Pre-Junior Year

Junior Year...Wow! I've made it this far and it seems like only yesterday that I just graduated elementary. Its crazy how time passes so fast. Well, school starts August 19th and I'm very excited! I mean, I still will miss the summer and so I better make the best of whats left. My courses this year are pretty difficult and I only have 1 elective! I'm actually almost done with all of my required classes and so my senior year can be all electives. I'm taking Architecture this year and I'm pretty serious about it-I'm considering it for a career. And...if schools not enough, I'm also Junior Class Vice-President. That'll be a tough duty this year especially when we are in charge of prom. Oh! I'm stoked about prom this year! It'll be great! Awesome! and Super Sick! haha I'm hoping. We have such a great class this year and I think that we'll get alot of support. O! and just one more thing to add to my agenda, I have the school play in the fall, which i'm student directing, and the middle school play in the spring that I am student directing. Busy. Busy. Busy. And I'm planning on doing the following sports this year: X country, Basketball, Soccer, and Track. And I'm gonna try to include Ballroom Dancing into there somewhere...Oh and I'm trying out for One Voice when school starts. I hope I make it. Well...there's my plan haha We'll see what happens when school starts.

My Trekking Experience

Wow! The trek was such a great experience. There was a good turnout this year. When we first arrived to our unloading destination, we were set aside into families. I wasn't really put in with anybody I got along with but we grew on each other and we ended up being a true family.
The First day, we walked about 4 miles. It was a little difficult just because we were learning and getting used to the handcarts. We would walk, then stop, then walk, then stop. Many of us needed breaks! haha We stopped to eat lunch and we were taught some fun games. I was glad to have my friends there; Kelsie, Kinzie, Chevia, Kurtis and I pretty much hung out the entire trip. We started off again and finally arrived to our camp for the night. Each family set up their area with their tarp tents and bedding. After, we cooked dinner, ate, and I was off again to play with my friends. All of us headed down to the "crick" not "creek". haha Kinzie and I ended up getting wet! and we had to say the prayers that night. We played games, danced, and listened to music. It started getting cold and late so we headed to bed. I was tired and sore, but in the end, the first day was great!
The Second day was a bit more difficult. haha we walked somewhere around 7 and a half miles and most of it was up hill! It began to rain that day and nothin fun really happened until we reached our next camp for the night.
When we reached camp, the same schedule happened: set up camp, cook, eat, play. The first night, each family was assigned to make up a song for the "battle of the bands" held on the second night. I immediately started writing our song to the tune Beat It: by Michael Jackson. A classic! I know. haha It sounded good until we came to preform. I messed up terribly and it came out all wrong, but thats okay cuz we had fun! That night, we danced....ALOT! I had a great time dancing cowboy style! haha Afterwards, we had Testimony Meeting. I'm glad to have Kelsie cuz she talked me into bearing my testimony and I'm really glad I bore it. I kinda waited til the last and then I spoke. I had no idea it'd be such a spiritual experience for me. I ended up getting emotional and crying a bit, but I'm glad I did it. The night was coming to a close so we each headed to bed. I wasn't all that tired and so I sang. haha O it was fun! One lady in my family told me songs to sing and I'd do my best-she sayed I was pretty good :)
The Last and Final Day: Mostly everyone was excited to get back home to a comfy bed and warm shower and thats all I heard all day! Including coming from me! We woke up early this morning and headed off to a morning devotional. It was such a spiritual time. The sun was just coming up and we were surrounded by nature. Silence!
We picked up camp and breakfast and we were off again onto our last day of trekking! Most of the last day was downhill and very easy to pull the cart. I ended up picking a whole bunch of flowers along the way! We stopped for a snack and a rest. The youth leaders prepared a game for the rest of us: Flour Wars! Little nylon sacks were filled with flour and we threw them at each other! It was great fun but very messy! I didn't care because less then 3 hours from then, I'd be home and showered. :)

The day got hotter and we pulled faster and faster-trying to reach our destination. Finally, we saw ahead the pick-up trucks and we made a dramatic entrance to the finish! We ate, drank, and became merry! haha Mostly because we were going home though!
This experience was such a great one because we learned and grew and our testimonies were strengthened-or atleast mine was! I'd never give up those hard moments for anything because I gained so much from them!

Traveling

I love to travel! Seeing new sights is one of my favorite things to do. I'm lucky to live in a family that takes alot of trips too! I've been pretty much everywhere West of the Rockies and I loved every minute of it! And I can't wait til the Church History Trip-the end of my Senior Year because it'll take me all over the Eastern United States. But my travels dont end there! My dream vacation is to go to Europe and not necessarily "backpack" through it but visit Each and Every country. :)

This passed Spring, I recieved a letter from Music Ambassadors International. I guess my Band teacher Mrs. Poulson put me and a couple others from our band in an International Band group. I was super excited to find out that I would be given the opportunity to play music, which I love, and also get to travel to Europe!! The packet that each of us recieved told detailed information about our upcoming 2009 Summer trip to Europe. This 16 day! Trip would cover 7 countries from Europe-including: Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein!! Crazy huh! and sounds Super fun! A DREAM Vacation for someone like me!
But sadly, I do not get to go on this trip...The cost on it is a little close to $6,000! and that does not include spending money. I raised as much as I could until I found it was out of reach for this time but hopefully I will get the same opportunity to go next time. I guess I'll just have to get on my teacher's good side again :)

Change in Plan

Coming into my Junior year of high school, I changed my direction. Instead of going out for the football team, which I would have made as a reciever, I started getting in shape for...X Country. Running a 5K or 3.1 miles is such a workout! Plus, I haven't ran all that much during the summer months-not since the end of April! I've gotta start pushing it if I wanna be in shape for X Country camp on the first week of August. I know I have the determination and heart to push myself to the limit and when the time comes, I will win! This will be my first year and I will win a race...hopefully :) I'll keep you updated!

4th of July

The 4th of July was Great this year, but I was super busy! All our traditions were broken this year because of everything new that has happened. First, I couldn't go to the Salina Carnaval-I had to work! And then, right after work, I had to go to help out with booths in Aurora! I couldn't even go to the pool as I always did...even though I was probably the oldest one there. haha And then we went to the parade. I sat with my parents, grandparents, and my uncle Mont. Lame, I know! I really enjoy watching the parade. After that was all finished-I went home and got ready for the rodey-o! I like the rodeo, but mostly because I'm hanging with friends and all that good stuff, but this year, I sat with my sister and her husband! Lame again, I know! haha But none of my friends were there that night. I ended up leaving with my friend Korey but she was having bf troubles so I kicked her bum outta my car. haha I ended up going back to the rodeo and watched our Famous Fireworks Show! I thought that night was going to end a "bummer", but I went back to Kelby's grandma's house-there, I feel like family-and we let off fireworks, legal and illegal. It was so much fun! We finally went home around 12:30ish. But that didnt end the fun! We still lit off sparklers and firecrackers til it was finally around 2 AM! Some lady came out and started yelling at us, so we quit. haha Niki and I were still too hyper to fall asleep so we took my mom's bikes for a spin around the block. After all that fun, I didn't know what to do! This was some party but I still wished that I had fun the entire day!

The Relay 4 Life was one of the funnest times I've ever had. It's this BIG charitable event raising money to go toward Cancer Research. Every year, Sevier county holds the Relay at Richfield High's Track and Football field. This was my second year coming and I really got into the spirit. My friends and I all started walking around 6:30pm. Most of my friends that were there were cheerleaders and they all walked in different 2 hour shifts-times from 6pm to 6am! All together, I walked exactly 10 miles with them! Crazy huh!

But the Relay 4 Life wasn't all just walking. There were games and booths, and rock climbing walls, music, entertainment, food, etc etc etc!! At 2am, all the North Sevier cheerleaders danced for...whoever was awake! haha I watched them and the songleaders dance to their routines, but even after they were finished, the fun hadn't ended!! Kelsie and I played on the wet grass and more people joined in! We had a blast! As it got later...and later...everyone started to settle down-but not US! Kelsie, I and Laynie kept running around, playing our games and taking pictures!

By 4am, all that was left was Laynie and I. The grass games became boring so we decided to steal balloons and suck the helium out of them. We entertained the rest of the cheerleaders as they piled on each other, trying to fall asleep. We eventually lay down and got 15 minutes of rest. haha Everyone started leaving by 5am--that was such a GREAT night! We had sooo many laughs then! I cant wait til next year! :)