Success! (Part 2)

All of my grades are finally up, and I got my first A- since seventh grade (in stats, of all classes). I couldn't be more thrilled.

One semester down, who knows how many more to go.

"Look at Me! Look at Me!"

I think I've found where the wild things are--my house. This afternoon I sat down to enjoy a quiet lunch with my latest read to keep me company, but I'm pretty sure there's an unwritten law at my house against that very thing. No sooner had I cracked open my book when I have a little 2-year-old monkey named Makenna climbing up the back of my chair. And smearing her cheese on the table. And eating my food. And stealing my bookmark. And asking for her own plate of rice. And asking for a glass of milk. And throwing her rice on the floor. And closing my book. And climbing on the table. And spilling her milk. And climbing under the table. Now, she is a very talented little bugger and managed to do all of these things while still continuously saying (or shouting, more like) "Rachel, Rachel! Watch this!" "Rachel! Look at me!" "Rachel! What are you doing?" "Rachel come here!" "Rachel! I'm hiding!" "Rachel come get me!" "Rachel!" "Rachel!" "RACHEL!"

Ever since the moment I got home for the break, I've felt like a mother duck with my two little ducklings following my every move, or maybe even a celebrity who is constantly being hounded by fans and paparazzi. I have played more imaginary games than I can count, changed lots of clothes and diapers, helped Graci and Kenna feed the goldfish, been called "Grandpa" for a whole hour, listened to all sorts of stories about dinosaurs or Santa Claus, been the constant human playground, and have even had Graci sleep in my bed. I can't comprehend how such little bodies can house so much energy.

But you know what? I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love having these girls in my life. I love that they completely idolize me. I love listening to Makenna learn to talk. I love watching Graci pretend to be so many different things. I love watching them play together and seeing them learn and grow. I am astounded every day at how much they know and can do. I absolutely love that I can be a part of their lives and I hope that by playing games and wrestling with them, or even just fixing them sandwhiches, that they will know that I love them more than anything in the world, because even though they are wild things, they are MY wild things, and I can't imagine my life any other way.

IDK, My BFF Brooklin?

I love Brooklin (my roommate). She really has become my best friend. Really though. It's not a rare occasion when we accidentally stay up way later than is healthy having amazing, deep conversations. She's wonderful.

This basically describes our relationship:

Told you I loved her.

Success!

Well, I did it. I have successfully made it through my first semester of college without anything completely detrimental happening. My unicorn glitter tattoo that I put on my shoulder for good luck really paid off. The lady who ran the copies for my nutrition test somehow skipped every other page, so we only had to take half a test. Thanks to my lucky unicorn, the half that got skipped was all of the chemistry and most of the essential vitamins, so basically I had a VERY easy final and only missed two! I didn't have to take the final in human development because my other test scores were really high, and I'm pretty sure I aced my stats test. Creative arts, not so sure about. BUT, it's over and done with and that's what counts! Finals week was tough, but not as bad as I was anticipating. A couple of my roommates turned absolutely hilarious in their stress-induced insanity, so there was always some great entertainment when I needed a break. Plus, there was the never-ending free food (including muddy buddies, my all time favorite. mmm, boy!) that seems to go hand in hand with testing.

My first semester was great! I learned a lot, and not just the material taught in classes. I met great people and made wonderful friends. There were many tears, but much more laughter. I attended my first college football and basketball games, was culturally enriched at a dance hosted by the African-American student union, successfully avoided catching the swine flu, had campfires in the canyon, got locked out of my apartment more than once, ate a LOT of spaghettios, exploded a can of spaghettios, held a goldfish funeral and buried him in an indoor garden, learned to ignore Thing One and Thing Two and not mutter obscenities under my breath as I clean the whole apartment after they leave, made home-made decorations for every holiday, colored lots of pictures, got my pillow frozen to my window and had to thaw it off with a hair dryer, actually got asked on a date by someone who was not a creeper, and had so many wondrous adventures!

Next semester's schedule is going to be harder than this one was, but I'm excited to find out what it has in store. But for now, I am going to enjoy having a whole month off of school with nothing to worry about but keeping little hands out of the fish bowl. Good luck to all of you who still have finals left to endure, and happy holidays!

Quote of the Day

"It sounds like the great and spacious building."

-Christine

"Well, Perhaps!"

This is the best cartoon love song ever written. I'm quite fond of it. One day when I'm famous, I'm going to re-recored this song and it'll be a huge hit.

I Prefer to Eat Alone

Tonight while I was at Smith's grabbing some things for my mom, I overheard part of a conversation as I was walking past a lady and a man who I assume was her husband. She was saying "I can't. I just feel so anxious when I go places where there are lots of people." If crowds make her anxious, it made me wonder what she was doing in the grocery store the night before Thanksgiving...

Rest in Peace, Stephanie Meyer

This is an obituariy written for Stephanie Meyer, followed by some clarification.

http://www.2snaps.tv/9818783

http://www.2snaps.tv/9818797

In honor of the woman that has corrupted our nation's youth. Hope your husband enjoys having a blood-sucker for a wife.

:)

Quotes of the Day by Christine

Rachel: (reading study guide) "Define wisdom."
Christine: "It's what you get when you're too old to have good looks!"

-------------------------------

"It's not bad, it just needs some help..."

-------------------------------

Brooklin: "I'll have you know, I only used tape and crayons."

Christine: "Maybe next time you should use your brain."

Heartache is a Vicious Thing

Have you ever had so many thoughts in your head that you couldn't put them into words no matter how hard you tried, even though that's what you wished you could do more than anything? So have I.

Life in this apartment this past week has been, well, hard on all of us. One roommate went through a painful breakup, a couple more had hopes smashed, everyone has been stressed and on edge, and our apartment seems to be a vacuum for drama. The more we try to pull the plug out of the wall, the harder the vacuum sucks. And I have somehow found myself here, stuck as the mediator in what seems to be the most complicated love pyramid that ever existed.

But that's not what this is about.

Tonight I experienced what it's like to rely on the Lord for words. My best friend needed me, but I had so many words in my head that I had none at all. Not only that, but I was emotionally involved in the situation that had her collapsed on the floor and sobbing in my arms, and I was struggling to remain the strong and sensible one. I needed the clarity to be able to tell her what she needed to hear. But I couldn't get it out. As I rocked her back and forth I pleaded to be able to say what needed to come out. Never have I thought so carefully about what to say before saying it. But it came. The words came out and the advice was sound and spiritual. It provided her the comfort and guidance that she needed and gave her the little bit of clarity she was seeking in order to be able to turn her pleas to her Heavenly Father and allow him to direct her in her decisions. I know the words were not mine. They were the words the Spirit was trying to tell her but which she was too upset to hear.

I like to think that in this week of chaos, confusion, and endless emotions, I was able to be the answer to a friend's prayer. Amidst the millions of racing thoughts going around in my head, I was able to have a small moment of clarity in which to help someone I love dearly. I'm now back to not being able to not being able to even begin to decipher the chaos in my mind, but for that moment, everything made sense.

And it Continues...

Make that two roommates who have now de-friended me on facebook.
Good news though--things are going better with roommate number one. We may end up actually being real friends eventually.

Quote of the Day

"I don't like anime. Is that racist?"

-Brooklin

A Lovely Little Lymmeric

So, I realize that there are a lot of things that I could (and probably should) blog about instead, but today I wrote a poem on the fridge. So I thought I would share. Keep in mind that this was written using the magnetic poetry set--dozens of little magnets with different words on them--so word choice was limited. And I wrote it while standing in the kitchen while my mom was making dinner. So... not a lot of thought went into it. This is how it went:

Fiddle for me

A sad drunken dream

Of visions too sweet to come true.

Then sing me to sleep

With music so deep

As I whisper of my love for you.

Hahaha... I love magnetic poetry.
:)

YouTube Debut

Last Sunday was my good friend Emily's birthday. Being poor college students and not being able to afford to get her anything for her birthday, Phebe and I decided that we should write her a song. So we did. I wrote the lyrics and Patrick helped us put it to music. Pretty sure it was the best reaction to any gift I've ever given. Emily loved it! It was way ridiculous and seemingly random, but it was perfect for Emily. You probably won't think it's funny if you don't know her, but it is actually quite genious. Enjoy!

Emily's Birthday Song

Performed by Patrick Farrington, Rachel Nell Pearce, and Phebe Findlay

Super-Mega-Foxy-Awesome-Hot!

I now have a brand new wicked-sweet tie-dye t-shirt, WHICH I made all by myself! You should be proud. Pictures to come!

Quote of the Day

"And I'm all twitterpated inside which makes me have to pee more."

Just a Hunch...

So I have this roommate, right? And sometimes I get this feeling she doesn't like me. But maybe I'm just reading too much into the fact that she always gives me funny looks, stops talking when I walk into the room, and deleted me as a friend on facebook. It could mean nothing. :)

In the Audience

I had the wonderful opportunity this weekend to travel home to Kaysville to see five of my best friends and their classmates, the current Advanced Theatre class of Davis High, perform "A Night of Shakespeare." I was so excited to be able to see these people who I love so dearly and miss terribly, but I was afraid it was going to be weird for me. It wasn’t like I expected. Yes, it was weird to think that at this time last year and the year before, it was me who was up on that stage doing the same thing they were. It felt strange to not personally know every single person in the cast. It was odd not knowing what to expect beforehand. But what wasn’t weird was sitting in the audience and watching new people doing what I had done for two years. No, being an audience member didn’t seem strange at all. In fact, it felt right.

In high school, I had the amazing and rare opportunity to be a part of the Advanced Theatre class for two years. I cannot even imagine what my high school experience would have been like without it. Andra Thorne and the students in both classes truly changed my life and taught me things I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else. On the last day of school last year, our class took a mini “field trip” to the auditorium where we sat on the stage one last time as a class. This was an exceptionally hard day for me. I was so ready to be done with high school; to get out of there and move on with my life. I wanted to have new adventures and be able to start over. But I wasn’t ready to let go of the family that had been created for me in that theatre class. It was my safe haven. I had been dreading having to say goodbye for quite sometime.

When we got to the auditorium, Andra had us all lie on the stage and remember the things we had done there. She then left us to do what we personally needed to do in order to let go. First, I stood at the very back of the stage along the wall. I watched everyone in front of me on that stage and thought about all that we had been through together. I watched each of them struggling to let go and say goodbye just as I was. I then proceeded to move to every position on the stage where I had had a scene in all of the shows I had been in at Davis High. I stood where I had stood for various scenes in Macbeth: places I had crouched as part of the rock; where I had stood when I agreed to become a murderer; the places where I fought Banquo and attacked the house of Macduff; my place at the banquet; where I died in the final battle scene. I knelt in the same place where I, as a junior, had been painting set when Andra took me by surprise and asked me if I would be the president of next year’s class. I walked through the scenes of The Scarlet Pimpernel and the musical revue. And lastly, I lost myself in the memory of Peter Pan. I leaned against the pillar that once was my tree. I sat where my nook in the home under the ground had been. I walked to the place where I died in Peter’s arms and was saved by the clapping audience; the wing of the stage where I was hoisted into the air so many times before flying across the stage; and my place in the “Dreamenture” pose from the beginning and end of the show. I walked through every role I had ever played on that stage in the auditorium. And then I walked to the stairs that led off the stage and into the audience. I stood at the top step looking down for what seemed like forever. Then I finally took the step I needed to take—I stepped off of the stage and into the seats of the audience. I let go of my places on that stage and embraced the truth that my place was now in those seats, supporting the ones who would take my place. I walked out of that auditorium knowing that it would be enough to hold on to the memories, and that it would be okay to let someone else have the amazing experience of being part of the new family that would soon form.

Being at Night of Shakespeare on Friday brought me back to that day when I decided it was okay to let go. It was the closure I had needed at the end of two years of being a part of Advanced. That experience and closure I had had that day allowed me to go to the show and be perfectly comfortable sitting in the audience. I was so excited to see the new class up there on that stage, knowing that they still had no idea what that class will bring to them. It brought back so many memories to watch those who were performing Shakespeare for the first time and were yet to be comfortable with it, compared to those who had come to realize their love and passion for the works of that amazing man. I am so excited for these kids to have an experience like the one I had. They have so much in store for them. I will forever be grateful for the experiences that I had in that class and I’m so glad that it can continue onto new people each year. Thank you, Andra, and all the previous members of Advanced Theatre who shared those experiences with me. And to all those who are just beginning the class or who will be in it in the years to come, thank you for allowing me to relive all those precious memories through your performances.

Stalker

I love my roommate. This is a wonderful song that she introduced me to. It's called "Stalker" by Goldfinger. Read the lyrics and listen to the song. It's wonderful. Probably because I love stalking people. It kind of defines my life.

She calls me on the phone

Hoping that I’m home

(And that I’m all alone)

But when I say hello

I only hear dial tones

(She thinks that I’m her own)

Outside my window she crept

Watching my every step

ooh ooh ooh

She’s following me

ooh ooh ooh

She’s out of her tree

ooh ooh ooh

She’s off of her rocker

I wanna marry my stalker

Sometimes she says she’s my mom

Looks like she doesn’t belong

(She’s my own peeping tom)

Flowers everyday

The cops they tell her to stay

500 feet away

She sleeps on my door step

She hasn’t heard me yet

ooh ooh ooh

She’s following me

ooh ooh ooh

She’s out of her tree

ooh ooh ooh

She’s off of her rocker

I wanna marry my

I wanna marry my

I wanna marry my stalker

This morning she wasn’t there

I hope she still cares

I almost gave up hope

but today I awoke

To a private note

She said she’s going to jail

For going through my mail

But she'll stay on my trail

ooh ooh ooh

She’s following me

ooh ooh ooh

She’s out of her tree

ooh ooh ooh

She’s off of her rocker

I wanna marry my stalker

Big Kid School

School has been in session for almost a month, and I've yet to write anything about it. So, for anyone who cares, I apologize. School is going fabulously! I am absolutely loving it up here! My classes aren't necessarily exciting by any means, but most of the time I find them interesting. I am currently taking creative arts, nutrition, human development, and statistics (Just the minimum 12 credits. Yes, I'm a wuss, but that's the way I like it.). This week I had my first two college exams. Yikes! Luckily I passed both of them, and didn't do too badly either.

Life in Logan is better than I could have ever imagined. I never thought that it could be this fun. My roommate, Brooklin, is a blast! Her and I are so much alike, except that she's cuter and much more bubbly than I am. (No, it's true. She already has a following of boys.) We have lots of fun together and we help each other stay motivated. My ward is great too! I love all the people on my floor, especially the girls two doors down. I love how here you can be almost constantly surrounded by friends and positive influences.

Brooklin and Lindsay, two of my roommates

Things I've learned in college so far:

• There is definitely a long way and a quick way to get places
• Don't lick the walls. The paint has lead in it.
• Do your dishes BEFORE you get to the point where the only thing you have clean is a spoon
• Apparently, not everyone has a mother that teaches them to clean up after themselves
• You can find friends in unexpected places
• A new song on the guitar
• Dancing in the rain will always be fun
• The anatomy of the digestive system
• Not having anything on Mondays is the most glorious thing in the world
• How to clean out a fish bowl with nothing but a small cup and an orange juice pitcher
• A sheet of ice shatters quite splendidly when you drop it off a third floor balcony
• There's a $50 fine for dropping things off the third floor balcony
• I love the library
• You can become best friends with people who were previously strangers in a matter of days
• Nothing beats acoustic poetry night
• USU must be the favorite school of Asians
• There are lots of fun things to do with hospital masks
• It hurts your hands to try to carry all your groceries up two flights of stairs in one trip
• Spray-and-wash is my best friend
• Having a clean kitchen is a wonderful feeling
• Never turn down free food
• Patience
• Arthur never dies
• There aren't near enough episodes of Puzzle Place on YouTube
• Post-it notes are a great way to decorate cinder block walls
• Everything is funnier when Phebe is around
• A Very Potter Musical is the best thing. Ever.
• Shaving your legs in a three foot shower is like trying to wrestle an alligator (comparison courtesy of Brooklin)
• It IS possible to have fun and be studious at the same time
• And oh, so much more...

I'm so glad I decided to come up to Utah State. I can't imagine myself being anywhere else!

Our first dinner :) ~ My little bedroom ~ Heading to the 80's dance

This is Phebe. I love her. ~ Caught in the rain

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday, Best Friend. Hope it's a good one.

Phenominal Cosmic Powers, Itty Bitty Living Space

Want to hear something weird? I'm living in an apartment. At college. I have my own dishes and a whole case of Spaghettios. No one makes me food. (Well, except for tonight because my cousin Jaci invited me over for dinner, but you know what I mean.) I live in a tiny space with five other girls and only one bathroom. So far only four out of the six of us are here, but pretty soon it will be a full house.

I want to go back to kindergarten.

Okay, that makes it sound like I'm not enjoying myself at all when really I am. My roommates that are here already are all way nice and seem like very good girls. I still haven't met the other two (including the one I share a room with), but I'm sure it will all work out. Taryn, Erika, and Lindsay are the ones who are here and Brooklin and Christine are arriving later this week.

Moving in was kind of fun, actually. I liked being able to start from scratch and organize all my stuff. I got everything put away within a couple hours, and my OCD got the best of me tonight when I finally broke down and put away everyone else's kitchen stuff that they had piled on the already too small countertop. Both my parents and my two younger brothers came with me to help move all my stuff in and send me off. Dad and the boys carried all of my stuff up the two flights of stairs for me. My mom and I went grocery shopping and came back well stocked before we all went out to lunch. Then the brought me back and left me. That was weird, tell you what. I didn't really know what to do with myself all day. I kind of just sat a lot or found things to do on my computer while the other girls moved their stuff in. Today was a lot better though because we had church (that was an experience, tell you what) to add a little more structure. All four of us sat and talked for a long time tonight and I think that we're going to get along just great.

Maybe college won't be too bad, and it might be kind of fun to be "grown up"... but I'm definitely not throwing out my Disney Princesses Dreams Come True Forever coloring book.

Identity Theft

I saw this advertised in this month's Family Fun magazine and I almost cried. I guess the first movie didn't do enough injustice. This is what disneysociety.com says about it:

"In Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell’s greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter. The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow’s supply of pixie dust will be restored. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right."

I'm sorry, Disney, but Tinkerbell does not make "magical sceptors" to change the color of the leaves. Nor does she fly in a hot air balloon. And she may be sassy, but she's not a skank. Put some clothes on her. Give her some credit (and some dignity). AND... since when does Tinkerbell live in "Pixie Hollow"? What happened to Neverland?

And as if that's not bad enough... Disney has already set out on making the third and fourth Tinkerbell movies, and have announced that they will be followed by a fifth (to be called Tinkerbell: Race Through the Seasons. Seriously? Can't come up with anything other than the four seasons to base your movies off of? Isn't that what the first two are about?). I'm just glad J.M. Barrie isn't around to see this. What a disgrace. Sorry, Tink. I think you deserve a lot more credit than that.

Closed for Repairs

Today I was reminded of the reason we have families.

It's a well-known saying that friends come and go. In my life, that seems to be an understatement. For some reason, I have never had a "best friend." Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of friends that I've been really close to. In fact, I can't count the number of times I've considered someone to be my best friend, but the feeling never seems to be mutual. After a while they find someone new and decide they don't need me anymore, regardless of whether or not I still need them. So today as I was thinking of an old "best friend" and sincerely missing her company, I came to the realization that that is why God gave us families; because not everybody can have a best friend at all times. It was a reaffirmation of something I already knew, but something I needed to rediscover. Friends may come and go, but my family will always be there. Even when we're in different parts of the state or the world, my family is an anchor that never floats away.

I read a great piece of advice in a magazine article just a little while ago. It said, "Never burn bridges. Just close them down for repairs for a while." I love that thought. I am still very grateful for and love all the friends I've had in my life who have helped to shape me into who I am, even if they have gone a different way for now. I hope that our paths can cross again someday. As for the friend I was thinking about today, I just wish that the construction on our bridge can be over soon, because I don't want to watch anything burn. I love you.

"And all the things that break you,

Are the things that make you strong!

You can't change the past,

Cause it's gone.

And you just gotta move on,

Because it's all

Lessons learned."

-Carrie Underwood (Lessons Learned)

East Coast and Just Up North

Okay, so I realize that I lied about the whole writing what I did on my trip thing, but I promise it was unintentional. I actually started writing it all out about a week after I got back, but I never really got around to finishing it. I think it would just feel out of place if I did it now, as it has now been over three weeks since I got home. I will, however, tell you that I absolutely loved the little vacation. It was way fun to be able to spend some time with my sister, and Washington, DC was a total blast! We didn't do everything, but we crammed as many monuments, museums, and memorials into four days as we could without going insane, while still managing to get in one day at Six Flags. One of my favorites (yes, I'm a nerd) was definitely the Folger Shakespeare Library. So cool. Even my sister, whose expansive knowledge of Shakespeare consists of sitting through one performance of Macbeth when I was in it, enjoyed the tour of the library. The Shakespeare Library (bless you, Sir William) wasn't the only thing I liked though. I was actually surprised at how much I loved seeing all the monuments, museums, and government buildings when I have very little knowledge of American history or government. (Sorry, Mr. Hansen, but you were a horrible civics teacher.) I found it all very fascinating, and as cliche as it sounds, it made me feel proud to be a part of this country. And, not going to lie, I loved how many black people there were. Especially outside of the city where my sister lives. So cool.

I guess DC was kind of my "senior trip" since my trip to Guatemala got canceled due to the collapsing economy, drug wars, swine flu, and the giant earthquake. I did still get to go to Bear Lake a week-and-a-half ago though. Bear Lake, a.k.a. my happy place, is the one yearly event that is looked forward to by my whole extended family even more than Christmas. Nothing can beat a week at the lake with all my cousins just boating, swimming, jet-skiing, and playing on the beach all day and then coming back to eat, play games, and watch movies well into the night. So blissful. i haven't missed a year of Bear Lake my whole entire life. One day when I'm rich I'm going to build a huge cabin on the beach and just spend all summer there. Mmmm...

So, I guess what I'm saying is that even though I haven't really done much except work all summer and play with my little sisters, at least I've been able to go a couple places. The first trip found me in a part of the country that I'd never seen before, and the second reminded me of how lucky I am to have such an amazing family. All in all, not a bad summer.

D.C., Here I Come!

Well... I'm off! In approximately 9 hours and 14 minutes, I will be in a plane, taking off and headed for Washington, D.C.! I was lucky enough to get a direct flight both ways, so lets hope I'm lucky enough NOT to get the fat, smelly guy that takes up 1 1/2 seats next to me. I'm not taking my computer, but I'll try to still write about some of the things I'm doing while I'm there and add pictures when I get home.

See you in 6 days!

Finding Neverland

A few months ago, I had the magical experience of being in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. I won't get into details, but the main concept or theme behind our show was that of rediscovering your inner child and letting that part of you play a role in your life. Throughout our rehearsal process and the actual production, the whole cast planned and participated in "inner child activities" where we indulged in fun playtimes of our past. The experience was definitely a fun one, but not entirely unique. It was unique in the fact that I was getting to do it every day with a wonderful group of people who I love dearly, but unoriginal in the sense that I've always held on to that aspect of myself. I've never been afraid to allow myself to be a child-- to play silly games, color with crayons, carry around coloring books and play-doh, and use my imagination.

Through my experiences with Peter Pan, I was reminded of how to find Neverland, but the best adventures I have there are when Neverland finds me. Let me explain.

Yesterday when I came home from work, I ended up in the backyard with my two little sisters-- Graci who is almost 4 and Makenna who is 2 1/2. I pushed them in the swings for a while and sat in the grass, but pretty soon I found myself chasing hyenas and dinosaurs, fighting pirates, and flying through the sky as Graci's imagination worked freely and quickly. We were Peter Pan, Wendy, and Michael for one minute, then pirates or Indians the next. A soccer net quickly became a cave when we were being chased by rampaging hippopotamuses, and the grass transformed into the ocean as we flipped our mermaid tails and sang "Part of Your World." We fought off monsters and beasts of every variety, and even had a brief Spiderman sighting. I was saved my magic drops of potion more than once, with Graci as Peter Pan (or sometimes Wendy) leading the way. The adventures went on and on, and only paused when it was time for dinner.

It didn't take an organized activity to take me away to far off places. Instead, all it took was my little playmate allowing me to have a peek into her constantly moving, creative mind. Thank you, Graci, for always bringing me back to Neverland.

-hiding in the cave-

-killed by pirates-

-fighting the dinosaurs-

-being a lion-

-flying through Neverland-

Quotes of the Day

Rachel: Hey Graci! Can I take a picture of your pretty hair?
Graci: Yeah. I wanna make a silly face!!
(Pulls sides of mouth with fingers and rolls her eyes)
Graci: ...Those were my crazy eyes.

Makenna: RAAAAACHEL!!!

Graci: What, Kenna?

Makenna: I want Rachel!

Graci: I AM Rachel!!

The Future Mr. and Mrs. Bishop

On Monday, my cousin, Jenny, and her fiance were nice enough to let me hike up Ensign peak with them and take some pictures. They hired a real photographer to do their engagements, but wanted some pictures of them where they got engaged. It was a blast! I am definitely not the best photographer in the world, but they turned out all right. It was kind of weird to see my cousin kissing a boy, but it was great to be able to spend some time with Jenny and Tyler (and my dad who came along to help!) and to get to know my future cousin-in-law a little better. Here are a few of my favorites (I have a really hard time just picking a couple. Obviously.):

Like I said... I couldn't pick just one or two. Even this was hard!

I absolutely love taking pictures, and I kind of like my cousin (Just kidding, Jen. I love you!) so it was pretty much a heavenly experience for me. The one thing we did have to work around was the fact that none of us were smart enough to realize that Monday is probably the most crowded day at Ensign Peak, but we managed to work around the masses pretty well. We did have to ask a couple of girls if they could sit somewhere else for a minute so we could take pictures by the monument, but I made my dad do the dirty work so that wasn't bad. Jenny and Tyler are both a lot of fun, and Tyler was a good sport and even reenacted his proposal for the sake of the camera. Just going to Ensign Peak was fun too because I had never been there before. I liked being able to go with my dad so he could tell me all about it. It was a fun day!

Blogstalking

So I have this obnoxious passtime where I like to read people's blogs. Most of the time I'm pretty sure the people whose blogs I read have no idea that I even knew it existed because they weren't personally the one to tell me about it (I usually find their blog through a link on somebody else's page). That's actually a big reason why I started this blog. To soothe my conscience. I figured if I'm going to be reading other people's blogs (which I thoroughly enjoy, by the way), they should have the chance to read mine if they want. Not that I have anything interesting to write about. (Even if I did, it would sound stupid because I am definitely NOT a writer.) The only problem is that I've yet to tell anyone that I started a blog. But hey, they didn't tell me about theirs, did they? So if you happen to stumble across this... please leave a comment. I would love to know if anyone has read any of this. And if you are reading this, congratulations on reading clear to the end. You rock. Annnd.. you probably need a life.
:)

Popsicles: My Symbol of Summer

Today, I ate my first popsicle of summer. Not that I haven't eaten a popsicle lately, but today I actually ate one because I was hot. Welcome, summer!

Pony Express

I don't know why, but I find this to be extremely funny. Watch it a few times. You'll laugh. (I tried to just post the video, but apparently I'm an idiot and coudn't figure it out, so you'll just have to click on the link)

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/digital-short-pony-express/1037141/

Growth Spurts

Tonight at dinner, my three-and-a-half-year-old sister out ate me. My thirteen-year-old brother is now more than an inch taller than me, and the two-year-old informed me she wants to go to school. Oh, how they grow so fast.

UP

Last night I decided to tag along with my older brother and a couple of his friends who were going to go see the new Disney/Pixar movie, Up. Let me just say that it was nothing like I expected it to be. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting out of it--I guess something along the lines of Cars or Toy Story--but what it ended up being was so much more. I think I can sincerely say that it was the single best movie I have ever watched in my entire life. It was a beautiful story that contained such a deep message that has left me contemplating the complexities of the universe for more that 24 hours.

The movie is a story about an old man who promised his wife when they were just little kids that he would one day take her to Paradise Falls in South America. They try for years and years to get there, but one thing after another keeps them from being able to afford the expensive journey. When his wife dies, the old man's last wish is to be able to fulfill the promise he made to her when they were just kids together, so he fills up hundreds, maybe thousands of helium balloons attached to his house and floats to South America. Their story ended up being one of the most beautiful and compelling love stories I have ever seen or heard. I want to be just like them when I'm old. Actually, my whole life. I hope I can someday have a marriage as beautiful as theirs. The majority of this part is done with little or no words.

Okay, so making your house float with helium balloons may sound goofy and the movie was quite humorous, but the deep love this couple had for each other was so touching. It portrayed their life together with such simplicity and romance. I am doing a horrible job at describing the immense emotion and affection that was shown between these two. I'm not going to lie, I cried a couple times. Even the small things like the mailbox showed how much he loved her and wanted more than anything just to make her happy. And she was. She was happy with their simple lifestyle and the small adventures they had together brought her more joy than going to South America ever could. That was the message of this movie: enjoying the small things.

My favorite line from the whole movie came from the little wilderness explorer boy, Russell. He is telling Carl (the old man) about how his father used to take him to an ice cream parlor where they would sit on the curb and count cars. Russell would count the blue ones and his dad would count the red ones and whoever counted the most won. He says, "It may just sound boring to you, but for some reason, the boring stuff is what I remember most."

The boring stuff.

That line really made me think. Most of my fondest memories aren't big events or vacations; they're the simple, boring, everyday things. Playing goofy games with my family. Watching baseball with my dad. Talks with my mom at the bottom of the stairs till midnight. The dumb jokes my family tells. Playing house with my sister. Listening to my older brother spill his brains on any topic you bring up. Finally discovering that Grandma always won at hearts and rook because she cheated, and learning how to cheat back. The list could go on and on. That was the message I got from the movie. The small things, ultimately, end up being our biggest adventure.

"Appreciate the little things, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."

Thank you, Pixar, for creating a wholesome movie that makes me think.