This Christmas season, I thought a lot about the lyrics to the song "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S":
When I was but a youngster,
Christmas meant one thing,
That I’d be getting lots of toys that day.
I learned a whole lot different,
When my Mother sat me down,
And taught me to spell Christmas this way:
"C" is for the Christ child, born upon this day,
"H" for herald angels in the night,
"R" means our Redeemer,
"I" means Israel,
"S" is for the star that shone so bright,
"T" is for three wise men, they who traveled far,
"M" is for the manger where he lay,
"A"’s for all He stands for,
"S" means shepherds came,
And that’s why there’s a Christmas day.
In the past, it really was all about the toys for me. I could never sleep on Christmas Eve due to the pure excitement of waking up to presents. However, this year, my family did something that made me see Christmas in a new way. About a month ago, my parents sat our family down and told us that instead of buying presents for our siblings, we were going to save the money we would have spent buying them presents. We were then going to donate that money to those who needed it.
At first I really wasn’t all that happy about this idea—I love buying presents for my siblings…not to mention, I love getting them. ☺ But actually, I think it was the best thing that could have happened. I found that throughout the Christmas season, my thoughts were much more focused on the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas, I realized, is so much more about the giving. Yes, of course it is always fun to get a new present, but it is nothing compared to the feeling I felt when gave to a family that is not as fortunate as mine has been.
This also helped me to see something about Christmas that I never have before: for so many people, Christmas is not a time of celebration and fun, it is more of a realization of things they do not have. On Christmas morning, so many children wake up to disappointment. In the past, I have been so focused on myself that I had never stopped to think about the fact that Christmas is not such a great time for everybody. I am so glad that I was able to make Christmas fun for someone else, even if it was only one family.
This giving and focus on the true meaning of Christmas has inspired me to keep this attitude with me throughout the rest of the year. I once heard it said that Christianity blooms in December and fizzles in the other months. I believe that the world would be such a better place if Christians and non-Christians alike resolved to do kind things and think of others throughout the year and not just during holidays focused on goodness. My family decided that from now on, we are going to go to do some kind of “giving” thing once a month.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mythology Research Paper
Kendall Sargent
Period 1
Aphrodite
If Aphrodite had had a magic mirror like the wicked queen in Snow White, it is probable that she would have asked, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire (Lombardi). The myth of Aphrodite shares some similarities with other myths, most notably the myths of her father Zeus, the fair Helen, and the proud Narcissus. These myths have some of the common themes that are demonstrated throughout ancient Greek mythology.
Aphrodite and her father Zeus share some of the same traits. Zeus is the famous ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus. Aphrodite and Zeus were both unhappy with their marriages, and their love lives. This tempted them to try to find happiness elsewhere. Aphrodite fled from her crippled husband Hephaestus, and sought her true love Ares, the god of war. Zeus, on the other hand, was married to Hera, the queen of the gods. Unhappy being with just one woman, Zeus had so many affairs with other women that he cannot remember which of his children belong to which mother. He also had affairs with nymphs, and many creatures in nature (Hunt). Both Zeus and his daughter thought they were happier when they were being unfaithful, and so they continued to do so. Myths were created to explain phenomena, and these two explain cheating on your spouse.
Aphrodite was considered the most beautiful goddess in the world. There were, however, a few mortal women who were considered more attractive than she. One such woman was named Helen. She was so striking that during the Trojan War she was often referred to as "The face that launched a thousand ships." Aphrodite and Helen were constantly followed by suitors who wanted to be lucky enough to marry them. Because of their alluring qualities, both of these fair women made it easy for men to fall in love with them. Aphrodite was often found to be jealous of Helen, because even though she was only a mortal, men still loved her (Myths Encyclopedia).
Although Aphrodite and Helen were known for their breathtaking faces, Aphrodite took the compliments in a very different manner from Helen. Helen was humble, and took the praise from men with grace. Aphrodite knew that she was appealing, and shared this prideful trait with the vain Narcissus. They both believed that they were uniquely good-looking, and that no one was deserving of their radiance. While Narcissus always had a band of followers, he did not believe that any of them would be a suitable wife for him. After Narcissus told a girl, Echo, that she too wasn't a match for him, the goddess Nemesis decided to punish him. Nemesis led Narcissus to a pool of water and showed him his reflection for the first time. Narcissus thought that this bewitching person he was looking at was the only person worthy of his love, and so he fell in love with his own reflection (Upright). Aphrodite and Narcissus were both beautiful people, but their vain love of their own beauty sometimes got them into trouble. Being prideful is a theme often found in mythology.
As shown above, the myth of Aphrodite shares some common themes with other mythological stories. She was unfaithful like her father Zeus, men were manipulated by her beauty like Helen, and she was proud like Narcissus. Aphrodite played some vital roles throughout ancient Greece, and was a part of people's lives. The myth of Aphrodite explained feelings of love and desire. She will be remembered as a goddess who caused trouble with people's feelings, but she will also be remembered as the "fairest of them all."
Period 1
Aphrodite
If Aphrodite had had a magic mirror like the wicked queen in Snow White, it is probable that she would have asked, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire (Lombardi). The myth of Aphrodite shares some similarities with other myths, most notably the myths of her father Zeus, the fair Helen, and the proud Narcissus. These myths have some of the common themes that are demonstrated throughout ancient Greek mythology.
Aphrodite and her father Zeus share some of the same traits. Zeus is the famous ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus. Aphrodite and Zeus were both unhappy with their marriages, and their love lives. This tempted them to try to find happiness elsewhere. Aphrodite fled from her crippled husband Hephaestus, and sought her true love Ares, the god of war. Zeus, on the other hand, was married to Hera, the queen of the gods. Unhappy being with just one woman, Zeus had so many affairs with other women that he cannot remember which of his children belong to which mother. He also had affairs with nymphs, and many creatures in nature (Hunt). Both Zeus and his daughter thought they were happier when they were being unfaithful, and so they continued to do so. Myths were created to explain phenomena, and these two explain cheating on your spouse.
Aphrodite was considered the most beautiful goddess in the world. There were, however, a few mortal women who were considered more attractive than she. One such woman was named Helen. She was so striking that during the Trojan War she was often referred to as "The face that launched a thousand ships." Aphrodite and Helen were constantly followed by suitors who wanted to be lucky enough to marry them. Because of their alluring qualities, both of these fair women made it easy for men to fall in love with them. Aphrodite was often found to be jealous of Helen, because even though she was only a mortal, men still loved her (Myths Encyclopedia).
Although Aphrodite and Helen were known for their breathtaking faces, Aphrodite took the compliments in a very different manner from Helen. Helen was humble, and took the praise from men with grace. Aphrodite knew that she was appealing, and shared this prideful trait with the vain Narcissus. They both believed that they were uniquely good-looking, and that no one was deserving of their radiance. While Narcissus always had a band of followers, he did not believe that any of them would be a suitable wife for him. After Narcissus told a girl, Echo, that she too wasn't a match for him, the goddess Nemesis decided to punish him. Nemesis led Narcissus to a pool of water and showed him his reflection for the first time. Narcissus thought that this bewitching person he was looking at was the only person worthy of his love, and so he fell in love with his own reflection (Upright). Aphrodite and Narcissus were both beautiful people, but their vain love of their own beauty sometimes got them into trouble. Being prideful is a theme often found in mythology.
As shown above, the myth of Aphrodite shares some common themes with other mythological stories. She was unfaithful like her father Zeus, men were manipulated by her beauty like Helen, and she was proud like Narcissus. Aphrodite played some vital roles throughout ancient Greece, and was a part of people's lives. The myth of Aphrodite explained feelings of love and desire. She will be remembered as a goddess who caused trouble with people's feelings, but she will also be remembered as the "fairest of them all."
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Grand Old Symphony...Not Exactly
Each year before Christmas we take the opportunity to go to the Utah Symphony down at Abravanel Hall. It's not like I love to go, but isn't usually misery to sit through the whole thing. One of the main reasons it wasn't as good is because they got a new conductor. It is usually this little Asian man named David Cho. He is great with the audience, and always makes it an enjoyable experience.
The new conductor didn't quite know how to act with the audience yet. There was a song specially picked out about the movie the "Polar Express." There was singing involved which is a little out of the ordinary. The song told every little detail about the movie in the exact same tune. After about five minutes of it, I told myself it was alright to go to sleep for a little bit. So I did, and when I woke up about 5-10 minutes later it was still going. The last 3 minutes were all about growing up, and even though you're old you still need to believe. The man's voice had so much vibrato it just got old.
Every year Santa comes, and leads the orchestra for the song "Sleigh Ride." This year he was just a little cheesier than ever. The jokes were awful, and there wasn't even a courtesy laugh.
The music still sounded fabulous like always. My favorite part is at the end when they invite the audience to sing along. The audience members are encouraged to bring jingle bells to shake as the songs are going at the end. Some of the kids didn't quite understand this concept, and so there was constant ringing throughout the whole show.
My mom is really sick right now, and so she couldn't go to the show. She told me I could bring a friend, and so of course the one year that it's awful a friend came with me. I feel really stupid, and she was really nice to put up with the whole thing. She didn't say so, but I'm pretty sure she thought it was pretty dumb. On the way to pick her up however we were pulled over by a police. My dad was going 17 over, and the cop was nice enough to let us off with a warning.
The whole morning was a little disastrous, but we got to eat lunch at Crown Burger which made it seem better. I am hoping that we won't have to go sit through that again next year!
Although that isn't the most fun tradition, I do have something fun to look forward to. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve we have a tradition to got see a movie. All eight of us jump in the car, and go to the theater. Last year we saw the "Blindside." We don't know what we're going to try this year, but I hope it's fun, and much better than the grand old Utah Symphony!
The new conductor didn't quite know how to act with the audience yet. There was a song specially picked out about the movie the "Polar Express." There was singing involved which is a little out of the ordinary. The song told every little detail about the movie in the exact same tune. After about five minutes of it, I told myself it was alright to go to sleep for a little bit. So I did, and when I woke up about 5-10 minutes later it was still going. The last 3 minutes were all about growing up, and even though you're old you still need to believe. The man's voice had so much vibrato it just got old.
Every year Santa comes, and leads the orchestra for the song "Sleigh Ride." This year he was just a little cheesier than ever. The jokes were awful, and there wasn't even a courtesy laugh.
The music still sounded fabulous like always. My favorite part is at the end when they invite the audience to sing along. The audience members are encouraged to bring jingle bells to shake as the songs are going at the end. Some of the kids didn't quite understand this concept, and so there was constant ringing throughout the whole show.
My mom is really sick right now, and so she couldn't go to the show. She told me I could bring a friend, and so of course the one year that it's awful a friend came with me. I feel really stupid, and she was really nice to put up with the whole thing. She didn't say so, but I'm pretty sure she thought it was pretty dumb. On the way to pick her up however we were pulled over by a police. My dad was going 17 over, and the cop was nice enough to let us off with a warning.
The whole morning was a little disastrous, but we got to eat lunch at Crown Burger which made it seem better. I am hoping that we won't have to go sit through that again next year!
Although that isn't the most fun tradition, I do have something fun to look forward to. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve we have a tradition to got see a movie. All eight of us jump in the car, and go to the theater. Last year we saw the "Blindside." We don't know what we're going to try this year, but I hope it's fun, and much better than the grand old Utah Symphony!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Letters about Literature Entry
Kendall Sargent
Letters about Literature
Dear Margaret Mitchell,
Last summer I read your book Gone with the Wind, and it changed some of my views about the Civil War. I feel like my life is different because of this book, and it is now a part of who I am. It takes some determination to read through a book that is nearly 1500 pages long. People ask me how I did it, and I just tell them that when you start, you can't stop.
Before reading Gone with the Wind, I always thought of the Civil War in black and white terms. I thought the North equaled good, and the South equaled bad. Just because the North was against slavery doesn't mean that they were all good people. For example, Sherman's March is one of the barbaric events of American history. Similarly, the South was not all bad. Although I strongly disagree with slavery, your book helped me see that many southerners were born into this slavery system, and didn't purposely choose to participate in human bondage. I'm sure there were many kind southerners. I am glad I had the opportunity to read about the Civil War from the southern point of view, and see that the North was not all good, and the South not all bad.
Last year in U.S. History, we were asked to write down who was our hero and why. I immediately, wrote down Scarlett O'Hara. Since reading Gone with the Wind, I've considered her a hero and I have thought a lot about why. It's amazing that I could look up to someone who lies and deceives. For all her bad traits, there are things that make her admirable. When Scarlett faces hard times, she does whatever she needs to do to survive. When she is starving at Tara she promises this: "I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." She then goes on to demonstrate that she is willing to take care of her family, even if it means that she has to marry her sister's beau. She is a fascinating character, and will always be remembered as a strong, independent woman.
The ending of this book has also stayed with me. I was discussing this book with my mom, and she told me that one of the signs of a good book is when you keep thinking about it after it's over. This definitely rings true with this book. The ending left me with this feeling that all hope was lost, but at the same time that there was a tiny flicker of light left. I sobbed the whole day after I finished, and it was all I could think about. For the next week, all I could think about was if there was any chance of Rhett and Scarlett ever being together. The ending completely left me hanging with Scarlett saying her famous line, "I can't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow."
Overall, this book has made its mark in my life, and it is part of my character. It taught me some great lessons about life that I won't forget. The Civil War is now my favorite subject to talk about at school. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to read your book, and I want to thank you Margaret Mitchell, for taking the time to write this classic novel.
Letters about Literature
Dear Margaret Mitchell,
Last summer I read your book Gone with the Wind, and it changed some of my views about the Civil War. I feel like my life is different because of this book, and it is now a part of who I am. It takes some determination to read through a book that is nearly 1500 pages long. People ask me how I did it, and I just tell them that when you start, you can't stop.
Before reading Gone with the Wind, I always thought of the Civil War in black and white terms. I thought the North equaled good, and the South equaled bad. Just because the North was against slavery doesn't mean that they were all good people. For example, Sherman's March is one of the barbaric events of American history. Similarly, the South was not all bad. Although I strongly disagree with slavery, your book helped me see that many southerners were born into this slavery system, and didn't purposely choose to participate in human bondage. I'm sure there were many kind southerners. I am glad I had the opportunity to read about the Civil War from the southern point of view, and see that the North was not all good, and the South not all bad.
Last year in U.S. History, we were asked to write down who was our hero and why. I immediately, wrote down Scarlett O'Hara. Since reading Gone with the Wind, I've considered her a hero and I have thought a lot about why. It's amazing that I could look up to someone who lies and deceives. For all her bad traits, there are things that make her admirable. When Scarlett faces hard times, she does whatever she needs to do to survive. When she is starving at Tara she promises this: "I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." She then goes on to demonstrate that she is willing to take care of her family, even if it means that she has to marry her sister's beau. She is a fascinating character, and will always be remembered as a strong, independent woman.
The ending of this book has also stayed with me. I was discussing this book with my mom, and she told me that one of the signs of a good book is when you keep thinking about it after it's over. This definitely rings true with this book. The ending left me with this feeling that all hope was lost, but at the same time that there was a tiny flicker of light left. I sobbed the whole day after I finished, and it was all I could think about. For the next week, all I could think about was if there was any chance of Rhett and Scarlett ever being together. The ending completely left me hanging with Scarlett saying her famous line, "I can't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow."
Overall, this book has made its mark in my life, and it is part of my character. It taught me some great lessons about life that I won't forget. The Civil War is now my favorite subject to talk about at school. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to read your book, and I want to thank you Margaret Mitchell, for taking the time to write this classic novel.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Christmas Time is Here!
We have finally reached my favorite time of year! Christmas fills me with the most amazing feeling, and I wouldn't trade that "Christmas Cheer" for anything in the world. I love how everyone is so much happier when it comes to the holidays. People spend more time going out of their way to help people out, and give gifts to one another. Even the snow is great around Christmas time. Snuggling up in a warm blanket with hot cocoa, and watching all the wonderful holiday season movies. One of my favorites is called "Holiday Inn." It has great music, and is one of the cheesiest movies you have ever watched. I don't care though, because it puts me in the Christmas mood, and makes me cheery. Christmas music seems to make all the bad things of the world go away, because it is so catchy and fun.
I know all of this sounds incredibly cheesy and over the top, but I really do enjoy the holiday time of year. It always ends up being so short, and so I try to make the most of it while it is here. Our family does a Sub-for-Santa family each year for a family in need. We also like to do the "12 days of Christmas." For a family that lives near us. Christmas makes me realize all the things that I have, and how blessed we truly are to live where we live.
Something that I thought was really funny was this "Blizzard of the Century" that was supposed to be coming our way. The news reporters made it sound like it truly was going to be the end of the world, and it obviously wasn't. There was a blizzard today that was just as bad, or maybe even worse than the one on Tuesday. They canceled almost every school activity possible. Even at the end of school, Mr. Davis came onto the intercom to tell us that we needed to get home and out of the building as soon as possible. I was so excited to be inside and watch the snow land on the ground, and then by about 6:00 it was over. Oh well, I guess it will be a good memory to have.
Merry Christmas!
Our house is already filled with every decoration possible. We wake up bright and early on the day after Thanksgiving to take out all of the things we haven't seen since the year before. There is garland with berries and pine cones down all the banisters, and along the hearths. Poinsettia flowers are in every space possible, and then holly berries are everywhere! Each window has a wreath with two candles beneath it, so at night all you can see are the lights on the house, and the candles. We also have little singing penguins, and snowmen that burst into song every time you press the button. I love being in my house around Christmas time, because it always smells like cinnamon, and there is just a warm cheer in the air.
I know all of this sounds incredibly cheesy and over the top, but I really do enjoy the holiday time of year. It always ends up being so short, and so I try to make the most of it while it is here. Our family does a Sub-for-Santa family each year for a family in need. We also like to do the "12 days of Christmas." For a family that lives near us. Christmas makes me realize all the things that I have, and how blessed we truly are to live where we live.
Something that I thought was really funny was this "Blizzard of the Century" that was supposed to be coming our way. The news reporters made it sound like it truly was going to be the end of the world, and it obviously wasn't. There was a blizzard today that was just as bad, or maybe even worse than the one on Tuesday. They canceled almost every school activity possible. Even at the end of school, Mr. Davis came onto the intercom to tell us that we needed to get home and out of the building as soon as possible. I was so excited to be inside and watch the snow land on the ground, and then by about 6:00 it was over. Oh well, I guess it will be a good memory to have.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thanksgiving...Right Around the Corner!
It is so sad that Thanksgiving is so often overlooked, because it is a great holiday. I am usually one of the people that skips over it, and moves right on to Christmas. This year I realized that Thanksgiving is a really great time, and I have a lot to be thankful for.
Every year at my house, we do what we call a "Thankful Pumpkin." During the month of November we write down what we are thankful for, and then proceed to put the papers in a porcelain pumpkin. The week of Thanksgiving we draw them out of the pumpkin, and read them. This is a great tradition at our house, and I hope it continues.
Another tradition that we have been doing for two years running is that we have a "Pie Night." Most of you know that by the end of dinner on Thanksgiving you're just too full to fit pie in. We thought it would be clever to have a night where we invite over all of our neighbors to have pie on Thanksgiving Eve. Everyone brings a pie to share, and we have a lot of fun. The bad part about it is that we have to deliver all of the fliers to people's houses...miserable. We had to do it tonight in the below freezing weather! I sure hope it will be worth it in the end.
We usually go over to my grandma and grandpa's house for Thanksgiving, but this year they are going to be gone in St. George. All my cousins are leaving too since my grandparents aren't going to be here. We thought it would be fun to have some people from our neighborhood over. We have a lady that's from Guam, and so she is going to bring some dishes that originated there. It should be a fun Thanksgiving, because it's different than what we usually do.
This past weekend I was in our school's Dinner Theater. It was everything Shakespeare, and it was an absolute blast. During all of the practices I started to think that it wouldn't be worth it, and man was I wrong! My part was Kate from "The Taming of the Shrew." I had a ton of fun with it, and loved to get into character. We were required to talk in our British accents for all three shows. Once the shows were over it was really hard to get out of the habit. I made some really great memories, and I am really glad I got the chance to experience it.
Another great thing about it is now i understand a lot more Shakespeare. We were able to learn about a variety of different plays that Shakespeare wrote, and it was actually interesting. It's really cool when you finally understand a certain line or phrase. His language is so different from ours today, but I loved learning about it. I am really happy I was given the opportunity to participate in this great show!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving break! Then after that comes Christmas!
Every year at my house, we do what we call a "Thankful Pumpkin." During the month of November we write down what we are thankful for, and then proceed to put the papers in a porcelain pumpkin. The week of Thanksgiving we draw them out of the pumpkin, and read them. This is a great tradition at our house, and I hope it continues.
Another tradition that we have been doing for two years running is that we have a "Pie Night." Most of you know that by the end of dinner on Thanksgiving you're just too full to fit pie in. We thought it would be clever to have a night where we invite over all of our neighbors to have pie on Thanksgiving Eve. Everyone brings a pie to share, and we have a lot of fun. The bad part about it is that we have to deliver all of the fliers to people's houses...miserable. We had to do it tonight in the below freezing weather! I sure hope it will be worth it in the end.
We usually go over to my grandma and grandpa's house for Thanksgiving, but this year they are going to be gone in St. George. All my cousins are leaving too since my grandparents aren't going to be here. We thought it would be fun to have some people from our neighborhood over. We have a lady that's from Guam, and so she is going to bring some dishes that originated there. It should be a fun Thanksgiving, because it's different than what we usually do.
This past weekend I was in our school's Dinner Theater. It was everything Shakespeare, and it was an absolute blast. During all of the practices I started to think that it wouldn't be worth it, and man was I wrong! My part was Kate from "The Taming of the Shrew." I had a ton of fun with it, and loved to get into character. We were required to talk in our British accents for all three shows. Once the shows were over it was really hard to get out of the habit. I made some really great memories, and I am really glad I got the chance to experience it.
Another great thing about it is now i understand a lot more Shakespeare. We were able to learn about a variety of different plays that Shakespeare wrote, and it was actually interesting. It's really cool when you finally understand a certain line or phrase. His language is so different from ours today, but I loved learning about it. I am really happy I was given the opportunity to participate in this great show!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving break! Then after that comes Christmas!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Harry Potter...Can't Wait!
I have recently realized that I really enjoy the Harry Potter movies! I've only read the first three books, and half of the fourth one but they're so good. The reason I stopped reading them is because they scared me to death. I would have nightmares, and it just never turned out too good. The fourth one got dark pretty suddenly, so I decided I might try reading them at a later date. The part I thought was scary was when Harry has the dream at the very beginning about Voldemort. It's been three years since I put that book down, and I have yet to pick it back up. Maybe when I don't have any books that I need to be reading.
Something that I thought was very interesting about Harry Potter is that the name Voldemort actually has some meaning to it. The root volde means jump in French, and mort means death. This means that Voldemort was able to jump over death.
The movie comes out this next week on Thursday night, and I am so excited. My friend and I are going to the premiere at 12:01 at Tinseltown. Yesterday we watched the sixth one to get ourselves ready and excited for the seventh movie. The only bad thing is that I have to go to school the next day, because I can't miss math.
I'm a little bit of a wimp when it comes to scary movies, so I'm hoping I don't get too creeped out. Even the sixth one makes me a little nervous, especially all the Death Eaters. The end of the sixth one tricks you into liking Malfoy. It makes you feel so bad for him that he doesn't really have a choice, and that he has to kill Dumbledore or else he'll be killed by Voldemort.
It's so funny to watch the first movies, and see how little all the actors are. Especially the three main characters. They all still have their baby chub, and by the end of the series they're all grown up. I think the producers did a great job with picking the cast, and they seem to resemble my imaginary characters from when I was reading the book. I just wish that the first Dumbledore wouldn't have died, because I don't like the new one as much. It's funny that a lot of the people that act in these movies probably won't be in any others, because they will only be thought of as playing that certain character. This will definitely be true with Harry and Ron.
It is my goal for the end of this school year to finish up the series. I feel a little stupid going to the premieres, and loving them so much, but not even reading them. My sister is a little obsessed, and she has read each of them more than once. I vividly remember the night that she read the seventh book the night it came out. She stayed up all night, and at about 3:00 in the morning she came in to my room to ask if I would come and sleep in her room. She asked me because she was really scared, and so I went in there half asleep. Then a few hours later I woke up to the sound of her crying. She was sobbing, and she said, "This is the most amazing book, but it is so sad!" I laughed a little, and then went back to sleep. I really hope that I will be able to read the rest of them, so that I can experience the magic!
Something that I thought was very interesting about Harry Potter is that the name Voldemort actually has some meaning to it. The root volde means jump in French, and mort means death. This means that Voldemort was able to jump over death.
The movie comes out this next week on Thursday night, and I am so excited. My friend and I are going to the premiere at 12:01 at Tinseltown. Yesterday we watched the sixth one to get ourselves ready and excited for the seventh movie. The only bad thing is that I have to go to school the next day, because I can't miss math.
I'm a little bit of a wimp when it comes to scary movies, so I'm hoping I don't get too creeped out. Even the sixth one makes me a little nervous, especially all the Death Eaters. The end of the sixth one tricks you into liking Malfoy. It makes you feel so bad for him that he doesn't really have a choice, and that he has to kill Dumbledore or else he'll be killed by Voldemort.
It's so funny to watch the first movies, and see how little all the actors are. Especially the three main characters. They all still have their baby chub, and by the end of the series they're all grown up. I think the producers did a great job with picking the cast, and they seem to resemble my imaginary characters from when I was reading the book. I just wish that the first Dumbledore wouldn't have died, because I don't like the new one as much. It's funny that a lot of the people that act in these movies probably won't be in any others, because they will only be thought of as playing that certain character. This will definitely be true with Harry and Ron.
It is my goal for the end of this school year to finish up the series. I feel a little stupid going to the premieres, and loving them so much, but not even reading them. My sister is a little obsessed, and she has read each of them more than once. I vividly remember the night that she read the seventh book the night it came out. She stayed up all night, and at about 3:00 in the morning she came in to my room to ask if I would come and sleep in her room. She asked me because she was really scared, and so I went in there half asleep. Then a few hours later I woke up to the sound of her crying. She was sobbing, and she said, "This is the most amazing book, but it is so sad!" I laughed a little, and then went back to sleep. I really hope that I will be able to read the rest of them, so that I can experience the magic!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Honors English at a Glance
So far, I have really enjoyed Honors English throughout the year. Sometimes I procrastinate, and wait to do my blog and discussion question as I am doing now. I liked reading The Chosen, because it probably isn't the kind of book I would usually read. I thought the way Reb Saunders raised his son Danny was definitely not the best way, but that was what was required to become that kind of Rabbi. Reuven was a great character, and was very admirable. Even though Danny was different he was interesting. I thought Reuven's father, who was also a Rabbi was the most kind and peaceful character throughout the whole book.
This term I have decided to enter two writing contests, and just read one book. Last term I had trouble finishing up the book in time. I am super excited to read Pride and Prejudice, because it is my mom's favorite book. She has wanted me to read it for a while, and I have somehow never got around to it. The movie is great, and I just hope the book can be close to that good. Mr. Darcy is about as grumpy as they come, but throughout the story he has a change of heart. The writing contests are easier for me, because they don't take up as much time. I would maybe like to write a fictional story this time, because they are more challenging for me. I have figured out that my mind is pretty pathetic when it comes to making things up and imagination. I really need to work on that, because a lot of times I need ideas and I come up with nothing.
So my piano teacher has to get surgery, and so I don't have to take piano again until January. Usually, I never practice and my teacher is frustrated with me each week. Now that I am not forced to practice I actually enjoy it . I like to just sit down, and start thumbing through books and plunking out the notes. Knowing myself, right when my lessons start up again I won't have this desire to practice anymore. I did however get asked to play a solo for my church at the end of November. Since it is after Thanksgiving, I figured I could play a Christmas song. I have decided to play "What Child is This?." I've practiced the song quite a bit, and I should be ready in time.
This weekend I stayed overnight with my sister at BYU, and she basically told me that I am going to be impossible to live with. I sure hope I can change some habits by then, or else I'm going to be in big trouble with my roommates. The college atmosphere is so much different than Junior High. It's really funny to see how much people grow up, and do better in school because they have to pay for it.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Scary Thing that we call our Futures!
I never realized how much our future depends on what we are doing right now. I am a little bit of what people would call a psycho when it comes to grades. People tease me constantly about how uptight I can become when my grades aren't what I would like them to be. Most of this is because I want to go to a great college, and carry that into a career. I still don't know exactly what type of career I would like to go into yet, because it is a very tough decision.
It scares me a little bit to know that we won't have our parents to fall back on for everything when we grow up. This is why we need to practice doing things on our own, and learning how to take care of ourselves. People talk about how they got to college, and they didn't even know how to do laundry. I don't want things like this to happen to me. Yes, I do know how to laundry.
My goal for college is to go somewhere out of the state of Utah. I don't even care where, I just want to get out! Don't get me wrong, I have loved growing up in Utah. Sometimes I just have to wonder how much different my life would be if I lived somewhere else. I also want to do something different than my parents and my oldes sister. All three of them have gone to BYU, and the summer before they attended their freshman year they earned money by being firefighters. This has been great for them, and I'm sure I would have a blast doing that same thing. I just don't want to look back on my life, and think, "what if I had done this?"
What I am hoping for is that I can go somewhere on the east coast, or somewhere in California. Basically, anywhere except for Utah, and the surrounding areas. I am not saying at all that they aren't good schools, I just don't know if it would be the best option for me. My sister was hoping for the exact same thing from college, and she ended up going to BYU. That might happen to me, but I just want to make sure that I will have the opportunity to do something else. This is the reason I am such a freak about my grades.
Especially if I go out of state I won't have my family close by to fall back on. It's a scary thing to think about having to make it on our own, but I am determined to get as much education as I possibly can. It's not only that I want to have opportunities, but I love to learn. My sister once told me that the ideal job would be learning, and getting paid for it. I would have to agree with this statement, because I really do enjoy learning. Some subjects definitely interest me more than others, but it's fun to learn new things that you didn't know before.
Our futures may be a scary thing to think about, but I think the time to start worrying about it is now. We need to figure out what we want to do with our lives, so that we can leave it knowing that we made a difference.
It scares me a little bit to know that we won't have our parents to fall back on for everything when we grow up. This is why we need to practice doing things on our own, and learning how to take care of ourselves. People talk about how they got to college, and they didn't even know how to do laundry. I don't want things like this to happen to me. Yes, I do know how to laundry.
My goal for college is to go somewhere out of the state of Utah. I don't even care where, I just want to get out! Don't get me wrong, I have loved growing up in Utah. Sometimes I just have to wonder how much different my life would be if I lived somewhere else. I also want to do something different than my parents and my oldes sister. All three of them have gone to BYU, and the summer before they attended their freshman year they earned money by being firefighters. This has been great for them, and I'm sure I would have a blast doing that same thing. I just don't want to look back on my life, and think, "what if I had done this?"
What I am hoping for is that I can go somewhere on the east coast, or somewhere in California. Basically, anywhere except for Utah, and the surrounding areas. I am not saying at all that they aren't good schools, I just don't know if it would be the best option for me. My sister was hoping for the exact same thing from college, and she ended up going to BYU. That might happen to me, but I just want to make sure that I will have the opportunity to do something else. This is the reason I am such a freak about my grades.
Especially if I go out of state I won't have my family close by to fall back on. It's a scary thing to think about having to make it on our own, but I am determined to get as much education as I possibly can. It's not only that I want to have opportunities, but I love to learn. My sister once told me that the ideal job would be learning, and getting paid for it. I would have to agree with this statement, because I really do enjoy learning. Some subjects definitely interest me more than others, but it's fun to learn new things that you didn't know before.
Our futures may be a scary thing to think about, but I think the time to start worrying about it is now. We need to figure out what we want to do with our lives, so that we can leave it knowing that we made a difference.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Holidays
At this time of year I am realizing how much I love the fall. I didn't discover my passion until this year, and it makes me sad that I haven't been able to appreciate how nice it is until now. The air is unbelievably crisp, and the whole world is changing colors. I've never exactly understood the concept of Halloween, but you get to dress up in costumes and it keeps kids happy for weeks. I remember when I used to get so excited for Halloween night, and getting ready to trick-or-treat at the neighbor's houses. One year I was planning on being a bride, and then unexpectedly got sick so I couldn't go trick-or-treating. At this time my brother was probably the nicest he's has ever been to me, because he came home and shared all of his candy with me. At some of the houses he even asked for an extra piece of candy for his sister Kendall, who was sick. Autumn also means that it is getting close to Christmas, and that is the most amazing part of the year! I don't know how the Grinch couldn't just love every minute of it. My house always looks and smells the best when it comes to be the holidays. My mom can get a little bit carried away with Christmas, because our house is decked with decorations. There is holly all the way down the banister, on our chandelier, and also on the hearth. There is always the sweet smell of hot cocoa or apple cider in the air. Even though Christmas is such a big event at our house, my mom is very strict about not overlooking Thanksgiving. Which she says is very important too. One of our traditions that we have for Thanksgiving, is in the month of November we have a "Thankful Pumpkin." We have a porcelain pumpkin, and we write down what we are thankful for. After that we put it in the pumpkin. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we read them all to each other, and it's actually very fun, and gives us an opportunity to realize all the things we can be grateful for every day. I am disobeying my mom's rules to not to skip Thanksgiving, because I am listening to Christmas music right now...don't tell. My favorite Christmas songs would have to be "Santa Baby" by Madonna, "All I want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey, and every song by Harry Connick Junior and Michael Buble. It makes me want to be a better person, and be nicer to people around Christmas time. Then when the Holidays are over I go back to being me again. Just kidding, but it really is nice to have such a spirit of service in the air in the coldest time of year. I have recognized that it really isn't about the presents at all, even though that is very fun too. It's about the spirit you have, and how you treat others. It is a great opportunity to help those people in need too, we do a Sub for Santa family each year, and that is always a good experience. So pretty much I just get a little to into the holidays, but as far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with that!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
UEA
I can't even tell you how much I want to go give a hug to the person who came up with UEA! I am in need of a break from school in a very bad way. I have been super stressed, and I am so relieved that I don't have to think about school for four whole days!
My friend Ashley even had the idea to go to "Stress Management" with Mrs. Turneau for intervention...it's been that stressful. Most of it is coming from math because we have two tests within a week. The first I did pretty badly on, so I need t do better on this next one. UEA will also give me an opportunity to play volleyball. I need to get a lot of touches on the ball before tryouts which are on November ninth and eleventh.
So I have decided to play volleyball this year, and who knows what I will be doing next season. Over the break our family is going to have somewhat of a "staycation." In other words, we are going to stay at home but do a lot of fun things. We are going to go to a BYU volleyball game on Saturday, we are also going to go shopping. Everyone in our family got to choose one thing that they would like to do, and my little brother chose to go to the zoo. Not exactly my idea of a fun time, but I will try to have fun. My dad chose to work out in the yard for three hours, and work on the rock wall. In my backyard we have this wall that is about three feet wide and three feet tall that surrounds our grass. It is a pain to work on and build, but the actual wall looks pretty dang cool. My mom refers to herself and all of the kids as the "unskilled laborers." My dad is the person who actually performs the process of building the wall, and the rest of us are only responsible for gathering the rocks from the dirt hill behind our house. That should definitely be the most fun part of my weekend for sure.
I have decided that I love spending time with my family even though half the time we would secretly like to kill each other. I really do love them, and I need to show it more often. I am so excited for this weekend, and sadly I think a lot of it will be spent doing homework. I have a project due in biology on Tuesday that I need to start. Also, I have tests in algebra 2 and geography.
My friend and I have decided that over UEA we need to watch the whole movie "Pride and Prejudice." The whole movie is about five hours, but it is totally worth it. The movie is great and I plan on reading the book by the time this year is over. Elizabeth Bennett is one of my many heroes because she is so independent. I hope everyone's UEA is great!
My friend Ashley even had the idea to go to "Stress Management" with Mrs. Turneau for intervention...it's been that stressful. Most of it is coming from math because we have two tests within a week. The first I did pretty badly on, so I need t do better on this next one. UEA will also give me an opportunity to play volleyball. I need to get a lot of touches on the ball before tryouts which are on November ninth and eleventh.
So I have decided to play volleyball this year, and who knows what I will be doing next season. Over the break our family is going to have somewhat of a "staycation." In other words, we are going to stay at home but do a lot of fun things. We are going to go to a BYU volleyball game on Saturday, we are also going to go shopping. Everyone in our family got to choose one thing that they would like to do, and my little brother chose to go to the zoo. Not exactly my idea of a fun time, but I will try to have fun. My dad chose to work out in the yard for three hours, and work on the rock wall. In my backyard we have this wall that is about three feet wide and three feet tall that surrounds our grass. It is a pain to work on and build, but the actual wall looks pretty dang cool. My mom refers to herself and all of the kids as the "unskilled laborers." My dad is the person who actually performs the process of building the wall, and the rest of us are only responsible for gathering the rocks from the dirt hill behind our house. That should definitely be the most fun part of my weekend for sure.
I have decided that I love spending time with my family even though half the time we would secretly like to kill each other. I really do love them, and I need to show it more often. I am so excited for this weekend, and sadly I think a lot of it will be spent doing homework. I have a project due in biology on Tuesday that I need to start. Also, I have tests in algebra 2 and geography.
My friend and I have decided that over UEA we need to watch the whole movie "Pride and Prejudice." The whole movie is about five hours, but it is totally worth it. The movie is great and I plan on reading the book by the time this year is over. Elizabeth Bennett is one of my many heroes because she is so independent. I hope everyone's UEA is great!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tennis or Volleyball...that is the question
Tennis has been so great so far! I love everything about it, and I actually look forward to going to practice everyday! The girls have been so dang fun, and they are so nice to me even though I am a little freshman. My doubles partner is pretty much my hero, because she is amazing at everything that she does. She is an SBO, she is on the tennis team, the track team, and she is so nice to everyone. I have never seen her be mean to a single soul, and everyone is so nice back to her. We are undefeated so far! All five of the spots on varsity are undefeated, and that has never happened before. Our whole team has made our mark in history!
The thing is, I have always played volleyball and I only played tennis because our Junior High volleyball team was going to be really bad. That sounds really horrible, but it was just my one chance to play tennis and I did. That is pretty much the best decision I ever made.
Since I have loved it so much it has made it hard for me to decide if I want to play tennis or volleyball. They are so different from each other, but each also has its charms. I guess you're always supposed go with your gut instinct but really every time I thing of it I come up with nothing. Yesterday we had the state tennis tournament to finish out the season. My partner and I did great in our first to matches, and won pretty easily. Our third match which was the semi-finals was more challenging. In the first set we started out ahead but then made some mistakes, and lost the first set 4-6. The second set we took the lead at 4-3. We got complacent, and let them come back. They ended up beating us 6-4 again in the second set. This sounds pathetic, but I have never been so devastated! It was horrible because the team that they played in the finals was a lot easier. My partner and I just couldn't believe it, and it still is making me really upset to think about it right now.
It makes me really sad that the tennis season is now over, and I'm realizing how much I love it. Club volleyball tryouts are in the middle of November, and my mom is telling me I need to make a pro and con list before then. It will be a very tough decision that will affect my life immensely.
A lot of the reason I love both sports is because of all the fun people that you get to meet. I don't think I would even play sports if I didn't make new friends doing it. Volleyball is so much of a team sport because everyone is involved in every point. Tennis is so much different because if you are playing singles it is you and only you out there on the court. You can't feed off of other people's energy like you can with volleyball. That is why tennis is such a mental sport, and I believe it is 90% mental and only 10% skill.I love both and only wish I could play both.
The thing is, I have always played volleyball and I only played tennis because our Junior High volleyball team was going to be really bad. That sounds really horrible, but it was just my one chance to play tennis and I did. That is pretty much the best decision I ever made.
Since I have loved it so much it has made it hard for me to decide if I want to play tennis or volleyball. They are so different from each other, but each also has its charms. I guess you're always supposed go with your gut instinct but really every time I thing of it I come up with nothing. Yesterday we had the state tennis tournament to finish out the season. My partner and I did great in our first to matches, and won pretty easily. Our third match which was the semi-finals was more challenging. In the first set we started out ahead but then made some mistakes, and lost the first set 4-6. The second set we took the lead at 4-3. We got complacent, and let them come back. They ended up beating us 6-4 again in the second set. This sounds pathetic, but I have never been so devastated! It was horrible because the team that they played in the finals was a lot easier. My partner and I just couldn't believe it, and it still is making me really upset to think about it right now.
It makes me really sad that the tennis season is now over, and I'm realizing how much I love it. Club volleyball tryouts are in the middle of November, and my mom is telling me I need to make a pro and con list before then. It will be a very tough decision that will affect my life immensely.
A lot of the reason I love both sports is because of all the fun people that you get to meet. I don't think I would even play sports if I didn't make new friends doing it. Volleyball is so much of a team sport because everyone is involved in every point. Tennis is so much different because if you are playing singles it is you and only you out there on the court. You can't feed off of other people's energy like you can with volleyball. That is why tennis is such a mental sport, and I believe it is 90% mental and only 10% skill.I love both and only wish I could play both.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
My Family
Whenever people figure out that I am from Utah Hawaii
Sunday, September 26, 2010
High School!
Don't get me wrong becasue I love ninth grade, but I absolutely can't wait for high school! I was at the Davis High Football game on friday, and I was talking to some of my friends that are in high school. They all said that high school is so much fun, and I just can't wait! The thing that I'm most excited about is being able to drive! It scares me a little bit, but just being able to go where I want when I want sounds so great. Now I won't have to wait for my mom to take me, or make my brother take me somewhere grudgingly. Another fun thing about high school will be the dances. The big asking and answering thing sounds so fun, and then dressing up will be a blast. I just hope I won't have an embarassing experience like a girl that lives by me did. The Peters are a really fun family that live down the street from me, but their daughter Mckenzie had a funny experience with a boy asking her to prom. The boy was sitting in his car by her house, and her dad is a policeman. When he saw the boy lurking by their house he walked over to get mad at him. The boy was scared out of his wits, and when he was asked what he was doing he quickly responded, "I'm here to ask your daughter to prom sir." Her dad felt extremely stupid and learned his lesson. The Peters's have an ongoing joke about that incident now. My brother went to homecoming last night and I can't wait till I'm old enough. All the girls' dresses were so elegant and fancy. Jess's dress was such a pretty color of turquoise I fell in love with it. My sister has a dress that fits me already and it just makes me even more excited for high school. The boys' suits looked so nice, and I think they even had a little dressing up for the dance. Another fun thing about high school will be all the fun classes that you can take. I am really into history and the civil war, it's kinda funny how much I love it. I first figured out my obsession when I read Gone with the Wind. I just find the time so interesting with all of its history. So I will be very happy when I can take A.P. American from Mrs. Dau, who I hear is an amazing teacher. Also, something fun about high school will be that all the boys won't be short anymore, and they will look more grown up.
So the other day after mutual, all the young men and women came over to my house and we had duck. It was surprisingly one of the best things I have every put in my mouth. It had the same texture as steak, and almost tasted the same except it was a lot sweeter. I just love trying new things, whether its food or just something I've never experienced before!
So the other day after mutual, all the young men and women came over to my house and we had duck. It was surprisingly one of the best things I have every put in my mouth. It had the same texture as steak, and almost tasted the same except it was a lot sweeter. I just love trying new things, whether its food or just something I've never experienced before!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My First Month of Ninth Grade!
So far my ninth grade year has been an absolute blast! I have loved every single minute of it and actually look forward to going to school everyday. When people say that ninth grade has been their favorite year so far I think that will ring true for me also. During the summer I called the school and requested all the hard teachers and was a little nervous for the challenges that it would bring. Now that I have had a while for all the kinks to sort themselves out I am so glad that I was brave and took the more challenging classes. I am excited to learn more throughout the year and get ready for high school. I've realized lately that I am a little bit of a nerd but I don't really care anymore because I love school and I love to learn. That sounds so incredibly nerdy but I really do love it. My favorite class is geography with Mr. Carter because it really can't get any better than that. He is the most amazing teacher and I learn so much from him even though I'm not so crazy about geography. I have also been a part of the Davis High Girls Tennis Team and I can't even say how happy I am that I decided to play because it has been the funnest experience. All the girls are so nice and are so nice to me even though I am just a freshman. Tomorrow I get the opportunity to go to St. George for a tennis tournament and I am absolutely psyched! It is going to be a blast becasue the girls are so fun, I love tennis, and we get to go to Costa Vida. Does it really get any better than that? I believe it can't! My doubles partner and I have won all six of our matches and we are hoping to win our matches in the future. I have improved immensely and I should improve even more before the season comes to an end. I have had a lot more homework this year than last, but I think it will all be worth it in the end. Setting up all of these honors english accounts was a pain, but now that it is all finished I have settled down a bit and I'm very excited for this class. I am also taking biology and I haven't been so crazy about going outside everyday and watching nature. I especially don't like it when nothing happens. One of the days when I was outside observing I saw my biggest enemy, and guess what that is? A snake! I wigged out and bolted inside screaming with plenty of volume. I have had my own share of horrible experiences with those slithering creatures and would not shed a tear if I never had to lay eyes on one again! It makes me cringe just to be writing about it right now.
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