GOODBYE, 2012.

 

2012 brought me lots of ups and downs.

It brought me my first date, and many more after that. It brought me laughter and inside jokes and awkward moments that I'm sure will make for good stories in the future.

It brought me my license and a car, and therefore much more freedom than I had ever previously experienced.

In 2012 I learned how to play the guitar and I faced one of my biggest fears- singing in public (and not just any singing, but 4 solos thank-you-very-much. my guitar teacher was crazy).

This year brought me notebooks full of my terrible half cursive/half little-boy-esque handwriting and a new found love for writing. 

In 2012 I embraced new experiences; joined clubs, served in my community, and became laurel class president.

2012 brought travel- Amsterdam, Utrecht, Berlin, Disney World, Arizona, & the longest road trip of my life.

It also brought the death of my grandpa, someone who I have always loved and admired.

In 2012 I cried in a movie for the first time ever, and then it happened again. (this time in public. so embarrassing.)

This year I embraced my wild and messy hair, colored in my eyebrows, and became a red lipstick addict.  

2012 brought me light and knowledge. It brought answered prayers and a stronger testimony in my Heavenly Father. 

It brought a huge announcement that changed my life. I started teaching with the missionaries and realized that I have a bright and important future in front of me.

 

At the begining of 2012 I wrote down a quote in my journal that I had come across. I decided to make it my motto for that year. I think it'll be my motto for this year, too. It went like this:

 

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”



 

Here's to 2013. Let's rock it.  

 

 

ROADTRIP PART FOUR: UTAH

Because of Canden's finger we had to stay in Idaho a few extra days, and therefore only had three days to spend in Utah. We had plans to visit some friends and check out the BYU campus, but decided to forgo those because we were so short on time. I guess we'll just have to come back next summer, right? And maybe while we're at it, I can get my senior pictures done by Matt Clayton? Pretty please? :)

We spent the first day at Temple Square. And boy, was it amazing. I spent forever talking to the sister missionaries. One of the sisters was from Washington (which is only a few hours away from where I live) and had gone to an art school there, so we talked about that for a while. Her companion was from a little town in Italy that my mom visited earlier in the year, so we talked all about that too. My mom told her that she had met two elders while she was there and bought them gelato and talked with them for awhile. It turns out that one of those elders is a really good friend of the sister we were talking to. Small world, right?! I told them that I was really interested in serving a mission and they got so excited. They smiled real big and hugged me and told me all about how great serving a mission is. I had the best time, and it made me want to serve a mission even more. 

Day two was spent up at park city, where we shopped til we dropped and watched the skiers practice. (only to find out that jef-with-one-f and emily where there the very next day. what. the. crap. i was so upset.) 

And then day three was spent doing more shopping and spending more time at the temple.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUNIOR YEAR SO FAR

for once in my high school career, i'm taking eight classes that I actually want to be taking.

photo 3, advanced english, seminary, and a free period in which I get taught spanish by two of my very best friends; just to name a couple classes.

and that college level medical course everyone said was a breeze? well we got a new teacher this year. it's no longer a breeze, guys. it's a pain in the rear. but in a good way, you know? as much as i complain about the pages and pages of medical terms i have to memorize, i secretly love it.

my grades have never been better, which is funny because I barely spend any time doing homework.

i've been keeping busy with crazy themed football games, paying photography jobs, movie parties, mini vacations, teaching myself how to play guitar, teaching with the missionaries, serial dating, and so much more.

i've been taking my photography more seriously and it's been showing in my work. my photographs are getting better and more and more people are asking me to take pictures for them. it's the best feeling in the world.

also: i'm addicted to dutch brother's peppermint hot chocolate. heavy on the whip cream and sprinkles, please.

junior year has been so, so good to me.

BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE I'M ADDICTED TO READING BLOGS,

Here are some of my favorites:

FOR THEIR WORDS:
all my love, addy
c. jane kendrick
heart distance
nat the fat rat
the diaries of a fly on the wall
in the head of al fox

FOR THEIR PICTURES:
alexis mire
matt clayton photography
definitions of chelsie
rebekah westover photography

FOR THEIR CRAFTINESS:
cotton & curls
dear lizzy
rainbows in wonderland

FOR THEIR CLOTHES:
awkward girls
pink peonies
the daybook

FOR THEIR ALL AROUND CUTENESS:
hunter's dialogues
something devine
smile me pretty
rockstar diaries
the girls with glasses
the m(squared) story

I FOUND THIS POST IN MY DRAFTS. IT'S REALLY OLD. OH WELL.

It's time to get real here, okay guys?

If I'm being completely honest, these last couple months have been really sucky. Like in a everything-little-thing-is-going-wrong-but-i-don't-really-have-a-good-reason-to-think-my-life-sucks kind of way. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I don't either. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm a big baby. Lately I've been finding myself complaining about the little things and not trusting in God and his timing. I could sit here and name off all of the dumb things that have happened since school started, but I wont, because that would be obnoxious and no one would want to read it. Instead, I'll share all of the things I am thankful for. Because it's November, dangit. And looking on the bright side of things always helps. 

  

THINGS THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:

//taylor swift and her new cd, because it's perfect in every single way//friends that make me laugh//the temple//movie marathon parties//oregon in the fall, because i'm pretty sure this is exactly what heaven will look like//dutch brother's peppermint hot chocolate//a loving family//my three best girlfriends, and talk about a little 'last hurrah' in disneyland//having my licence and a car that i can drive in//a mom that will take me out of school for the day to go shoe shopping//playing the guitar and piano//hunter hayes//real, paying photography jobs//missionaries; past, present, and future.//the new missionary age change, and other answered prayers//sweater weather//my advanced junior english class, because we're basically like a family and i've never, ever laughed that much in school//instagram//blogging//the talents i have been given, because they make me special//seminary//journaling, even though i am terrible at it//pink hats that i am pretty sure are magical//cherry vanilla sprites//"no school november"//the beatles//boys with nice hair//

ROADTRIP PART THREE: A BIRTHDAY HE WILL NEVER FORGET.

            On August 8th we decided to go canoeing for Canden's (my little brother) 12th birthday. He was now an official boy scout, and he desperately wanted to get his canoeing badge.
          When we arrived at the river all 20 of us got situated, organized, and into our separate canoes. I went with Canden and Jack, our 10 year old cousin. We didn’t get very far down the river when we decided to stop and wait for the rest of our family. Another one of the canoes (caring two of our younger cousins and a foreign exchange student from Japan) paddled up to us to also wait. They lost control, and ran into the side of our canoe.
            Out of nowhere, I hear Canden yell, “My finger! It fell off!” Yeah right. I thought to myself. Canden was notorious for being overdramatic about things and besides, the other canoe barely hit ours. I looked over at Canden just in case, and to my dismay saw blood everywhere. I stood up and leaned over him to get a better look at his finger. You know when you cut a hotdog in half long ways, and both sides just kind of flop over? Yeah, that’s what his finger looked like.
            My instincts (and multiple years of first aid training) kicked in. I quickly took off the T-shirt I was wearing over my swimsuit and wrapped his finger up with it to try to stop the bleeding. Fearing he was going into shock, I hugged him and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. Everything will be fine.” An ambulance then came and rushed him to the nearest hospital, 2 ½ hours away.
           The doctor said the canoe must have hit his finger just right, because it literally exploded. He fractured the bone and had a partial amputation, but his tendons, muscles, and arteries were in perfect shape. Long story short, it was a miracle.
           While he was at the hospital with my mom and dad, my cousins and I threw him a little surprise birthday party. We decorated the whole house with balloons and streamers, the whole getup. All of our younger cousins drew him pictures and made him cards, while us older cousins wrapped presents and made food. When he came home a few hours later, we turned on the lights, jumped out at him and yelled "surprise!" Even though his finger was all wrapped up and he was clearly still pretty out of it from the drugs, he was so happy! He couldn't stop smiling and laughing and telling us all about the new chuck norris jokes he made up. Oh, that little boy.

PERFECTION.