study puppies...also, this is post 1111...what.

Nelly, Thor, and Tasha -- keepin' me company

Kevin -- King of the Pillow Mountain

i made a better baby...

I am writing to celebrate a momentous occasion. I have now, officially! Slept through an entire night.

It's momentous because that's the first time in years. Literally, years. Even when I take sleep aids, I wake up two or more times and have a hard time falling asleep again. Last night, however, I slept straight through, like I used to when I was a wee thing.

Really, I was a good sleeper when I was a baby. My mom said that she woke up often to make sure I was still alive because I never cried or made any noise. She'd often find me just staring up at the ceiling, thinking whatever baby thoughts I had in the dark nursery.

Or perhaps I wasn't a good sleeper, if I was so often found awake. Maybe I was just a very quiet, very young insomniac.

Sleep feels good.

I could get used to this.

you wish you were a Cougar...

See this?

image from BYU News website
I helped make this. And I got a free Frisbee, too. Read more here.

My school is weird. Be jealous.

roarin' twenties...

My first date during the year 2012 and after my 20th birthday was tonight. What better place to go than to a Roarin' 20s Institute dance?! My extremely kind, super cute, very funny, absolutely intelligent Eric asked me to go with him, and I gave an emphatic YES. It was so, so, SO fun. Can't stand it. :)

Pictures!

Dress


Hair


Awesome date


Happy girl

what starts like a scary tale...

Nobody wants to be stuck in bed on their birthday. At least nobody that I know. Perhaps I cursed myself when I posted that I was soon to be a nobody due to the whole no longer a teen, not quite an adult line I included. And since I'm a nobody, that sentence can now be read as "Nobody WANTS to be stuck in bed on her birthday!!"

What was wrong? Oh, you know. The usual. There's been no progress whatsoever, and let me tell ya, the pain has been wonderful. If you don't catch my over-the-Internet sarcasm, I'll point it out to you. That was very sarcastic. So the day started out with me, my dogs, and my laptop in my bed as I studied and tried to keep up with all of the birthday wishes on my Facebook page. I got online and saw how many notifications I had and my first thought was, "What the crap? It's like it's my birthda...oh. Right." My phone was off the hook all day, too. That also made me feel really special.

Those birthday wishes made a huge difference in my day. It was SO. GREAT. to see how many people took the time to say hello. It made me feel a lot better, and it wasn't quite so lonely down there in my room writing essays. Then my visiting teacher brought over a giant rice crispy treat covered in chocolate frosting with sprinkles and a candle. Also made me feel super good, because she took the time to make me a birthday treat. And THEN Ann came over with Iron Man. Never seen it before...want to see it again. Brianna, get your homework done! :)

And then after that? Cafe Rio birthday dinner with Ann and the fam while we watched Silverado. I've been wanting to do that since I first saw the movie last year (I resisted it strongly whenever my family would watch it because I hate Westerns and they usually give me nightmares...but I can watch Iron Man no problem? I think I've grown up a little...). It was so great! I think I like Emmett the best of the four leading men. Jake drives me crazy. He is so very ADHD that he makes me nervous. Mal is awesome too, and Paden is a sweetheart, but something about Emmett just gets me. He's definitely someone I'd want on my side. All of them are, really. Jake just needs to stay at a safe distance from me until the shooting starts. Then he can come play.

And then? The Raddatzes came over to sing to me!! It was so great to see all of the kids again, and to see Brother and Sister Raddatz. They brought me a giant, and I mean GIANT birthday cake shaped like a cupcake. It was huge. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture of it; I started slicing it and handing it out to people before I got my camera. Oops. It is a very, very good cake. I'm excited to have more today, haha! And they gave me a beautiful set of pearl bracelets. That meant so much to me; pearls have a lot of meaning between us. And I got to get hugs from Amy and Mandy and Makay, and I got to talk to Jason and Morgan for a little while, and Kyle gave me a big hug, and Brother and Sister Raddatz gave me hugs and talked to me for awhile and I just love them.

So. What started like a scary tale ended like a fairytale, and life couldn't possibly better be! Now I'm going to take more meds and go to class. Ciao!

party in the U-S-A!

A party is a party, but a Captain America party? *insert polite tittering*

Heck yes I did it. I mean, how could I possibly not? I love Captain America! I like the movie, too. So...why not make him the guest of honor at my birthday party? I did. And it was awesome. It was the first time I got to plan and create my very own birthday party (no, it hasn't been my birthday yet). Since I am an official Party Planner at PartyLand, it was pretty easy to do this. I'm surrounded by ideas for nearly 15 hours a week. Wasn't hard with a bajillion options right at my fingertips! It was super fun to do all of the planning, purchasing, decorating, and finally the partying.

Thank you to all of those who helped out and who attended! You made a rough week end with a very fun, care-free Saturday night. I really appreciate it. Let's hear it for the captain!

For those of you who couldn't attend, here are some pictures of the event:


Captain America shield made out of cookies?! Ann's a genuis.


I didn't have time to make a cake, and when my dad found out he surprised me with this. I have no idea where he got it. Isn't it fantastic?! My daddy loves me.









We really are a more lively bunch than we appear to be. I promise.

.

a little somethin' called grajeeayshun...

Yep. I done did it. I grajeeayted.

It's kind of cool because it's my second graduation in less than a year. In 2010 I graduated from high school. Two days ago I received my Associate's Degree (AS). Both times I graduated with High Honors. I don't know how that happened. In high school, I worked for it. In college? I didn't even know until the alumni coordinators told me I needed to buy high honor cords. "Why?" I asked them. "Um...well, you have a 3.9 and that means you have high honors. Do you not want to get the cords?" They were only five dollars, so I got them.

I also didn't know what sort of degree I was getting until the day of graduation. There are different types of Associate Degrees. I never learned that in high school! Mine's an Associate of Science in University Studies (aka they lumped me in with all of the other people who didn't know what they wanted to major in so just took everything to fulfill basic general eduaction requirements). So there I was with my black gown made out of recycled soda bottles, my dorky graduation hat, my honor cords, my green university neck hanger thing (they never told us the name), my black University College tassel, and a bad case of what-the-heck-am-I-supposed-to-be-doing?! Oh yes. I was graduating from college.

I felt less dorky once I was surrounded by other people wearing those caps. I don't know why they chose caps like that for graduation ceremonies. They don't look very cool. But I guess it's better to look scholarly than it is to look cool. Unless you're Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga. Then you can wear whatever you want and make money, no diploma needed.

Okay, so it wasn't that bad. I just felt super out of place and awkward. I didn't know anyone around me, which was very different from high school graduation. I think that was the weirdest part, not graduating with any of my friends. I'm one to two years ahead of most of them when it comes to college degree requirements, so when I am halfway through or done with my Bachelor's Degree my friends will be receiving their Associate Degrees. I'm excited for them, more than I was for myself. Graduations have never really seemed like a big deal to me. It's just what you do. You go to school, get a degree, go back to school, get another degree, and so on. Ever since I was a kid, school and getting degrees have been the big deal at my house, even moreso than politics. My parents, mom especially, have talked up college since I was probably three. So graduation? It's just another requirement.

It doesn't help that my mom got really mad at me after my convocation was over. I interrupted her without meaning to because I thought she was finished speaking. Apparently not. I don't know what it is with my family. Everything ends in a fight that mom starts and finishes by walking off to her car and driving off. That kind of ruined the entire day.

HOWEVER! There were some really good things about the day. I'll list the highlights:

1. Being found by a lady in my neighborhood who was also graduating. She let me stand in line with her and her friends, so when we were actually walking I wouldn't be by myself.
2. Matt Holland, President of UVU, gave an incredible speech. It was awesome because it felt like he was talking directly to me. It was exactly what I needed to hear, addressing all of my fears and concerns. In short, his speech said that it is critical to move forward with your life, and you have to do it despite things being imperfect. "You cannot wait for the perfect set of circumstances." It was really great.
3. Cafe Rio for lunch!
4. I don't know if this could be called a highlight because it was very scary, but I was put first in line to walk in the processional for convocation. I never lead any lines, because I'm usually the shortest or almost shortest. The tall people are always in the front, haha! Both of the girls behind me were tall. I was standing between them, but the usher came over to us and said that it looked really weird to have two tall blondes separated by a short brunette, so she moved me to the front.
5. I got a text while people's names were being read (yes, I had my phone on). It was from Jason. Here's the conversation:

Jason: "Are you graduating right now?"

Me: "Mhmmmmm!"

Jason: "In the UCCU Center?"

Me: "No, in the PE courts."

Jason: "Shoot! We're at the wrong graduation!"

I literally laughed out loud when I read that. I was so glad that they'd even made an effort to come. And guess what else? They brought me flowers that they picked from their own garden. Tulips, red and yellow ones! They're so pretty. If my camera hadn't broken during the ceremonies I would have taken a picture. I'm glad I kept the receipt with the warranty on it!

So yeah. The day was interesting.

spring break friday...

Today I wore shorts for the first time in 5 years. Be proud of me-it was terrifying. But SO awesome at the same time.

Rehearsal-It started out with another rehearsal for "The Valiant" (hereafter referred to as "T.V."). David wasn't able to come, so I had to do my first scene without him. Adam took David's lines and read them in I kid you not the flattest, most boring monotone I have ever heard in my entire life, once in awhile broken by an accent somewhere between Mexican and Middle Eastern. Try playing off of THAT. It was interesting, hard, annoying, AND a good learning experience because I had to keep in character despite the funky voices/boring. Then, after we ran through the show twice, we timed it sitting down reading our lines. 26 minutes. That's long for a student directed one-act. It'll be more like 30 minutes when we finally set everything. Longest one-act of the year. Jasmine is going to talk to Mr. Criman (drama teacher) to see if that's still okay, since he was the one who gave her the show in the first place. We shall see what happens.

And I just have to say-Adam makes everything awkward. On purpose. Because he can. And all the same, I pretty much love that kid. He is so awesome.

Soccer-Next came a soccer game over at the junior high school. Brad invited me, and this was who was there (at least those I know): Tiana, Rachael, Tucker, Brad (of course), Justin, Nick, Hugh, Jason (different one), Jared, and Kevin. I think I got everybody. It was fun-I'm in better shape than I thought I was. The only problems were that it was a little bit cold, and then Tucker fell on his wrist. I could tell that it was swollen, but nobody seemed sure as to what to do. It was kind of ironic; I was surrounded by Eagle Scouts and I was the only who thought to get him some ice and some pain killer with swelling reducer in it. He wouldn't go for the ace bandage wrap idea, so ice it was. Tiana, Tucker, and I drove down to the gas station, nearly getting hit in the parking lot twice by girls backing out without looking. >.<

Some interesting things happened with Kevin. I went and sat down by him because he wasn't feeling well, and he commented that instead of buying a bag of ice I should have just used a water cup and filled it with ice from the soda machine. "It would've been less of a pain, and it's free if you do it that way. Sort of obvious, you know?" It kind of bugged me a little bit. Kevin is my friend, but whenever I'm around him I feel like he thinks everything I do is stupid or silly or far below his level of intelligence and practicality. The only reply I can think of in times like this, such as with the ice, is "Yeah, I guess it was obvious. I'm just not as smart as you." And then he gets this sad look on his face and his eyes go to the ground. He shakes his head and says, "You put yourself down a lot. You shouldn't do that."

Whatever.

Eagle Project-I invited the boys and Ruthie to come over to my house to watch Surf's Up, and Jason and Jordan said they would come "on one condition-that you come to the movie theater tomorrow at 3:00 to help out with Jordan's Eagle Project."

Well, seeing as Jordan is pretty much one of my best friends, there is no way I would miss his Eagle Project unless it was completely unavoidable, so their conditions for a movie party at my house were rather useless. I left a little bit early from the soccer game to go over to the theater where Jordan had planned to plant flowers, trees, and bushes. The older boys/men were also going to be removing some dead trees (chainsaw time). Several of my other good friends were there: Adam (different one), Andrew, Paul, Joseph, Ann, Jane, of course Ruthie, her sisters and mom, and Jordan's family. I was the first one there after Ruthie. I sat down to tell her about the soccer game while we were taking pansies out of pots to put into the ground. I heard someone behind me, and I looked at Ruthie and said "Jason's going to come scare me, isn't he?"

Yep. And even though I knew he was there and heard him say, "What if I came up behind you and did this?" I was super scared and totally screamed when he grabbed me. Pretty much the most outrageous thing he has done since the ice fight (did I ever say anything about that? *smirk*). He's pretty shy, most of the time. Somehow I managed to "chip that shell", as Ruthie called it, and now he teases me like crazy. I think it's funny, and it's kind of fun at the same time.

Anyway, the girls at the project were put in charge of planting flowers in the garden, and the boys got to plant the trees. Jason and I planted four juniper bushes in the time it took Ruthie and Jordan to plant two. Not to mention ours looked nice; they weren't crooked and they were spaced evenly. One word of caution-junipers are pretty but they bite. Seriously, those things are so poky. Then Ruthie and I were assigned to take down some Christmas lights that had been left up on the fence from winter. Problem: Ruthie and I are both under 5' 5". The fence was six feet tall. Tip toes!! To pass the time (we couldn't talk because we had to start on opposite ends of the fence) I practiced my songs for the Ariosa recital at the end of the month. Apparently the man in charge of the musical theatre part of the movie theater (they do a lot of live productions, especially in the summer at the outdoor stage) could hear me through the fence and wants me to come audition. Exciting? Yeah...pretty much. :)

All of the work got done in under 2 hours. Excellent.

Surf's Up-So my youngest sister is a total flirt. And if kind of bugs me. A lot.

THAT aside, it was a BLAST!! Jason is hilarious, Kyle is so sweet, Jordan is adorable, and Ruthie is a doll. Ruthie fell asleep halfway through the movie because she was super worn out. She and Jordan are so cute; he takes really good care of her. I mean, they're "just friends" in a sense, but they really like each other. Then Jason-what am I going to do with him? He's crazy!! Amanda kept slamming me all night, and everytime he'd hit her in the face with a pillow. She'd try to retaliate and miss. And they all spent a lot of time trying to get me to blush. It's a favorite past time of the two oldest boys. They think it's so funny. Well-it's not. Just because "it should be illegal for somebody to blush as much as you do!!" (thank you, Jordan). Gosh. Haha.

Oh, and tonight was the first time that Jason hugged me voluntarily. He's done it once before, but that was only because we'd just gotten home from a date and Jordan kept looking at him like, "Come on. Do something!" It was quite hilarious. Tonight was nice though. It was just a hug, nothing more. Yay, we're friends!! :D

Basically it was a good day. I love my friends.

40, 32, 41...

so. close.

...this is what progress looks like, people...




!! wee cahn doo eet !!

nothing today...

That is what I did. All day. I woke up at noon, read/slept more until 2, and then did more of the same. It was intense.

But tonight will be different, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't do much today. I'm going to sleep over at Carissa's again! Yay! (read about the last adventure here) I'm so excited.

So, I'll read all of your blogs tomorrow sometime (after our first Rehearsal of Doom [pre-tech], if it ever ends) and post about tonight's adventures. Dang, I still need to write up Authorpalooza, too. I'm so behind!

BYE!!!

singin' at the bbq...

My sisters and I were asked to sing at my across the street neighbors' summer barbecue a couple of weeks ago, and today was the day of our performance. Ugh. My voice totally cracked on the "encore" of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music (they asked us to sing it a second time). Ah, well.

Despite my sisters protests, I wore my red dress and black heels to perform in. I cannot, cannot perform in jeans. I don't know why, but I just feel so sloppy and out of character. I guess I hide behind the clothes I'm wearing. If the audience sees a pretty dress, maybe they'll forget the person inside of it. I did "dress it down" to match the backyard barbecue feel by throwing on a denim jacket over the top, but I did end up wearing a black headband with white rhinestones and pearl with rhinestone accent earrings. Told you I perform dressed up. :)

Mom had me sing first. I performed "Honey Bun" from South Pacific. I think it went all right. It wasn't horrible like I expected it to be, but I don't know. Amanda went next with "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. She did a very good job. Meghan made everyone cry, especially the men, with her song "On My Own" from Les Miserables. After we sang as a trio "My Favorite Things" with me on the first verse, Amanda on the second, Meghan on the third, and harmony on the ending chorus.

Food was good, singing is over, and our neighbor gave us a box of chocolates. Loverly. :) The one sad thing was that Misty had to stay home. She always gets sad when we leave her behind. See? She sits on the couch and looks out the window after us, unless she's really depressed and pouting. Then she stands at the door with her tail between her legs and hangs her head. Sadness.

rainin' inside...

Well, my friend's production of "Singin' in the Rain" turned out WAY better than I thought it was going to be. I think I mentioned how painfully slow the orchestra was on the night of the dress rehearsal I watched. Painfully slow. They stepped it up quite a bit, so closing night it sounded a ton better. I was glad, because everyone worked so hard all summer and the orchestra arrives unprepared to foul them all up. Not really fair in my opinion.

My friend, Mike, played Don Lockwood. He was doing an amazing job, until he tweaked his knee during the tap number of "Moses Supposes". Whoever was in charge of cleaning up the whipped cream that Tia/Kathy threw at ????/Lina had not finished their job. The rest of the play Mike had a slight limp. I felt badly about that, because as a joke, my sisters and I had purchased a stem of daisies to send backstage to him.

Before we let the delivery girl leave the the flowers, we went over to a garbage can and picked all but one of the petals off, leaving behind three empty heads and one bright blue petal standing straight up on the fourth. On the note we wrote "He'll break a leg....he won't break a leg...he'll break a leg...he won't break a leg...he'll break a leg...". At the end of the night, Mike said he'd laughed his head off, and then thought aloud "Maybe I should have pulled that last petal off...but it was so cute and funny I didn't want to!" We also sent a big bunch of daisies, purple, yellow, and orange, to his little girl and my adopted little sister. Love that kiddo!

We went to the show with my Nana and our two directors for Oz, Steve and his wife Kara. In 2001, my mom played Kathy in "Singin' in the Rain" and Steve played Cosmo, Don's best friend in the show. Mike played Don that year as well and directed it. It was kind of cool to watch them all, two in the audience and one onstage. Kind of like a memory lane trip, I suppose. Kara, Steve, mom, and dad sat behind my sisters, Mike's wife Colleen, and their three kids who weren't in the show. Kid 1 is their oldest and all boy. Kid 2 was performing. Kidlet 3 is a mad girl at age 3, and Kidlet 4 spent much of the time falling asleep on Colleen's or my shoulder. That baby is a portable heater, I kid you not. I liked to sit with Kid 1, because I haven't seen him in over a year. I don't know the Kidlets very well, but we got to be friends. Kidlet 3 chased me around the hallways after the show was over, and Kidlet 4 wouldn't let me hand her back to her mom after awhile when I was holding her. She fell asleep. Aw.

Steve and Kara made their escape from the plans our three families had made; after a show we ALWAYS go to IHOP together, and this year they ditched us. I think it was because Steve was so tired. Kara wanted to go, but she didn't know where two of her own children were, and they happened to be the only two without cell phones. So, they didn't get to have pancakes and hot chocolate and sausage and hamburgers (say what?) and caramel apple slices.

It was a lot of fun; Mike, my youngest sister, Kid 2, Kid 1, and my dad sat together at a table and took turns telling about our favorite movies, plays, and what we wanted to do when we grow up (at this point the fathers just listened). Mom, Colleen, my second sister, Kidlet 3, and Kidlet 4 sat at the table pushed to meet ours and...I don't really know what they talked about. Us, probably. Soon Kid 2 told me to eat her pancake and fell asleep with her head on my lap. Kidlet 3 curled up behind Meghan on the seat and fell asleep with her body wrapped around Meghan's waist. Kidlet 4 fell asleep in her basket, and Kid1 got so hyper that he made some sort of potion in his cup out of water, maple syrup, blueberry syrup, salt, pepper, and lemons. When he drank it he looked like he was going to die. I thought it was funny.

By the time we left it was 1:30 in the morning. Poor Kidlet 3 went into spasms when we tried to wake her up. She started kicking her sleep and yelling "Daddy, daddy, help me!" It was so sad, but somewhat funny at the same time. We could not get her to wake up, and it was awkward trying to pull her off of the seat. Mike finally accomplished it and as soon as he picked her up, Kidlet 3 went quiet. I love to watch Mike with his girls; he's such a marshmallow. He's called himself that. I think it was because when he directed the "King and I" he got reports that a lot of the kids in the cast (including myself) were teriffied of him. I can explain-when you have a tall, bulked up, goateed (at the time), bald man telling you what to do and where to be and looking angry all of the time (from stress, he's explained), you get scared. Mike got up in front of the kids and told us that he may look mean (someone described him as a Vin Diesel man), but really he's the winner of the title "State Puffed-Marshmallow Man", which I have learned to be true. I've never forgotten that, and it was over ten years ago. Wow.

As Colleen drove away with her family, we began to sing "Good Mornin'!" to them. It was truly an awesome evening/night/morning. :)

And that was my Saturday adventure. Yay!

Mia Shalom-July 8, 2009...

Early Morning-
Bad:
1. Smells from another camp signifying breakfast-can you tell I’m
hungry?
2. Camp mornings are cold, especially when your jacket is wet
3. Only two cabins for 24 girls-squish
4. Upstairs girls talking until 2 a.m.
5. An unearthly scream at promptly 6:30-or someone’s alarm clock

Good:
1. Clean shirt
2. Quiet enough that I can hear the river
3. The gold-mantled chipmunk dancing around my shoes
4. Finding my misplaced Health textbook
5. Sun coming up so quickly and warming my wet jacket

Today is the Camp Cook-Off. Each ward was given two secret ingredients, which they had to use in a main dish and a dessert. My ward was given cream cheese and brown sugar. I had the idea to use the cream cheese and brown sugar over bread to make sticky buns. We also used brown sugar in sloppy joe meat, and some of the cream cheese to make a salsa dip (yuck). I think it all turned out well, because that's what we ate for lunch that day before going to get ready for camp skits. Here's what ours looked like:

6th Ward: Bandit Feast
The Most Wanted!

After I helped hand out stuff to the wards for their skits, Sister Burton and Sister Lawrence asked me if I would make awards with two other girls for the Cook-Off participants. I took pictures of the two that I made because I thought they were super cute. And they sort of are. :)

Award One-Marching Picnic

Award Two-Life Really is a Picnic

Afternoon-
Bad:
1. FuhREEZING shower water!
2. Having a major role as M.C. for the Stake skits, and narrator for my ward’s part
3. Burning face and dumb sunscreen
4. Losing my favorite pen-sniff
5. Journal supplies ran out in the pavilion

Good:
1. Skit Day is over!
2. Hilarious mascara mustaches on various girls (make-up: not just for beautification)
3. First “Polar Bear Plunge” winner in my camp
4. Making awards for Camp Cook-Off winners and participants
5. Aloe Vera Ice gel

The skits really weren’t that bad. This year they were super creative and way entertaining. Each ward was given a single bag or box full of props (the Stake leaders had cleaned out the Camp closet back at home and found 7 years worth of skit supplies) from the Stake. The rules were these, one) Use everything in your bag/box, and two) It has to have something to do with the theme. Here’s an overview of the wards’ skits:

First Ward-Miss Integrity Pageant
A line of judges watched as several contestants showed off their talents and what they stand for in their lives. Miss Texta (pretend phone in hand), Miss Flava-Flave (can’t spell it, and neither could she), Miss Worldly (no idea on anything except fashion), Miss Drama (“I think everyone is so amazing, but if you get in my way I will crush you.”), and Miss Integrity (I talk to the animals) each made their appearances and the judges had to decide. Guess who won?

Second Ward-Prepared in the Kitchen
I don’t really understand how this fit in with the theme, but parts of it were funny. The one part I remember was when one girl got another girl’s apron dirty. The second girl was upset about it and made a move to fight with the first girl. Then a third girl ran in with six aprons, three on each arm, and said to the second girl, “Ah, ah, ah! Polyester or cotton?” holding the aprons out for the second girl to look at. I thought that was funny.

Third Ward-Search for the Kingdom of Light
This must have been amazing, because I don’t remember it at all. I’m trying to picture girls dressed up in their Red ward color, but it’s not happening. Maybe this was when Linnea and I were running around the back of the building to make another entrance. Oh, no wait! I remembered! It was about these bugs (girls in butterfly, dragonfly, and other bug masks) looking for the right path to the magical Kingdom of Light. They got sidetracked by some gangsters looking for a bit of fun and were rescued by the Knight of Light. The gangster was the knight’s brother, and he was jealous because of all of the knight’s different names.

Fourth Ward-A Tight Ship
It started out with a ship in disarray. The captain blamed his mistakes on everyone else, the crew members had no idea what they were doing, the captain got angry and threw someone overboard, and when the crew members tried to rescue her they threw out a deflated life raft. Enter part two-a ship in complete order, with sailors shaving, using maps, cleaning cannons and guns, hoisting sails and fixing ropes, with a captain who listens to his crew members and knows just what to do. “Captain! There’s a homosapian in the H2O, exactly 52 degrees north-northeast!” A successful rescue which is watched by the other ship leads them to say, “Aw, man. I wish we could have rescued our friend like that.” A split second hesitation, and one girl says, “I’m going over there.” I really liked this skit. It was cute and clever.

Fifth Ward-The Garden
Two groups of flowers, each makes a different choice. One group grows bright and beautiful, keeping to the gardener’s instruction and allowing her to care for them. The other group clings tightly to the thorns and weeds that have taken root in their bed, shunning all care from the gardener. My favorite part was when Marissa, playing the gardener, went up to the last weed, played by Mindy. Mindy had a seven foot long tree trunk propped up against her side, leaning on it like a “cool kid” against his locker. The stick was three feet taller than Marissa. When Marissa tried to pull up the “weed” Mindy said “I’d like to see you try,” in a Yeah-right-I-don’t-think-so voice. In the end, a storm blew away the bad flowers and weeds, while the good flowers were protected by the gardener.

Eighth Ward-The Tree in the Forest
The tree, one of the girls in the eighth ward, steps forward to tell the story of the Bad Birds and the Bugs. She was wearing a sign around her neck that said “Tree” and a bird feeder on one arm. Girls holding the yard decoration birds and bugs had them flapping, buzzing, and twirling in the air in front of them. Then the tree began. The birds are always the bad ones, aren’t they? Bringing up their iPods to camp, gambling Starbursts with their smuggled face cards, hiding in the bathrooms when their leaders tell them to cook dinner or clean up. They’re just having a party, jamming to their tunes and breaking all the rules. The bugs seem to be having a great time, too. Scripture study early that morning was the bomb dot com, the flight up to Lone Pine was amazing, and all of the leaders are so nice. Then four or five bugs get bored and decide to check out what the birds are up to. “Come on over!” cry the birds, “We’re having a party!” The bugs make a choice and join them, only to be eaten as soon as they enter the circle.

Yes, I know, I know, I skipped Sixth Ward. That’s because I wanted to save the best for last, of course! Hold on to your hats!

Sixth Ward-The Judgment Day
Cast of Characters:
Simon-Hannah
Paula-Brittan
Randy-Rachel N.
Narrator/Ryan-Me
Bus Driver-Miranda
Banditas-Kim, Sandra, Meghan, Shanae, Emily N.
Beer Buddies-Gabby, Stasia, McKenzie, Kaitlyn
Party Hardies-Amanda, Ashlyn, Rachel, Emily R.
Celestial Heroes-Katrina, Allyse, Meghan M., Sierra
Judgment Bouncers-Ashley, Jessica
Choir-Sister South, Sister Saffell, Sister Whitaker, Sister Baird

It starts out with the narrator telling how a group of girls is on a bus going to Camp SPARKS. Some are more prepared than others for what lies ahead, and camp will teach them how to be more prepared.

“The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round! The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, going to Camp SPARKS!”

Enter banditas, snapping and dressed in bandanas, cowboy hats, and mascara mustaches. Snap snap, snap snap, snap snap… Kim begins with a whispered “Who’s bad?” The rest follow, “I’m bad! (singing) I’m bad! I’m bad! I’m really, really bad! Yeah, I’m bad! I’m bad! I’m really, really bad! Whoo!” All the while side shuffling, moon walking, and ending with the Michael Jackson toe stand. Then they turn……….and shoot the bus driver.

Meghan M. yells out “Oh, no! There’s no driver! We’re going to crash!!!”

And crash they do. The banditas go around congratulating one another, but the bus driver isn’t dead. Miranda stands up, grabs a bucket of water, and throws it onto the banditas, shouting “I banish you to Outer Darkness!” Away the banditas run, and a heavenly choir begins ah ah ahing the theme from “The Little Mermaid” as the campers go to “heaven.”

Narrator explains that you never know when you’ll need to be prepared for your time to go. Let’s see who deserves which kingdom of glory.

Narrator pulls up their hair into a bun, turns around the bandana so it says the name “Ryan” on it, and gets into character.

Me as Ryan Seacrest says, “Welcome…to the Judgment Day. Here we are at Heaven Idol, where three groups will compete to see which kingdom they will go to. Who is prepared, and who is not? That is up to our judges to decide. Here we have our lovely lady Paula (Brittan), my brother from another mother Randy from the Dawg Pound, and our ever honest, blunt as a knife Simon. Let’s give it up for our three contestants-the Beer Buddies, the Party Hardies, and the Celestial Heroes. Give it up folks!”

The Judges: Randy/Rachel, Paula/Brittan, Simon/Hannah

Enter Beer Buddies, water bottles in hand, dancing around like they’re completely nuts, crazy, or both. “I just wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day!” They sing and sing, crashing into one another and soaking the audience with their “booze.”

Paula tells them nicely that they just aren’t ready for the highest glory. The Telestial, or third kingdom, is where they belong. They go off with a green ticket in hand.

Enter Party Hardies, hair brushes and mirrors in their pockets, singing and jumping up and down. “Girls just wanna have fuh-un, oh girls just wanna have fuh-un! They just wanna, they just wanna! Girls just wanna have fuh-un, oh girls just wanna have…they just wanna…”

The Party Hardies: Emily, Rachel, Amanda, Ashlyn, Sierra

Randy interrupts, “Dog, man. For me, for you, for me, I mean…it just…it just wasn’t in the dog pound tonight. You know what I’m saying? It just didn’t do it for me. Yours is Terrestrial, that’s it, man.” Hands them an orange ticket.

Enter Celestial Heroes, sunglasses on their faces and capes around their necks. They begin with a count of “A one, a two, a three…”

To the tune of “Best of Both Worlds” by Miley Cyrus

We’re the Celestial Heroes!
We read our scriptures each day,
and we pray spirituallay.

You’ll get Celestial glory!
Without the sins and the pain
you can make it okay.

Mix it all together
and you know you’ll get to Heaven
someday!

Simon’s judgment-“That was………brilliant. Celestial Kingdom. You’re in.” Hands them a yellow ticket.

Ryan switches to hair down and bandana in back, says the theme and gives the little spiritual ending thing-“You never know when you need to be spiritually prepared. Any little trial can make it hard to stay strong, but as long as you have made yourself ready you will always be safe. Camp SPARKS-Spiritually Prepared, Always Ready, Keeping Safe.”

The End

See? Told you it was the best. ;)

The Banditas: Kim, Shanae, Emily, and Allyse

In the end, the skits really weren’t that bad. I just hate getting up and performing in front of small audiences. Linnea and I M.C.ed the whole thing. Then I was in my own ward’s skit, switch back to M.C., switch to SYCL commercial slot, switch to M.C.-phew. It didn’t help that a very large bumblebee decided to land on me. Fareaky. Linnea and I told jokes, “tap danced,” and looked stupid. On purpose. I guess it was a success, because we got a lot of laughs and people told us that it was fantastic. I still felt stupid. Oh, well.

Earlier in the day I’d washed my hair in the outdoor faucet, which was so amazing. Then I decided to use the showers. Major cold. But hey, I’m clean. It’s so nice. I’ll probably shower again on Friday. AND because I showered, Sister Baird gave me a Kool-Aid bottle and a medal to wear around my neck, declaring me Polar Plunge Winner. :) Haha.

I made eight journals today. Impressive, no? Now that I have eleven, I wonder what I’ll do with them all. Probably use them to consolidate all of the poems I’ve written on the backs of receipts. There are a lot of those. Just call me Emily Dickinson.

Our ward was supposed to go for a hike today but no one wanted to go. Except the leaders, that is. So we stayed in camp. Yay. Since I was here, I helped to write verses for “The Gossip Song” or Singing News. It will be fun, because I wrote part of it.

Evening-
Bad:
1. Feel so sick
2. Messing up during SYCL Flag Ceremony skit
3. Stinky bathrooms
4. Having my ideas stolen by leaders and then passing them off as their own
5. Hike tomorrow at 5:30 AM

Good:
1. Watching the Chubby Bunny Contest
2. Pretty landscape with the molten silver pool of moon cradled in the treetops
3. Chapstick
4. Being able to vent boredom on arts and crafts
5. Mrs. Long’s talk at Flag Ceremony

Brittan and I were in charge of this evenings Flag Ceremony. It was kind of a mess. So was the SYCL skit. I had the main part, so my screw up was the worst. I did get dinner though, after Flag Ceremony. Tin foil dinners. They’re one of the best parts of camp. I love them.

Singing around the campfire was followed by roasting marshmallows and Starbursts. If you have never tried a roasted Starburst then you have never lived. I know it sounds weird, but it is such an amazing treat. I made some for each of the leaders who had never tried it before. So yummy. But soon, roasting the marshmallows wasn’t enough. A Chubby Bunny Contest began. The point is to be the last person able to shove marshmallows into your mouth, no chewing, no swallowing. It’s actually really gross. Sandra won at 14 marshmallows. Ew. Oh, and they weren’t the small marshmallows. They were the jumbo, big as the palm of you hand kind. Gag me with a spoon! Or a mallow. It’s about the same.

Shanae and Katrina, Chubby Bunny Contestants

Kim, Sandra, Allyse, Brittan, Shanae during the Chubby Bunny Contest

No more writing. I feel too horrible. Stupid sun!

the one hundred mark...

I have now made it to the one hundred mark on the list of blogs that I read. Good gravy, that is a lot of blogs! No wonder my mom says that I'm obsessed!

But hey, at least I've got one hundred more friends, right? :)

i should be...

doing so many other things right now, but I don't want to. Might be because I'm lazy, might be because I don't care. I don't know. Anyway, I was wrong about how many years it's been since I went to a sleepover. I was off by two. It wasn't seven years. It was nine years. Woot.

So, for my first sleepover, it was pretty much amazing, and I don't know why they call them SLEEPovers. You really...don't...sleep. Like, at all. You get a lot of "bugly" Jitterbug girls together in one room. You eat lots of food (pizza from Papa Murphy's, sherbet, key lime pie, strawberries, guacamole and chips, for example) and scream and giggle and do crazy things. Dress-up and karaoke at four in the morning is dangerous. And it's amazing how much fun it is.


Carissa looks like a refined, sophisticated woman of about twenty-five. She does not look like she has had six kids and is actually in her thirties. Neither does she look like a complete nut. She is though. A very good, fun, nutty-as-squirrel poo nut. My now second mom has gorgeous red hair, a gorgeous voice, and tons of personality. Usually she'd be the type of person who overwhelms me, but no. She's amazing, and I love her like mad. Oh, and she made the dress she's wearing in this picture.


Her daughter, Emma, is also a nut. She's got her mom's curly hair and her dad's deeper voice. Pure alto and amazing dancer. And no, that isn't her hair. Emma is a J-bug with me and her mom.


Alaia is Carissa's youngest girl. It was her birthday on the day of our party, so she got to hang out downstairs with "the big kids." She's cawazy! Cute and tiny, she packs a punch. Sometimes literally.


Jasmine is a fellow cast member and J-bug like me. She doesn't seem like the type of person to put on a Batman mask and strut her stuff to "Nobody's Perfect" Hannah Montana style, but she can do it. She's sweet and nice, and also pretty nuts. She likes taking pictures of herself, no matter how "bugly" they might turn out.

So yes, friends. We spent several hours singing and screaming to karaoke music. Everything from Trace Adkins to Josh Groban, Jekyll and Hyde to Little Mermaid, Hannah Montana to Les Miserables. We watched The Lizzie McGuire Movie and awoke at seven to Lambchops and Theodore Moose. At least, I think that's what it was called.

All in all, it was pretty much the most amazing sleepover ever. We're already making plans for another one. Yay!

new stuff...

I spent my first day as a volunteer popping balloon trees, stuffing envelopes full of coupons, and giving rewards to kids who had finished Week 2 of the Summer Reading Program. Sometimes it got a little tedious, but it was way, way, WAY better than folding clothes!

Tomorrow night I will be going to a party. It will be the first time I've been to a sleepover in seven years. My parents outlawed them when I was ten; I'm still kind of surprised that my mom's letting me go. It's hosted by one of the women in the cast of "The Wizard of Oz" who we've known for like six years. Maybe that's why. She's super nice, and has totally amazing, gorgeous red hair. Carissa is the only red head I know who can look stunning in hot pink. I'm excited!

Purchased my first merit badges today: First Aid and Emergency Preparedness. I've done all of the requirements for 19 merit badges (mostly from going to school) and dad pretty much said what the heck just do it. Yay. I also got two Parade! patches, one for me and one for dad. Just for fun, because we participated. :)

more like walking...

The parade was fun; I'm glad I decided to be in it with my dad. I met a lot of people and was able to play with the youngest Cub Scouts. Little boys like me for some reason (when I say little I mean ages 2-10). The weather was nice and cool with sunshine, not at all wet and soggy as it had been earlier during the day.

The pace was so slow. It wasn't because of the younger members of our group, but because of the older men. The pro-scouts and volunteer adult leaders walk so slowly! I had to keep yanking my dad along. I bet a snail could have outstripped us.

We had a lot of different flag types that the parade manager asked us to carry, so instead of one color guard we ended up with about three. There was a 1776 flag, a Union Jack, a flag from the 1800s, one for each of the military branches, troop flags, the 100th anniversary banner, and of course the present US flag. I didn't carry one; I was too busy taking pictures for Brother Jefferson (and myself). It was cool to walk past the standing, silent crowds as they saluted the past, present, and even the future. Technically they didn't have to; the actual parade color guard had all ready gone past. Still, it was neat. It was only at the beginning of the parade that it was like that (fewer people), but it was cool to be a part of.

I saw a lot of people that I knew. Sister Brewer, one of my good friends and wife to a Scoutmaster, yelled to me from the crowd, "Yay, Georgie!* It's about time you were allowed in scouting!" My dad's been involved as a leader since I was tiny, and even before I was born. Now it's my turn! I saw friends from school, too. Tiffany and Michelle were there with their families. Abbey and Amy (in my Ceramics and Adult Roles classes) saw me first and called to me. Brookelynne from first term Spanish was there, Meghan from Seminary was there, Whitney and Patrick were there. A lot of people in my neighborhood said hello, too.

The best part was seeing Tony and Alex. I saw Alex first; he was leaning up against a fence watching and I called hello. Then I saw Tony. I think he was happy to see me. I was glad to see him-I've been thinking about him for a couple of days. Just wondering how he is and what he's up to.

After my group finished, dad and I walked back up the route to find mom and my sisters. I took pictures of the floats as we passed by. I wish I'd gotten one of the Pirates float-it was a giant replica of the Black Pearl towed by a big truck. There was smoke coming out of the cannons, and Jack was at the helm. His crew were tiny kids dressed as pirates as well. I think that was my favorite-it was so cool!

I'm home now (duh) and it's pouring again. I wonder if the fireworks will be cancelled. A pity, really. They're usually quite good. Even if they aren't cancelled, I don't know if I'll go. The grass will be soaked! Besides...I'm tired and have a good book to read. :)

marching on...

I'm headed off to be in the Orem Summerfest Parade. I'm marching with the group of Scouts celebrating the 100th annniversary of scouting in the United States. Seeing as I'm now a "professional scouter" because of my work position, I'm allowed to join in.

I hope it doesn't rain. It's poured off and on all day. Maybe I'll get lucky. After all, my dad did give me his lucky "Button Gear" pin. He said that I need it.

Get it yet? :)

wet...

It's rained most of the day today. I like it, but I sort of miss the sunshine. I have to really focus on not feeling down, and if a few rays slip through the clouds I find a way to soak them up.

My hair's wet, too. Being clean is great and it feels way good, but sometimes I just dread stepping into the shower and getting wet. I wonder why that is.

My sister, mom, and I went to the Teddy Bear Picnic today at the library. It was cute, but most of the magic has disappeared. It's like trying to play dress-up, house, or Cowboys and Indians. It just doesn't have the same feeling as it did when I was younger. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to remember how to be a princess or a school teacher.

Anyway, the teddy bears and friends visited the Emerald City, with tales of dragons and hippogriffs, frogs and princesses, bubble gum and contests. There were little kids dressed up in costumes; monkeys, lions, tin men, witches (good and bad), red shoes and gingham dresses, Munchkins, even a scarecrow with straw for a brain. No Totos though. I wish we could have brought Misty; she'd have done wonderfully.

I forgot my teddy. I was very sad-I wanted to bring Charlene, Sonya, and Cowboy to see the fun. Probably a good thing that I forgot though; I'd look silly with three teddies and me looking like I'm in college (to some people).

Blegh. Wet hair!

graduation...

Hooray for the Class of 2009! They all made it out alive!

Ew. Horrible and unintentional rhyme. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I went to graduation (mom came with me so that I wouldn't have to sit alone-thanks!), and I have decided that I am decidedly against such unnecessary ceremony. For me, at least. I don't mind going to watch the big shebang for all of my friends; I'm glad they get to be recognized for their achievements. I am, however, absolutely terrified of this time next year. I'll probably do something stupid, like trip or my lip will get stuck to my teeth when I'm trying to smile or my hat will fall off. Ugh. Personally I'd like to just bring my family into the administration office and have them hand me my diploma there. No fuss, no nonsense, no chance to completely embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people. Why all the torture just for a piece of paper that my parents will probably hang up on some wall? *sigh*

So, yes, it was a big shebang. I saw a lot of my friends-Clark, Taylor(s), Abbey, Amy, Chelsea(s), Marissa(s), Josh, Jordan, Matt, Flint, to name a few (geez, I know way more guys than girls. never noticed that before-weird) The biggest reason I went, however, was Tony. He mentioned in passing a couple of weeks ago that it would be cool if I came to his graduation, so I did. After all, what are friends for? It was worth it to see him go from storm cloud when he entered to sunshine when he exited. You know, he's become one of my best friends. He won't agree, but I think of him as one. I am SO glad that I switched from B3 Multimedia to B4 Multimedia and decided to sign up for AP Enviro.

After the ceremony (long, flowery, but not too bad) I went outside to find friends and congratulate them. I saw a lot of the kids I mentioned before, and they were all happy and most of them on cell phones. Tony was the hardest to find; he was getting his picture taken with his parents when I finally saw him (after nearly 20 minutes of looking), and making funny faces at the camera. After I gave him a hug (I forgot how tall he was; my forehead came to the middle of his chest. my Preference heels must have been higher than I thought they were) he asked me what I'm doing tomorrow (was doing? am doing? ???). Nothing until three, so we're going out. Yes! I'm excited. It'll be super fun. He was so funny when I said congratulations. "It's not a big deal; it's just graduation." I'm proud of him anyway.

Let's see, did anything else happen? Oh, yes. A kid stuck gum on the back of my shirt. Turd. My shoe fell off while crossing the street. The pavement was very hot. And a stick got caught in my hair. I had serious wardrobe problems today. But did you notice that none of them were my fault? ;)

I use parentheses a lot. I just noticed that. They're so frequent that they're almost unnecessary. Oh, well.

10:30 am tomorrow begins my term as a Senior in high school. I couldn't figure out how that works until one of the school counselors explained it. On the books, I am officially a Senior in high school when the last bell of the school year rings. The old Seniors become alumni at the same time. So, not only did Tony and I spend my first and his last day as 17-year-olds together (Preference in January), but we'll be spending part of his last day and part of my first day as Seniors together. Odd, isn't it?

Ta!