Oh, Just Stuff

Honestly, I have nothing of real importance to blog about besides the usual school things, but even then, there's nothing that has happened. Honestly. But seeing as I'm in the procrastination attitude and the need to update, I'll tell you about my ultra boring life at this moment in time.

I joined FCCLA!!! I don't actually know what it stands for (right now! I will eventually. :)) The club is just centered around service and helping the community. So far, as in the one meeting I've gone to, I'm enjoying it. :) There is a field trip that is on Monday that I actually get to go on! I was so excited when I was able to go. When I paid, there was only 5 spots left. . . so, on Monday, I will attend that. I will update. :)

I'm joining Book Club on the 23rd. And you know what? I'm super darn excited for this! I need to read waaaaaaay more than I do. Pride and Prejudice has been put down way too many times, and this time I'm determined to get through it.

I took my two tests this week. Math and Chemistry. My two WORST subjects. I was stressed. A little more than a tad. Okay a lot. My voice gets all croaky when I'm stressed and basically, I sounded like a dying frog. It's fine. :) The tests overall went well. I hope! Hope is the keyword there, haha.

I've laughed a lot this week. Really! There is this girl named Hailie who just is the most hilarious person ever. She wears total vintage clothes and her hair in a braid on top of her head. Someday, I'll take a picture of it and share it on here. But my point is that she's funny and makes me laugh in the two classes I have with her: Driver's Ed and English. We've established that we probably won't ever be allowed into the same car when we do Range. . . . She'd pump the passenger brake while I was driving, or tell a funny joke, and I wouldn't be able to stop laughing resulting in me either 1) stepping on the gas pedal and shooting forward or 2) I'd wreck the car. . .  which that kind of goes with the first option. Either way, we would not be a very good pair in the car.

So. . . there's the update on my life. Or at least some of it. I can't think of anything else, so we'll just leave it at that. Have a good day today! Also, have a good day tomorrow!! You know what day it is???

THURSDAY!!!

9/11

It's been 10 years since the attack. Crazy. I guess I don't really have any room to say anything about it since I was only 5 and in kindergarten, but I do remember it. vaguely. I remember school got really quiet, and I didn't know at all what was going on. I remember walking home with my sisters and neighbors who were older- and did understand- in silence. I remember asking them and asking them what was going on, but nobody would tell me. They were all too shocked. And then, I got home, and my mom was there watching the news and I saw the footage of that last plane going into the towers over and over and over again. I remember not understanding, just knowing that it wasn't good. I remember looking at the newspaper the next morning and the cover picture was of dusty and bloody men and women; firefighters and police officers.

And today, ten years later, I still don't understand it. But I do understand that this country has grown so much by the hardship of the attack. Just look at the good things of the country. We spend so much time worrying about the bad and what is happening to us, that we don't stop to look at the good things. Our country is more safe,  Hawaii is still paradise, Massachusetts still gets crisp, orange, yellow and red leaves in the fall that makes it looks like it's on fire, New York is still New York, and America is still free. It is free.  As much as people and Glenn Beck want to disagree with me, Obama loves this country. He does, and he's trying hard to do what's best.

And so, my tribute goes out to the men and women who died during the 9/11 attack. To the brave police officers and firemen and women who rescued so many people. Thank you. I remember you, and America remembers you, and you will never be forgotten.

Greek Festival

 Today, the family and I ventured up to Salt Lake City to the Greek Festival. It was full of food and dancing. Along with some. . . sight seeing? There was a place where you got a tray, picked out all the yummy Greek food you wanted, and then you sat down at a table and watched the dances. We had from rice and meatballs to seaweed filled with rice and onions and a whole assortment of stuff. We gorged on baklava and scones drenched in cinnamon and honey. All of this done while watching folk dances I had never seen before.

Here's a clip:

And, did you know that there is a very large Greek population in Salt Lake? There is! Well, hence the reason they have this festival. But it's a charity for the Greek Orthodox church there. So, we went through the church, which was super cool! We kept remembering the St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. That church was so magnificent and extravagant, and this one was still amazing, but not so much as St. Patrick's. It was a more homier feel. . .

To end the festivities, we went to this little museum that had pictures of weddings and Greek immigrants and it had musical instruments, and just all sorts of stuff!

The whole thing was an awesome experience! It made me want to watch both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Also, someday, Lauren and I will visit Greece and hike Mt. Olympus.

Isn't it beautiful?! Oh, the things that life lets you do. . .

Happy Birthday, Ash!!

Ashley, you are 21. How do you feel about this? Old? :) Let me list off the things you can officially do now:
1. Buy cigarettes
2. Buy alcoholic beverages
3. Work at a bar
4. Get a CDL interstate license
5. Go on a mission
That's all I can think of. . . haha, basically, you can now be an official and legal rebel. :) Go with the last option, please! Not that that's rebellious. . . Just go. :)

Anyway, I want to just tell you happy birthday! For the 16 years that I've known you, you've always been there. You've helped me learn how to love school. How to love people. How to not care about what other people think. You've taught me how to listen, how to open up, and how to be myself. You've provided good fashion for me. . . :) {Right now I'm actually wearing your earrings and shirt. :)}And overall, you've just been a fantastic sister! You're a great example to me. You've taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to; whether it be school, friends, or ambitions.

We miss you here, but I'm pretty positive that your being in China is good. It's an awesome thing you're doing! Have a happy 21st; love you! :)

Ginny the Intellectual

Sometimes, in our house, we like to play/laugh at the dog. So, we do random things like have her sit on the chair while acting like she's reading a magazine. It happened like this: one second I was reading my driver's handbook, the next second I was watching Lauren put this little scene together, and then, for the other left over seconds, I was over there too; taking pictures.

We, as in Lauren (Mom's idea), then decided to put glasses on her. This is the closest thing we could actually get. . . She didn't like it very much. So we gave up, and Lauren tried to get her to actually look like she was reading. It didn't work, but kind of?! :)

 And then. . . . she got bored. . . But really, this picture was taken at the very beginning of our little photo shoot, so she was bored the whole time. Ahh, well, it was fun while it lasted. :)

God Is My Salvation

I've had to wake up at 4:45 every morning for the past two days. 

But really, I actually got up at 5. 

Well, no, that's a lie.

Today, I got up at 4:53? Something like that, haha. 

It's early, nonetheless. 

Both times were for Seminary, and you know what? 

It's fine. 

I love seminary. 

I do have to confess, though, that Lauren and I were quite grumpy with each other before we left, 

and my attitude about going was a little skewed. 

I repent of my actions. 

I cringe every time someone disses on their teacher, or the class in general. 

Honestly, you're going there because you're choosing to. 

If you sluff, you're automatically out, and that's what you want anyway, right? 

If you don't do the work, it doesn't really even matter, that's just you and your salvation on the line. . . 

or just your BYU admittance. :) 

Anyway, today, was not the real day I go to seminary; 

it was just the seminary assembly to kick off the year. 

It was amazing. 

Really. 

Being in a room full of people who actually want to be there (seeing as it's 6 in the morning. . .) 

the spirit touched every single person there. 

I promise you on that. 

Our theme this year is Isaiah 12:2:

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."

It's perfect. 

And it's perfect because it's inspired. 

I don't know how or why it was chosen for this year, 

but I do know that it is necessary. 

I guess that's the cool thing about it. 

When the year is over, you will see God's hand: 

how he helped, how he answered prayers, how he loved you or me or them. 

Because the scripture will fit. 

It will; just watch. :)

Anyway, 

it's time for me to go study French. And driver's ed. And I need to run. . . 

Au revoir!

The Mirror

I bought a mirror. . . almost 6 months (I believe?) ago. 

It's been sitting in my room, being held up by a stack of very large books. 

It looked horrible, and I've been pestering and pestering my dad to put it up. 

And finally, it happened! 

Sorry, Sir Walter Scott, Emily Dickenson, and Great American Literature, 

your large number of pages just weren't cutting it anymore. 

Back to the shelves with you! :) 

It feels great to have that retched thing up. 

All it needs now is a good spray of Windex.

I always got finger prints on it while I cleaned it since I had to hold it from it's once insecure positioning.

Oh! No longer! I feel as if I were a child on Christmas. :)

Dad, you and your tools are quite the fantastic Santa Clause. 

P.S. My schedule is actually filling up starting tomorrow! My cake decorating class with the below children's mother and grandmother starts! Kimberly and I signed up for that class in June, and finally Hobby Lobby is doing it- can't wait! I even got a nifty new decorating kit. Until next time. . . Loves!

Life On Sunday

We took the Martin children to church with us. Reed is all over the place, and really, really, really enjoys making noise. He's also a little turd and hates sitting and playing with me. . . Good thing Emmy is there. She only likes me because I scratch her back and tickle her neck. And because I do that, that means she's laying on me the whole sacrament meeting.

It's okay, they're cute. :)

I walked around today with a blanket on all day. Not just your normal, everyday fleece blanket; no, a very large, purple comforter blanket.

The switch from the nasty swamp cooler to central air has definitely had it's benefits- like not making our house stink and the Wheat Thins staying un-stale- but seriously, the father wants the house to stay at 60 degrees all day, everyday. I could bet you anything that goosebumps are permanently engraved on my skin. So I walk around my house wearing a blanket.

I watched Tangled with Lauren and my mom. It was the latter's first time seeing it, sad as that sounds. We've decided that Ginny is a dog version of Maximus, and so she has adopted a new nickname.

The Kingdom Dance song is the best one to have a dance party to.
(Ash, you have not had the pleasure. That will be the first thing we will do when you get home, so you might want to make sure you sleep on the plane? That would be good. :))

Pasta for dinner, banana creme pie for dessert, no school tomorrow. What more can a person ask for?! :) Have a good week, please!