What to say, what to say? This summer hasn't been the most eventful but it hasn't been all bad either.. Its over now and its already about to be October which is a big shock! Only 3 more months before I'm out of here heading to Idaho :) It's just scary that I don't have everything situated yet.. I guess they're having some issue with their computers or doing something that is putting a hold up on things.. It'll all get situated eventually though and hopefully soon so I can stop worrying about it! I've been working at McDonalds this summer which has been alright. I never thought I would want to go back to school so much though!! I'm just nervous about all the work it will entail.. High school was pretty easy to go through and not have to do too much. I guess I got the feeling in Teacher Academy cause that was A LOT of work but that was only one class.. I guess I'll have to discipline myself! I'm just not looking forward to the basic classes it'll just seem like a repeat of school and I didn't like school in the first place.. I'm just looking forward to the teaching aspect of it :) and that subject not the rest :)

Well, I went to the Relief Society Broadcast last night and it was pretty good :) I had minestrone for the first time yesterday too! It was pretty good too but it was funny someone asked me if I was not eating certain parts of it on purpose and I was like can you tell? Beans and carrots not for me.. :D Anyway, my first RS broadcast because I'm an adult and all now :) I really liked that it targeted charity and not judging others. It was so funny there was a little joke in it. A woman is having breakfast with her husband and looks out the window at their neighbors house and the laundry was our and the wife said she doesn't know how to do laundry its still dirty!! & she continued to say this every time their neighbors laundry was out. Then, one morning she noticed that their laundry was clean and she was like oh look she learned how to clean her clothes. Her husband was like this morning........ I washed the windows! Hopefully I did that justice but it really shows that everyone just sits and there and judges others on any and everything when they're probably no better than the other person or even know the other person. I know I'm not perfect at it as no one is but it really gets old when all someone wants to do is run their mouth about nothing. It brought up a quote from Mother Teresa that said if you judge people, you have no time to love them. When you're being judgemental you're not thinking in a positive way or being loving to others so that is definitely true! We have way better things that we can be doing with out time. Which brings up charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ, charity never faileth. It is through us that so many works are brought forward and how we help others through the Lord. He can't just come down here to help people so he uses us to help others but when we're selfish and don't want to help others that's not really the point. Just thinking about our own needs and not those around us is very selfish and a flaw in a lot of people it seems. Its pretty sad actually but the smallest things to us can be something big to someone else. Even if all we can do is a little bit its more than nothing.

Just some of my thoughts at the moment! :)

Last Year if Girl's Camp!!!

So much to say about Girl's Camp! I figured out like a couple of days before that Sister Lunnen was in charge of Girl's Camp so I knew it was gonna be amazing right then :) Started on Monday I didn't get lost unlike last year it's actually pretty easy to get there. It was a good first day hanging out with the YCL's (youth camp leaders). We had a lot of fun together and I really like the idea of us having a day to ourselves to just bond more. Then it was raining Tuesday morning but thankfully stopped when people started arriving :) I don't know if I'll get every day right but I'm gonna try! The first day we made magnets in craft. We had hour of power which we talked about The Strength For Youth pamphlet and tried to remember all the different topics in there with clues. I didn't do the greatest which tells me I need to read it again! We worked on the 3rd years certification that day and actually got pretty much all of it done. Surprising how much we can figure out ;)

I was conducting for President Kirk that night. He talked to us about parables. We talked about one that the Lord told men that they would all receive the same but some worked an hour and some worked all day long and the men that worked all day long felt they deserved more than they were given. Although, it was the promise that they would receive the same. We receive more blessings when we endure things well rather than complaining about what we think we should have. We are not the knower of all things.. There is a plan for us whether we like it or not but I know it won't be all bad there will be more good! :D He also talked about another parable. One man received 5 talents, one man received 2 and one man received 1. The men with 5 and 2 talents doubled there talents and went back to the Lord and said you have given us 5 or 2 and we have developed 5, 2 more talents. The one that only received one talent was afraid and buried his talent and didn't develop any more talents. The men that doubled their talents and continued to learn and develop more were rewarded but the one that hid his was not. Not everyone has a million talents but we should not hide what we can do and refuse to help others. I'll let ya know when I find something I'm really good at but I'm sure there are things I don't notice and using those and not trying to change myself will help others. Life can always be worse and we need to realize what we have in front of us and how lucky we truly are. That we are special and loved.

Wow, a lot has happened. Tuesday still. We did Night at the Oscars. Each year, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th were assigned a fairy tale to act out and props. We got the 3 little bears. I totally didn't really know this story so I was like okay lets see how this goes. It totally brought out another side to a lot of the girls that I hadn't seen yet. It went really well and the girls had a lot of fun doing it. It was so funny though because we weren't supposed to have phones and I was looking at one of the leaders phones because she had a cool one. A leader yelled my name and I was like "It's not my phone!!!" Haha she wasn't even talking about the phone she was gonna tell me that I did a good job conducting I was like oopss.. We chatted though and it was all good! Oh, plus our YCL leaders I took chairs for our Skit and one of them was our leader's and she got it the next day and had a bunch of bugs crawl all over from it.. The other leader drove another YCL and me to the gate to let people in in the morning and I brought orange juice with me. I forgot all about it and left it in her cup holder and she put her phone in her cup holder the next day to charge it.. Funny, but bad. Thankfully it wasn't broken!!!

Now to Wednesday! We went on a 3 mile hike! Wow I needed something like that to tell me I'm out of shape!!! It wasn't all that bad though. I don't remember hearing any of my 3rd years complaining about it. This was the somewhat rough day for me because I was so tired from not sleeping the day before. I went to take a nap during free time but then a storm came and we had to go down to the lodge. Then a couple other things... You can't stay in a bad mood too long at camp though :) Crafts were washers that we hammered letters into and colored in and made necklaces out of. Really not as easy as it sounds. Mine looks alright. Hour of power was a little different because of the rain and everything but it made me think of things I really never thought of before. I remember that during it I'm just trying to remember details!! We talked about Liahona's and we made a necklace with one on it. We talked about in Nephi when Lehi received a Liahona that helped guide them. It only worked when they were faithful though. Like us having the Holy Ghost but we can only have it as a companion when we are worthy. Like the Liahona the Holy Ghost help guide us. The scriptures help guide us as well as our Prophet. We did a team building that we all layed down shoulder to shoulder and two rows with our heads by each other and put our hand up to carry people across. Wednesday was Bishop's night, We had a little competition with our Bishop's to recieve information about a Prophet from the scriptures that we would have to describe. We got Joshua. I learned more about him because I didn't know that story.. That's where our camp theme came from though. Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest." After that we got to go have snacks with our Bishop and Wards. Oh gosh it was hilarious. I guess Wednesday night Catherine, who I was sharing a tent with asked me to borrow my phone cause hers wasn't working right and I was totally dead asleep and don't even remember waking up but I guess when she asked me I looked right at her and was like I don't know. Then she told me I said something else too but kindof in a mean way. haha I totally wasn't awake.

Thursday. We had another team building activity that was pretty fun. We all had to get in a circle and pass a hula hoop around our necks without using our hands. I must say the group I was in won both times :) We visited the Johnson home first. I think that was the second time I had been there but it may have been the third. Every time visiting a historical site you learn something new that you didn't learn the last time or that you didn't remember. I learned a lot more about Joseph Smith than I knew before camp. If only we could all be like him! I don't know many people that could be beaten, tar and feathered and still preach the next day and continue on with what he had to do. He did so much so that we could have some of the things we have today like the Book of Mormon. Hour of Power on Thursday was making armor. Each armor has a purpose. What, I couldn't tell you but we did it :) Ours looked really good and we had to figure out what each one meant and label it on our armor. Then for the first time at camp I tried out the slip and slide. It was really fun! One of the 3rd years slid all the way to the end so then I was determined to do it too! Just needed a bigger running start :D I really liked crafts that day. We had jars and we chose stickers of different things to put on them and then sprayed them with this white stuff but that you could still see through the jars. You could put a handle on it but I just used the wire and put it around the top of the jar with beads on it. They have candles in them too. We had dinner with our years and made dessert in dutch ovens that all turned out a little funky.. The pizza was good though I was totally wanting pizza all week! The total best thing about any Girl's Camp is the testimony meeting! I love it! Now, the past two years have been good but this year I was amazed with what some of the girls said. The girls varied from 12-18 and was definitely spiritual. I went up of course I had to I couldn't resist :) Plus the majority of the 3rd years went up and the other two YCL's that were over them :) Then everyone pretty much stayed up late that night. Each ward has a camp director and ours was Anna. It was pretty last minute but she got everything situated quickly and efficiently :) We chatted a while after testimony meeting til we wanted to go to bed haha.

Friday morning as well with Wednesday and Thursday we had solo scripture study. I was conducting this and had to share a scripture. I chose Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 "Let thy bowels also be full with charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." I wasn't sure what I was going to read but I was looking through D&C because Joseph Smith wrote them and just the area we were in. I was looking in my Young Women personal progress book to try to find a scripture and I found this one and it totally worked. Charity is always so, so important. Plus at camp everyone is always willing to help one another and it's great! I just wanted to remind everyone how important it is to carry that on when everyone goes home. Then we had to tear our camps down and do the chores for the day. Pretty sad to say bye to people but will hopefully stay in touch with most of them :)

I was just so glad to go to Girl's Camp. It was better than I ever anticipated. I have somewhat been in a rut lately but it has left me with more knowledge than I had before and more friendships. It's always a good place to be with others that share the same values and beliefs and I totally grab onto that as often as possible, I love that feeling! Everyone had told me that I'm going to love BYU-I. I am so looking forward to it and for that same reason. Wow I spelled receive wrong like 7 times!! I guess I said that a lot. Now I before E except after C. I guess that is somewhat useful ;)

HIGH SCHOOL HAS ENDED!!!!!! My last day was Tuesday and I just had 2 exams in the morning and I was done by 8:30 :) Except before leaving I forgot to turn in my Alg 2 notebook and textbook.. :( Had to go back to turn that in today. This friday is graduation rehearsal and the senior picnic and then next friday is graduation!! I'm so happy for this year to be over. It's been a great year and all but still. Tuesday in teacher academy we all had to write valediction speeches (goodbye speeches) plus brought in food so that was a good way to end it. It was good to hear what everyone had to say.

Some of the things I said were: I started off this year not really knowing what to expect. Before last August I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do as a career but luckily Teacher Academy helped me answer that question. I never expected to learn as much as I did from Teacher Academy or from my internships as I did. I can't say that I have any complaints about this class and I'm really glad I chose it.

How could I sum up what I've learned? That could take ages! From always being the student I never really thought about all that a teacher does and all the preparation they have to do. It just never occurred to me to think about those things. After talking in class about what makes a good teacher good it made me look at teachers in a different light, appreciating what they do and of course sometimes thinking what they could do better. I never really cared for school but being on the other side of the spectrum and being as a teacher was much different. I looked forward to my internships and enjoyed them a lot.

In my teacher academy class we accomplished so much. 24 essays, 11 chapters, 6 internships and lessons. We worked together in class often and scaffolded off one another. It was a lot of work and I totally wasn't used to it but I'm still really glad I did it!

I interned in 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th grade and special education with 5th and 8th grade. I realized that 1st grade was too young and 8th grade was too old for my preference. I liked 4th and 5th grade the best. Each internship has brought different experiences. It really helped to have experienced teachers there to ask questions about anything I was thinking about. Having the feedback they gave me on a weekly basis and for my lessons helped me to know what I did well on and what I could do to improve. Using that feedback to correct problems for the future definitely helped me to be more well rounded and learn what it takes to be a teacher from others perspectives. I could also definitely say that my Teacher Academy teacher knew her stuff and was a great example to us of a good teacher. I said in my speech that she never let us break the rules but she was a good example of what we should be, which is true. :) I can't stand when someone is meant to be looked up to so much and they do not do what they should. Be an example!!!! Just my opinion :)

On a different note, I walked a lot today. Went on the path in Austinburg with some people from church and then met my brother again at some river thing in Jefferson. We walked all around there for a while too. Plus driving around. It's always nice when it's so hot out to drive around with the windows down :D

Plus, I was thinking today I hate how disrespectful people are nowadays. Ha teaching good idea right? It'll be alright though. I just don't understand how people can let others treat them and speak to them the way they do.. I'll tell you right now when I'm a parent there is noooooo way that is going to happen! Not that people do, but I don't let anyone talk to me like some people do and especially not your child. I guess there are a million things that I can't comprehend why people do but I can say that I won't be like them.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesdays with Morrie was such a good book! I read it in a day! It made me think a lot though. I found some quotes while reading that I really liked:

"Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do; Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it; Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others; Don't assume it's too late to get involved." These are all things that most people have to work on. Most people can't get over things from the past but that takes time and doesn't happen overnight.. Plus people hold grudges over the littlest things for so long it's pointless. Those that do not forgive others in him lies the greater sin. (goes something like that) Just saying :)

"Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted."

The first part we just need to decide what's the best use of our time and which will benefit us more. Usually, not what I really want to do.. After reading this book and seeing how well Morrie took everything he had to go through and his sickness it just makes me think I have so many things to be thankful for. Its so easy to just focus on the bad and not realize what you have in front of you. I'm horrible at that.. :( Plus letting little things work me up and just put me in a bad mood. This book has really made me see a lot of things I want to change about myself.

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

I don't really see the things I do as purposeful or meaningful but I think going into teaching will do that and be for a good cause. Plus I devote myself to others and do the best I can for others :) A quote that I actually live up to :) I don't waste my time on unrealistic goals or something that I can't reach.

"Look, no matter where you live, the biggest defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness. We don't see what we could be. We should be looking at our potential, stretching ourselves into everything we can become."

I think I look more towards the future than the here and now. I'm always waiting for the next thing in life rather than appreciating what I have now. I just always think the next part of my life will be better which is not the best way to think about it. I'll never be happy if I'm just waiting for something else. I'll try to endure school and "try" not to rush through it as fast as possible. It's just never been my thing I'm just ready to leave and do what I really want to do. I have to get over the things that I don't have control over but that's never been my strength, I like to be in control.

Its about time for a new post :) In my last post I talked about my acceptance to BYU-I. Can't remember when I got the letter but I'm going for the Winter/Spring Track. I start January 4th and go to July. I think I like that a lot better than going for the typical year. I get to have a long break after High School before I start :D hehe. Plus I'll have whenever I finish in July through December off. I'll also be home for the holiday's and won't have to worry about going back and forth!

Now, I'm done with my 4th internship that was 8th grade. I'm still saying I liked 4th and 5th grade the best. For my lesson in 8th grade I wanted to do debates and luckily that's what she usually did. I didn't know I just knew that I liked debates and I liked the idea ;) It was a big research thing the class just worked with a couple other people and used what they already knew. Everything worked out really well, actually. I was pretty happy about that. The one class that debated "should olympic athletes be drug tested" got a little crazy about it because everyone was trying to say there opinion but other than that everything was pretty organized.

My next internship is Special Education. The teacher I'm interning with goes to different classrooms. He's gonna be in 8th grade math and science. I had those teachers so atleast I'll have that, but I don't really like those subjects that much.. He also goes to 5th grade social studies I like that idea :) Plus, already working with 5th and 8th grade I should somewhat know some of them so its not like starting all over with new people.

Not much is new besides that.. Basically done with Young Women personal progress. Just focusing on school and trying not to let senioritis get to me but it is a little..

ACCEPTANCE!!!!

I am so EXCITED right now!!! :) Just got my acceptance letter for BYU-Idaho. I thought I was going to have to wait in agony for a few more weeks but luckily not! I've been pretty stressed lately trying to think about everything I still need to do but this just made my day! I almost got up and started jumping up and down but I didn't. Happy to know where I'm going and that its the place that I really want to go. I know everything else will fall into place. I'll miss people but I know this is the right thing and can't wait!!!

I was just saying today how I've never really liked school and this year isn't any better. I really like my internship and don't miss days that I go there. I know teaching is what I want to do, also. I've liked 4th and 5th grade I start 8th grade tomorrow. We'll see how that turns out. I just want to know I made a difference in other peoples life and not just a class someone couldn't wait to be done with. I appreciated my elementary and middle school teachers more. I think they actually had a variety of ways to teach instead of doing the same thing everyday and not mixing it up. Taking Teacher Academy has made me think a lot about teachers. Typically I would like the classes with the subjects I like or if I liked a teacher but I didn't actually think about if that teacher was a good teacher or not.. My class has made a big list of what makes a good teacher good and I've really learned a lot this year that I never even thought about. Kindof looking forward to college in a way and what it will bring even though I don't really like school now.

Amazing Day!!!! :D

I have not written a blog in so long! Christmas vacation was good. Then, started school and this week had finals. I thought this week was gonna be really stressful but then today was a really good day!! Tuesday I had a Teacher Academy test and felt like I did pretty good on it. I started some exams Tuesday and then Wednesday and today. I got an A on all of them :D. I haven't found out about my Algebra II one but I don't care if I got an A on that one or not. I just felt really accomplished after freaking about everything. Then at my internship which I haven't talked about yet.. my Teacher Academy teacher and I just talked for a couple of minutes she asked if I spent a lot of time studying for my test and I said yeah kinda. She said I was the only one in my class to get an A on it. Another thing to make me happy.

I started my 3rd internship last week its with 5th grade. Language Arts. I definitely knew 1st grade was too young and I liked 4th grade and now I like 5th grade. I'm thinking I'm leaning more towards middle school though because when I first start out I think it will be more overwhelming to have to have a lesson for every subject and everything. Then again, doing middle school I will be teaching the same thing over and over and that could be kind of redundant. They both have good and bad like everything I suppose. I'm going to 8th grade next and I actually had that teacher so that will be cool. Plus I will be sure by then what I want. I just hate the grade levels they have for the teaching licenses. Either K-3, 4-9 or 7-12. Why can't it be 3-8 or something like I would like :D? I'm just really glad I've gotten along with all the teachers I've interned with and just made the experience even better. I had no idea what to expect and it has definitely been better than I expected. Theres a lot of work but in a sense it is preparing me for college because that's how that's going to be.

I am hanging with my besty today and I got the mail and after a long time of waiting I finally got my Patriarchal Blessing I was SO happy. I was really getting antsy waiting for its arrival! Then my friend took a shower and calls me in there saying we have a problem. I thought it was something stupid and she was kidding.. She broke the shower head off my shower!!! It was pretty much shooting straight out and with a lot of pressure. You can turn this little switch thing and it helps a little but it is so messed up.. Hard for me to take a shower.. I tried duct taping it but that didn't work out so well it just squirted in all directions.. I tried using a wrench because we actually have another shower head but I couldn't get it off.. Of course when something happens that I need my dad he's not here.. I was telling my friend she should be glad I'm in such a good mood today because I just think the whole thing is kind of hysterical. Just makes me think even more about always keeping a positive attitude because I've just been so happy today and I love it when its like that. So this time I'm gonna try harder to not focus on bad things that happen and remember what I have to be thankful for :) I hope I'm more successful this time but I'm gonna try :)

2010 Handbook

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.