'Tis true.
Zippity doo dah, zippity ay, my oh my what a wonderful day! Pleanty of sunshine headin' my way, zippity doo dah, zippity ay! Mr Blue Bird's on my shoulder. Tt's the truth; it's actual; everything is satisfactual. Zippity doo dah, zippity ay, wonderful feelin' wonderful day!
I am excited. Really I am. I'm excited for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I'm excited for each of our upcoming reahearsals and performances for band (especially the performances.) I'm excited for my classes and I'm excited for after school every day. I'm excited to see the musical and I'm extra extra extra excited for Pearl Harbor (68 days!)
I've a skip in my step and a twinkle in my eye and I'm happy to walk beneath the bright blue sky. I just want to dance, I just want to run, I just want to lay there and soak up the sun. I have no great reason to feel this way, I just simply do cuz it's that kind of day!
Which reminds me...
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You'll be off to great places!
You'll be off and away!
You've got brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own, and you know what you know, and YOU are the person who'll decide where you go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
That may have been slightly random, but I feel it was wonderful, don't you?
Please circle one answer with sharpie:
Yes No
You're my favorite, and don't you forget it.
Also, as a side note, I've noticed that the quality of my posts might possibly be directly linked to the time of day at which I post them, so if you see a really lamepost, assume I typed it in the middle of the night and ignore it. Sleep well!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
12
I once heard a story of a man who was taken by his friend to see a famous piano player in a concert. After the concert, the man found out that the piano player had six fingers on each of his hands. "How can he play piano with twelve fingers?" The man asked his friend. "The extra fingers would get in the way." His friend simply responded by saying "That last song can only be played with 12 fingers."
This 12 fingered man could have seen his extra fingers in the way that the man who watched his concert did, as only an extra burden and a problem to make his life more difficult. He could of sulked his life away wondering why he had to have this terrible punishment. Instead, this Piano player saw his extra fingers in a way that others could not; he realized that he could use them to make something incredible that nobody else could, and in doing so was able to figure out that this was not a curse, but a gift.
I believe that everybody has something unique and special, and all they need to do is realize the potential of their gift and they can take it far and create something of incredible value. Something may seem at first to be a punishment or burden to carry, but turn out to be able to bless not only the life of the carrier, but a blessing to the lives of those around him as well. It is a terribly sad thing when a person has a unique gift and they can only see it as a problem because they aren't trying to look for the bigger picture or see what could come of it, so it goes to waste.
I encourage each person to take their extra fingers and make unique and magical music for the world to hear. There's not much greater than that.
This 12 fingered man could have seen his extra fingers in the way that the man who watched his concert did, as only an extra burden and a problem to make his life more difficult. He could of sulked his life away wondering why he had to have this terrible punishment. Instead, this Piano player saw his extra fingers in a way that others could not; he realized that he could use them to make something incredible that nobody else could, and in doing so was able to figure out that this was not a curse, but a gift.
I believe that everybody has something unique and special, and all they need to do is realize the potential of their gift and they can take it far and create something of incredible value. Something may seem at first to be a punishment or burden to carry, but turn out to be able to bless not only the life of the carrier, but a blessing to the lives of those around him as well. It is a terribly sad thing when a person has a unique gift and they can only see it as a problem because they aren't trying to look for the bigger picture or see what could come of it, so it goes to waste.
I encourage each person to take their extra fingers and make unique and magical music for the world to hear. There's not much greater than that.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Attempt #1
I attempted using the Paint program on my computer to make a picture of some of my awesome friends.
You can click on it to make it bigger.
I guess it's not too bad.
Unfortunately my resizing skills failed so some people are too small. For the record, the size does not in any way reflect how much I like you. If it did, any one of you would take up the whole thing.
Also I did not put everyone in here that I would've liked to include, I just got lazy with it and ended it early. Also I couldn't find any good pictures of some people. If I left you out, don't worry, I still love you.
My Family
It's about time I blogged about my family, because basically they're the best people ever.
My Mother and Father are absolutely fantastic. I'm very grateful to be lucky enough to be born as Nephi of old, to goodly parents who love the Lord. I'm glad to have been taught and to understand that we must do as the Lord commands. (I love that song.) I cannot express how thankful I am to have parents who always encourage righteousness and hold FHE every Monday, as well as family scriptures and prayers every day. They have really given me most of the building blocks that make up my testimony. What could they possibly give that could be better?
I am extremely grateful to my Dad for always planning super fun family activities and always being there to talk to or laugh with.
I am especially grateful to my Mom for being an amazing cook and an incredible teacher. My Parents are the best.
My brother Will is one of my very best friends, and also a great example to me. I have tried hard to follow in his footsteps in things like scouting, band, and academic achievements, but I'm afraid he's got me beat. I'm still good competition for him when we play games or sports though. I'm really glad to have an older brother, and I wish I had more older siblings.
Paul is fabulous too. I feel bad for him that he has to endure through all these surgeries and things from his appendix exploding, but he's getting better. He'll be able to come to school tomorrow, which is definitely a good thing. I'm sad that he wasn't able to do band this year because of it; it would've been really fun to have him as a band buddy now that Will is graduated.
Robert skipped a grade and is now a 13 year old Freshman who doesn't turn 14 until June. Yeah, he's cool. It would be really great if he was going to Timpview so there would be three of us there at once, but I guess Meridian is cool too. I'm still going to try to convince him to go to Timpview next year though because Timpview needs someone like him; he's a great example to all those around him (including me,) and he may be tiny, but he has a huge testimony and a huge brain. That kid is going places. I'm glad I'm his brother.
Jacob turns 11 tomorrow. Yes, I already made him his Hogwarts acceptance letter. Holy cow. How can he be turning 11? I still remember him being 5. Anyway, he's a really hard worker. It seems like he's always busy with music or dance or school, and he always strives to become exceptional at whatever he does. Look out world, Jacob's coming.
Sarah's a real sweetie. She's really inspiring because she loves everything so much! I've never heard her say that she hates something. She loves dancing, she loves horses, she loves her friends and her toys and her blankets and her room and anything else that she comes in contact with. She's definitely delightful to be around.
Elizabeth is adorable. She is a pure bundle of cuteness with maybe a little bit of destruction mixed in. I remember one time that she poured a box of cereal on the carpet, and while I was getting stuff to clean it up with she added the milk. She loves commanding around her toys and being the boss, and you can't help but love her to death because she's so adorable. I'm pretty sure all the boys in her Sunday school class are in love with her.
David can do anything. He's going to be famous when he grows up, and probably for at least seven different things. He loves climbing and playing music and hanging out with his older siblings and his friends. Whenever I leave to go somewhere he always wants to come with me. The only problem with him is tracking him down.
Basically my family is amazing and I love them more than I love milkshakes. And that is saying something.
Of course I can't forget all of my friends either, because we're all spirit siblings! You're all my family and I love you a ton!
My Mother and Father are absolutely fantastic. I'm very grateful to be lucky enough to be born as Nephi of old, to goodly parents who love the Lord. I'm glad to have been taught and to understand that we must do as the Lord commands. (I love that song.) I cannot express how thankful I am to have parents who always encourage righteousness and hold FHE every Monday, as well as family scriptures and prayers every day. They have really given me most of the building blocks that make up my testimony. What could they possibly give that could be better?
I am extremely grateful to my Dad for always planning super fun family activities and always being there to talk to or laugh with.
I am especially grateful to my Mom for being an amazing cook and an incredible teacher. My Parents are the best.
My brother Will is one of my very best friends, and also a great example to me. I have tried hard to follow in his footsteps in things like scouting, band, and academic achievements, but I'm afraid he's got me beat. I'm still good competition for him when we play games or sports though. I'm really glad to have an older brother, and I wish I had more older siblings.
Paul is fabulous too. I feel bad for him that he has to endure through all these surgeries and things from his appendix exploding, but he's getting better. He'll be able to come to school tomorrow, which is definitely a good thing. I'm sad that he wasn't able to do band this year because of it; it would've been really fun to have him as a band buddy now that Will is graduated.
Robert skipped a grade and is now a 13 year old Freshman who doesn't turn 14 until June. Yeah, he's cool. It would be really great if he was going to Timpview so there would be three of us there at once, but I guess Meridian is cool too. I'm still going to try to convince him to go to Timpview next year though because Timpview needs someone like him; he's a great example to all those around him (including me,) and he may be tiny, but he has a huge testimony and a huge brain. That kid is going places. I'm glad I'm his brother.
Jacob turns 11 tomorrow. Yes, I already made him his Hogwarts acceptance letter. Holy cow. How can he be turning 11? I still remember him being 5. Anyway, he's a really hard worker. It seems like he's always busy with music or dance or school, and he always strives to become exceptional at whatever he does. Look out world, Jacob's coming.
Sarah's a real sweetie. She's really inspiring because she loves everything so much! I've never heard her say that she hates something. She loves dancing, she loves horses, she loves her friends and her toys and her blankets and her room and anything else that she comes in contact with. She's definitely delightful to be around.
Elizabeth is adorable. She is a pure bundle of cuteness with maybe a little bit of destruction mixed in. I remember one time that she poured a box of cereal on the carpet, and while I was getting stuff to clean it up with she added the milk. She loves commanding around her toys and being the boss, and you can't help but love her to death because she's so adorable. I'm pretty sure all the boys in her Sunday school class are in love with her.
David can do anything. He's going to be famous when he grows up, and probably for at least seven different things. He loves climbing and playing music and hanging out with his older siblings and his friends. Whenever I leave to go somewhere he always wants to come with me. The only problem with him is tracking him down.
Basically my family is amazing and I love them more than I love milkshakes. And that is saying something.
Of course I can't forget all of my friends either, because we're all spirit siblings! You're all my family and I love you a ton!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Deutsch
Okay, I'm not sure why, but German has really been exciting me lately. I really enjoy speaking it and listening to it and reading in it etc... I even switched the default language of my blog and my facebook to German, and lately I've been reading the BOM auf Deutsch. Basically it's great. Aufwiedersehen!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
15 People That Made Me Especially Happy Today
In Alphabetical Order
Amber Blair
Andrew Peatross
Dania Frandsen
Jacob Crandall
Kristen Blair
Lauren Blair
Michaela Labit
Miriam Bay
Mr. Myrup
Nicole Hopkinson
Robert Oldroyd
Shelby Woolf
Sophie Blair
Will Oldroyd
Yon Soo Park
Thank you all. You're the greatest.
Amber Blair
Andrew Peatross
Dania Frandsen
Jacob Crandall
Kristen Blair
Lauren Blair
Michaela Labit
Miriam Bay
Mr. Myrup
Nicole Hopkinson
Robert Oldroyd
Shelby Woolf
Sophie Blair
Will Oldroyd
Yon Soo Park
Thank you all. You're the greatest.
Today is a Good Day to Live
Today was an absolutely wonderful day in every way. Really. I don't know what could possibly have made this day better. I got to sleep in for a few minutes, Journalism was fun, Seminary was fantastic! I officially love my seminary class. I got to see lots of people at lunch that I haven't seen in a while, Physics was incredibly fun, and the basses got to have a sectional with the new drums (cue choir of angels.) After school I got new shoes and then got to hang out with some of my very very favorite graduated people. Basically today just made me happy. I love people.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
WORLD IN TURMOIL
Today an extreme series of events transpired, leaving people wondering if the end of the world is coming early. First off we have reports that the leaning tower of Pisa fell over... the wrong way. No, nobody was prepared for this, and they didn't even get a decent picture. The country of France is in panic as they search for their beloved Eiffel tower which apparently went missing early this morning. "We are willing to surrender to get it back." Says Frenchman Remi Whey.
Meanwhile everyone in Asia is running from the great wall of china which turned into a giant serpent and started looking it's mother. The Washington Monument somehow got turned upside down, mount Rushmore started singing a barbershop quartet, Niagara falls is flowing backwards, and the weather in Utah seems to have stabilized. Astronomers are perplexed to see that the sea of tranquility has been filled with Jello, Orion fought off Taurus using the big dipper, And Jupiter got engaged to Neptune using one of Saturn's rings. Satellites show that Iceland has melted, Hawaii is on vacation, and Italy finally completed that punt.
"We've all been put into a time lapse for ten thousand fortnights." Says highwayman Noah Everysing. "I can tell because my watch is no longer synchronized with my microwave."
World leaders have taken drastic measures to ensure that everyone remains calm. The Germans took inventory on their wine stores and the prime minister of Canada even released the new snow cone flavor that their scientist has been researching for decades. "I don't really know what's going on," Governor Paul S. E. admits, "But it's okay because I switched to Geico."
"Hopefully everything will turn out in the end." President Louis N. Toomy assures America "I guess if you're reading this it means we fixed the biggest problems, because currently the Internet is down."
Meanwhile everyone in Asia is running from the great wall of china which turned into a giant serpent and started looking it's mother. The Washington Monument somehow got turned upside down, mount Rushmore started singing a barbershop quartet, Niagara falls is flowing backwards, and the weather in Utah seems to have stabilized. Astronomers are perplexed to see that the sea of tranquility has been filled with Jello, Orion fought off Taurus using the big dipper, And Jupiter got engaged to Neptune using one of Saturn's rings. Satellites show that Iceland has melted, Hawaii is on vacation, and Italy finally completed that punt.
"We've all been put into a time lapse for ten thousand fortnights." Says highwayman Noah Everysing. "I can tell because my watch is no longer synchronized with my microwave."
World leaders have taken drastic measures to ensure that everyone remains calm. The Germans took inventory on their wine stores and the prime minister of Canada even released the new snow cone flavor that their scientist has been researching for decades. "I don't really know what's going on," Governor Paul S. E. admits, "But it's okay because I switched to Geico."
"Hopefully everything will turn out in the end." President Louis N. Toomy assures America "I guess if you're reading this it means we fixed the biggest problems, because currently the Internet is down."
Friday, August 26, 2011
Secrets Revealed at Last
Pouah. Ce message s'affichera de manière abusive en français afin de vous épargner le fardeau de la réalité de la lire. Dans le cas où on parle français, excusez-moi. Dans le cas où vous avez été assez curieux pour copier ce texte et le coller dans Google Translate(by the way, I tried plugging it back into google translate and it's nothing like I actually typed in the first place, so tough luck.), c'est votre temps que vous perdez. Vous pourriez faire quelque chose de parfaitement utile comme remplir que 72 paquets page de travail chargé de votre professeur préféré moins vous avez donné, ou devenir un malnutritionist professionnel. Quoi qu'il en soit, pour se rendre à l'objet principal de ce post, je suis mort. Je veux vraiment être excité et tout ça, mais je ne semble pas être brûlé. Je me suis trouvé en laissant à chaque seconde timpview rechange que je ne suis pas supporter les jabber des lehrerins ineducated, et cela comprend des choses telles que sauter des parties, sortir des séances, et d'autres choses que je n'aurais normalement considérer comme amusant. J'avais l'habitude de l'amour de refroidissement à l'école pendant le déjeuner, et maintenant je préfère marcher la maison. Le pire est que je veux vraiment veulent rester et avoir du plaisir, mais mon cerveau est surchargé et il me semble avoir disparu partiellement fou. Un de ces jours je vais trouver mon énergie à nouveau, et puis je vais être amusant de traîner avec. Til-là , je ne sera probablement pas vous voir plus tard. Malgré tout cela, j'ai encore vraiment l'amour tous et chacun de vous et j'aime être avec vous.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Just an update on my life
Yep. Basically I have been spending every waking moment at band camp, except today, because today is saturday. This means I don't have to go to school for 8 hours, right? Not a chance. Tech. That's actually what I am doing right now. Sitting backstage telling people what to do. Well, more like sitting backstage typing on my computer. It's very dull. But hey, I'm getting money for it.
I am now going to talk about band camp because that is much more worthwhile than talking about tech at the moment. First of all, I absolutely love Ice Dance. It is fantastic to march, expecially when we don't have to wear our drums. The other songs are fun to march too, just a lot more exhausting. This show is going to be incredible.
Thst's all folks.
I am now going to talk about band camp because that is much more worthwhile than talking about tech at the moment. First of all, I absolutely love Ice Dance. It is fantastic to march, expecially when we don't have to wear our drums. The other songs are fun to march too, just a lot more exhausting. This show is going to be incredible.
Thst's all folks.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
?yhW
.gnihtemos ro yad yreve tsop siht ot erom dda thgim I os ,niarb ym rof doog si sdrawkcab gnipyt kniht I .eb dluow ti thguoht I naht od ot redrah chum osla s’tI .sdrawkcab tsop siht etirw ot gnitseretni eb dluow ti thguoht I tub ,siht od ot em dessessop tahw aedi tsethgils eht t’nevah I
Monday, July 25, 2011
Swimming
I have gone swimming at least 12 times in the past week. This is really weird since I usually swim like, once every three months, but apparently it's the thing to do or something, because every time I go do something with anyone, it turns out to be swimming! I'm not complaining though, it's pretty awesome. I wonder if my hair is getting blonder from the chlorine. Anyway, this post is completely irrelevant to anything, but I feel like I'm neglecting my blog, so I shall continue to post random posts. Farewell Brethren.
P.S. I'm actually getting a tan! It's weird.
P.S. to the P.S. I'm never going to be a lifeguard, it looks hopelessly boring. It almost makes we want to go pretend to drown so they'll have something to do!!! I won't do that though, I can't hold my breath that long.
P.S. I'm actually getting a tan! It's weird.
P.S. to the P.S. I'm never going to be a lifeguard, it looks hopelessly boring. It almost makes we want to go pretend to drown so they'll have something to do!!! I won't do that though, I can't hold my breath that long.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Scout Camp
Wow. So much to say.
Well, first off I might as well admit that I left to scout camp with a crappy attitude and thinking that camp would be awful like it was at Scofield a couple years ago. However, Tifie turned out to be a very incredible camp, and I am very impressed at how just plain awesome it was.
Archery was extremely fun. I very much enjoyed testing my skills with a bow, and by the end of the week I managed to shoot a 42 out of 50 with a recurve longbow. Not bad at all.
COPE was incredible. It was pretty awesome when my entire team was able to successfully scale a 12 foot wall with no tools or other help, and crossing a chasm on swinging tires was a party. It was also pretty cool when I did hand stand on the swinging log and tried to say the entire Gettysburg address, and I would have been able to get the whole thing but somebody pushed the log so I ended up doing a front flip off it and landing on my back just in time for the log to smack into my head. Good thing I have a thick skull. :)
Now, my very favorite part of the camp, aside from the people, was Horseback riding. I never had any clue how fun that would be. I love Horses now, and I want to find someone who owns some and become their very best friend. My favorite horse was Clownie. He was really fun to ride because he liked clowning around, and going off the trail, and trying to bite other horses, etc... So it was always an adventure.
Now for the people I met. First of all, the Medic. He was hilarious. He would always come visit our campsite (around desert time every day. Without fail) and tell us funny stories. He really disliked preventable injuries, and he was pretty adept at preventing them (usually by duct taping scouts together.)
Second of all, Martin. He was pretty funny too, although he wasn't very good at learning the names of the scouts. Anyway, the main thing is that he was nice.
Next, our troop friend Gavin, Marcott, and other random staff members that loved our troop. (which was basically everyone, seeing as our troop was the most awesome.) The staff was incredible. They were all very kind and considerate, and although they were not the most experienced staff ever, they knew how to make camp fun, which obviously made camp a lot more fun.
Last but certainly not least, my favorite people that I met at Tifie, the Lindgrens.
Ollie Lindgren was the Horse instructor, and he was one of the funniest people that I have ever met. His wife worked at the Trading Post most of the time, and she was really nice, and their 9 children, who were all up at camp, were seriously some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
Olivia was really nice and great at teaching how to ride horses properly, and I should hook her up with my brother Will.
Indi is a really cool guy and it was fun hanging out with him a little bit.
I didn't really hang out with the girl my age or the guy just younger than me, and I never learned their names. Sadly.
Anyway, Cameo was my favorite. She reminded me a lot of Sophie Blair, and she was just plain great. Really funny and fun to talk to, and she was way better at riding horses than me. Unsurprisingly.
Lilly was also pretty great. And she was also better at riding than me, and she was like, 6 years old.
Kaela was awesome. She liked stealing my thumb though and she wouldn't give it back. Little kids are adorable.
Tova was the little baby, and she liked waddling around. It was very funny to watch.
Oh, I think I'm missing someone. Oh well, the point is, they are super incredible and I love them. It's too bad that they live so far away, or I'd visit them all the time, and make my little siblings play with them, because we'd all get along like 17 peas in a pod.
I've officially decided that I very much like random adventures now and shall no longer complain if I must be whisked away for a week, 'cuz whatever it is, it'll probably be awesome.
Well, first off I might as well admit that I left to scout camp with a crappy attitude and thinking that camp would be awful like it was at Scofield a couple years ago. However, Tifie turned out to be a very incredible camp, and I am very impressed at how just plain awesome it was.
Archery was extremely fun. I very much enjoyed testing my skills with a bow, and by the end of the week I managed to shoot a 42 out of 50 with a recurve longbow. Not bad at all.
COPE was incredible. It was pretty awesome when my entire team was able to successfully scale a 12 foot wall with no tools or other help, and crossing a chasm on swinging tires was a party. It was also pretty cool when I did hand stand on the swinging log and tried to say the entire Gettysburg address, and I would have been able to get the whole thing but somebody pushed the log so I ended up doing a front flip off it and landing on my back just in time for the log to smack into my head. Good thing I have a thick skull. :)
Now, my very favorite part of the camp, aside from the people, was Horseback riding. I never had any clue how fun that would be. I love Horses now, and I want to find someone who owns some and become their very best friend. My favorite horse was Clownie. He was really fun to ride because he liked clowning around, and going off the trail, and trying to bite other horses, etc... So it was always an adventure.
Now for the people I met. First of all, the Medic. He was hilarious. He would always come visit our campsite (around desert time every day. Without fail) and tell us funny stories. He really disliked preventable injuries, and he was pretty adept at preventing them (usually by duct taping scouts together.)
Second of all, Martin. He was pretty funny too, although he wasn't very good at learning the names of the scouts. Anyway, the main thing is that he was nice.
Next, our troop friend Gavin, Marcott, and other random staff members that loved our troop. (which was basically everyone, seeing as our troop was the most awesome.) The staff was incredible. They were all very kind and considerate, and although they were not the most experienced staff ever, they knew how to make camp fun, which obviously made camp a lot more fun.
Last but certainly not least, my favorite people that I met at Tifie, the Lindgrens.
Ollie Lindgren was the Horse instructor, and he was one of the funniest people that I have ever met. His wife worked at the Trading Post most of the time, and she was really nice, and their 9 children, who were all up at camp, were seriously some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
Olivia was really nice and great at teaching how to ride horses properly, and I should hook her up with my brother Will.
Indi is a really cool guy and it was fun hanging out with him a little bit.
I didn't really hang out with the girl my age or the guy just younger than me, and I never learned their names. Sadly.
Anyway, Cameo was my favorite. She reminded me a lot of Sophie Blair, and she was just plain great. Really funny and fun to talk to, and she was way better at riding horses than me. Unsurprisingly.
Lilly was also pretty great. And she was also better at riding than me, and she was like, 6 years old.
Kaela was awesome. She liked stealing my thumb though and she wouldn't give it back. Little kids are adorable.
Tova was the little baby, and she liked waddling around. It was very funny to watch.
Oh, I think I'm missing someone. Oh well, the point is, they are super incredible and I love them. It's too bad that they live so far away, or I'd visit them all the time, and make my little siblings play with them, because we'd all get along like 17 peas in a pod.
I've officially decided that I very much like random adventures now and shall no longer complain if I must be whisked away for a week, 'cuz whatever it is, it'll probably be awesome.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
DCI
Wow. I love DCI. Now I am super excited for fall band.
The Cadets have an insanely cool show.
Phantom Regiment is absolutely gorgeous.
The Blue Knights have sweet music.
Everyone else also blew me away.
I honestly wish I could just watch DCI shows over and over for the rest of my life.
That is all.
The Cadets have an insanely cool show.
Phantom Regiment is absolutely gorgeous.
The Blue Knights have sweet music.
Everyone else also blew me away.
I honestly wish I could just watch DCI shows over and over for the rest of my life.
That is all.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Band Lagoon Day
This was my very last Band Lagoon day, and that is truely a depressing thought. So many wonderful memories of awesome Band parties there reside happily in my brain, but at least this year was exceptional enough to end it all on a happy note.
Yes, the rides were fun and the whole Lagoon experience was wonderful, but the very best part was simply getting to be with my spectacular band buddies. There aren't many people better for adding a ray of sunshine to a dreary day, or making excruciatingly boring things a fiesta. I just want to say that I am really going to miss these perfect people next year. It's hard to believe that Summer Band is over for me. I'm not going to march in any more parades with them and I'm done rehearsing with my wonderous friends. Well, one thing is for sure: The things I have learned and the memories I have obtained shall live on, continuously impacting my life for the better. Thank you, thank you Timpview Band. Thank you DF, thank you Staff, thank you DM's, thank you Section Leaders, and most of all, thank you friends. You've all done more for me than I can say.
I Love You!!
Yes, the rides were fun and the whole Lagoon experience was wonderful, but the very best part was simply getting to be with my spectacular band buddies. There aren't many people better for adding a ray of sunshine to a dreary day, or making excruciatingly boring things a fiesta. I just want to say that I am really going to miss these perfect people next year. It's hard to believe that Summer Band is over for me. I'm not going to march in any more parades with them and I'm done rehearsing with my wonderous friends. Well, one thing is for sure: The things I have learned and the memories I have obtained shall live on, continuously impacting my life for the better. Thank you, thank you Timpview Band. Thank you DF, thank you Staff, thank you DM's, thank you Section Leaders, and most of all, thank you friends. You've all done more for me than I can say.
I Love You!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independance Week Adventures
The first of my adventures began on a happy Summer day. I woke up with a feeling that that day would be a good day. It was. The End. Just kidding, stuff happened in the middle.
First, I went over to my stake center to play basketball with the rest of the Drumline, and let me tell you, that was fun. Basically Rob, Mallory, and Christian owned everybody, but I was usually on a team with one or two of them, so it was awesome. I love basketball. And Ultimate Frisbee. I should play sports more.
Second, I went over to my Cousin Lyssa's house to help move a desk or something like that, but it turned out that she didn't actually need my help, so we just had a doughnut party.
That night was Stadium of Fire, so naturally I went over to my uncle's house where I can see the screen and hear everything that's going on and I have a perfect view of the fireworks, so that was basically superior. Oh, there was also home made Root Beer involved. Now you're jealous.
Okay, make sure to read the next part in a British accent for no reason whatsoever.
The next day, I was lucky enough to be able to visit some of my cousins that I haven't seen in ages, and of course that was the greatest thing ever. We played Lord of the Rings Risk, and Ashley and I owned Matt and Will, which was quite a feat seeing as they are adept and skilled warriors and it was Ashley's first time playing. Of course I just got lucky 'cuz I had no idea what was going on the whole time, but I had dozens of fun.
You can quit the British accent now. If you want. I don't see why you'd want to though.
Wow it sounds like I'm getting bombed because of all the fireworks going on right now.
ANyway, that same day I also rescued my Great-Uncle, and this is a great story. So, I went over to my uncle's house to retrieve the cooler that I had left there the previous day, and my Great-Uncle JB was sitting on the front lawn. When I pulled up, he looked very happy indeed to see me. It turns out that he was locked out of the house because he did not know the code to the garage, and he also did not know how to use his cell-phone, so as you can see, he was in quite a predicament. Naturally I taught him how to use his phone and gave him the code to the garage, and all was well. It feels good to save people. I kinda want to be a super-hero now.
Sorry that this post is not as high-quality as it could be. I am in a coma (courtesy of the parade this morning.)
I'm also pretty sure I'm missing some great stories that I need to post about, but I'm having difficulty remembering them right now.
I miss you all and hope to see you soon! (Especially you)
Dignify-edly Signed,
me
First, I went over to my stake center to play basketball with the rest of the Drumline, and let me tell you, that was fun. Basically Rob, Mallory, and Christian owned everybody, but I was usually on a team with one or two of them, so it was awesome. I love basketball. And Ultimate Frisbee. I should play sports more.
Second, I went over to my Cousin Lyssa's house to help move a desk or something like that, but it turned out that she didn't actually need my help, so we just had a doughnut party.
That night was Stadium of Fire, so naturally I went over to my uncle's house where I can see the screen and hear everything that's going on and I have a perfect view of the fireworks, so that was basically superior. Oh, there was also home made Root Beer involved. Now you're jealous.
Okay, make sure to read the next part in a British accent for no reason whatsoever.
The next day, I was lucky enough to be able to visit some of my cousins that I haven't seen in ages, and of course that was the greatest thing ever. We played Lord of the Rings Risk, and Ashley and I owned Matt and Will, which was quite a feat seeing as they are adept and skilled warriors and it was Ashley's first time playing. Of course I just got lucky 'cuz I had no idea what was going on the whole time, but I had dozens of fun.
You can quit the British accent now. If you want. I don't see why you'd want to though.
Wow it sounds like I'm getting bombed because of all the fireworks going on right now.
ANyway, that same day I also rescued my Great-Uncle, and this is a great story. So, I went over to my uncle's house to retrieve the cooler that I had left there the previous day, and my Great-Uncle JB was sitting on the front lawn. When I pulled up, he looked very happy indeed to see me. It turns out that he was locked out of the house because he did not know the code to the garage, and he also did not know how to use his cell-phone, so as you can see, he was in quite a predicament. Naturally I taught him how to use his phone and gave him the code to the garage, and all was well. It feels good to save people. I kinda want to be a super-hero now.
Sorry that this post is not as high-quality as it could be. I am in a coma (courtesy of the parade this morning.)
I'm also pretty sure I'm missing some great stories that I need to post about, but I'm having difficulty remembering them right now.
I miss you all and hope to see you soon! (Especially you)
Dignify-edly Signed,
me
Friday, July 1, 2011
Just a thought
"It is infinately more admirable to be an exceptional plumber than an incompetent philosopher." --John Gardner
I should start honing my plumbing skills.
I should start honing my plumbing skills.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Trek
Oh, where to begin?! Trek was definitely one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life! I've been on Trek before, but since I was only 11 I cannot really remember very much of that, yet I was still able to remember quite a few things and know what was going on before it happened. Anyway, I'll just start at the start, seeing as that is a good place to start.
I must admit, I was not particularly ecstatic to discover that I was in the Red company, especially since I only knew a few others who were also in Red, and the rest were strangers; furthermore, when we were put into our Families I didn't have even the vaguest idea of who my siblings were so I suppose my energy level was relatively low. Of course, just like in all the happy movies and whatever, it turned out that I had a super-de-duperly incredible Family and that my siblings were all amazing. Now seems a good time to talk about them.
Note: I am using the past tense because I am mostly referring specifically to the duration of trek, not because the people in question are deceased or these things no longer apply to them.
Ma and Pa Roberts were very kind. I am extremely thankful for their example and their enthusiasm, and it was really awesome that they would join in all the games with us (even if "Bam Bam Yoki" got old very quickly.) Mostly they were just really fun to be around.
Taylor was awesome because he would always be willing to pitch in and join completely into any activity. He's not the type to just dip a toe in the water and complain that it's cold, he'd dive right in and have fun with it! It was especially fun to sing with him and tell him my riddles to let him try to solve.
Liam was an interesting character, that's for sure. He really liked to have fun and to make things fun for others. The only downside was that this led to the demise of Sam.
Britain was basically the coolest person ever. He made our family much awesomer, and pulling the handcart was a party. It was really fun to get to know him and have extremely random conversations with him. We're definitely going to party sometime.
Chris seemed to be always happy, and that is definitely a wondrous trait. I hope he had a very happy birthday today, because I'm sure he made many other people's day happy.
Crystal was the best big sister ever! I've always wanted an older sister, and having one for 3 days was great. I loved her great example and her comforting smile. She was always willing to help out the Family and cheer people up when they needed it.
Joy was always really nice and funny. It was great getting to know her better and see her doing constant acts of service for people.
Phebe had the best accent ever. I am totally going to Australia one of these days, and I am now completely convinced that it does indeed exist. But really, we all enjoyed making her talk to us just so we could listen to her accent. She was also really funny and enjoyable to be around.
Bronte was perfect. Really though, how did I not know her before now?! Talking to her was the most enjoyable part about pulling the handcarts, and it was very fun to learn more about her. She was a great example to all of us and it was a pleasure to pull her along in the cart.
Sam was the baby, and even though he was made of plastic and had to endure much more than a normal baby should (courtesy of Liam,) he was a good brother. It was fun to take care of him and to see each family member hold him and tend him.
This wonderful family of mine got me thinking a lot about the fact that they really are my family! We are all spiritual brothers and sisters and we all need each other to lift and strengthen one another. I love them all so much and I am so thankful to them for everything that they did for me. How can I be related to such amazing people?
I really really loved all the the activities that we did as a stake.
Square dancing was one of the most fun activities that everyone did together. Much more enjoyable than slow dancing is.
The actual trekking part was absolutely amazing. I love to feel the spirit, and when we went up into Martins cove, and when we did some of the things that the pioneers did, we really drew closer to Heavenly Father and became more understanding and loving. I hope to have many, many more experiences like this so that I can become an even better person.
I learned a lot of games on Trek, too. I loved having the experience of playing them with everyone, and I will definitely play them in the future.
I will go into more detail about Trek later, but right now it's time to sleep. In my bed instead of a tent. :)
I must admit, I was not particularly ecstatic to discover that I was in the Red company, especially since I only knew a few others who were also in Red, and the rest were strangers; furthermore, when we were put into our Families I didn't have even the vaguest idea of who my siblings were so I suppose my energy level was relatively low. Of course, just like in all the happy movies and whatever, it turned out that I had a super-de-duperly incredible Family and that my siblings were all amazing. Now seems a good time to talk about them.
Note: I am using the past tense because I am mostly referring specifically to the duration of trek, not because the people in question are deceased or these things no longer apply to them.
Ma and Pa Roberts were very kind. I am extremely thankful for their example and their enthusiasm, and it was really awesome that they would join in all the games with us (even if "Bam Bam Yoki" got old very quickly.) Mostly they were just really fun to be around.
Taylor was awesome because he would always be willing to pitch in and join completely into any activity. He's not the type to just dip a toe in the water and complain that it's cold, he'd dive right in and have fun with it! It was especially fun to sing with him and tell him my riddles to let him try to solve.
Liam was an interesting character, that's for sure. He really liked to have fun and to make things fun for others. The only downside was that this led to the demise of Sam.
Britain was basically the coolest person ever. He made our family much awesomer, and pulling the handcart was a party. It was really fun to get to know him and have extremely random conversations with him. We're definitely going to party sometime.
Chris seemed to be always happy, and that is definitely a wondrous trait. I hope he had a very happy birthday today, because I'm sure he made many other people's day happy.
Crystal was the best big sister ever! I've always wanted an older sister, and having one for 3 days was great. I loved her great example and her comforting smile. She was always willing to help out the Family and cheer people up when they needed it.
Joy was always really nice and funny. It was great getting to know her better and see her doing constant acts of service for people.
Phebe had the best accent ever. I am totally going to Australia one of these days, and I am now completely convinced that it does indeed exist. But really, we all enjoyed making her talk to us just so we could listen to her accent. She was also really funny and enjoyable to be around.
Bronte was perfect. Really though, how did I not know her before now?! Talking to her was the most enjoyable part about pulling the handcarts, and it was very fun to learn more about her. She was a great example to all of us and it was a pleasure to pull her along in the cart.
Sam was the baby, and even though he was made of plastic and had to endure much more than a normal baby should (courtesy of Liam,) he was a good brother. It was fun to take care of him and to see each family member hold him and tend him.
This wonderful family of mine got me thinking a lot about the fact that they really are my family! We are all spiritual brothers and sisters and we all need each other to lift and strengthen one another. I love them all so much and I am so thankful to them for everything that they did for me. How can I be related to such amazing people?
I really really loved all the the activities that we did as a stake.
Square dancing was one of the most fun activities that everyone did together. Much more enjoyable than slow dancing is.
The actual trekking part was absolutely amazing. I love to feel the spirit, and when we went up into Martins cove, and when we did some of the things that the pioneers did, we really drew closer to Heavenly Father and became more understanding and loving. I hope to have many, many more experiences like this so that I can become an even better person.
I learned a lot of games on Trek, too. I loved having the experience of playing them with everyone, and I will definitely play them in the future.
I will go into more detail about Trek later, but right now it's time to sleep. In my bed instead of a tent. :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Another Band Post
I know I post about band a lot, but I can't help it! I just love it so much! This year band has been more awesomer than any other year of band ever. Bass four is seriously like twice as fun as bass five (probably because it only weighs 35 pounds instead of 40,) and the bass line just earned our new harnesses, so carrying my drum doesn't even hurt that bad! It's so wonderful! Also the music this year is super fun, especially the cadence.
Also Mallory is an incredible section leader and I am seriously depressed that she's not doing Fall band. I totally love my section. Being in the bass section is definitely the most fun thing ever because bass drum players are always so nice!
Another thing is that Bao and Nicole are the best drum majors ever! Bao is awesome and always comes and clicks for us when we're working on sectional stuff (even if he fails at clicking for double beat :) ), and Nicole's always super nice to everyone in the band and has excellent energy and enthusiasm.
And of course I can't forget Rob! He is definitely the best drum instructor in the entire universe. He really knows what he's doing.
Last but not least DF is super inspiring as always. I love all of his random quotes and stories and analogies and pep talks and everything else that helps the band become amazing. I'm pretty sure that he's the best band director ever.
First parade is tomorrow!
Also Mallory is an incredible section leader and I am seriously depressed that she's not doing Fall band. I totally love my section. Being in the bass section is definitely the most fun thing ever because bass drum players are always so nice!
Another thing is that Bao and Nicole are the best drum majors ever! Bao is awesome and always comes and clicks for us when we're working on sectional stuff (even if he fails at clicking for double beat :) ), and Nicole's always super nice to everyone in the band and has excellent energy and enthusiasm.
And of course I can't forget Rob! He is definitely the best drum instructor in the entire universe. He really knows what he's doing.
Last but not least DF is super inspiring as always. I love all of his random quotes and stories and analogies and pep talks and everything else that helps the band become amazing. I'm pretty sure that he's the best band director ever.
First parade is tomorrow!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Story Time
Okay, basically I love stories.
Story #1:
Once upon a time, there was a family with the last name Oldroyd (or something like that.) This family decided to go to the Zoo one day so that John could feel more at home. When the family walked over to the Giraffe section of the Zoo, the little girl named Elizabeth grew suddenly eccstatic. After inquiring why she was so happy, she simply pointed to a Giraffe and said "I knew it! Dragons are real!"
Story #2 will have to be told some other time because I need to go right now.
Story #1:
Once upon a time, there was a family with the last name Oldroyd (or something like that.) This family decided to go to the Zoo one day so that John could feel more at home. When the family walked over to the Giraffe section of the Zoo, the little girl named Elizabeth grew suddenly eccstatic. After inquiring why she was so happy, she simply pointed to a Giraffe and said "I knew it! Dragons are real!"
Story #2 will have to be told some other time because I need to go right now.
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