class because I didn't know anything about them and I was a little bit scared. This time I had taken the time to remember what we were supposed to read for honors english. The Great Gatspy and Our Town. I was reading them, I was working hard during the summer to not do what I had done the year previous and I hadnt even read the second book we were supposed too. Weeks before school started I got my schedule again. Guess what they did, yeah thats right they put me in the class I didn't want. I got put into Mr. Waddoups AP Language and Composition class. How did they keep doing this to me? I had no idea. So I went to the counsolors office and changed a couple classes and just stuck with AP Language. I took the AP test in May, I didn't pass but it was a good experience for me.

Senior/Freshman year: This year they actually gave me the right english class but my lovely counsolor didn't tell me at my SEOP last year that PSY 1010 and Soc Psyc were the exact same class. One of them is a college class and the second is just a class I wanted to take because I absoulutly love the teacher and she teaches in such a way I feel I'm learning a whole lot more than I would have otherwise. So I had to go into the counsilors office two weeks ago to ask him about what class I should take. Then last week I had to go in to get it so I could take Soc Psyc and College Writing. Now my sophomore year I wasn't too bright and I failed my math class so I retook the class last year, to make up for the math credit I have to take a math class this year, I also want to so when I really get into college I wont be freaking out because I can't remember how to do math. But they didn't give me a math class, so most likely today I have to go in AGAIN for the third time to get my schedule worked out so I can take all the classes I want, yeah and school starts in a week from today.

Yeah I kind of have a bad attitude about this but I know this is all for my own good, if I hadn't taken honors or AP lang I probably wouldn't be taking Mr. Waddoups college writing class this year. So good things come to those who endure high school haha.

Forever Families

This past week has been hard for the students and some families of Springville High and Maple Mountain High School. One of our beloved football players died in a car accident last Tuesday. I didn't know Brandon Curtis that well but from what everyone has said on his Facebook wall and at his funeral yesterday he was beloved. He was a shining example of what I hope to be.

My parents have always said that teenagers think we're immortal, I always thought that meant just with driving because we drive like maniacs all of the time and don't think we're going to get hurt. Well Brandon dying and three of the other boys in the car getting hurt kind of opened my eyes a little bit. It showed me that us 16, 17, or 18 year olds can die.

After I had learned Brandon had died I cried and I didn't even know him that well but I think the reason I did was because I never really had anyone close to my age die before, but I am so grateful I have the plan of salvation in my life. I know Brandon is being taken care of on the other side, he's on his mission already, he's doing a great work already.

I'm grateful my parents were sealed in the temple before I was born so that I could have been born under the covenant. Yes my mom got a temple and a civil divorce from my dad but I know that it will all work out in the next life. Also I can start my own line and get married to my future husband in the temple and be together with him for eternity and have my children born under the covenant.

I went to the funeral yesterday (Tuesday) because I"m on seminary council and I thought it would be good for me to go. The amount of people there was amazing, it was standing room only and you could just see by the church and how far I had to walk to get to the church that he was loved, he was extremely loved and you could see how much his example meant to all of us. I just wanted to share my thoughts on that subject.

Hurley For the Weekend

Because yesterday was Tedi and Chases anniversary and they wanted a "kid free" weekend my mom decided to have Hurley stay with us because David and I were going to be there.

On Friday my best friend Sidney texted me and said her parents were going to their cabin they have but she didn't want to go so she asked if she could stay with me. I called my mom and asked her and she said it was okay so later that day I went and picked her up.

Friday night Sidney and I were the only kids home because Dave wasn't back from Scout Camp yet and Tedi and Chase weren't having us pick up Hurley till Saturday.

This picture is from Sunday when Hurley was laying under the table and soaking in the sun.

Saturday Sidney, Michael, my mom, and I all went to yard sales for a couple of hours then they took us home so we could go pick up Hurley. Sidney and I met Tedi and Chase at the Provo Mall and then the fun started. It was weird trying to drive while having a puppy in the car with me. We made it home and Hurley got all settled in playing with Sam. The family that was home (Sidney, Michael, Mom, and Me) ate lunch and then we were going to go to a free sale but we saw the Scout trailer up the street so my mom went and picked David up and he went inside and showered because he needed it. He was gross, he hadn't showered in two days (which is a lot for him), he was sunburnt and his nose was really peeley.

Saturday Night Sidney and I went over to her house to get ready for the stake dance which is the reason she stayed home. We thought that the dance was formal so we had all these skirts and dresses picked out and then we found out it was casual. So we got ready and had dinner at her house. We went to the dance and we left early because my feet hurt and Sidney's back hurt.

We had to go back to her house to clean up the big mess we made and when we were walking around her house to get to the back door we noticed the downstairs light was on and we kind of panicked so she was carrying a knife around with her while we looked through the house. That night was bad because guess who slept with me, that's right Hurley. He curled up on the cot with me and I had little room by my legs.

Sunday we just hung out had brunch and got ready for church, but we were late so we got to sit in the very front row which wasnt as bad as most people think it is. Also before Sidney and I went to bed we tried learning the Singles Lady dance that Kurt does in Glee.

Monday we hung out again till Mom got home from work and then we went over to my dads and gave Hurley back to Tedi and Chase.

This picture of Hurley is before we took him home. We made him so tired.

Summer Time

I'm really a bad blogger, I like reading everyone elses but I never update my own. So this summer has already been jam packed. I took out a wall at my moms house, stayed a week at my mom's while my dad was on a business trip. I hardly had time to watch tv at my mom's she worked us to the bone!

I went to Seven Peaks in Provo with my friends Sidney and Angela. I got sunburnt on my shoulder and my nose, my dad called my mom that night and told her my nose was HALF beet red. I got to take my dad in for his Colonoscopy and I got so bored, I finished one of my books, played games on my iPod touch, ate my snacks, watched some of the world cup that one of the other people in the waiting room turned on, then finally I was able to see my dad and take him home, but not before getting Costa Vida.

So that's been my summer so far.

Choir Tour

I need to play catch up with my blog over the last couple of weeks. First on my agenda is going on choir tour! I had a lot of fun and I'll tell you all about it.

First off we went to Grand Junction Colorado instead of boring ol' California.
Friday we got to the school before 6 in the morning might I add and we got on our tour buses and left around 630. About 8 or 9 we stopped at a gas station and we all went to the bathroom, we got back on the bus only to have to get back off the bus. Someone had lost their iPod, they left in the bathroom for 2 seconds and it was gone when she came back for it. I was really annoyed and I think everyone else was too. After that there was no hitch and we watched the Princess and the Frog on our way to Grand Junction. We got GJ and we got some lunch, Sidney and I went to Wendys. Little did we know that there was a Wendys by our hotel that we would later eat at. After lunch we checked into our hotel and got ready for our competition.

We left the hotel and went to Mesa State College to sing. we got there around 1:00 and didn't leave until 5:30 because Vivace(the choir I'm in) didn't sing till last. Before we got on the buses Sidney and I were playing a stupid game and she freaked out because she wanted to do it again and I started laughing so hard i jumped up and down and was shaking my hands too. After we sang we went back to the hotel changed and then we to the mall to eat. It was on the bus ride home that Andrew taught us the four steps to kiss someone.
1) Walk up to them
2) Look them in the eye
3) Grab their head
4) Kiss them right on the mouth
Sidney and I went to the pool that night and she swam I did not because I forgot my swim suit but left soon after going to the pool because my friend Tyler threatened to throw me in the pool with all my clothes on. And at the end of the night us girls in our room pillowed talked till one in the morning END OF DAY ONE

Saturday we got our awesome choir tour t-shirts and went and heard Singers sing at the Jazz Festivial. We heard Singers and another choir sing and then we left. Before we left to get on the buses we saw someone get hit by a car! All us choir members were just talking and standing around this lady got hit and broke her whole leg and the woman who hit her got out freaked out and left. We went back to the hotel so that singers could change and we got some lunch, as I mentioned before that we had a Wendy's right next to our hotel thats where 85% of all our choir went to get food, Sidney and I got our food and got it to go so we could get ready to go to Colorado National Park. We went to what they call the "Devils Kitchen" and hiked up there it was amazing and I took a lot of great pictures. Which I would show you if blogger or my computer was working. Then we went back to the hotel changed and then went to Bananas Fun Park and had dinner there, they had Go Kart racing, bumper boats, golfing, and arcade games. We played golf with Mama and Papa Hulme and it was fun because we did it super fast, which is how we lost Sidneys ball but it was okay. END OF DAY TWO

Sunday was a crazy day, we got ready and went to an LDS Church and sang in sacrament meeting both and intermediate hymn and the closing hymn, then we went to a Methodist church were we had a light lunch and then had an hour and a half concert, then we went back to the LDS church and sat around till 5 while one of the buses (that I was on) went to Safeway. I stayed on the bus and slept and freaked out. We got back to the church just in time for a fireside that had less people there than were in the choir. it was a sad turn out. After that we went back to the hotel and changed and then went to golden corral to eat dinner. We went back to the hotel and I put my feet into the hot tub because the first night we got in trouble for having so many people. Also I got asked to Prom that night while I wasn't home!END OF DAY THREE

Monday was our last day on choir tour, we didn't want it to end, we got up early had breakfast packed everything and sang Mrs. Crockett a song called "Rock it with Crockett" then we went to Moab. We stopped at the Arches National Park visitors center to go to the bathroom then we went and drove till we got to a double arch and climbed that and sang. Got back on the bus ate some lunch and then drove to the delicate arch hike start and hiked up there, I was one of the slowest because I get lightheaded so my "hiking buddies" left me and I hiked with my other friends Hayden, Corbin, Angela and Sammi, but i'm glad i did it because i got some awesome pictures and its something I can tell my kids and maybe something i can show them. We stayed up there for awhile and Mrs. Crockett was the last one up and we sang her our favorite song Open the Door. Here are the lyrics
Open the door for the children, the children
Tenderly gather them in
In from the highways and hedges
In from the places of sin
Open the door for the children the children
See they are coming in throngs
Bid them sit down to the banquet
Teach them your beautiful songs
Open, Open gather the children
Open the door, gather them into the fold
Some are so young, some are so helpless some are so hungry and cold
some are so lonely outside the fold.
Open the door for the children the children
take the dear lambs by the hand
Point them to truth and to goodness
Lead them to bright spirit land.
Open, open gather the children open the door
Gather them into the fold, gather them into the fold.

that song really moved us to tears every time we sang it. After we left arches we went and got food in Price and then drove all the way home.

Knowledge Bowl Update

Since I know you all were DYING to know how we did in the Knowledge Bowl. So we won every round but one!! It was amazing I can't believe we did that well and I was only in it for the t-shirt!

Designer Sewing/Needle Arts

I'm taking a class called Designer Sewing and we just happen to do a lot of stuff that I actually like doing. The pictures are in order of what we've done first and what we've done recently, right now we're working on making a quilt which I haven't done anything on yet so I cant show you.
First we did knitting so I knitted a washcloth. I may not use it but it's good to know how to use it.
Second we did crocheting. I crochetd a head band, it was pretty easy I just crochetd three rows and I thought it was big enough.
Third we did counted cross stitch which was super easy I used a kit and it only took me like three class periods.
Fourth we did embroidery I made two of them, I made one for my sister and my brother in law that said "and they lived happily ever after" and it had two people a guy and a girl holding hands and then it had their names and the day they got married. and the second one is the one in the picture that says "Sisters are we... forever friends we'll be"

The Knowledge Bowl

So at my school near the end of the year we have the Knowledge Bowl, last year I didn't participate because I was only a squashmore and I didn't know that I could do it, but this year my friend Tyler asked me to be on his team. His team consists of our friends Devon and Braden. Our first competition was today and we won! It was 95 against 30. After it was over Devon was funny he said "I knew there was a reason to put you on the team" I'll let you know how far we get in the competition! The above pictures are the shirt we got for just being in the competition

16 and Pregnant

So I watch the show 16 and pregnant. Most of the girls and some of the boyfriends/fathers are so adamant about keeping the baby and raising it themselves. I think that they're being stupid, they aren't doing the right thing in my mind. The parents of the girls who are pregnant support them. In the episodes they don't even consider adoption at all and that's what saddens me the most. I wish the parents of the girls would at least consider it. These girls are only 16 years old they aren't even out of high school yet and they're moms? They need to consider it. I'm sorry I want to go to college and become an adoption case worker so that's why I'm so hard on these girls, they need to realize what the choices they make now will have consequences later. These girls don't understand that their kids have a higher chance of becoming teen parents because of this. They need to think about that.

Dinner

So most nights I make dinner for my dad and I and sometimes my little brother but when I get to I get to pick what we eat. So on Thursday I chose to make one of my favorite dishes called Cottage Potato Pie, and this time it turned out really really well I'm so proud of myself! So the pictures are the before and after.

Birthday!

So I really suck at writing at this blog all the time. I just feel I have nothing really cool to write about, but this time I do. I had my birthday last week!
I had asked my mom a couple of weeks in advance if I could eat dinner over at her house because I've always loved having my mom make me something special for my birthday. So this year I asked if she would make me Chinese food. So she did, she made chow mein, low mein, and my sister made egg rolls at my mom's house.
My mom also made me cupcakes like ice cream cones, she baked cake in the ice cream cones and made it like my favorite ice cream, mint chocolate chip! A couple of my gifts were my brother gave me socks (because I love socks) and gum, and my sister and brother in law gave me a cute scarf that Tedi made. Here is a picture of what it looks like.