kenny HOLLAnd

Last Friday, I went to this free concert for some beautiful-faced boy named Kenny Holland. I've basically been in love with him since August. When I saw him in real life... well you could say I was close to tears. And then there were pictures.

So like, you could say my life is complete.

SOML

This video is priceless.

I Think I Like High School.

{taylor, mckenna, me, katelyn, rebekah}

last night was the last home game of the season, so behind the stands student council were throwing red and blue powder paint everywhere and smacking students with pantyhose filled with the powder. It was really quite hilarious. Overall, it was a super fun night!

Pretty much I've come to the realization that I really just love high school. The fact that I've been through elementary school, junior high, and am now starting my last four years of high school is absolutely insane.

Also, I've realized that some people are just really nice. A girl in one of my classes, that I barely know, said "hey" to me the other day. We got new seats in a class a few weeks ago, and the kid I sit next to now totally introduced himself! (I feel like we need more people like that in this world) Some guy at the game last night let these kids put face paint all over him, his shirt, his arms, all over - it was pretty awesome. People are just amazing.

Life is pretty great. 

Happy Saturday!

Massachusetts

This last week was October Break, which was glorious because, I mean, no school for a week! Really, it was a great break. Especially because I got to go to Boston with my mom and dad to visit my sister and her family!

We left early Saturday morning to catch our 8:30 plane to Boston. We first landed in Kansas, letting people off there and getting a new crew of attendants, then we took off again to Boston, only to take a detour to Maryland when we were only 20 minutes from Boston. Why? Something was wrong with the plane and there was no one to fix it in Massachusetts, only Maryland. So we had to get off and on to another plane and by the time we landed in Boston it was 7:00 PM EST (10:00 PM in AZ time).

The next day, we walked around Harvard campus, it was fun to see some of the things there, but the weather was the best part!

{jumping in front of Harvard library}

{petra, me, rilla, lars}

When we got back we watched the LDS General Conference (semi-annual conference sessions where latter day saints hear and listen to talks given by latter day prophets and apostles - learn more here).

After that conference session, we went to the Mount Auburn cemetery. This cemetery is the first garden cemetery in America and has graves of people dating back to the 1700's. At the cemetery, there is Washington Tower, which was built to commemorate George Washington. The cemetery was super pretty and was even prettier from the top.

We also passed by George Washington's headquarters and decided to look around! We couldn't go inside because of the government shutdown, but we walked around the front and back. It was so crazy to think that Washington himself was there thinking about the war and life.

{front steps}

{the garden in the back}

On Monday, first we took a walk by the Charles River and over the John W. Weeks Bridge. Later, we went to Harvard Square and looked around, which was super interesting!

{John W. Weeks Bridge}

{rubbing John Harvard's toe for good luck}

Tuesday, we took a drive to Cape Ann. It was the first time I had been to the Atlantic Ocean, which was pretty exciting!

Wednesday was my niece, Petra's, birthday! She decided she wanted to go apple picking, the idea was super cute to me, so I was super excited! It was fun and the apples were delicious. Also, we went to the Louisa May Alcott house, which was built before the Revolutionary War!

{the whole crew - 1. chelsea, mom, dad, me; 2. lars, rilla, petra}

Our last day, Thursday, we walked around the Boston temple, which was super pretty, and did the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail was super amazing. I love American history and thinking that the Revolution had happened there almost brought me to tears. We stopped by places like Paul Revere's grave and house, the site of the Boston Massacre, and tons more. Walking along the same streets as the first Americans did really blew my mind.

{Boston, MA temple}

{Freedom Trail}

Overall, the trip was amazing, and I'm a bit sad that there's school tomorrow.

Blogging From Boston

Greetings from Boston, Massachusetts readers! I'm here with my mom and dad visiting my sister, Chelsea. So far, it's been super fun! Visiting my nieces and nephew, looking at houses from the 1700's, and seeing all the historical things (I quite love history).

Anyways, I was on iTunes yesterday when I saw the single of the week and thought I might check it out! I'm sort of in love so, here!

I would of put up the music video, but it's copyrighted so it can't be played on other websites, so here's the link to that if you wish to watch!

Love Club

loving this girl's music. check her out.

Tips +

I'd just like to make a list of things that have made me quite happy lately.

+ Say "hey" and make someones day
+ Make everyday the best day
+ Step back and look at how great your life is
+ Be excited for the future, love the past and the memories, but live in the present.

That's all.

High School Dayz

{classic first day picture...}

So basically, I started high school a bit over a month ago... which still blows my mind!

I've wanted to be in high school for as long as I can remember. It just seemed so fun, and you always hear that it makes up "the best years of your life."

Pretty much, the day before school started so many emotions were running through my head. "Oh my gosh! High school... tomorrow!" "I'M SO OLD" "Ahhhhh school, how about no" "No way! I'm so excited!" I didn't really make sense to anyone around me.

Then I was supposed to be getting ready for bed, but I sat on my bed and listened to Fifteen by Taylor Swift. Holy emotions. 

This song has been one of my favorites since I had heard that album. Because, I had always wanted to be in high school, and so listening to that song and dreaming of high school when I was about 9, and then listening to it the night before my first day of freshman year... I cried. Not because I was sad, just because everything I had dreamed of as a kid... was happening, and that's crazy because it felt like it would never happen, but it did.

  But anywho, the first day came and it was super scary and crazy because you don't get your schedule until the first day... and this school is HUGE. So you go early and find your classes, but it's the scariest thing until you find some friends. Then you're feeling good. 
And the first week was good.
But the weekends have been great.

{making cookies for some boys.... i swear we were trying to do cookie signs with our hands, not hearts.... hahaha}

{sara's birthday tea party!}

{one direciton movie!! -i'd suggest you see it.}

{ice skating - seriously one of the most fun things i've done yet!}

{first home football game!!}

Overall, it's been amazing so far. And I can't wait to find out what adventures await me the rest of this year!!

OH. And let's not forget THIS happened. 

So essentially, Kenny Holland {a super attractive singer from a city near mine} sent me and my friends a virtual kiss and then replied to my tweets and told me he loved me. I'm not joking... I shed tears. You could say we're best friends. ;)

It's Been a While...

Hey there. It's been a while...

I'll just be doing a bit of catching up today, k?

So a few weeks after EFY, my mom, Shelbie {my cousin}, Chanel, and I took our annual trip to our grandma's house in Pima for the 24th! I look forward to this trip every year because it's so stinking fun!! We go to my grandma's cabin and we always go to the parade with fireworks after!

{frozen yogurt}

{"pride rock"}

{roasting starbursts}

{ladybug}

{fireworks}

Then, during the first part of August I went to Newport again with Kallee! It was such a fun trip, I went boogie boarding for the first time and let's just say there's still sand in my swim suit.

{this pelican let people get so close to it. i went back later with some ice cream and it opened it's mouth and went for it! it was so funny, then it started doing this one foot dance thing, it was great.}

{so kallee was taking this picture of me when all of a sudden i go, "ow ow!" and slap my arm. turns out i had been stung by my first bee! i've been scared of those things my whole life, and it barely hurt. kallee and i couldn't stop laughing.}

Then on the last day of summer, our friends went and roamed around Riverview. We made some hilarious memories! Steph broke her shoe and we went to Walmart to get some cheap ones. While we were there we just rode the shopping carts everywhere and the employees didn't even care! Then later we played in the little splash pad. It was so fun!

So there's the rest of my summer! It really was the best summer, Summer 2k13.

Day 2 and the Rest

So sorry for my lack of blogging, I just got busy, plus our computer is super slow and frustrating so when I do have time, it's not enough time to deal with it.

But anyways, I thought I would tell you about the rest of my California and EFY trip!

On the second day we spent the WHOLE day at the beach! We seriously spent like 7 hours there, with one break for lunch at the beach house. By the end of the day you felt like you were in the ocean, even when you weren't. It was crazy. I thought I came out with no sunburn, but apparently not, that night when I was getting ready for bed I realized I was RED all over in random spots. My eyes, my thighs, behind my knees, and behind my shoulders.It was bad, but I just hoped they would be gone by EFY on Monday! (Which they almost were! They didn't bug me the whole time.)

The next day we left early in the morning for Utah, we drove almost all day until we arrived at Bridal Veil Falls and looked around, took some pictures.

Then we left, got pizza, and went to one of Katelyn's relatives in South Jordan. 

On Sunday we went to Music and the Spoken Word (Fourth of July Edition) and then visited Temple Square! It was my first time and way great! The Tabernacle Choir sings so well! and the SLC temple is gorgeous!

The rest of the day we just hung out, it was great!

Monday. Monday was the day we'd both been waiting for FOREVER. It was the day EFY started!!! 

We got ready, dropped of Katelyn's brother at basketball camp, and finally it was time. We went to check in (after getting Taco Bell), got our shirts, lanyards,  backpack, and bracelet. We were both freaking out!! We went up to our dorm to discover we were the first ones there! We went in our room and picked our beds, it was way great.

Then the rest of our roommates came, and let me tell you, we were best. friends. from the minute we met. I seriously came so close with these girls! We went through laughing about things, talking until after midnight, and even crying together, it was amazing.

After we all got settled we went to meet our counselor and the rest of the girls! These girls also ended up being my best friends too, I freaking loved them all SO much!

After meeting all the girls and getting to know each other, we went to meet the boys and the boy counselor. Oh goodness I love everyone of these boys! They were all the sweetest!!

We did "speed friending" and then went on with our wonderful day at EFY.

On Tuesday night there was a dance, and oh man was that dance AMAZING. Seriously one of the best experiences I've EVER had at a dance!! I danced with some really nice boys, it was just a lovely time.

Also, they were a million gingers in our session, so we all ended up taking a picture, it was great! 

The rest of the week was awesome, wonderful, amazing, there's really no words to describe it!!

On the last day after the last dance, it was pouring rain, and we were all crying and hugging and it was just perfectly dramatic and wonderful.

Overall, it was the best week of my life! It was perfect! I loved every body and every minute of it! I made some amazing friends, made some wonderful memories (especially on game night and at fireworks!) and gained such a strong testimony of my church! (I truly know that the EFY session I was at was meant for me) I really just wanted to stay there forever. I miss everyone SO much, thinking about it still makes me want to cry! 

After a 14 hour drive back to AZ, I walked in my door, and burst out crying, I missed everyone so bad! My mom asked me what was wrong and I just said, "I want to go backkkkkkk." It really was the most amazing thing of my life. I still don't have words to describe it.