In Just a Few Days...

...Christmas will be here! I'm so excited. My aunt and uncle are coming to join us for the holidays, and we're going to drive up to my Grandparent's on Christmas afternoon. On Christmas Eve I get to open one present (that's our tradition). I'm so excited!

I don't want very much stuff (and what I do want very much is way too expensive; an i-Pod Touch), and I used to want more...but I don't want it anymore. I wanted the Himalayan Cat Webkinz, but I looked at some customer reviews and figured out that it is a lot worse than I thought (like, WAY worse)...here's one photo of it: Himalayan Cat Webkinz (sadly, that's not one of a kind).

So, I don't want that anymore. I still want a Whimsey Dragon Webkinz, candy, clothes, and surprises - and that's about it.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of my readers!

13!!!

I'm finally thirteen!!! I had a great birthday. First, I had breakfast with my friends at my house before school. Then I opened gifts which included a camera, toothpaste, razors, shampoo & conditioner, and tons of stickers from my parents, as well as a fifty dollar check from my grandparents, a home-made journal from one friend, a sketch notebook from another friend, and lots of candy.

Then we drove to school, where my friend paraded around the school pointing at me and shouting, "It's her birthday! It's her birthday!! Guess what guys, it's her BIRTHDAY!!!". My friends also decorated my locker with sweet/funny notes, and left more notes in my gym locker. Then during gym my friend stuck a package with an adorable card, stickers, a king size KitKat bar, and a king size Reseese Peanut Butter Cup in my gym locker. Two people in my algebra class gave me giant Skittles packs, my English and science classes sang happy birthday to me, my friends and a school counselor sang happy birthday to me during lunch, my school counselor chatted with me and gave me a pencil for my birthday, and about a million people congratulated me and gave me cards. It was awesome.

For dinner, my mom made my favorite: salmon!!! Also, I got another present - a container full of my absolute favorite food: raspberries!!! I LOVE raspberries. They are the sweetest, juiciest, yummiest things in the whole world...anyway, after dinner was the big birthday dessert - Double Cream Lemon Pie!!! That is my FAVORITE kind of pie. It was amazing.

Overall, I had a perfectly wonderful, fantabulous 13th birthday!!!

2nd Counselor!!!

Yay!!! I now have the privilege to be 2nd counselor in the Beehive Presidency!!! I've never been in the presidency, even though I'm almost thirteen. But now I'm 2nd counselor! I'm so excited! In case you are not familiar with the system, this is how it works in the Mormon church:

Young Woman's:

Beehives: 12-13 years old
Mia Maids: 14-15 years old
Laurels: 16-17 years old

In each group, there is a presidency, and I am now second counselor in the Beehive presidency. Whenever there is a change - say, the Beehive president turns 14 and becomes a Mia Maid - there is a change in the presidency. So recently, our president moved up so they had to shift things around. I've been waiting for almost a year now, so I'm so excited about being in the presidency at last! There isn't a ton I need to do, I just have to know when things are going on and join in the meetings to plan activities and stuff. But I'm still really excited!

Coming Up...

...My 13th Birthday! There are only about three weeks until the big day, but anyway, here's my wish list:


Bonnie’s 13th Birthday Wish List

1. Camera (digital)

2. Stickers (cute ones like hearts, stars, flowers, fairies, smileys, cute critters, etc.)

3. Two Webkinz - the Himalayan cat, and the Whimsey Dragon

4. A Digital Watch

5. A good-working jump-rope

6. The things I collect – cute notebooks, fuzzy/sparkly pencils, mechanical pencils, and fun erasers

7. Clothes!

8. Candy! (I love caramel and fruity candies especially)

9. Taylor Swift’s album “Beautiful Eyes” on my MP3 player

10. More French Vanilla hot chocolate mix!

11. Suprises!!!

Self-Discipline

I have a hard time disciplining myself to do my homework before going on the computer, practicing piano and viola every day, working on Personal Progress all the time, and other things. If I'm in a good mood, it's easier. But if I'm tired, had a bad day, or just plain grumpy, I just can not make myself do that. There have been several times when my mom has made me go and practice or something and I stomp off crying, but I do it because I don't want to lose privileges like the computer or something. I'm mad at times like that, but in the end it's usually not so bad. But I still hate it when that happens.

I hate myself for not being able to just force myself to practice every day. I wish I could be more like my dad in that area - he is really busy, but he makes himself study all the time and exercise every day, even if it causes him to lose sleep. I have my good days - like today, for example: when I got home, I did my homework, grabbed an apple and went to the computer, then practiced piano and viola afterward - but they are few and far in between most of the time. I have to be inspired to change. Sometimes I am inspired, but not enough to change me. I feel overwhelmed with everything I have going on as well as the thought of what will come later. Several people have asked me why I don't quit the piano or the viola or something, but I tell them that I can't do it. I love those instruments, and yet sometimes it kills me to think of practicing on them. I have goals for the future, yet I don't work toward them now. I'm overwhelmed, but I'm not doing anything about it.

Heavenly Father gave us weaknesses to keep us humble. I'd say this is one of them. But maybe, if I work toward that goal, being self-disciplined will be one of my strengths someday. Hm, just writing this post is inspiring me right now...

Night Games

I love having Night Games with my friends. It's so fun to run around in the dark playing games like soccer, Capture the Flag, and other favorites. I've hosted Night Games once, and even though not many people came, we still had a ton of fun.

Last night, my friend called me up at 8:30 wondering if I could come join her and some other kids for night games. I had been planning to go to bed, but my parents were okay with me having some fun with my friends for a couple hours. The only people there besides my friend were boys, and so she was grateful that I could join them. While we were playing soccer, someone kicked the soccer ball up into a pine tree. It was about 30 feet up, but while the others were lamenting the loss and getting ready to play Capture the Flag, I asked my friend if I could try climbing the tree and getting the ball. She said it was okay, and I'm pretty sure she doubted that I'd be able to get it. But I scrambled up that tree without anyone noticing and then I called out to ask which branch the ball was in. Everyone was astonished to see how I had climbed that tree. When I figured out which branch the ball was stuck it, I scooted out a little farther along the branch and started jumping up and down until the ball fell out. All the boys started chanting, "Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie!" and I felt really happy. I climbed down and even though we had the ball again, we decided to play Capture the Flag. I had a ton of fun the rest of the night.

Night Games are a great way to spend time with your friends. I love it when I'm invited to them. And they are very casual - usually when the friend that invited me last night has Night Games at her house, there are kids of all ages; she has older and younger siblings that invite friends as well. Boys and girls are welcome to come over and join the fun. Night games are awesome!

First Week of Junior High

Junior High has been great so far! Besides a few locker problems and trying to find my classes on the first day, it's been a pretty good week. It's been crazy, but good. I've already had a few algebra assignments, I'm working on a five-paragraph English essay about the villainization of snakes, and I've been assigned my term project for science. But even with all of this work, I'm determined to do as well this year as I have done any other year in elementary. I plan not to procrastinate my projects until the last second, discipline myself into working every day to do better, and also I want to get back on a regular practicing schedule (for piano and viola), though I haven't quite made myself do that yet. If you have any suggestions, please comment - I'm open to any tips on how to keep myself going even if I'm wading through piles of homework.

Anyway, my favorite class is drama, because we get relaxation day every Friday and we play fun games that build our focus (because the foundation of acting is focus). Our first relaxation day was amazing - one person actually fell asleep. We listened to soft, beautiful music while our teacher spoke softly to us about tensing different parts of our body and then letting them relax. It was wonderful. My favorite teacher is our CTE teacher though - he is so fun. And CTE is a fun class too, but drama is still my favorite.

To all of my friends - how was your first week of school?

Beehive Camp

This is what I wrote in my journal each day of Beehive Camp, with a few changes:



Monday, August 10, 2009

Today was my first day at Beehive Camp! We've had a great time so far. There are so many camp songs and cheers and games to play. One of the first things we did was play this game where we all grabbed a rock or something that we could stand on with both feet. We didn't know that it would have been a very good idea if the rock was wide and stable, and so we had a hard time of reaching the goal of the game. In fact, we didn't reach it at all. We had to line up and pass rocks to the front of the line (which was standing on the rocks) and slowly moved our way toward the goal, a water bottle placed on the ground several yards away from us. But as I said before, we never reached it because we ran out of time. We learned a few lessons from that game though; how to work as a team and help each other out, trusting each other, and trusting the rock we were standing on. In fact, the theme/motto for the week is Trust in the Lord. And the fun theme was Christmas! One activity we did that had to do with Christmas was decorating our counselors as Christmas trees using red and green streamers. Our group also used pine cones and pine boughs to decorate our counselor, Bugle. Bugle is awesome - she's so fun. She and Gloria, another camp counselor, are in charge of Columbine cabin, where we and Gloria's campers sleep.
We've done so much in one day - it's hard to remember it all. And I don't have very much time to record it. I'll just list some things:

• My group got to know each other by playing a game where we say our name and something that begins with the same first letter as our name. (EX: I did "I'm Bonnie and I'm bringing a billion bucks to Beehive Camp.")
• Had several meetings with ALL campers/counselors; sang songs/cheers
• Had a DELICIOUS lunch and dinner - it was SO GOOD!!! (And did more songs/cheers)
• The rock game (explained earlier)
• A game of making a circle, passing a ball of yarn around, and saying our name and what we want to contribute to this week. I said a good attitude. Then we talk about how the yarn made a web that was really strong, but when some people dropped their yarn, it was weak - so we have to work together if we want to be strong.
• The Christmas tree activity
• 2 counselors told us stories of the brownies (creatures as tall as fairies that live underground) and then we went on a hike up the brownie trail while things (brownie church, brownie stage, brownie hole) were pointed out to us. It was cute and fun. Then we sang songs around a campfire.
• BLC - Brighton Love & Care. WE picked up logs in the woods and carried them to a pile. I was quite scraped up by the end.
• Family Home Evening - we got a paper where we had to find one person to sign each thing (EX: Find one person who.....likes doing kind things for others) and then we talked about trust. Then we listened to spiritual music while we tried to fall asleep. I write this by flashlight.

It's been a great day!


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Today we woke up at 7:30 (I was actually awake earlier, waiting for Bugle to come out). Finally Bugle came out playing her bugle. It was cute. After getting all ready, we went to scripture study meeting and then breakfast (with singing after). One thing I love about breakfast and lunch is that we get to BANG!!! BANGing is where we pound our fists on the table as we shout, "BANG! BANG! BANG! Thank you kitchen staff!" or something like that. We can comment on other people's BANGS as well. It's really fun.

Anyway, after breakfast, we picked up garbage and tidied things up (capered) the grounds. Then we went to do Mohawk Walk, which is balancing on a cable with spotters making sure you don't fall off and trying to reach ropes at several different points to hold on to. It was tricky, but with encouragement and advice everyone made it to the other side. After that, we went up a little trail to a place with a fire pit. We made home-made pizzas (using pitas with marinara sauce and string cheese and a topping - mine being pineapple) and wrapped them in aluminum foil to cook in the fire. Gonzo, one of the other counselors, joined us. I got to know her really well - she's funny and interesting and really sweet. It was great to meet her. After the pizzas for lunch, we did the zip line. It was SO fun - I LOVE zip lines. When all of us had had a turn, we went back to our cabin and ate snacks and talked and acted crazy and had a lot of fun. Then we went to the craft shack where I bought a camp t-shirt and a songbook. Then Amanda, Charlotte and I (they are a couple of my besties) made a Candy Gram for Bugle and one for Gonzo. A Candy Gram is a nice message written for a counselor with some kind of candy attached to it. The Candy Grams are then delivered to the counselors at lunch time the next day, along with a silly song about who gets and who doesn't get a Candy Gram.

Anyway, after the Craft Shack was flag ceremony and time to write in our journals after (though it really wasn't that much time). Then the dinner bell rang and we had a lovely dinner of cheese-and-cornflakes-covered-potatoes and cornbread, all of which I love. After dinner we sang songs in our cabin and then got ready for our next activity. I call it the Indian Thing, because first they told us the story of an Indian girl named Tashina, who went on a journey, and our faces were painted with a blue, green, and red stripe. Then we got a headband and at the end a feather was stuck in it as we repeated the words, "I am a daughter of God. I am an eagle. I will soar." because the story had an eagle in it that helped Tashina to find her way. It was a really fun activity.

Once we were ready for bed, Gonzo and another counselor named Numero came in to sing us a good-night song and tuck us in bed. They sang, "Walk Tall, You're A Daughter," which is my favorite song. I told Gonzo that, and she said I was sweet. I had a wonderful day!


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Today we got up and ready and went to scripture study. Then we had breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. After we had breakfast, we had a little first-aid lesson with DC (Diet Coke), who is Charlotte's sister Brittney's best friend. I was with D and Naomi (two other girls in my unit) and we gave the other girls a lesson on shock. When we were done with the lesson, we broke down boxes and recycled them and swept the porch outside the kitchen. Then we got to take a 3-minute shower! It was great. After the showers, McKenzie, one of the other girls in my group, fish-braided my hair. Everyone says it looks so cool.

Then we had a picnic for lunch instead of eating in the dining room - and we ate burritos, Cafe Rio style!!! :) It was delicious. Then we all straddled the logs in the amphitheater and pretended that we were on the Log Flume ride at Lagoon. At the end the counselors sprayed water at us with a hose, and a huge water fight broke out. I avoided it though, since I'm not a fan of being wet unless I'm in a swimsuit.

When the chaos was all over, our unit went to do a ropes course called life line. We were blind-folded and had to hold on to a rope that twisted around trees and took a long time to reach the end. But when we reached the end, we were greeted with the words, "You made it. Welcome home." Then we talked about how we felt and how the activity relates to our lives. It was very spiritual. My thoughts were that it was so devastating not to be able to see where I was going. I tried to picture the trees and rocks and roots, but it was tricky. Life Line was my favorite activity besides the zip line.

Next we did another ropes course where all of the girls stood on a platform and there was a rope that we used to swing across to a tiny board about 1.5 feet by 2 feet. We were supposed to fit all 13 girls on it without touching the ground, but our highest number was 8 girls at one time. Our strategies didn't work very well, so we failed, yet we all learned something from the activity. After the rope course, we made ourselves dinner using dutch ovens. It was delicious. Then we came back to our cabin and had testimony meeting, where most of us shared our testimonies while squeezing the testimony bear for comfort. That was another spiritual experience. Then we had s'mores, sang songs, read a story, Gloria sang and played on her ukulele "Walk Tall, You're A Daughter," and now I must sleep.


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Today I went on the Above and Beyond (A&B) hike. Bugle woke me up early to get ready and go to the cafeteria to eat and pack lunch. Then we left to hike seven peaks around camp. It took hours. By the time we got back, I was sunburned, parched, and exhausted. But it was an amazing experience. Standing on each peak felt like standing on top of the world, especially on peak #5. That was astounding. All around us were tree-covered mountains, a couple sparkling lakes below us on one side with the campground in the distance. On the other side was a large canyon and the Salt Lake Valley could be seen far-off with tons of houses and buildings clustered together. It was fantastic.
We showered when we got back, and then had dinner and Devotional. Several counselors shared testimonies, and we talked about mean people and "cool" or "popular" people (girls mainly), and who decides who is "popular" (us). It was a sweet lesson. Judy and Michelle (two of our YW leaders) came for the duration of the event, because they apparently could not wait to see us until tomorrow. :) Then we got ready for bed, and I'm writing this by flashlight.


Friday, August 14, 2009

Beehive Camp ended today. It's strange how soon it ended. We packed up, cleaned Skunk, the bathroom closest to all of the cabins, and ate breakfast. Since it is our last day, we get to know all of the counselors' real names. Bugle is Rebecca, though I'll always think of her as well as call her Bugle. We got papers with all of the staff's camp names and real names, and I'm happy about that. At first, I got last year's paper with all of the staff's names, and right before the bus left I realized that and quickly got a new one. The bus pulled away, counselors waved good-bye, and now I'm home again.



That's my record of Beehive Camp. Here's a little more:

GOOD things about Beehive Camp:

• All the fun activities we did (listed above)
• Great counselors like Bugle and Gonzo
• All of the meals plus BANGing
• Cozy cabins
• Fun songs and cheers
• The theme: Christmas!
• Finding letters from my mom in my toothbrush kit after thinking I wasn't getting any
• Making new friends
• Feeling the spirit several times
  
• The amazing experience of A&B
• Being out in the beautiful forest
• Showering twice
  
• Great weather almost the entire time

BAD things about Beehive Camp:

• Getting all smoky
  
• Mosquitos
• Cleaning Skunk
• Sunburns
• No email

My friend Sarah said that being at Beehive Camp was like being in heaven. I didn't understand her then, but I do now. It was an amazing experience that I would relive any day. I loved it, and I can't wait to go back next year!

Summer Craziness

This summer has flown by! We're almost half-way through, and I need to catch up. I'll just mention a few fun things that have happened:

• Went to Yellowstone National Park - amazing!!! We saw a bear, a wolf, deer, (I think) an elk, and tons of bison/buffaloes! Plus magnificent geysers!
  
• Had tons of fun with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents including
• -Played Capture the Flag in the dark, Mafia and Kick the Can - SUCH FUN GAMES!!!
• -Had a tea party, spoke in a British accent, and watched Jane Eyre with the girls!
• -Went to the Fourth of July fireworks!!! They were awesome!!!
• -Played with the new chickens my grandparents got!
• -Played with the Wii my grandparents got!
• -Played fairies with the girls!
• -Saw "Up" with my cousins - it was awesome! (But the beginning made me cry)
• -Went to Cherry Hill water park with my cousins!
• -Went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house!
• -Went to Bear Lake and had a blast!
  

Plus, I've had some nice lazy days this summer to relax and do whatever I want...that can sometimes be the best part in the craziness of summer. :)

Elementary School

Elementary School has been wonderful, but last Friday it ended. I was crying when the bell rang. I've had a few of the most amazing teachers and some fantastic experiences. Highlights of sixth grade:

• Medieval Banquet
• University of Learning
• Making new friends
• My teacher
• Learning new things
• Field trips
• Last recesses of my life
• Sixth grade Talent Show

This year was the fastest one I've ever had. The time flew by faster than light. I'm excited for Junior High and glad that it's summer, but I am so sad to leave Elementary School.

We held a sixth grade party the night of the last day of school to celebrate. It was awesome - there was a grease pole with money tied at different points near and on the top (only one person got to the very top, but they slipped before they got the money), a bouncy house and blow-up slide (that was one of the best parts), a movie, tons of treats, and almost all of my friends were there. That will be one of my favorite memories in the future.

My goals for the summer:

• WRITE
• READ
• WORK ON PERSONAL PROGRESS
• Earn money!
  
• See Wicked!!!
• Have lots of family time
• Have lots of friend time
• Have fun at Yellowstone National Park
• Keep journaling/blogging
• Use my time wisely

My goals for Junior High:

• Be kind to everyone
• Don't gossip
• Learn a ton
• Get straight A's
• Make new friends
• Enjoy life
  

Overnight Camp Out

Recently our ward had a fun activity - an overnight camp out with our dads. Last year - when my dad couldn't come so we went with our uncle - it was at a fun swimming park with an awesome water slide. This year when I heard it would be at a different place without a swimming pool or anything, I thought, "What could be more fun that swimming and zooming down a water slide?"

But boy, was I wrong.

This year the event was held at a beautiful place owned by the creators of a very successful company. They had a huge property in the mountains with a lovely creek running through it, a natural spring that led to a pond which led to the creek, a double-story tree house, a zip line running from the tree house over the creek to the other side, and a bungee jump. It was amazing. On the bungee jump, they hooked you on and pulled you back as far as they could and then let you go like a slingshot. It was fantastic. When they let you go, you would fly over the creek and come soaring back, over and over again. I felt like I was flying, it was so magical. It was one of the most amazing things I've done in my life. I hope that next year we go back again...but maybe they'll change it to something even better - though I don't know what could be more fun than that place. But that's what I thought last year, and I was wrong. Maybe next year we'll camp at Disneyland! ;) Another wonderful thing about it was falling asleep to the sound of rushing water. It was so peaceful. I had a great time playing cops and robbers with my friends, bungee jumping, riding on the zip line, and just taking in the beauty of everything. I had an incredible experience!

Journals

I have never been really great about writing in a journal. I really want to write; I know it will be useful and fun for me to look back on in the future, but I feel like I never get around to doing it every day.

Yesterday in Young Women, we talked about keeping a personal record. My Young Women president, Shonna, taught us about how it is important to keep a journal - it will be useful for future generations, such as your kids, as well as yourself. My dad kept a journal starting when he was about eight years old, and when my mom met him, she read his journal - so she basically has known him since he was eight, because he wrote in his journal so often. My dad also said it was a kind of peronal therapy for him to read some of his own entries in his journal when he was feeling upset. I want to be able to do that.

One of the questions that was asked in Young Women was, "Is it more important to write experiences you've had or lessons you've learned?" The answer is that it's important to write about both - lessons you've learned: for you and others in the future to make good decisions, and experiences: doesn't everyone want to remember the fun, the spritual, and other times they've had? I do. But it's so hard for me to write...

Shonna also keeps a "Funny Sayings" book, about all the funny things her kids say. She read us a couple. When I am a mom, I'm going to keep my own funny sayings (and possibly doings) book. I want to remember fun times. When I was talking to my dad about our lesson yesterday, he told me about one time when I was little and my ear was bothering me (I have always been an earwax factory, and it bugs me). He had asked me, "Do you have some earwax?" My answer was (as I was scratching my ear), "No, I think I have just one earwack." I always want to remember things like that - but I would probably forget them if I don't keep a journal.

I know blogging is another kind of journal. But I'm not great at keeping up on that, either. Once in a while I'll sit down and type up a post, but I'm not consistent about it. But I've decided something: on my blog I will write fun experiences that I don't mind the whole world reading about. But in my journal or my diary, I will write more personal things that I would rather not have a lot of people seeing.

This summer I am going to start writing again. If I'm on vacation, I'll probably have to wait until after to write, but I am going to make a habit of writing. I know it's important to keep a journal if I'm going to remember experiences I've had and lessons I've learned - and I do want to remember them.

Piano Recital

This is the piece I played at my piano recital this year - it's not perfect, but I did my best. And even though I didn't feel as prepared this year, I was less nervous than last year. I'm gaining confidence through performing, even though I still hate speaking in front of people.

Cool Video

This is a really neat video that condenses the past 4.6 billion years into sixty seconds. It shows big events that happen throughout the history of the earth. Enjoy!

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_evolution_of_life_in_60_seconds/

P.S. Notice what happens in the last five seconds of the video. You'll be surprised!

First Talk

I was asked to speak on 1 Timothy: 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

I liked this scripture very much because it's a good guide on how to live our lives. I hadn't read it before being assigned this talk, but when I did, it resonated deep within me.

The first part, "Let no man despise thy youth", says to me that even if you are young, you can make a difference. There are many examples of this in the scriptures. One of them is in Luke 2, when Jesus in his youth was found preaching to men much older than him in the temple.

Being an Example of the believers in WORD includes using clean language and trying to avoid using inappropriate words. There is no need for profanity in our lives.

Being an Example of the believers in CONVERSATION includes not gossiping, and being selective about type of things we talk about.

We can be an Example of the believers in CHARITY by trying to love and serve others the way Jesus does. A few months ago I started spending time reading books to my brother. This time together has strengthened our relationship, and we've grown closer because of it. As Brandon put it, "the thin string that connected us to each other has grown into a strong rope". I've learned how serving others can help us grow in love for them.

One way we are examples of the believers in SPIRIT is by renewing our baptismal covenants during the Sacrament. As we just heard, the words in the sacramental prayer remind us that we may "Always Have His Spirit To Be With Us" as we live the commandments. We can use the time during the Sacrament to pray about ourselves and others.

Being an example of the believers in FAITH. We can compare believing in the gospel to a seed that is planted but hasn't sprouted yet. When we nourish that seed of belief, it can eventually grow into a plant that bears fruit. Likewise, when we believe in the gospel and nourish that belief by living the commandments, our belief can grow into faith, through the witness of the Holy Ghost. I have always believed in the gospel, but recently my beliefs have grown into genuine faith through some experiences I've had. The spirit has testified to me that the gospel is true, and my testimony has been strengthened through this experience.

Finally, PURITY. Being pure is essential to having the spirit with us. We keep ourselves pure by thinking clean thoughts, being modest in our attire, seeking virtue, and by repenting regularly of the things we do wrong.

The spirit has testified to me that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are real and they are guiding us every day. I believe the gospel is true. And I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

25 Things About Me

I tag Serena and Monica to do this on their blogs! ♥

1. I make wishes on digital clocks every time I see a math problem. For example - 6:42; I see
6-4=2. I don't know why I do it. So if you see me looking around at every clock in the room, you know why.
2. I collect pencils and notebooks and erasers, and I always use ugly pencils or pencils that have been sharpened on notebooks that have different drawings already in them and I erase with erasers I don't like. So for pencils I collect: pretty, shiny, sparkly, fuzzy, and mechanical pencils. I use the rest. Notebooks - I'll take any kind. Erasers - any will do.
3. I love writing stories and I'm working on a few right now - but mainly one for a school project.
4. I have a serious case of arachnophobia.
5. I love fairies, though I don't believe in them.
6. I've been to over half the United States as well as Bermuda, Canada, and Puerto Rico
7. Though I've been many places, I've only lived in 3 states: Illinois, Vermont, and Utah.
8. I'm horrible at writing thank-you notes...I plan to, but then I never get around to it.
9. I'm also terrible at writing in my journal on a regular basis.
10. I really do love school...I just get overwhelmed sometimes with all the work I have to do.
11. I'm addicted to email.
12. I only like bananas with Nutella on them. HEAVEN
13. I'm a perfectionist and I'm always straightening out my school desk.
14. I'm the fastest typist in my class. I learned how to type from Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing a few years ago (it's a CD that I have)
15. I'm a lot more focused on the future rather than the past. That's why I hate studying history in school. I like the scriptures though, and our Middle Ages unit is actually pretty interesting.
16. I have never had one best friend...I just can't choose from so many good ones.
17. I don't ever want to become really famous...I'd be a hobo rather than having any single flaw I have or any embarrassing mistake I made put in hundreds of magazines sold across the country.
18. I can't choose favorite things besides my favorite food (SALMON) and color (cerulean blue - though I LOVE most shades of green too).
19. I inherited a habit from my mom of either swinging my leg back and forth slowly (when it's crossed) or moving my foot up and down furiously (though it doesn't make any noise - it's not tapping). I also play with my fingers a lot - I like making all the fingers on my right hand except my thumb make a galloping sound like a horse by tapping them somewhere in quick succession. I don't know why I do it.
20. I hate wasting things - sometimes I'll put on lotion even if my skin isn't dry just so I can use it (if it's a lotion I don't like very much) and not have to throw it away.
21. I wear a lot of layers most of the time - I've even worn snow pants in the summer before.
22. My mom says I'm very diplomatic, though I don't always notice it.
23. A woman I really admire - who gave us dancing classes in fourth grade and teaches singing in school now - told my mom that I am always very kind to everyone, not just the popular people. I've tried hard to live up to that since then. And I have to say I've succeeded.
24. I love skiing and snowboarding though I tire of the snow that is not in the mountains...I prefer it to be spring, summer, or autumn where I live.
25. And last but not least: I'm proud to be LDS, and though I haven't read the Book of Mormon all the way through yet I'm working on it. I've been striving especially hard to obey the commandments and live the Gospel since I joined Young Women, and I've been working on my Personal Progress which has helped me a lot. I thank all those who have helped me grow in understanding of the Gospel and been beside me all this time.