Looking Forward

I never intended, years ago, to quit writing on this blog. I didn't anticipate as a girl still building fairy houses that the day would come when something like keeping a blog would not be a priority. But I want to end this permanently on a note of reflection and appreciation - so here is my last post on BonBon's Blog, taken from my final Instagram/Facebook post of 2015. I'd say it marks the end of an era.

2015 was the year of my most joyous highs and lowest lows. This year I wrote an album's worth of songs and performed in front of thousands of people. This year I discovered two new talents I didn't know I had, dancing and styling wedding-worthy hair. This year I went on four tours and two incredible vacations with some of my favorite people in the world. This year my heart has been broken at times but right now, it is full. I went this year from struggling with my testimony to knowing, without a flicker of doubt, that there is a loving God in Heaven who is in and aware of every detail of our lives. This was a year of magnificent sunrises and sunsets, of moonlit swimming in the warm ocean, of silence that speaks volumes, of watercolor painting in the mountains, of constant reminders of divine presence in my life. This was the year I got my mission call and performed an endowment session at a different temple every week after receiving my own. This year was filled with surprising accomplishment and occasionally some frustrating failure. This was a year of tears and of laughter, and most of all, of heart-achingly overwhelming love. I never knew I could experience so much love in a day, in a letter, in a hug, in a touch of the hand, in a year.

2016 will bring an already influential stepdad permanently into my life, a move between two houses and then between two countries, a missionary badge, mastery of Spanish, a compassion like I've never known, and some of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. I reflect with gratitude on this year of wonders - and I look forward to this coming year of continued miracles and incredible joy. May we all "let [our] light so shine" wherever we are under this big sky. ‪#‎lookingforward‬

Orchestra, Lunch, Bowling, Summer...Update on a Few Months

This is the start of a post I began a few months back - I'm just adding to it now. I figure I might as well post it. :)

A while ago: I've had a fun, busy week. On Thursday we had our orchestra festival, during which a bunch of Jr. High school orchestras gather at one school and perform for each other and for judges. Some are decent, some some are, frankly, terrible (to put it bluntly). But we all gather together and perform about two songs each, and our performances are rated. We went last - we like to think it's because no one wants to go after us (and they want to save the best for last :) - and we stole the show. We got perfect scores, and very little criticism; though of course, we had some. There are always things to change and do better. But overall, we performed magnificently - and I'm not giving myself credit. I take about a fiftieth of the credit. :) So that was fun, and then we went out to get lunch. The bus dropped us off at a parking lot near a variety of restaurants, but most people raced for Café Rio. Including me. So my friends and I ate there, and then we went to get frozen yogurt at the popular fro-yo shop nearby. Then we got back on the bus in time to sit through one last class at school.

(Adding on to that): On Friday, a bunch of the ninth graders on the High Honor Roll list went to FatCats to bowl. I was very proud of myself when I got several strikes, and it was fun to spend time with a bunch of my friends. I also tried play-dough ice cream for the first time, which was yummy.

On the way home, my friend Charlotte and I took pictures of ourselves making goofy faces. Some of them were so terrible or funny, we laughed ourselves to tears - we had a good time. :')

By the way, here is the scoreboard at one point - and notice the beautiful X's at the top of the screen. ;)

Present day: I've had a crazy summer. That took place a couple months ago, but since summer started, I've scarcely been at home. Before school got out, my family went on a trip to Zion National Park, which was awesome. There were some amazing views, and I plan on adding more to that later. After school got out, my mom took my brother and I on a trip to New York and then Vermont, where I had a wonderful time reconnecting with old friends. Then I had EFY as soon as we got back, which was absolutely wonderful. I encourage anyone who hasn't been to go; it's a fabulous camp. The day after that ended I attended an all-day Teen Writers Conference. Tomorrow I have Youth Conference, and next week I'll have my cousins over and we'll be heading up to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We'll be going on our annual trip to Bear Lake while we're up there - and then soon after that we'll be going out to Hawaii. So...it's been crazy. I feel terrible for not writing much, but there is only so much you can do when you're constantly heading out, creating memories, and going somewhere else before you have a chance to record them. I suppose it would help to just write shorter posts rather than going into great detail. But anyway, I won't be done with this blog for a long time. It's tough to write on a blog or journal consistently during the wild years of high school, but I'll do my best. Which is good enough.

End of March Update

I missed February, but I am not missing March. So here is a little update on stuff that has been going on:

• Spring has sprung! And being on Spring Break feels better than I can ever remember.
• General Conference began today, and I enjoyed all four hours of it.
• I saw the Hunger Games yesterday, and loved it - I'm going to start reading the books tonight. Yes, I know: everyone has read the books already. I just stink at making time to do these kinds of things. Anyway, I went with a bunch of friends, and afterwards we got ice cream at a Dairy Queen and then went to someone's house and played Reverse Charades. It was a blast - we were all cracking up while doing some impressions. I love my friends.
• Last weekend I went on a trip to Goblin Valley and Moab with a bunch of people in the Concert Band and Orchestra at our school - it was SO much fun, and I think everyone had a great time.
• I've been spending a lot more time practicing piano since my mom started this system...if I practice less than 1 1/2 hours during the week, I have to pay for my lesson. But if I practice more than 3 hours a week, I get paid $8 an hour for each hour I do above 3. I haven't made that much money, but I have accomplished a lot more than I used to with that instrument. Also, next year I am taking a release-time class, or electronic high school class, during which I will go home and practice piano. I want to get a lot better at it. Somewhat sadly, I am quitting viola next year - but it has been fun while it lasted. Being in an ensemble is great, and don't regret starting in the first place. I'm just ready to move on from that.
• I picked up the ukulele! It's just a little hobby, and I'm not all that great at it, but it's really fun and I enjoy playing it. My reasons for quitting the viola have nothing to do with the uke, in case you were wondering. It's just a fun hobby, like I said.
• School has been pretty stressful, but I have managed to get no lower than an A- in any class. I only got one of those, in algebra 2, and it could have been prevented so easily...but whatever. I'm mostly over it. An A minus in an advanced math class isn't going to keep me out of college. Right now it's my science grade I am most concerned with - but only because I practically failed one test and it's the first thing on our grades. I think I'll be able to bring it back up.
• I went to my friend's Quinceñera a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. It was a little like the dance I had for my birthday, but kind of an even bigger deal...
• Back in February, we had a school dance and a stake dance. Both were pretty fun. At the school dance, I was dancing with this guy and then a whole bunch of people made a ring around us and were whistling or whatever when he spun me. It was really funny, although it was a little embarrassing. It's weird how everyone makes a huge deal about dancing couples at school dances, but not at stake ones - but whatever. The stake dance was great, as usual. I won't go into more detail about that.
• Other than that...I can't really think of anything. Life is pretty good right now, although my days are up and down. As can be expected of a 15-year-old girl. :)

Hello Again...

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

Music

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.

Back

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

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

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)

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

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

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.

Update

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!!!

13!!!

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

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

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

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

2nd Counselor!!!

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

Young Woman's:

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

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

Self-Discipline

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

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

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

Night Games

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

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

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

First Week of Junior High

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

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

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

Beehive Camp

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



Monday, August 10, 2009

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

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

It's been a great day!


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

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

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

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

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


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

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

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

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

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


Thursday, August 13, 2009

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


Friday, August 14, 2009

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



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

GOOD things about Beehive Camp:

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

BAD things about Beehive Camp:

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

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

Summer Craziness

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

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

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

Elementary School

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

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

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

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

My goals for the summer:

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

My goals for Junior High:

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