BonBon's Blog

Hello Again...

2012-01-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

I promise I'm not done posting on this blog. It surprises me how hard it is to take time to write on here, but I think I'll have a goal to write at LEAST once a month. Hopefully I can get into it enough again to write more, but for now, I'm sorry for the long break I've taken. I have regretted it thoroughly. So much has happened - I really will write about all of it at some point. Soon. But for now I just want to say I'm still around. :)

Oh, and I plan on putting a lot more pictures in the future. It will liven things up and take up space. :P

Day at Disneyland

2011-05-22T21:17:00.005-06:00

It has taken me a while to get around to writing this, but better late than never. :) We had been talking about it for a little while, but we found out on Monday the 17th that we were definitely going to Disneyland. The next day.

Early Tuesday morning, 5:15 to be precise, we (my mom, my brother, and I) got up and drove to the airport. I just want to say right now that I love my mom's job - having a flight attendant for a mother is one of the coolest things in the world. So, we flew to California on a nearly-empty plane (I slept lying down on the row behind our given seats), and our dear friend Alicia picked us up in Long Beach. We went out to have a late breakfast, stopped to drop things off at Alicia's, and then drove to Disneyland. There we met up with Alicia's friend, who works at the amusement park, and she got my mom, my brother, and me in for free. Alicia was going to buy herself a pass, but we all chipped in to get her one. And so we found ourselves in the "Happiest Place on Earth."

First off, we took a little tour of a rainforest on the Jungle Cruise ride. From there we headed to the Haunted Mansion (one of my favorites) and then Big Thunder Mountain (another fun one). We walked right onto Pinocchio's Adventure - or whatever it's called - and then flew through the Peter Pan ride. Nemo's Submarine ride came next, followed by the thrilling experience of Space Mountain (which is definitely on the top three favorite rides list). In the photo taken at the end of the ride, my face was split into a wide smile. Next we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, where you use a little astro gun to shoot all of the targets with a Z (for the evil Zork or whatever the alien is called). The points were all counted up and in the end, my score was the highest. Oddly enough. Anyway, that ride was followed by one of the best rides in the whole amusement park - Pirates of the Caribbean. It's a classic. Afterward, we went on the Matterhorn, which was a lot more jarring than I remember it being in the past - but it was still fun. Following that we drove our way through the ride Autopia; I taped my driver's license in my journal. We also went on the little Rockets ride (so much fun when we were younger), walked through Pixie Hollow, stopped at the First Aid building to get a wheelchair for Alicia (sad that she needed it for her strained and swollen foot, but having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks), and shopped at the Emporium on Main Street. By then we were ready to head to California Adventure, so we had our hands stamped and headed out of Disneyland. We went straight for one of our very favorite rides in the entire amusement park complex: Soarin' Over California. It is such an enjoyable one that we didn't just go on it once - we headed right for the end of the line to do it again when it was over. Besides, we wanted better seats than we got the first time, so we ended up with the best ones in the whole simulator.

We didn't go on any more rides after that. By then, it was getting late, and everything was being shut down for the final attraction of the night: World of Color.

Remember how I said having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks? Well, its perks happened to include the chance to have reasonably good seats, free of charge, for World of Color. Our little group was shown to the wheelchair-seating area, and we settled down for the magnificent show.

It was waterworks like I have never seen before. There wasn't just light, there was vivid color (hence the name) shone on the jets shooting up into the sky. There was music reverberating through the air as everyone watched in awe. And incredibly colorful scenes from many of Disney's well-loved films were projected onto the screens of water. Some parts of it just about had me in tears, it was so beautiful and glorious and unbelievable. the show was unlike any I had ever seen. My favorite moment during the experience would probably be the scene from Pocahontas, with the emotionally intense version of "Colors of the Wind." "You can paint with all the colors of the wind..." I just about cried, and my heart felt ready to burst with the desire for the moment to last forever. All things must have an end, however, and that experience was no exception. The night came to an end, our vacation came to an end, and I found myself back home with endless normal things happening that I had to readjust to. And yes, I just contradicted myself - some things actually do last forever. Certain, special memories being one of them.

I sure hope I never forget the memory of this incredible experience - I don't want the colors to dim in my mind. It is difficult to capture the vivid picture of the night, but writing down what I can may help me remember the way I felt in the moment. I suppose journals and blogs really are for me in that way; through them I can recall the magical times I never want to forget. Writing lets me remember them.

Disneyland is, as our passes declared, the beginning of memories. Nearly all of them being good. I don't know if it really is "The Happiest Place on Earth," but I'm starting to think it comes close. I always walk out with a tug of sadness amid the happy emotions built up during the day. It truly is a blessing to go as often as we do, for as little money as we pay. My life sometimes seems so unbelievable.

And that is the story of my Day at Disneyland.

Music

2011-03-04T16:57:00.005-07:00

I've been really into music lately, so I decided to write a tribute to it.

Right now, the piano is the musically related subject that matters the most to me. Some days, it can be really tough to practice; there are times I hardly touch it. But when I do, it is very rewarding. Today I decided to practice for one hour, and I did. It doesn't feel like I made a lot of progress in that time, but I'm sure I made more that I actually notice. At the moment I am playing Rondo Alla Turca (a well-known classical piece), arranging "Fearless" by Taylor Swift, and learning a lovely piece my teacher composed titled "May." I am also gaining experience with transposing (I learned a hymn in E flat, and now I have to transpose it to E - it's hard!!!), getting faster at scales, drilling the notes with flash cards, and learning lots of little secrets that make playing piano incredibly satisfying.

The piano is not the only instrument I play, though it's my best. I am also having a great time playing the viola in my school orchestra. I'm not exactly an incredible violist, but I have fun with it. For a while, I was learning a piano/viola duet with my mom that we were thinking of playing in church, but that will probably wait. We both have some advancing to do in the meantime.

Aside from actually playing instruments, I also listen to music played on them. Namely, classical. I have grown very fond of all sorts of classical music, and the main radio station I listen to nowadays is Classical 89.1. I love how peaceful it can be, but it can also be very powerful. I love that it never swears and isn't at all inappropriate, no matter how you look at it. It is so unique compared to all the popular music of today, which I sometimes enjoy, but not always. That's why I turn to classical music - I never get tired of hearing it.

Finally, the last aspect of music I enjoy is singing. Right now I sing in my church choir, which is very rewarding. I look forward to being part of it each Sunday. Besides that, I've written some songs and have performed vocally quite a few times throughout my life. I have also been in the Salt Lake Children's Choir, which was a fantastic experience but one that took a lot of time and commitment. I took voice lessons years ago when I was almost too young to remember, but since then I have just enjoyed singing whenever I decide to do so.

So, that is basically all the music I'm really into; for the most part, it's classical. But don't get me wrong - I still love many of the more popular songs on the radio. I love participating in dances, where it is a lot of fun to get into the music with all my friends. However, I'm not one that loves listening to that kind of stuff all the time. I always return to the more peaceful, instrumental side of music.

Turmoil Up North

2010-12-25T11:30:00.001-07:00

This is a funny Christmas comic. Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:55:00.003-07:00

It's been a while, but I just wanted to share a poem I wrote this month. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree

Shiny strands of silver beads
Climb like hikers on a hill
They gracefully wind their way around
The branches they were made to fill

The orbs of glass so bright and bold
Hang like stars in the midnight sky
They fill the space left in between
The dense, dark foliage, low and high

Radiant lights of a shimmering sheen
Glitter like a city in the shadowy night
They ardently blaze through the dusky gloom
Glimmering, dazzling, gleaming so bright

NYC

2010-09-24T16:11:00.006-06:00

A couple weeks ago I went on an amazing trip to New York City. As I can't remember all the details, I'll inform you through some edited journal entries. Enjoy!

Friday, September 3, 2010

The airplane ride last night went well. After writing the day's journal entry, I read and then listened to the radio until the signal was lost. Then I actually managed to sleep for maybe three hours. When we reached the airport, we took a cab to my mom's aunt and uncle's apartment. After they showed us around and we chatted for a while, we slept for another three hours on a king-sized bed. I had never had less of a desire to get up before then, but my mom wanted to get going and not waste a day in New York sleeping. I agree with her.

We rode on the subway down to the World Trade Center. For a few hours following lunch, we shopped at a gigantic store called Century 21. I got a few shirts there, and some shoes when we stopped by Payless. We also spent a lot of time at a very cute store with stylish clothes and accessories called Strawberry. I got several headbands and a super cute hat there. Finally, we went to a sparkling shop called Gem Story and got some jeweled necklaces. I took tons of pictures, of the apartment and of the city. Besides meals and shopping, we wandered around, checked out the church, and spent some time in the awesome apartment. It really is cool here. But my feet are about to fall off and I’m exhausted, so that’s all I’ll say tonight.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Today was an amazing day. I can hardly wrap my head around it. The first thing we did was walk around in the Juilliard School of Music, Dance, and Drama, which was awesome. Then my mom’s friend and her two daughters came over and we spent a bunch of time with them. After we showed them around and chatted, we went to an adorable restaurant called “Alice’s Teacup.” We ordered “The Jabberwocky,” which consisted of beverages, scones, and unlimited sandwiches. Some of the sandwiches were good, and others weren’t my favorite – and the same with the scones. But it was still really fun, and they sprinkled us with glitter at the end. We all had a great time.

After a long, hearty lunch, we took a cab to Times Square. We went shopping at Forever 21 for a long time, though we didn’t get much. On the way back we stopped by “Pinkberry” and got tasty frozen yogurt. Then we went back to the apartment and hung out for a while – we went up on the roof of the apartment complex, took pictures, and relaxed. And finally, the big moment came.

My mom’s friend dropped us off in her slick BMW convertible (I want one!). We walked into the Gershwin Theatre, registered our tickets, found our seats and waited for the show to begin.

It was amazing; every bit of it was either a laugh-out-loud moment or a heart-wrenching part of one wildly wonderful, well-done, Wicked production. If you haven’t seen it, you have to. It was truly amazing, and I hope I will never forget it. I don’t think I will. Nothing I write here will do it justice – some things can’t be expressed in words.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

This morning we got up a little earlier than usual to go to church. It was a singles ward, though there were members there that wouldn’t normally be in a singles ward (like us). At the end, my mom and I chatted with an old friend from Vermont who is now a fairly famous ballerina living here. It was nice to see her again, after such a long time.

We came back to the apartment and hung out until my mom’s aunt and uncle came over. We talked for a good amount of time and then took the subway to a place where we waited in line for quite a while. Then we hopped on a ferry and rode over to Governor’s Island. We circled the island, but on the way we got ice cream, took pictures of the Statue of Liberty (on an island a little ways away), checked out some extremely weird art exhibits, and then ferried home.

For dinner we went out to a very nice Chinese restaurant, Shun Lee. I ordered sweet and sour pork (something I am used to and I know I like), and tried some new things from everyone else’s dishes. It was delicious.

My relatives said their goodbyes and left tonight – now the only time we have left in New York is tomorrow morning and part of the afternoon. And we’ll do whatever we want with that time.

Monday, September 6, 2010

My day started out in New York City and ended a few thousand miles away from there. Though we only had a few short hours left in the big city, we got a lot of stuff done – packing (a given), a quick walk through the peaceful trees of Central Park, a short trip inside the Museum of Natural History (which was really cool; I wanted to stay much longer than we did), brunch at the Shake Shack (which everyone has been talking about), some frozen yogurt from Pinkberry (coconut!), we picked up a really amazing treat at the Magnolia Bakery called “Blueberry Jamboree,” and traveled back to the airport. I read and slept a little on the flight home.

Was that a successful trip or what? I sure think so. I can’t wait to go back, either.

Back

2010-09-19T07:50:00.003-06:00

Summer, as usual, got busy - I spent more time than I thought with my cousins at my grandparents' house, less time than I would have guessed doing Night Games, and tons of time practicing the piano, organizing my desk and other parts of my room, and thinking about school.

So, school is back in. It became astonishingly overwhelming incredibly fast. I was having a hard time keeping up with my practicing and spending hours on homework that I couldn't spare. Losing sleep and skipping meals and feeling half-dead all the time were some things that were happening, so my mom decided I had had enough. She talked to my guidance counselor and I've had a change in schedule - I'm no longer in the GT (Gifted and Talented) classes. They don't count for college and I personally think they are meant for those who would be bored out of their minds in a normal class, so they're just not worth it.

I'll still technically be in GT science (because it really isn't different from the core science class), but for history and English, I'm done. I'm excited to meet new people and be with some of my other friends that I haven't had classes with, but I'm really sad to leave those in my GT classes. I went all through seventh grade with them and was planning on going through eighth grade too - but it became too much. Maybe that's my fault for spending more time than needed on homework, or getting less sleep that I should have, or maybe it's a change that was meant to happen. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it, at least right now. But for all my friends I'm leaving - I'll miss you! And to my other friends that I may get to see more often - I'll see you soon!

Free Time

2010-06-15T10:20:00.003-06:00

School has been out for a while now. I've been busy, but not really busy. Just busy with fun things - going to Seven Peaks Water Park, floating pine cones down the streams at Liberty Park (as well as going on some of the rides at the mini-amusement park), swimming all the time, sorting papers and throwing out old assignments, amusing myself by watching Brandon play with my Playmobil toys, playing games on the computer, listening to the radio, reading...but I've hardly spent any time with friends. That is one thing I've missed out on this summer - so far. I'm heartily looking forward to Night Games. I'm also excited for some trips I am planning on. This year, instead of going on vacation everywhere, my family is doing staycation stuff: going to all of the fun places that are in our area. Of course, we'll go on one or two short trips out-of-state (my mom and I are heading out to NYC to see Wicked on Broadway!!! ☺☺☺), but we'll mostly stay around here. I'm happy about that. Last summer I got barely any time with friends, I was gone so much. But this year, that will change.

The last day of seventh grade was crazy. And happy. And really exciting. School's out! But of course, I came close to tears. I knew I would. I'll miss a lot of people that I made good friends with. Classes involved taking pictures, playing Ninja, and saying lots of good-byes. It was a wild day with emotions up and down and all over the place. This is one reason I love school - it's a people place. It's a place where you can be yourself. And of course, it's a place to learn; not only school subjects, but social skills and who you want to be. Junior High is amazing and I can't wait to be back - but for now I'll enjoy my free time.

This Weekend

2010-04-28T15:48:00.004-06:00

This past weekend was a ton of fun. My family awoke early on Saturday, packed up and drove nearly four hours to Arches National Park. Looking back, it seems like a short trip; when we got there, we went to the one and only campsite in the park: Devil's Garden. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived it was full. So we ate lunch then drove to the starting point of the hike to the Delicate Arch. When we were hiking, we somehow managed to get lost from the trail - but we still found a way to the arch, even if it was from a different angle. But since we came from another viewpoint, we had a difference experience with the arch. After having some pictures taken, we went over to a cliff that branched out from the main area. From that point, we could see something that not many of the visitors of the Delicate Arch could see; there was a sheer drop-off, nearly five hundred feet tall. It was astonishing. Pictures can do it no justice - you have to see it for yourself. If you haven't gone to Arches National Park, GO. Even the drive there is spectacular.

We searched for a campsite in Moab to no avail. There was some big event going on, and everywhere was packed. So we decided to just go home, since there didn't seem to be any campsites we could stay at. But half an hour away from the city in a little town called Green River, we found a perfect place to stay overnight. There was grass, trees and even tumbleweed and sticks lying around that were perfect for burning. We constructed a fire and made hobo dinner with chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions. If you haven't tried it, that stuff is heavenly. The site even had Wi-Fi, and my dad checked his email in the tent for the first time. It was awesome.

When we go home, there was unpacking and cooking to be done. My grandparents came over for dinner and my piano recital. I was pretty nervous and extremely tense throughout the program, but everything went well. I'm not sure there was one person that didn't mess up in the slightest, though many did a great job and my parents and I were especially proud of my work. I had a wonderful weekend!

Five More Years (at least)

2010-03-22T17:10:00.003-06:00

So, if you hadn't heard, I'm not moving - for the next five years (at least). My dad matched here for the transitional year and residency. It will be one very hard year for my dad, but it is a relief that I don't have to move. I'm really glad. And now we have the whole summer to look forward to!

The Next 5 Years

2010-03-11T19:34:00.002-07:00

Next week, on Thursday, March 18, 2010, I will find out what the next five years of my life will be like. It is a very special day - Match Day for all the medical students at the U, including my dad. I may move to the east coast for a year, then come back, or I may not move at all. Or I could move somewhere nowhere near the east coast or Salt Lake City. I don't know. But I'll find out in less than a week...and I'm pretty nervous. That is one of the main topics in conversations I have with anyone nowadays. All my friends want me to stay here, and that is a possibility. But whether I leave them or not, they are planning to throw a Night Games party to celebrate or say good bye. And whatever happens, I know that it happened for a reason, and I'm okay with it.

We'll see.

Science Fair

2010-02-18T20:26:00.004-07:00

This is a kicker, so I thought I should share.

A while ago, we had to do our science fair projects, which involved conducting an experiment of some kind. My experiment was taking different measurements of vinegar and baking soda for a film canister rocket. Everything went well, and I did a good job on my presentation, but I got an A- for a couple of small things. In any case, I brought my project to the actual science fair today. First the judges studied all of the projects and gave them grades, then parents, siblings, and students could come in and look at all of the posters. After school today I had play practice and then I just waited a while until the fair so I wouldn't have to go home and come back. But after almost an hour my family left because there weren't many people and I had homework to do. There was the prize ceremony nearly an hour after we left, but I figured it wouldn't be worth going to. Then I got an email from one friend saying that I was amazing, that I had won first prize in the science fair, and I wasn't even there to get my trophy. I sent her a message saying that she must be joking; I had an A- on the project. There was no way I could have won. Then another friend called, and congratulated me on winning first prize for the science fair. I could not believe my ears, but I knew she wouldn't make that up and plus I had also received the same notice in the email. Now I feel like an idiot - winning first prize, and not being there to claim it. So lame. But I'm excited to go to school tomorrow, and get my second trophy in my life. And tell this story to all of my friends. :)

Life certainly takes many unexpected turns. And sometimes they are really good ones.

Valograms

2010-02-04T15:49:00.009-07:00

For Valentines Day my school is doing valograms, where you can pay a dollar to send a chocolate rose to someone (you need to know their seventh period class though) or fifty cents to send a sucker. All the money raised is going to Haiti this year, which is good because I was feeling a bit guilty for spending seventeen dollars on my friends. Do you think I went overboard?

Happy Valentines Day (in ten days)!!!

Update

2010-01-10T13:29:00.004-07:00

It's been a while, I know, but the holidays are crazy...we spent time at my Grandparents' house as well as our own. I had fun with my cousins and aunts and uncles. One thing we did was go to see Avatar in theaters!!! It was totally awesome, except for all the horrible language...if they had just cut out or changed the swears, that movie would have been pretty much perfect.

Christmas was awesome, and I'm not going to say everything that I got, but I got a brand new dark blue camera!!! I love it, and I expect you'll be seeing more photos on here than usual. I also got candy, money, notebooks and other craft supplies, clothes, and more. Plus, soon we're getting a Wii!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!

School is back, and going pretty well...Junior High is a lot harder than Elementary School, but I'm doing all right with it. The new semester is starting soon, and I'll have a change in my classes, but I hope it's not too hard to deal with.

I got my braces off!!! At first it felt really slimy and weird, but it's starting to feel more normal. I'm getting a retainer this week, and it's going to be sparkly blue. My friends were (for the most part) excited for me, though some are having a hard time getting used to my new look. They'll get over it soon though. :)

Some of you might be wondering if I'm still into writing, and if I'm ever going to finish the novel I started. Well, haven't given up the dream of being an author, but lately I haven't made much time for writing. But I still enjoy it. Someday I would like to finish the book I started, and I've had inspiration from other books I've read (I just finished Legacy which was written by Cayla Kluver when she was only a couple years older than me), but I haven't really gotten started on it yet. I'll let you know if I do get somewhere with it. I have written in my journal every day for about two months now...and I continue to do so.

New Years Resolutions:

-Write at least once a week
-Blog at least twice a month
-Run or walk a little every day
-Brush and floss every day
-Be kinder to everyone
-Write a song at least every 2 months
-Write in my journal every day
-Read The Bible
-Do 2 sections of Personal Progress

Wishing you all a happy year of 2010!!!

In Just a Few Days...

2009-12-22T13:10:00.005-07:00

...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!!!

2009-11-11T17:36:00.006-07:00

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!!!

2009-11-01T10:11:00.003-07:00

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...

2009-10-21T17:13:00.004-06:00

...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

2009-09-09T19:22:00.005-06:00

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

2009-09-05T11:08:00.002-06:00

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

2009-08-30T09:06:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-14T14:53:00.008-06:00

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

2009-07-07T21:00:00.005-06:00

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

2009-06-07T11:40:00.003-06:00

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

2009-06-07T10:14:00.002-06:00

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

2009-05-25T08:46:00.004-06:00

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

2009-04-26T22:03:00.007-06:00

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

2009-03-12T19:19:00.006-06:00

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

2009-02-22T21:28:00.007-07:00

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

2009-02-02T06:16:00.010-07:00

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.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T06:38:00.005-07:00

I had a great Christmas! My Aunt B. and Uncle D. came to spend it with us. Though Uncle D. had to go to work when we went to Grandma and Grandpa's, Aunt B. got to come with us! At G-ma's and G-pa's, all our cousins from Utah were there. I brought my fairy game books and a whole bunch of stuff, but they didn't so I wished I didn't have to haul all that stuff around. Oh well. Most of what we did was talked and sat around or played Moffia or cared for baby cousins. But it was fun. At one point I went outside to make a snow fort, but I was frozen and went back in to warm up and didn't go out again. That's not like me...but we didn't have an icy hill to sled down (there was a snowy one, but that didn't work out as well) and one of my cousins hurt her behind really bad and came in, and it was just really cold. So the uncles dug a big tunnel for nothing. Sigh.

I still had fun though. When we came home from the Grandparents, I read a book to Brandon almost all the way there without getting sick! Usually I feel so rotten after reading in the car...but this time the only time I had to stop was when my popping ear was driving me crazy. I was confused because my ear only pops on airplanes most of the time, and I can't remember a time when it's popped driving to Grandma and Grandpa's. But it wasn't that bad.

When we opened presents, I was unbelievably excited. I got TONS of cute clothes, new earphones for my MP3 player, a beautiful fairy ornament to add to my collection, my DREAM BOOTS (on the list; light brown ones), an awesome bookmark with cute kitties in a field, a book of fine fairy art, a book with pictures of me all throughout my life so far, candy (YUM), beef jerky (YUM), a kiwi (YUM), an adorable black jacket with a matching pair of leather gloves, binoculars, a cute picture frame with a fairy on it, a $10 gift card for Target, pencils, a notebook, a fuzzy pink bag containing fuzzy pink gloves, a fuzzy pink hat, a fuzzy pink scarf, and some creamy white lotion, and SO much more. It was so fun to spend the holidays with my Aunt and Uncle too. I'll miss them...

How was your holidays? What did you get? Write it on your blog (if you have one) or comment here!!!

Six Quirks

2008-12-24T08:11:00.009-07:00

I was looking over an old post on a friends blog, about tagging. She said, "For the first time in my blogging experience I've been tagged; it feels a bit like being chosen for the cool kids team in elementary school." And I've been tagged too, so I need to follow the rules as well.

THE RULES:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag at least three people at the end of your post and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the fun begin!

1) I can rarely choose favorites. Every now and then I'll have a favorite outfit that I absolutely adore and wear a LOT, but then it gets ruined because I love it too much. I do have a favorite food: SALMON. MMMMMMMMMM. Yum. My favorite color used to be Cerulean Blue, no questions asked. But now that's about tied with green. If I'm asked, I'll say blue, but really I'd rather not choose. But other than that, I just can not choose favorites. I'm always torn between two or more things...and I can't decide.
2) This isn't really quirky, but I collect notebooks, pencils and erasers. Pretty ones. For notebooks, I love the pretty ones, but I save those for when I'm done with the ugly ones that I find in the office or around the house. I have many cool notebooks that I absolutely adore, though I'm always wishing for more. Like, "Man, I wish I'd bought that notebook when I had the chance...it's too pretty to pass on!" or "Why didn't I take just two more from her when she said I could have all of them if I wanted?" And I collect pretty, fuzzy, shiny, and sparkly pencils. Though those are the ones I save. I use the other ones (Halloween, Christmas, doggy, sports pencils) and use them when appropriate. Like around Christmas time, I use only Christmas pencils. And erasers; I don't really care if they are pretty, I just collect them and if they are pretty, I save them.
3) As I said in the previous post, I'm sorry if I don't write anyone thank you letters, it's just so tedious (I'm spoiled, I get gifts from a LOT of people, and it would take forever to write notes to everyone). I'm also worried about when I get to the point where I'm supposed to make Christmas cards for everyone I want to stay in touch with...I'm afraid I won't have the patience...
4) I was born in a pool with little floaty toys and such (most of you probably know this; I don't know everyone who reads my blog, but most likely, all of you do
5) I love typing. Most probably find it tedious, but I love it because I'm fast. My class was working on this newspaper thing and some people weren't done typing their articles and I had to type some of it for them to get it done quickly. I was glad to help out but I admit I was also doing it to show off; I'm really proud.
6) I like to clean anywhere but my room, and organize ANYTHING. I've wished someone would hand me a house full of junk so I could clean and organize it into perfection. I've even begged my friend to let me clean her room, but she refused saying "It's easier to hide things when it's messy." I contradicted, "But it's also easier to lose things!!!" but she still wouldn't let me. I only organized her shelf...it actually took me about 15 minutes to do just that.

Now, I'm not going to tag you, but I want to let you know that I always read your updates through Google Reader. These are the people I choose: Shannon, Kathrine (you tagged me), and the 5 Brothers Blog team. That means you ALL have to write 6 quirks about yourself and you ALL have to follow the rules. That means you, 5 brothers blog members. You ALL have to do it. I didn't make a link on my blog to yours Kathrine, but I have a link on Google Reader. So I'm reading all your updates.
Happy blogging!

Another Wish List

2008-12-12T17:23:00.005-07:00

I forgot to put some things down on my last wish list, even though I received some of them. Here it is again, with a little added on:

Boots (Light brown, Dark brown, or Black)

Playmobil Crystal Cage

Whimsy Dragon Webkinz

New Jeans that fit me; the only ones that fit right now have a hole in the knee

I feel greedy saying this, but I know it's not that much. And of course, I'm grateful for anything.

P.S. If I don't send you a thank-you card, don't take it personally! I'm just really bad about doing that kind of thing; I intend to, but I never get around to it.

100 Things I'm Thankful For

2008-11-26T07:18:00.004-07:00

My family
My friends
My bedroom
My bed
Books
Art
Math
Science
School
The library
My teacher
My fairy tree and things
My clothes
Computers
My MP3 Player
Technology
My talents, including
Writing,
Reading,
Learning,
Singing,
Making friends,
Typing,
and Teaching
Food
Drinks
A Nice House
The Holy Ghost
The Ten Commandments
The Temples
Heavenly Father
Jesus Christ
The Book of Mormon
Agency
Heaven
Earth
Space
Knowledge
The Sun
Gmail
Google
Google Reader
Blogging
Christmas
My Birthday
Easter
Valentines Day
The 4th of July (Independence Day)
Thanksgiving
My Mom
My Dad
My Brother
My Cousins
My Aunts
My Uncles
My Grandmas
My Grandpas
The 21st Century
Music
Young Womens
Church
The Sacrement
The Bible
The Doctrine and Covenants
The Pearl of Great Price
Weaknesses
Strengths
Utah
Vermont
The United States
The Chance to Live in a Free Country
Liberty
Freedom
Fun Memories
Animals
Cats
Salmon
Candy
Blankets
Stuffed Animals
Plants
Warmth
Happiness
My Body
My Brain
My Heart
Repentance
Forgiveness
Gratefulness
My Pen Pals
Nature
Energy
Friendship
Health
Good Transportation
Earth's Beauty
People
Miracles
My Life
Love

12th Birthday

2008-11-16T16:38:00.006-07:00

I had a brilliant 12th Birthday! It was busy, but awesome! I had my birthday dinner the night before, and OH. MY. GOSH. IT. WAS. SO. GOOD. My mom had cooked the most delicious salmon there ever was in all the volume of the universe. She also made couscous, which is a delectable dish I first tried at the Living Traditions Festival. I think it's especially good with cooked spinach (HEAVENLY), but it was still good. She also made THE CAKE. She has made good cakes before, but nothing compared to this. Usually she'll go for prettiness rather than taste. But I will never care about prettiness again. Well, that's not true, I still LOVE pretty cakes, but this cake - oh boy. It was lemon, soaked in the juice all day. Oh. I'm sorry, I just wish I had a never-ending supply of it. Mmm...

Okay, enough about the food. I hope you aren't too hungry.

Then came the gifts. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Mommy and Daddy! And Brandon! And everyone else! Here is what they gave me, I love it all!!! (I won't say names besides my mom, dad, and brother, for privacy) :) I'm so spoiled...

My parents gave me an adorable tiny pink MP3 player!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's wonderful quality, and so perfect!!!
Daddy gave me a little pocket guide about space that I intend to read sometime - I have a few other books ahead of me. I've looked through it a bit already, it's really neat!!!
Brandon gave me one of the things I really wanted that I forgot to put on my wish list (Duh, what was I thinking?!) - a "Girl with Cats" Playmobil set!!! It's so cute, a little girl with 4 cats, 2 mice, 1 fish, a food/water bowl, and a little hill where the mice live!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
He also gave me another Playmobil set, a little girl with a unicorn! I named the girl Bella, which Brandon came up with. Oh, and the girl with the "Girl with Cats" set I named Sandy. I just fits her.
My parents gave me a wooden birdhouse that I can paint and do whatever I want to with! I might hang it outside, but probably in my fairy tree.
My mom gave me one of the things on my list - a bookmark timer!!! And it's green! She looked for blue, but there wasn't any. I don't care though, I like green too...I've used it a ton already!!!
A fairy statue, a beautiful necklace I've worn several times (it's a heart and a treblecleff, which is perfect because I sing, play the piano and the viola!) and money...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
A super-cozy sweater, a nice white t-shirt, a bracelet and a matching pair of earrings!
A fun easy-bake set
4 pairs of very cute shirts
An awesome squishy ball, 2 secret agency spy books, a pair of snake eggs, an adorable, fashionable mini stapler, and a sweet little pencil pouch with a fun design on it
Fun nail set to really glitter your finger nails up, 8 mechanical pencils, and a fun notebook with a "B" on it - so perfect (I collect notebooks)
An absolutely adorable sparkly"Super Girl" shirt and yummy-smelling lip gloss
A cozy hat, handmade on a loom
A pair of cozy "Lambie" slippers, a little lamb ornament, a little coloring page packet, a pack of 3 delicious smelling lotions

I hope I didn't miss any...

It's kind of funny, my birthday is on Veteran's Day so I never have and never will get mail on my actual birthday!

Anyway, I woke up feeling like a proud (in the good way) Young Woman, excited for the day. I went to school, and all went well. Then I went to my last Activity Days, which was so fun because the newest Young Woman besides me, Charlotte, was there because my leader let her come. Oh, I forgot, another present was the cake and beautiful CTR heart necklace that my leader gave me. Thank you so much!!! :)

After Activity Days, I had about an hour before I had to leave to get together with the rest of the Young Women and Men to go do Baptisms for the Dead. Charlotte and I were so excited - for I was just barely old enough to go. It was so fun to be able to share this fun experience with her.

So we drove up, talking and laughing with the others, shivering from cold and excitement when we got out. We went through this "secret" door on the side that I didn't know led into the temple. We walked in nervously, wondering what the inside of the temple would be like. We got our answer quickly - white. Everything was white, even the hymn books. I knew that white was a sign of purity, but I hadn't thought that THIS much white was needed. But it was beautiful.
First, we went to a counter where they take a good look at you and then estimate what size jumper suit you'll need. One of the girls showed us the bathrooms, which were round. They curved around one of the spires on the temple, so you couldn't see the last stall. And the ceilings were REALLY low. I thought they were so cool. Then we went to the locker rooms, which had high ceilings and short stalls that made me feel uncomfortable. We had to change into the suits and put our stuff in the locker. Next, we sat in one white room and listened to a short story that I have heard before, but it was special because normally it would be a stranger making a speech before doing the conformations and the baptisms, but this time it was a nice couple from our ward, which I thought was nice. Then we waited to do our conformations for the dead, where we do four or five people in a row, without getting up to shake their hand or anything. Then we waited to do the baptisms, sitting on benches till it was our turn to go up into the warm tub. There was a little screen on the side of the desk behind the glass, so the person baptizing could read the name of who they were to say. I was slow to remember that I had to have my hand on the guy's arm to do it, so at one point he had to tell me to "put my hand on my arm." I was scared out of my wits and worried when I was done what to do - no one had told me. But when I got into the shower room, I saw one of the other girls wrapped in a towel walking towards the locker room. So I got the idea; shower, put your suit in a box, wrap yourself in a towel, and go to your locker to change. I was the last one to do it though, and while every girl was having fun drying each other's hair in cute styles, I was frantically trying to just get mine dry so I wouldn't freeze when we went outside. I got to the point where it wasn't soaking, but we had to leave so I couldn't finish. It was freezing when I got outside, but my mom (who had come with) let me have her scarf (which is like a blanket when spread out) and that helped. We drove to Shivers, and everyone got to choose an ice cream or shake. I got an Egg Nog shake, which I shared with my mom. Then, because my mom had driven there in her own car, we drove home, just the two of us.

I had a fun, exciting, nerve-racking 12th Birthday!!! ;)

Birthday Party

2008-11-10T17:07:00.003-07:00

I had a great Birthday party! We played a game where everyone starts with a necklace and you can't cross your legs or say the words

Adorable
Cute
Love
Hey

or someone will take your necklace if they hear you! It was fun. And the winner got a penguin Webkinz, second place got a cow stuffed animal, and third place got a candy necklace. Though it turned out that we had one winner and then a tied second place, but one person wanted the cow and the other the necklace so it worked out perfectly.
We also had breakfast of eggs, orange juice, and cinnamon rolls. It was delicious.

After that, we played the game where there's a bunch of chocolate bars and other chocolate things in the middle and you roll two dice. If you roll doubles, you take a chocolate bar and hide it behind your back. Once all the chocolate is gone from the middle, we set a timer for 10 minutes and this time when you roll doubles you point to a person and say, "I want your Butterfinger!" or something. But you have to say the name of the candy bar they have. Oh, and might I mention that I sacrificed my own chocolate but I guess it was a good use for it since I can't have a lot of sugar. :(

Anyway, we then had a treasure hunt. The treasure was two pennies and those where what we used to start Bigger and Better.

We split up into two groups for B&B. My group traded our penny for an apple, which we then traded for a box of crackers, which we traded for cake mix, which we were going to trade for 5$ but the guy said, "Keep the cake mix and the 5$. You'll get something better that way." So we went on to the next house that traded the cake mix for a pack of napkins but also told us to keep the 5$ yet again. Then the last house traded the napkins for a box of Kix and let us keep the 5$ for the last time. Then we walked home. So I got Kix and 5$ (whoohoo!). Now, the other group - well, in my opinion, they didn't do so well. They ended up with a big tennis box. That's big, but not better than a box of Kix and 5$. In my opinion anyway. Thankfully, two of the girls that got the box REALLY wanted to keep it and I was SO grateful to get that spider-attracting cardboard out of the house. We were trying to convince them that it's bigger AND better. But in the end they won the bigger and we won the better.

Overall, it turned out to be a fun and successful party!

Braces

2008-11-09T16:42:00.003-07:00

A few days ago I got my bottom braces! They hurt for a little while, and it's still hard to eat, but they are getting better now.
Last time I went to the orthodontist, I wanted to pick two colors because I thought that that would look cool. I picked dark blue and silver, thinking they would look good together. They didn't, and I was disappointed. But I changed them back to light blue when I went just a couple days ago. I think I'll stick to that since I'm never disappointed with this color.

My biggest problem with my teeth is flossing. I HATE doing it, especially with braces. It takes FOREVER. My orthodontist has tried so hard to convince me to floss every day, but it seems like I just can't do it. But that's not the only problem.
He also wants me to not have any sugar because it makes white spots on my teeth if I have too much. I don't want white spots, but I DO want sugar. He gave me until my birthday to have a normal amount of sugar but after that I'm not supposed to have any except on special occasions. There better be a lot of those.

Any ideas on how to make myself floss every night, or how to make it go faster? I just can't think of a goal besides a sticker chart to make me floss. I just need to make it a habit. But I can't think how.

I want and don't want braces right now.

Wish List

2008-11-04T19:15:00.013-07:00

I've been coming up with a wish list, and I've tried to think of a lot of things to put on so there could be something to choose from, but I decided just to do a couple and then I'll obviously be grateful for anything else given to me.

* Black, Light Brown or Dark Brown Boots

* Blue or Green (preferably) plastic bookmark timer

*Blue or Green I-pod Nano

*Whimsy Dragon Webkinz

I'm so excited for the day one week from now!!!!!!

On Halloween 2008...

2008-11-01T16:02:00.004-06:00

...I got a cold.

Boy, was I upset. It started the day before and got worse the next. I was tired and weak and we didn't trick-or-treat for a long time because of me. And I had to stop at our bishop's house to ask for a drink of water. Aye, aye, aye.

I got quite a loot, nevertheless. My pumpkin was filled and today I had some Junior Mints since I hardly had anything yesterday. And I'm feeling better. It wasn't a horrible day, I was just really tired since I had only gotten seven and a half hours of sleep and my cold was terrible. But I still had fun.

How was your Halloween?

Almost 12

2008-10-26T19:09:00.005-06:00

My twelfth year has been interesting, challenging, horrifying, fun, wonderful, amazing, saddening, maddening, and everything in between.

Fifth grade was - let's just say - not good, my summer was great, sixth grade is fantastic, but overall I don't know what to make of it. I learned a great deal from challenging experiences I had this year, but I came out shaky. I need to forget about those trying times.
I was ready to run away from my problems last year but I held on. Finally the year was over and I could enjoy school and life again. I'm so thankful for the people who help me through hard times like my teacher this year, my mom and dad, and many other adults. I'm ready to start anew.

I hope my thirteenth year will turn out better than the last. I'm excited for the special 24 hours in 2 weeks and 2 days.

Happy 100th post!!!

Sleepy

2008-10-20T18:23:00.002-06:00

I just said to my dad, "I want to do something fun."
"But I've got to get back to work," he replied.
"Aww..."

He walked straight to his bedroom and flopped onto the bed.

"I didn't know sleeping was work," I said.

We both had a good laugh.

School

2008-10-13T07:13:00.002-06:00

So far school has been great!!! I love my teacher, and I love the way she does things. She doesn't get mad at you for asking questions she's already answered, even if she won't tell you the answer - but that only happens sometimes. I feel more confident going to school now than I did last year and I'm really enjoying it. There are a lot of projects to do this year, but I know I can do them if I just do a little bit at a time.
I'm excited to get further into the year. For one thing, we'll be studying space and I LOVE space. Second, (this one is sooner) on Wednesday we will see who will go further one with Creative Pursuits (an awesome program that my teacher participates in). I'm really nervous. I kind of want to move forward and go to District or even State like I did in fourth grade, but I also kind of want to be over with it and not have that on my mind too. I just have so much to do this year that it's a bit overwhelming but I have to do something instead of nothing like my dad says.
Anyway, this year has been spectacular!!!

Snow!!!

2008-10-13T07:05:00.004-06:00

We just had the first real snowfall of the year. As I walked upstairs yesterday morning I saw a pale light outside and the noticed the snow falling. There were probably 3 inches of it and it was beautiful. It was also the perfect sticky kind to pack together into snowballs, snow forts, and snow people. Brandon and I had a short snowball fight as soon as I came out then built a little snow girl. Around noon her head fell off though, and all the snow was melting. It's almost all gone now though it's still cold. I suggested we walk to church and it was quite nice until after church. It wasn't snowing or anything but it was FREEZING!!! I stopped at my neighbors' half way to warm up for a few minutes but by the time I got home my fingers were numb.
I just hope it doesn't snow on Halloween.

That first snowfall was beautiful!!!

Polls

2008-09-28T16:25:00.002-06:00

I will be having weekly polls, and I LOVE feedback! You don't HAVE to check every week for a new one, but it would be awesome if you did.
Oh, and you can comment on any post for ideas for new polls, if you like. I should write down a list.

P.S. If you vote "Other" on any of my polls, would you please tell me what that is? I'm always DYING to know!!!

California Trip 2008

2008-09-04T06:46:00.001-06:00

We went to California again this year! It was so fun. We~~~

Went to Disneyland and California Adventure
Slept and drove around in an awesome RV - it was so cool!
We went to two temples - one in San Diego and another one, I can't remember.
We were spoiled by Alicia (again)
Saw Wall-E with Auntie B. (I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Ate breakfast at McDonalds (I didn't know about their breakfast foods...) IT WAS WEIRD (we never do that!!!)
Missed our flight home (that's why we went to the temples - they were on the way to the other airport we were going to)
Had Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt (It's so yummy!)
And so much more!

It was awesome. I always love spending time in CA!

Puerto Rico

2008-09-04T06:44:00.001-06:00

In Puerto Rico~~~

We stayed at 3 hotels: the Coquey Inn, a Howard Davidson hotel, and Passion Fruit Bed and Breakfast. I LOVED PFB&B. All the people there were so nice.
We went snorkeling, though it stunk because at first the waves were so wild and the water silty and it was terrible, then we went to a calm spot not far away though there wasn't much to see there. :-(
We went to the Areciebo Telescope - it was massive!
We also went on a kayaking trip to Bioluminecense Bay - the bottom of our kayaks had glass so as we got closer to the bay from the little river in the mangrove forest, the glass bottom would have streams and sparks of light shooting below us. When we got in the bay, it was amazing. Every paddle made a huge wave of light for a second. Sometimes we saw fish below the water from the light. It was amazing!
We went swimming ALMOST every day. We couldn't the last day because that would get our clothes wet and we didn't have time to go swimming, shower, dry, wash clothes...
Watched a lot of T.V. because at the Passion Fruit B&B they had pretty much all the channels. Normally we'd NEVER watch that much, but it was vacation! :-)

Overall, we had a great time. I loved that trip!!!

Braces!!!

2008-08-18T18:26:00.002-06:00

I got braces! I completely forgot to write about it on here, but I got braces this summer! I picked a light blue color. I'm going to get my bottom braces on the second day of school, a little more than a week away. I don't know if I'll change the color then.
My mouth ached for a long time when I first got them, and I would only eat soft foods. But they are great now.

I like my braces!

Summer 2008

2008-08-09T11:57:00.003-06:00

I've been gone more than I've been home this Summer! Let me tell you a bit about this crazy season I've had. I'll bullet them.

Went to Puerto Rico (it was so fun! I'll try to tell more later)
Been at my cousins and grandparents a ton
Gone to half of summer camp so far
Went to CA (again, I'll write more after)
Had a great time with friends
Seen some fun movies
Read some good books

*Movies: Mainly Transformers and Wall-e which are practically my favorite movies now. Those who haven't seen them, YOU MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Good books: I'm reading The Goose Girl right now, then I'll read Enna Burning and River Secrets after that. I've heard they are really good. I also read the third book in the Fablehaven series (MUST-READS) and several other fantastic stories.
*Friends: Mainly Shannon, but last night I had a late-over with Brooke with was really fun. With Shannon, we do so much fun stuff, and she thinks of most of the stuff to do. I really enjoy hanging out with her.
*Family: we've had several family gatherings lately. I've been at my grandparents a lot since I'm going to a summer camp near their house (I'll write more later) and I've had tons of fun with cousins. Dallin, Megan, Monica and I did a little concert and Grandma and Grandpa's house a while ago - we sung and danced to parts of these songs: Pocket Full of Sunshine, Dancing Night (Based on Sneakernight), the full song of Do you Believe in Magic?, Apologize, and Bleedin' Love. It was fun, even though we messed up on almost every song.

I've been busy!!!

Another Tag Thing

2008-08-08T14:29:00.006-06:00

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My Aunt Bonnie! She rocks! No wait, she RULES!
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
This morning having a talk with my mom. Do not ask.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Sometimes...sometimes, I wish I had my friend Shannon's handwriting.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Chicken and Cafe' Rio pork...heaven
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not for a while...
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Depends on who I am...but I'm pretty sure I would.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not a ton, but sometimes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
THANKFULLY
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Sounds fun, but safe? Um...
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Probably Vanilla Yogurt Life cereal
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Almost NEVER
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I can pick up my dad...so, yes.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I honestly don't know but I love Crickle Creek Ice Cream and Vanilla Bean.
14. WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE RIGHT AT FIRST?
If they're shy or outgoing.
15. RED OR PINK?
In terms of clothes, pink. Otherwise, dunno.
16.WHAT DON'T YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
I hate that I say things backwards a lot these days, like just a few minutes ago: "Man, the mow needs to be- whoops, not the mow needs to be lawned, the lawn needs to be mowed..."
Also, I hate it when I accidentally say something rude but I didn't mean to and it just comes out wrong...that stinks.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Right now, probably my friends from Vermont.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
I would like to see several people put it on their blog, I love reading and writing these!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Denim blue skort, no shoes
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Grilled cheese sandwich and peach for lunch.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The fan
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I have no clue you dumb question! My fav. color is blue, but my aura is green...what would you pick?!
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
YUMMY food, rain, ocean, lotion, flowers, streams, pine, forests...SNIFF
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Shannon
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Aunt Kirsten, you are so cool-I'm so happy to be related to you!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
It depends on who I'm watching it with and where I'm watching it. All in all, I don't watch any sports and I don't really want to.
27. HAIR COLOR?
Beautiful brown that's lighter at the bottom.
28. EYE COLOR?
Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope!
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Do I have to choose? Let me see...yummy, yummy, yummy, gross, yummy, yummy, okay, yummy...
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
HAPPY ENDINGS FOR SURE - HATE SCARY MOVIES
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Most of Spiderwick, again
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Green mostly...but also pink, red, orange, yellow, light green, light blue, dark blue, white, black, and brown --- I love this shirt.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Can't choose...
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
HUGS definitely - but I'll take kisses from certain people
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Impossible to choose.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Don't have a clue, but hopefully Mon, Serena, Michelle, and Mommy
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Dunno.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm actually not in the middle of any book besides the Book of Mormon right now, but come the time to go to the library my face will see nothing but Goose Girl and soon enough Enna Burning and River Secrets
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have one
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Not tv, but I saw most of Spiderwick again
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Rustling leaves, ocean, streams, lakes, rivers, rain, music, forests
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Puerto Rico
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
According to my mom, my special talent would be that I learn quickly.
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Chicago

My Aura

2008-08-02T20:25:00.002-06:00

Your Aura is Green

You're very driven, competitive, and even a bit jealous.

However, you seek out balance in your life - and you usually achieve it!

The purpose of your life: inspiring others to be better

Famous greens include: Tony Robbins, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart

Careers for you to try: Guru, CEO, Talk Show Host

What Color Is Your Aura?

I like green, it's my second favorite color. What are your auras? Click on the link above and then tell me.

Service

2008-06-22T13:50:00.002-06:00

This Friday I went to the house of a family in our ward for a day just to serve. First, we went outside, took a whole bunch of junk out of their car, and I vacuumed it. Then we scrubbed it for a while. It looked like a fairy godmother had come and transformed it.
I can't remember the exact order of things I did, but at some points I kept the kids busy, I helped the girl that's one grade younger that me clean out her clubhouse, swept the stairs in the backyard, tried to help a bit with lunch, went to DI with them, played on their Wii for a while with them - and I had a lot of fun.
I also got to know that family much better. They will be moving soon and right now they are really busy so I'm glad I could help them. The sad thing is, I feel I got to know them so well that I started really liking them, so I'm going to miss them when they move. I hope we'll meet again sometime.

I love serving. I'm glad I could take a day to really help someone out.

Blue Flash

2008-06-20T18:31:00.001-06:00

This is an awesome movie! I was amazed when I saw it.

Summer!!!

2008-06-07T06:22:00.004-06:00

It's finally SUMMER!!! I have lots of great plans. Our family is going to Puerto Rico (more about that afterwards) - I'm so excited! I also have my other plans, like going through all my stuff (toys, books, clothes, etc.) and doing arts and crafts and hanging out with friends --- it's gonna be so fun!

Sad thing - during the summer you're usually home more than during the school year. That means messier house which means (ugh) more chores. I'm NOT excited for that part. All well!

Oh, I also plan to earn a lot of money this summer doing lemonade stands, working in gardens and such, mowing the lawn, doing extra chores, etc.

I love summer! Don't you?

SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-01T12:19:00.002-06:00

Only 4 days left of 5th grade! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-11T12:39:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day everyone!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

Pirate

2008-05-09T06:52:00.005-06:00

We have given away one of our kitties - my favorite, Pirate. She was certainly a sweet-head. We gave her to a good home where I know she'll be taken care of.

Yesterday at school, the mom of the boy in my class who adopted Pirate came in the lunchroom crying. I didn't notice at first, but when I asked how Pirate was she turned to me - face red and wet - and told me "We lost her." Then I started crying. Several people asked why and I told them what happened. She took her son with her to help look.
I was miserable all afternoon, and then the office called and said, "Mrs. _______, can you send Bonnie to the office?"
I jumped up at once and said "YES!" and quickly walked to the office. As I left I heard someone shout out, "There she goes!" And go I certainly did.
I knew the news that was to come, but I couldn't wait to hear it myself.
When I got on the phone, I said "Hello?" and a very relieved voice told me they had found Pirate hiding in the mudroom and that since she was our kitty before she just had to tell me. I walked back to the classroom beaming, and as I entered again, some people asked me "Did they find the kitty?" I told them yes and my teacher asked, "What's all this about?" I re-told the story again and had a good afternoon after that.

Live long, Mew often, Love much Dear Pirate.

Kitties

2008-04-25T15:13:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures of the kitties...which one's your favorite? I can't choose. Their names are Ginger, Valentine, Pirate, and Adventure. Aren't they sweet?

You Can Only Type One Word

2008-04-14T06:13:00.005-06:00

Where is your cell phone? Nowhere
Your significant other? Somewhere
Your children? Unborn
Your mother? Fantastic
Your father? Wonderful
Favorite thing? Love
Your dream last night? Dunno
Your favorite drink? Many
Your dream/goal? Marry
The room you're in? Office
Your fear? Sadness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Dancing
Where were you last night? Eating
What are you not? Hyper
Muffins? Yum!
Where you grew up? Vermont
The last thing you did? Type
What are you wearing? Jammies
Your TV? Dusty
Your pets? ADORABLE
Your computer? High-speed
Your life? Blessed
Your favorite day? Any
Missing someone? Friends
Your car? Works :)
Something you're not wearing? Dress
Favorite Store? Dunno
Your summer? Woohoo!
Who will win the presidential race? Unqualified
Your favorite color? Blue
When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
Last time you cried? Saturday
Who will/would re-post this? Anyone

More on Space Camp

2008-04-13T16:39:00.005-06:00

Latest news: I probably won't be going to space camp after all. At least not the one in Alabama with ages 8/12. It's really expensive, plus the plane fee. But I'm still saving up for something really cool. And I'm still considering going to a camp, just not space camp. I think an art camp would be fun, and way cheaper.
I'm excited for Summer, because I'll be able to work a lot more.

Chores

2008-04-13T16:15:00.007-06:00

I hate chores. A lot of people do. But I know they have to be done, or our house would be a pack-ratty wreck, which I would not like.
My chores:

dishes
clean bedroom
swish-n'-swipe upstairs and downstairs
sweep and mop kitchen floor
every now and then vacuum
take out ALL garbages up and downstairs
dust
take out recycling
and sometimes other things...

Does anybody know a good way to do chores with a cheerful attitude? I know I can just choose to have a good attitude, but sometimes that is really hard. Tell me how you all do it!

I'm Switching Schools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-01T17:44:00.000-06:00

April Fools!

Sick

2008-03-29T07:12:00.003-06:00

I've been home sick with the fever (or flu, not sure which) for the past couple days. We had yesterday (Friday) off but I missed Wednesday and Thursday. In that time I read fourteen hours and fourty-five minutes. I suggest everyone sick at home read or do something of that sort in all that spare time. It's quite useful.

It's not so bad being sick really, I just hate missing out on school stuff. Last year, even if I was slightly sick, I went to school every single day, and I was never tardy, except the last day of school. I had gastroenteridis (I've got NO CLUE how you spell it), also known as stomach flue. I was tardy then, but I still went to school. It was a mellow day.

To all of you sick people out there: GET WELL SOON! You're missing out on life.

Easter!

2008-03-29T06:50:00.002-06:00

This year we were at my cousins for Easter while our parents were on a great trip to Ireland. They had a lot of fun, but so did we!
I played a fun game that my cousins S & M and I love. We call it "Hogwarts." In it, we pretend that we are going to Hogwarts and we go to classes and have real homework that we do in our little assignment books. It's really fun.
We also played this game we call "The Jail Game" a bunch with the boys. It's where usually the three girls are the runners or hiders (whichever you like to call it) and the two boys are the hunters. We kind-of made new rules to the game to make it more fun. Here are the (new) rules:

the boys have to count to ten to give the girls a chance to hide
the girls hide and wait for the boys to find them
then when the boys find one the put them in the jail (which was the trampoline)
the other girls have to rescue the caught girl
the boys prowl around while the girls sneak up and try to get the other girl
if the girls make it, the boys have to count to ten again to give them a chance to get away
then, the game turns into capture the flag - sort of
so the girls are trying to get the flag or whatever they're using for it
and if they succeed, they win the game
and if they all get captured, the boys win the game

So it's really fun. And we played it a LOT.

My cousins celebrate Easter early because the Easter bunny doesn't want to have to work on Sunday morning at their house. So on Saturday (early) we had an Easter egg hunt. We were allowed to find fifteen eggs each. I dashed around and found fifteen eggs in less than two minutes, and felt kind-of bad when there weren't quite enough. S and her bro. D got only thirteen and fourteen. Then M found that she had an extra and gave it to D. Thankfully, there was plenty of sweets so S didn't complain much.
Then the next day, S, M, D, and the other S's Grandma had another Easter basket for us! She's not even my Grandma! It was so nice. She had this candy necklace making set in it and tons of jelly beans and then (best of all) a huge bucket filled with ADORABLE hair clips and ponytail/pigtail holders. They were all colorful and pretty. I wrote her a nice thank-you card after.
We had a lot of fun, but I missed my parents. I was glad and sad when the came. But now that I'm back, I realize (again) that there is no place like home - not just for the holidays - anytime.

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-18T07:05:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was fun. We didn't do anything in class that had to do with St. Patrick's Day, but we had an assembly where Irish dancers came to visit us and dance. It was neat.
I pinched a few people, not hard, but one of them I pinched did have green on. I ran away from her, but then she got me back during lunch.
Overall, it was a good St. Patty's Day!

Writing

2008-03-01T20:18:00.002-07:00

For all you writers, writing stuff of any kind, (books, poems, etc.) I just want to recommend a very, very useful book. It was written by Gail Carson Levine, the one who wrote Ella Enchanted and many other fabulous stories, now a VERY experienced author. It's called "Writing Magic." It's wonderful and helped me quite a bit. Oh, I would seriously recommend doing the assignments that she gives you in it too. Do them in Google Documents or Word or Power Point or in a notebook or anything. Just do them. They are very helpful in writing anything. And they are quite fun.
Gail is a great author, and she has given me some exceptionally helpful hints.
Good luck!

Happy ♥ Day!

2008-02-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

Happy ♥ Day!

Before I Die...

2008-02-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

I want to:

Dive in the Great Barrier Reef
Go to Bermuda again
Marry the best man for me
Meet Shirley Barber
Become a famous artist
Be a research scientist
Walk on the moon or I.S.S. (International Space Station)
Have 2 or 10 kids; not sure which
Go on the best honeymoon I possibly could
Go to a few concerts whether to play in or watch
Master the piano

Those are just a few things of many I want to accomplish!

Nea

2008-02-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Nea, short for Neapolitan, is my uncle's cat. She is white and light brown, with beautiful eyes. We get to keep her until my uncle finds a home where she is allowed to stay.
All we have to do is keep her food and water bowls full, which is easy - she is an outdoor cat. During the day she usually is exploring out in the neighborhood and probably catching some of her own food. But when she comes back it is fun to hold her and pet her while she purrs.
I'm so glad we can keep Nea (for now)!

President Hinckley

2008-01-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

I honestly hadn't realized how much I loved Gorden B. Hinckley until yesterday night. But his death came as a huge shock to me and many other people last night. My friend called just to tell me how she felt when she heard the news. The radio was all over it. Many school mates were mentioning it too.

I know he must be happy now he is with his wife again, I know President Monson will be good too, and I should realize that Heavenly Father meant for it to be like this. But I'll miss President Hinckley a lot.
I'm sure you've had a great judgement day, and your with a lot of friends and family up there! I hope we can all remember what great messages you shared with us during your time on Earth. We'll miss you!

Christmas 2007 ♥ ♥ ♥

2007-12-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

This Christmas was AWESOME!!! I got a ton of presents and gave a few too. Here's what I gave and got:

GAVE:

Clara: a box of lip gloss

Amanda: a box of lip gloss

Mommy & Daddy: a little picture frame and some papers I wrote at school about a "Christmas Memory," "What I'm giving for Christmas,"and "My Wish List"

Aunt Bonnie: Brandon and I make a picture every month (taking turns) and send it to her for the "picture of the month"

And I think that's all. I'm not sure.

I don't think I'll write everything I got, 'cause that would take forever. That's why this post has taken so long - I was planning to write everything I got. But really, that stuff isn't important. Merry Late Christmas!

Sorry!

2007-12-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written very much lately, it's just so busy with the holidays and all. But I'll write about Christmas after.

A Little Laugh...

2007-12-18T06:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Holidays!!!

2007-12-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Pen Pals

2007-12-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have a few pen pals I would like to contemplate: Brie, Vicky, Lutes, and (new) Hannah. I am so glad they love the world of writing, because I love it and it's good to have others to share it with.

Every time I am sent a letter, I'll read it as soon as I can and reply quickly too. Usually they are longish letters, so it may take a while to write, but it's worth it. I can glimpse what is going on in some of my friends' lives, and they can glimpse mine...so thank you all pen pals!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-29T16:55:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving...ahh, a very nice time. A happy time. A giving time. A thankful time.

I went to my Grandparents' for it. Over half of our family was there. The other's don't live in Utah so they don't come usually. After all, back out east is quite far.
Last year we went to a nice restaurant with them. It wasn't as special, but still fun. This year we got food and desserts and stuff to the house and had a feast. We played with cousins before and after the time. Sometimes we don't get along very well, but usually we do. We made up a new game called "Pets." It's fun. And Brandon (my brother, just in case someone doesn't know) is part of it so it's easier to play without leaving him out. Serena, Monica and I can have quite a hard time when it comes to not leaving anyone out. But we have a fun game to play with him now.

The food was mostly good, and I tried the stuffing (yay me!), though I didn't like it very much. Aunt Kirsten also made some delicious "rainbow jello" (which really shouldn't be in quotation marks because it is rainbow).
I like Thanksgiving!

P.S.

2007-11-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Also, as my mom pointed out, my Brother was at the party. And he gave me a very pretty colorful Kleenex box that I have needed for a while. My parents also gave me a lot of stuff like every other year. Here's a list:

an awesome party
a ton of cute clothes (something on my list)
a birthday bear (had gold clothes for my golden birthday)
an awesome stereo (which is very good because my brother and I are always fighting over the old one, but now I've got my own better one!!!)
a pack of gum (I was glad for that because my dad took a couple of pieces from my other one. He said he thought it was Mommy's...)

Anyway, it was all great!

My Golden Day

2007-11-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

So, Sunday was my birthday. My golden birthday. THE most special B-day I will probably ever have.
Saturday was the party. We went to Fat Cats Bowling Alley. We means me, my mom, my dad, my Aunt Bonnie, her friend Bunker, and eleven other friends. Here are their names:

Charlotte
Amanda
Amanda's sister, Sarah
The other Sarah
Brooke
Elise
Katie
Annie
Rachel
Kathrine
Shannon

I hope they all had fun...

Anyway, it was great. Oh, and here are the presents they gave me:

Charlotte - a fairy set of Barbie's Fairytopia fairies: Laverna, Elina, and Azura.
Amanda - a box of stuff, including: bubble bath (of which I used almost half in one bath), lace (a whole roll thingymabobber), a pack of golden and silver pine cones and icicles, and some bead things.
Amanda's sister, Sarah - a little bracelet thing that you can put fuzzy kitties on (they are really cute!).
The other Sarah (they are both Sarah L.'s, so I can't say who exactly they are. [Internet safety, I don't want to put my friends in danger]) - a craft kit called twirled paper, really cool! I looked at it a bunch afterwards.
Brooke - the book "Fairyopolis", a very good journal book (whatever you call it). Amazing pictures and stuff.
Elise - an ADORABLE colorful poke dotted bag, so cute...oh, and there was this garden stone making kit inside it, can't wait to start decoratin'...
Katie - a GIANT BOX WITH 40 FLAVORS OF JELLY BELLIES INSIDE, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???!!!???!!! Oh, and also a pack of freakin' awesome magnetic stones (always wanted them...).
Annie - a craft I really would like to do with her, I don't know exactly what it is, but I should find out soon.
Rachel - an adorable fuzzy bear I named Truffle.
Kathrine (a.k.a. Kit Kat, as I like to call her) - a webkinz, which I have wanted since I heard about them (about three weeks ago). It's a white "lil'l kinz bunny, and she's so cute! I named her Pearl. Also, Kit Kat gave me a Christmas Count Down, but I have to wait till December to start eating the chocolates. Once a day, as usual...
Shannon (last but not least) - a bunch of little things, including: a headband, earings, a stuffed penguin, and a box o' butterfingers. Yum!

I got presents from other people too (boy, I still don't understand why I'm not a spoiled brat, I get so much...[maybe I am!])

Alicia (our good friend Alicia...see back on "Vacation in CA" for more about her) - 11 dollars (man, she is so kind) for my 11th birthday (and my golden one as well), and a little stuffed bunny from McDonald's, but it's still cute, and a box of Lint Chocolates. Yum again!
Aunt Kirsten - she took me shopping at the fashion place mall and got me a bunch of cute clothes. It was a while ago, but it was a great birthday gift!
Aunt Bonnie - she gave me a gift as well as fly out to spend my birthday with me! I guess it's because it is my GOLDEN birthday...anyway, her gift was a real gold charm bracelet. If you look closely at the chain you'd see that there are hearts on it about half a centimeter away from each other. And there are also 2 charms on it, one that says Love and the other a heart. She got it for my Golden Dad especially.
Grandma & Grandpa B. - a blue lunch box, a pack of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (which I won't eat), a state quarter (of which we already had, but oh well), and a lovely skirt. The skirt has a zebra pattern on one part of it, butterflies on another, and red on the rest. It's a very pretty skirt.
Grandma & Grandpa Wright - 35 buckeroonies (love gettin' those; they are so useful in life)
My cousins Serena, Monica, David, Sophie, Aunt Sunny and Uncle Nate - an adorable "fairy catching kit" that includes: glitter, an ADORABLE little cage, a sweet, puny net, a sweet, puny magnifying glass, and an information book. I haven't read it, but I will sometime...

Well, I think that's all. I'll update if I get anything else sometime (which I probably won't). Overall, it was a great Birthday!
P.S. Sorry, this post took quite a while to make!

BTW...

2007-11-09T14:49:00.001-07:00

My B-day wish list is the same as the Christmas one!

My Golden B-day is So Soon...

2007-11-09T07:08:00.002-07:00

Sunday is my Golden Birthday...I can't wait...it's gonna be freakin' fun...♥

5 Things

2007-11-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by my Aunt Mish; who just started her blog. Congrats!
Well, I couldn't think of what to write on my blog. I know, that's kind of stupid, 'cause there's a million things I could write about, but I couldn't think of any...so she gave me some ideas. These are the light bulbs:

5 things I'm grateful for: My family, my friends, my belongings, my leaders and teachers, and all my other blessings.
5 things that embarrass me: Hmmm...hard to say...well, I guess saying wrong answers in class, forgetting my viola on days I have orchestra, thinking I'm right but being wrong, crying in front of other people besides my family, let's see...um, being rude (accidentally, never on purpose).
5 memories I want to remember forever: getting to state competition in creative pursuits in 4th grade, going to Hawaii, the fantastic trip to CA, 4th grade (wonderful; the best year and teacher I've ever had), all my B-days (they are fantastic!)
5 favorite things/toys: My fairy tree, my swan, my playmobil things, my pink baby blanket (blankey), and my art supplies

I'll add one more to make 5:

My 5 favorite peoples: My family (including cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandparents), my friends (I love you all ♥!), President Hinckley (a wonderful man, I tell you), and my Savior. I love them all, and they are very special to me! ♥

My 2007 Christmas Wish List

2007-11-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, there kind of is a lot, but I'll name some. Here goes:

Anything to do with fairies (but must be modest if it's a picture, statue, etc.)
I like crafts, but be warned: I have six drawers full of 'em, and don't have room for much else!
Something special, like always
Playmobil things, including: the rock temple (expensive, but beautiful! Want it...), crystal cage (would be very useful in games - believe me!), um...let me see...well, there are many I would like but those are the main ones...
A webkin cat; don't ask me about them, I don't have any so I don't know anything, but my friends have told me they are really cute and I'm dying to get one
Another special thing that I'd like; I ♥ surprises!
Cute clothes; man, I need more of those!
Cozy things, like blankets, super soft hats, pillows, etc.
Anything you guys think I would like! ♥

2 Weeks and 2 Days...

2007-10-27T18:04:00.000-06:00

Just two weeks and two days till my most special Birthday. . .

Dancing

2007-10-25T16:57:00.001-06:00

So, yesterday we had our first dancing lesson at school. It was freakin' awesome, and very fun. My class warmed up with the chicken dance (which was weird and stupid) then reviewed square dance steps. I say "reviewed" because last year at the 4th grade rendezvous we learned them.
As I said before, it was seriously fun. I did have to dance with boys most of the time, but some of them weren't bad.
My favorite move is dosey doh (doe-see-doe) because it just feels cool. People always turn around when they want to go back, but it's kind of cool to do that, I don't really know why.

The boys I danced with were: Jake W., Hans, Jack (he was really good), Sam S., Klaliff (first l is silent), met up with Jake A. but then we moved on without dancing, um...one of the ladies teaching us, uh...Ben, and I can't think of anyone else.
Even though it was kind of embarrassing, it was great. I can't wait till next Wednesday!

Life Right Now

2007-10-13T18:21:00.000-06:00

Well, life in Utah is great so far. Fourth grade was awesome and I had the best teacher on Earth. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but her name is Mrs. Jenson. I see her quite often, but still I can't help but miss her. She is soooooo nice. And she taught me soooooo much.

My current teacher, Mrs. Lambert, is nice, but not as fantastic as Mrs. Jenson. The thing I love about Mrs. Jenson is that she gave us soooooo many fun projects. Sure, it was pretty hard keeping up with it all, but it was so much more fun than fifth grade.
But, so far, fifth grade is good. I've got two A's in our math chapters, and 100% on every spelling test. And I do pretty well in my spelling packets too. So school is good.
At home, we pretty much do ordinary things:

chores on Saturday and sometimes during the week
computer games on Saturday and sometimes during the week
sometimes watch Nature or/and NOVA (great science shows)
do little projects (take me, for instance: I am drawing this big picture called "Foxglove Forest" and I also do other things just for fun)
sleep
eat
drink
hang out (with friends, family, ourselves)
blah, blah, blah........

Life is good. And the little things we do for others are sometimes the things that count the most, and I'm trying to do those things. Trying to help others. Trying, trying - to be kinder to my brother, though that is really hard.
Utah has taught me a lot, and I'm thankful I moved here though I do miss all my friend in VT. I loved it there. The thing is, it's hard to choose which I like better. I guess my favorite state is Vertah or Utont. Don't care which word. They are equal to me........

How is life going for those of you who read my blog? Hope it's good. I know about some, because of this beautiful site called blogger. But for those I don't know much...comment? ♥

Missionary

2007-10-08T17:21:00.000-06:00

Being a missionary has always been a scary idea to me, something I would never want to do. I thought that because my mom told me she had pig intestines once at someones house. I never ever wanted to eat that, and anyway the idea just seemed scary. Not seeing my mom or dad for ages, stuck in a foreign country where I probably won't know anyone. . .ugh! Not appealing. But, recently, I changed my mind.

I don't know exactly when or why, but I did change my mind. I decided that it would be fun to learn a different language, see different people, try new foods (but not something absolutely nasty!), and maybe meet some new friends. Or, if I was called to serve in America, I could make new friends (or, depending on where I am, see older friends), as usual give the message of the gospel to many people, and so much more. I see now that it would be a wonderful thing to help Heavenly Father spread his love and light across the Earth, and I can help. In fact, I've already started!

More ♥ ♥ ♥

2007-10-03T06:40:00.000-06:00

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A Good Dream

2007-10-02T06:23:00.000-06:00

Once, just once, I had a really good dream. It was seriously fantastic. Because I was flying. You don't dream that your actually flying very often, do you? Well, in this dream I felt it. I felt wonderful. It was almost like a fairytale, because first something bad happened, I forgot what, but then it's a happy ending. It had a happy ending, better than any in Cinderella or Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.
I was taking my turn, because my cousins Serena and Monica were there too. It was weird, 'cause I think I saw Winter, but they saw Spring and Summer or something. I forget. It was a while ago I had it.

I wish at some point we could all have wonderful dreams like that, where we can feel we're flying or something. It's fabulous, a once in a lifetime experience.

♥♥♥

2007-09-24T06:04:00.001-06:00

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

School has Finally Started!

2007-08-29T17:45:00.000-06:00

School has finally started! My brain was going to blow up if I didn't start learning again. I had a great summer, though.
So far the year has not been as good as last year, but I have only been in fifth grade for a week. I bet it will get better. Here is what happened this past week:
Monday was pretty boring except for P.E. All we did in the morning was get organized into our desks and do math. I don't know what has gotten into me, because I keep making stupid mistakes in math. Probably just nervousness.
After lunch, (a hamburger and chocolate milk) we started reading "The Silver Crown." It is an interesting story. It's written in an unusual way, different from most books I've read. But nevertheless, it's pretty good. I am still dying to know what happens in the end.
After a while we had P.E. We played Capture the Flag, which is VERY fun. I'm eager for the next P.E., at which we will probably play Capture the Flag again. It's quite popular in our class.
So that was Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday were like it, except no P.E.
Thursday we were gonna have another P.E. with Ms. G (I have NO clue who she is) but she never came. So we played some fun games with Mrs. Lambert (my fifth grade teacher. By the way, Mrs. Witt, a very nice woman who is in my ward is our Monday P.E. teacher. She's the best!).
Friday went the same way, which is pretty boring. I don't know why I was going to die in the Summer if school didn't start soon, but I think it was because I wanted to know what fifth grade is like. Now we have a four day Labor Day weekend off, and really it's kind of a relief. I just hope we get some big fun projects soon.
For those of you who read my blog, how is work and school?

More on Rainbows

2007-08-24T08:38:00.001-06:00

Vacation In CA

2007-08-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

A little while ago Brandon, my Mom and I went to Long Beach, CA. It was soooooooo fun! My Aunt Bonnie picked us up and we went to Rubys for dinner. Then we drove to our friend Alicia's house. There we went to bed for the night.

I forget all the details, but I'll tell you where we went.

At one point we went to Knotts Berry Farm, which is a VERY fun amusement park. We had a lot of fun. Alicia had two friends that were coming, and one of them, my mom, my brother (though it was kind of a last minute thought), and I went on the roller coaster Ghost Rider. We had to wait an hour in line, but it was worth it to me. We got to go in the gold carriage, the other one was silver. I was in the front with the guy who was with us, and my brother and my Mom were behind us. It was sooooooo exciting, but scary. The first drop was awesome. The carriage went slowly up, the BOOM!!! We were goin' down! We did that several more times, slowly up then BAM!!! Down!!!!! It was freakin' awesome! I was screaming my head off when that happened. There is a camera at the first drop, I think, and it takes a picture of us. My hair had flown over my face, but you could tell I was having a good time. The guy next to me had sunken in cheeks and a long head, which was very weird, but he liked it too. After all, he had been on many roller coasters and loved them. My mom looked perfect, a wide smile set in her face. But my brother looked horrible. He had the corners of his mouth turned down with a weird look. But that look looked worse when we got off. He kept saying he never wanted to go on a roller coaster again. I however, was dying to go on another one, especially by the time we got to Disneyland. I kept asking, "where are the roller coasters? I wanna go on one!" But that's at Disneyland. I'm not done with Knotts yet.

The other rides we went on at Knotts were the "Big Foot Rapids" and the mining one, the swing one, the bumper cars one, and the "Supreme Scream." My mom and I went on that one. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOO scary! First you went s-l-o-w-l-y up then you wait at the top then BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You go down, seemingly to your death. I tried to scream, but couldn't. My stomach went 360 degrees around. Then it got slower, went up, went down, slower, went up, went down, s-l-o-w-e-r and stopped. It was freaky. I was worried I was going to throw up, but it just wasn't one of those things you throw up after. I also didn't think I would ever go on one again, but I was proved wrong. I ended up going on one in California Adventure, which really was a lot better.

We went to Disneyland first, but I don't care. I'm skipping around.
In CA Adventure I went on one called The Mali-Boomer. I personally think that's a pathetic name, but oh-well. This one was scary too, but better, because you strap up, wait for a minute, then BANG!!! You go up, down, up, down, up, down, until you stop. It's freaky too, but better.

We ended up going on twenty, yes twenty rides at Disneyland, including CA Adventure. It was awesome. I'll tell you the best ones: The Matterhorn, Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo Submarine, Soarin' over California, and Star Tours. But every one we went on was fun.

We did and saw other things fun things also, including: Pirate Dinner Adventure, Long Beach Sand Sculpture Contest, hanging out with our Aunt Bonnie, being given gifts by our complete spoiler, Alicia, and many other things. If you want more info about parts we shared on our adventure, email me. I hope you enjoyed!

I was Tagged!

2007-08-05T11:11:00.001-06:00

I was tagged by Katie Graham, as well as a few other people. Here goes nothing.....

Jobs I’ve had:
1. My jobs are mostly chores, but I have actually done some work for other people besides my family to earn money. For instance, right now I am watering our neighbors plants because they are on vacation. And tonight I'll also have to take out their trash, as well as just watering. It's really good pay, 10$ a day, and only half and hour to forty-five minutes of work.
2. I have babysat my little cousins before, but only to get them off my aunt and uncles hands for a while.
3. Outside: I've raked leaves, weeded, planted, and again, watered.
4. Garage: Twice I have gone in the garage and ripped boxes so they could be smaller and fit in our car. I've also swept out both of our garages before (our old one in Vermont and the one here at our newer house).
5. In my House: I have done many chores in my house before, including emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, swish and swiping the bathroom, wiping the front and back door, dusting, making beds, organizing the front closet (straightening shoes, coats, etc.), setting the table, loading the dishwasher, wiping the table, vacuuming, and many others.

Movies I can watch over and over again:
1. I could always watch the Harry Potter movies again, especially the ones I haven't seen in a while. Brings to mind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a fantastic book I just finished reading.
2. Really I don't watch movies over again very often, but once in a while Brandon will put on a Disney Classic and I get pulled into it. (It doesn't need to be a classic, it can be anything)

Guilty pleasures:
1. Eating candy (I just finished every last treat in my pumpkin, including sweets from Halloween, Valentines Day, Easter, Parties, and Random occasions).
2. Curling up in my bed all day, reading a good book when I could be doing a thousand other things;
3. Keeping my head down to the street, on the lookout for lost money.

Places I have lived:
1. Chicago Illinois (Born there, lived in Hyde Park till three years old)
2. Colchester Vermont (Lived there till I was nine, what a beautiful place!)
3. East Mill Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah (Moved in Summer 2006, it has been a great year!)

Shows I enjoy:
1. NOVA
2. Nature
3. Ocean Adventures (Sadly, it's not one I've seen for a while, I don't know if it even exists anymore.) :-(

Places I have been on Vacation:
1. Bermuda (When I was a baby, sadly.)
2. Montreal, Canada (Went with my Dad and Brother)
3. Oahu, Hawaii (Fun place!)
4. THE island Hawaii (Very beautiful, Mars in one area, tropical rain forest five minutes away!)
5. Very recently, Vermont; I will be writing about it soon.
6. When I lived in Vermont I visited Utah a lot.
7. Been to California several times; I will be going there again this week.
8. The Florida Keys (It was where I first snorkeled!)
9. Virginia (A gorgeous place, I tell you!)
10. Washington D.C. and many others!

Favorite foods:
1. Teriyaki Chicken!
2. Pork Burritos (I could go on and on about how good Cafe Rio's are, but I don't have time)
3. Frozen yogurt, pumpkin, and cold lemon pie with whipped cream on top. Yum!!!!!
Jeez, now I'm seriously hungry.

Websites I visit daily:
1. My Gmail
2. Google Earth (Fantastic photos, I don't know how those satellites do it!)
3. Katie Graham's blog
Really, I don't visit many websites often, but my mom has a new blog I expect she'll be writing on often. I suppose I'll be reading that!

Body parts I have injured:
1. Fell off my aunt's bed when I was a baby; broke my elbow.
2. My eardrum burst a couple years ago (I think that counts!)
3. I've cut myself enough to get stitched and glued a couple of times; I also bit through my tounge once. Ugghh!

Nicknames I have had:
This one is EASY PEASY!
1. Bonnie Bunchkinator (Bunchkin for short)
2. Dolly
3. BonBon (Common from my cousins)
I have more, but those are my main ones.

TAG, You are it:
My Aunt Kirsten (what an awesome aunt!)

Trip to Vermont

2007-07-28T18:59:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I went on a trip to Vermont. It was fantastic! I got to see almost all of the friends I wanted to see; there was just three other people.

We were staying at a big house, owned by my moms' friend and fiance. Downstairs in the basement there are video games that you usually have to pay for, but since they own them it's free! It's fantastic. My favorite is called "Big Buck Hunter." How you play is, you pick a region, the north, south, east, midwest, or west. Then you start at one place and pick which site you want to do. There are four places, and each place has five sites. Each site has three bucks and obviously you try to shoot them. However, you try not to shoot the does. It is hard, but fun, even though it's not a good sport (unless you really need it for food and clothing to survive).

That was definitely not the best part of the trip, though. I am not sure what the best part of our vacation was, but part of it was seeing old friends.

The first day we saw our old friends Molly and Sam. Sam is Brandon's best friend. He was so glad to see him, and I was glad to see Molly too. We actually saw them several times during our trip, and did a bunch of activities with them. One of which included going to Borders to wait for the last Harry Potter book to come out. While we waited, we were both reading a cool book. It wasn't that bad, but only because we had those books. They were really interesting. Finally the book came out! But still we had to wait a couple hours to get our copies. I wasn't buying a copy, my mom was just picking it up for our friend. We were up till past two in the morning! I was really tired. But I didn't care. It was fun. They are really good friends to have.

I don't have any best friends in Vermont, or maybe I have a lot of best friends. Anyway, I love them all equally and feel the need to name every one I ever became close to. I will tell which ones I did see when I went there.

Madeleine (saw her!)

Molly (saw her!)

Clara (didn't see her, she was on vacation somewhere else.) :-(

Vicky (saw her!)

Hannah (saw her!)

Paige (saw her!)

Seirra (never got to play with her much; she always lived pretty far away from me. But she is still a good friend, and I got to see her!)

So, as you can see I got to see quite a few of the people I wanted to see! There were a couple other people, but oh well.

So, I repeat, I saw Molly the first day, again on the second day, then on Saturday we went to North Beach to see our old neighbors, Madeleine and Michael. We made this fantastic sand castle; I'll describe it. There were three pools, my pool, Madeleine and Michael's pool, and the main pool. When we first made it we poured water into the main pool and it trickled down to the other pools. But then I had an idea to make a big pile of sand and make it into a volcano. So we did. Madeleine and I dug it out and then poured water down the hole, into the main pit, then it went to the other pools. It was really cool.

After playing with Madeleine, my friend Paige was hosting a Harry Potter party. Since I was in town, they invited me over. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!! First we got sorted into either Griffindor or Slytherin. We played a couple good, long games of Quiddich, and by the end of it everyone was sweating their heads off. So we hopped in the pool. The pool was freezing! So I hung out shivering in the sun, eating chips till we went inside. I wasn't the only one who was cold, a bunch of the girls were, for it was a cool pool.
Slowly everyone went home, one by one. Soon I was the last one left. My mom picked me up really late because she was at a concert. But all the better. Paige and I had a good time. Her sister, Alana (I honestly don't know how to spell it) gave me this Harry Potter notebook that she never even wrote in. I really like it! It comes with all sorts of Harry Potterish Stickers. I have already written and drawn a lot in it.
So I had a great time there. But there was more!

On Sunday we woke up and went to church. We got there late, but it didn't really matter. I went in a class with some people I used to know, some that I like and some I don't really. Afterwords, I played around with my old friends a bit, and then we left. We wanted to play together more, but I had to leave. We had planned to visit some other people that afternoon.

On Monday, Brandon and I had planned play dates with our friends. First, I played with Hannah in the morning, then we went to the library. At the library, I saw one of our old really nice librarians. Her name is Pam. I wish I could have seen Hannah the librarian too, but she wasn't there. After that Hannah and I went to Vicky's. It was really fun. We played a fairy game that was really fun.

Vicky is my number one pen pal. She always answers my letters, and I always answer hers. But it was good to catch up with her without writing. I wish we could see each other more often, because she is a really good friend. I am very glad I could see her there.

Tuesday we went to my old singing lessons teachers house. They were playing Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows on tape. I couldn't help but listen. I won't say anything about it except that it's a good story. Anyway, I have read the whole book now.

Wednesday we were trying to figure out what to do, and mostly just stayed at the house all day. But later we went to Airport Park to meet Madeleine and Michael again, and Madeleine and I went to the bog to pick blueberries. They were perfectly ripe. We got as much as we could carry then went back and gave them to the others. Went back with Brandon and Michael so they could help us. It was fun! We got a ton of berries. They are delicious.

I went swimming a lot when I was there. The house we were staying at had a jacuzzi and a pool, though the pool was very cold. That is how I got over my fear of cold water.
I made myself jump in and moved around a lot so I could stay warm. I know that's how almost all people do it, but I just couldn't make myself stay in before. I just hope that I can do the same for most pools, because obviously some are cooler than others. But for now I'll just say that I am proud of myself.

So, that was pretty much our whole trip. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

Secrets To Drawing Realistic Faces

2007-06-26T19:09:00.000-06:00

When we went to the library yesterday I got a book called "Secrets To Drawing Realistic Faces." I wanted to learn how to draw really good faces, and what I found on the internet was just what I needed. It also said there were two copies in our library, which was just perfect. So we went to the library and I got it.

When I say it is just perfect, I mean it. It has everything I wanted to know and more. Not to brag, but I have dramatically improved. If I don't know what to do, I'll just sit down and practice. I have drawn several faces, and now I'm adding on bodies. The refrigerator will soon be covered, that's one thing I know. I sure am glad I got that book!

The Battle

2007-06-20T14:09:00.000-06:00

Last night we had a party for all the old friends in town who lived near us in our old ward. It was AWESOME!!! When all the kids came it was really fun. First, a family with only boys and a baby girl came. Then after a while I met a new friend, Brynley. She is the second oldest in her family and my age. She also had a sister, Maddie. At first, we wanted to hang out without her, but after a while we wanted all the girls we could get.
Then Sage came. She was the first friend I ever "played" with when I was a tiny baby. She is a couple months older than me. We first started the little "club" thing, and I showed her this tree that is what I think a blue spruce, because the needles are blueish, very blueish. It is practicaly hollow inside, and the lower half of the tree has good climbing branches, even though it is sappy, and peek-holes to see outside of it.
Then I invited Brynley into the club, and each group, boys and girls, got lots more people. Then the Battle began.

The boys started it, of course. They began it by hitting our tree with light-sabers that my brother brought. We got mad, and started collecting pine cones, sticks, branches, and my favorite, pine needles. We had plenty of those. In fact, that was the most useful thing to throw because I was trying to clear a spot of them for a meeting place where we could sit. I could just grab handfuls and throw them out from in the tree. When I got a big spot cleared I started collecting mowed grass. There was tons and tons of clumps and lines of it all over the fields. When I collected a whole bunch, I would go back and spread it out over the patch of ground. When I was done, it was very satisfying. I told the girls,"I don't know about you guys, but I intend to live in comfort and style."
After the battle there was only about ten minutes before everyone left. I was sad because that was a lot of fun, but I hope I can see all those people again soon!

Fill The Ark

2007-06-18T11:35:00.000-06:00

On Saturday was the big Fill The Ark race. There was a 5-K and a 1 mile. I did the 1 mile because I was recovering from the flu. Even though I have done a 5-K before, and I wasn't prepared for it, this one would have been way too hard because the 1 mile was hard enough. I was one of the top 30 people, so I got a certificate for Bob's Brainfreeze. I was #27.
Fill The Ark was a great success. It earned about $8,000! It was donating to Heifer International. I know that the money that was earned will help lots and lots of people. I am glad that I contributed to it!

Raging Waters

2007-06-15T08:19:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday I went to Raging Waters. Both my brother and I got to pick a friend to bring with. I didn't pick my best friend, but only because all of her siblings would be jealous. So, I picked my newest friend, Shannon. She lives right down my street. So that means we can play very often. We had a great time. First, we went down a slide. When I stepped in, I learned that the water was very cold. Then, at the end, we had to swim to the edge. You see, I am very sensitive to cold. I get cold a lot easier than most people. I am extra sensitive to water. Most people might think a pool warm, but most pools are cold to me. But that water was seriously cold. Anyone would think it. I didn't go on another slide the rest of the time, in fact, practicly the whole time we were there Shannon and I just stayed in the wave-making machine. The water in that is warm. We also went into the jacuzzi for a little while. But the wave-making machine is by far the best thing there. It was so fun sitting in the tubes, dipping up! down. up! down. Trying to stay together, we had a lot of fun. Raging Waters is really awesome!

Mill Hollow

2007-06-09T09:41:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday morning at 7:30 I drove to school, put my luggage on the bus, hugged my mom good-bye, and drove on the bus to Mill Hollow. It was a long ride, but it was worth it. I had a great time at Mill Hollow.

When we got there, everyone unpacked, which took quite a while, and then we had to go over the rules. That was boring, and anyone would know they shouldn't do this, or shouldn't do that. But finally we finished that and then got a tour of the camp. That was kind of boring too, but it was useful and worth it. If we didn't do that, I wouldn't know where to go and would sit somewhere freezing to death. It was snowing almost the whole day.
We had plenty of free time, but the cabins were locked. Only Giget, our counseler, and sometimes Mrs. Buck had the key.

So, we went to lunch, had free-time, went on a long, hard hike, did some stuff I can't remember because it was a week ago, had dinner, and finally, the most fun part of the first day, sang campfire songs in the cafeteria. We also did skits, the girls group first and after a few songs, the boys. We sang "We're goin' on a Bear Hunt", my favorite, and "Oh What a World it Would Be" another one I really love. At one point, the boy counselers, Pocco (yeah, man) and one other one did a skit about how they are the famous "Zuchini Brothers." And the this small (and invisible) friend, Mario. Mario could do any kind of trick, and so Pocco and the other guy called on people to tell Mario to do certain things. When they had a whole big thing for Mario to do, like a triple backflip in the air followed by an ariel or whatever, the got a pretend blanket out from their shirts and bounced Mario into the sky (or the ceiling) and looked. We all watched in awe as he did the tricks and went higher and higher and then....
"Mario? Oh, Mario!" and blah, blah, blah. End of part one. Part two came after more songs, and the funny part was when Pocco (sweet dude!) was like, "Ow, that was the worst spanking I ever received!" And so on. More songs. Finally, Mario came down on part three. It was awesome!
________________________________________________________
Day two was warmer, and I went to the trading post and bought a bear claw necklace and a camera. The bear claw necklace is totally cheap; it is absolutely worthless. It doesn't have all the parts, it's missing a bear claw. It also has instructions on how to make it, and if you tie it from one end to the other it wouldn't even go halfway around a baby's neck. It has extra beads, but still it is totally cheap. I don't know about the camera, as I haven't tried it out yet. I sure hope it works, the camera I took with me was sooooooooo cheap. There wasn't one really good photo out of all of them. I even had taken some really good ones, like a few where a chipmunk was a yard away from me, and posed in the perfect position. I was really upset.
Over all, day two wasn't very exciting, but day three was.

After we had packed everything up, and were having our last free-time, the principle, or whatever we are supposed to call the top dude, called and told everyone to find shelter. As I was running into the Spruce Room, the room where lots of people hang out during free-time, I asked what was going on. A girl (who claimed that she was first to see it) told me that there was a bear right by camp. I ran out onto the deck, where a lot of people were looking for it. The top guy, Bob, I think, had gone out in a truck to scare it away from camp. Imagine my amazement when, in one second, I got my only chance to see the bear. I still can't believe I saw it running into the woods! I was a sight I will never forget. Everyone lingered around a while longer, trying to see it, when the time came we had to get our things and leave. When everyone going to my school got on the bus, the moment we had all (or almost all anyway) been waiting for came. The counselers told us their real names! Giget, the girls' cabin counselers name is Elisa. I like that name. And Jamba, a girl that always helped in the cafeteria, told us her name is Julie. Pocco (boo-yah!) said his name is Brandon. That's my brothers name! And, he was born in August, just like my brother. So it was really fun. I sure hope I can come back again next year!

Rainbows

2007-05-27T11:34:00.000-06:00

Rainbows are beautiful!

Cheep!

2007-05-25T14:51:00.000-06:00

We have a California quail family living in the back garden of our yard. I don't know when they came, but it must have been recent. If I got every one, and they were all there, I think there is exactly 15 chicks. They are adorable, with brown down and little black stripes on their backs. I was looking at them through binoculars.
Then, at one point they went out to get food or something, and one chick fell off the ledge. It landed in a bush, but it still couldn't get back up. The ledge is about a foot high, and the Mom and Dad couldn't get it. It went on for like 15 minutes, the chick running back and forth below the ledge. Finally, we did something about it. My mom went out with a box and got the chick to get in it. For just a moment, Brandon and I got to see it, scrabbling around in the box, and then we let it go in the bushes. I am glad we did that, I just wish we took a picture. I hope that the chicks grow safely, and learn to fly. I sure wouldn't want to fall off a big ledge when I was that tiny! (Though I did fall off my mom and dad's bed when I was a baby!)