Only one week left!!!

Exactly one week from today, on the sixteenth of July, is a day you don't want to miss, because... it... is... my... BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I am turning 14! I know, it's crazy. I don't really know if I am doing anything on my birthday but I'm hoping for breakfast in bed. It's a tradition, at least in my family, to have the ultimate, whatever you want, homemade, breakfast in bed. I love it. It always makes me feel special. Plus, I always have great memories from those breakfasts... ahh, the memories. =)
This year I want to do something a little differently. Often around birthdays, we get kind of greedy and a little selfish. Instead of all of that, I want to give back to God, thank him for all that He's given me. Sure I can do that on a regular bases, but I especially want to make sure that I don't lose focus of God in a time like this, where everything seems to be self-centered. I made a list of 14 things i want to do. Some of which include, cleaning someones yard for no pay, or make recycled art that praises God. If you have any cool ideas, email me or post a comment. I'd love to have other's input.

TTFN Ta Ta for Now :)

My summer addiction

They say the first step ingetting rid of an addiction, is realizing you have one. Well I have come to realize that not only do I have an obsession but an addiction. I know, I know, I can't let it get out of hand or i'll have to seek medical help, but I can handle this, I can. I think...

It all started on a boring summers day at home. The only other person home was my sister Kelsey and she was upstairs, reading. I was bored out of my mind so I decided to try it. It couldn't hurt. Right? I typed in those two magical words and BAM! I pressed the enter button and millions of results filled my screen. I chose on of the first links, that seemed the most reliable for my needs. i clicked and KABOOM! there it was. The colors flooded my eyes, the motion captivated my body and mind, it was exhilerating. Each arrow I pressed moved the pieces, building rows, creating lines, advancing my score. My obsession or addiction, you may say, came to the point that I was clicking those arrows everyday, constantly trying to defeat my personal record, at every chance I had. For a few nights in a row, I even went into a state of "post-tetris-play-mode", where I invisioned the screen and all of the pieces forming into place and what I would do to keep my high score in different challenging situations. I am addicted to free tetris. (click on free tetris to play)

My adventure at the SD Fair

On Thursday June 19, I went with some of my fellow ninth graders from church, to the SD County Fair. We had a ball! Of course one of the main reasons we had so much fun was because we were goofy, wacky, and of course crazy! The whole day was filled with fun, yet too expensive rides and attractions, not to mention vendors every where you looked, and the ultimate fair fun, FOOD. We ate kettle popcorn, funnel cake, ice cream, calamari, slurpees, and whatever else we wanted to stuff ourselves with. (not litterally... if you were wondering) My favorite part of the day is not some fancy adventure we took that nearly ended our lives, but the fact that I spent a whole day with people who love God just as much as I do, aren't afraid to show it, and love to have my kind of fun.

My Hair!!!!

I got a haircut! For a while I wanted to get my haircut but I decided to wait until after graduation just in case I didn't like it. Plus I didn't want to have a new hair style until after eighth grade was over. Yay for haircuts!! I hope you like it... We took these with Ate Kelsey's new MacBook Pro! (it's fun =)

Graduation!

I can't believe my sister Kelsey and I are officially freshmen! Well of course, she's a freshman in college and I am a freshman in high school. Same differnce, right? Uh, NO! We both spoke at pour graduation ceremonies, bringing tears to some people's eyes. People even came up to me afterwards telling me how they cried when I spoke. We had a great time and I wish everyone in my class this year could stay but for many, that was our last night together =(. Goodbye everyone who is leaving. We'll miss you.

Nemesia's here!

Nemesia, my adorable 3 year old niece, is finally here! In fact she has been here for almost a month now but this is the only chance I have gotten to actually blog about her. It's the only time I have been able to blog at all, in a long time! She can really tire you out but she's loads of fun and sweet too. She's especially sweet around the thigh area, just add a little BBQ sauce and she's TASTY!... Just kidding! She is super smart and you can tell just by listening to her talk. Her memory is pretty amazing too. If you say something once, it's like she remembers it for life. When you read a book, she has it memorized the next time around! Sometimes it is hard to remember that she is only three. Just look at her!
> <
-water the plants with Lola
Reading a book with Lola
Playing on a GIANT turtle at the mall

Riding the sprinter (train) Helping Lola cook Playing with the Doll House Checking out her new camera while sitting next to Daddy Gardening

My adventure on the east coast, by the Atlantic ocean, below Canada, and in a galaxy far, far, away!

Wind rushing through my hair, voices all around me, I'm finally here. All this time waiting, praying, and hoping for the best trip of my short 8th grade life. All the people I love are here... well not ALL of them but at least the ones I spend a 177 days with out of the year. This trip is a pivotal moment in my life. We experience things that are truly unforgettable such as seeing so many amazing monuments and memorials that tell so much about our own history.

Although this trip is supposed to be "educational", it is much more than that. You are away from family and the comforts of home for one week in an unfamiliar place. It is far from any summer camp that I have ever been to because this time you see historic sights and U.S. official buildings left and right. You spend time with friends from school much longer than seven hours a day and it's great!

Each day was a new adventure and I wouldn't have changed a thing. My memories are filled with laughter, smiles, and funny stuff!

Words sometimes don't always describe what I'm trying to say so I'll just show you:)