Looking Back at 2009

Good Things:

• I was in "Annie" (Is that good? I'm not sure haha)
• I was in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
• I recieved a lot of scholarships: Presidential at WSU, U of U and BYU-I. And half tuition at BYU.
• I accomplished all of my BHS choir goals: Singing a song at the Valentine Concert, Singing a solo, and getting that solo recorded on the CD.
• CHOIR TRIP!!!
• BHS 2009 Speech/Drama Sterling Scholar
• HAWAII
• I purchased my very own car in cash, and it is pretty nice for someone my age!
• I graduated with a 3.98 from high school.
• I got another job working at RMT.
• I have gained some more best friends!
• I survived my first semester of college and have a 3.97.
• There were a million more!

Bad Things:

• I lost a best friend.
• I had my first heartbreak and it STUNK!
• I realized that I was not supposed to go to BYU, which was my dream.
• I didn't get accepted into the U's voice program.

Because of all of these events:

• I have many precious friendships.
• I have learned to be more independent.
• I have become amazing at managing money!
• Most importantly, and most prominently, I have learned a lot about the Atonement. I've realized more than ever before that it is not just used to be forgiven of our sins, but that Christ truly knows how we feel at all times. No matter how alone we might feel, He knows how we feel and he's always there. I have grown so close to Him and my Heavenly Father this year.

2009 was crazy! It has been more eventful, exciting, dissapointing, and joyful than any year ever has been before! And I'm grateful to see that the worst moments in life turn out to be good for you and you truly learn the most during those times.

I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring!

Festivus!!!!

Yesterday my friends and I celebrated Festivus! Last year, Sam and I were at Jacob's on December 23, and Sam said he wanted to celebrate Festivus. We invited more people over, and we aired grievances. This is when you tell each person how they have disappointed over the last year. Well, people started to get a little bit too mean, and so then we had a compliment circle. This was so much fun last year that we decided to do it again!

It was held at my house, and not only did we have The Airing of Grievances, we had Feats of Strength where the head of household has to be pinned before Festivus can end. Sam was our head of household. Taylor and Driggs both tried to pin him, but Zach is the one who succeeded. Our Grievances were not as mean this year, and we said a compliment to each person after sharing our grievance.

I mostly just liked being with everyone again! We all hung out the whole Christmas Break last year, but we are all busy and that is not possible this year. But yesterday was just like old times and it was great. The only difference I noticed is that almost everyone was much more mature while airing grievances. I was very impressed. It was such a fun evening!

My Current Feelings on General Ed Requirements

I was just looking at my first blog post. It was "Are AP Classes Worth It?" I came to the conclusion that they are worth it. Now, a year and a half later, I know that AP classes are THE GREATEST THING EVER!!! haha not really, but in college they have truly saved my life. I got 18 credits in high school. If I hadn't gotten those credits I would have had to take a summer semester (almost all music majors have too. Our requirements are insane). I finished math and history and half of my english requirement in high school. Now my only regret is that I didn't take any sciences. I have to take THREE science classes to get my degree in music. grrrrr.... guess what?! I HATE SCIENCE!!! I really do! Biology, chemistry, physics, you name it. I have always managed to get As in it but I just hate it and don't get how it benefits my life in anyway.

This next semester I am taking two sciences: Chemistry (which in high school was a million times harder for me than calculus was), and Elementary Public Health. I am hoping that this class will be more interesting and help me to not hate my science classes so much. But on the bright side, I will only have one more science class after this semester, and then I can focus on my favorite kind of general ed requirement: social sciences!!! I LOVE those classes a lot! If I had time for a minor, then it would be in Human and Family Development. I am purposely saving most of my social sciences for last because I love them.

That is all.

My Favorite Quote

My favorite quote is on my blog somewhere, but I just wanted to talk about what it means to me. I'm not always very good at following Viktor Frankl's inspiring words:

"The last freedom of all is to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances."

In sixth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Daines would have us memorize a quote each week. This is the one that I have always remembered.

Viktor Frankl was in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Literally everything was taken away from the people there- even their names. Mr. Frankl paid attention to the people who were dying and who remained living. He noticed that the people who were still living through these horrible, evil circumstances were people who chose to have a good attitude and just deal with what they were given instead of complaining and cursing God all the time. He realized that even though he had absolutely nothing in the world, he still had the right to choose his own attitude and how he was going to handle his trials.

I try to live by these words and always choose to have a good attitude no matter what is happening to me. As you can probably tell, I fail most of the time. And I haven't even had the horrific trials that others go through. But, as long as I am always improving, it will be ok.

I love that quote a lot.

Caitlin

Is amazing and I love her! I'm so lucky to have her as one of my best friends. And she has had one crappy weekend! If I had just gone through what she has, I would probably give up on life. Well, not really, but yeah. She had a ruptured sist inside her that caused her an insane amount of pain and she had to spend six hours at the hospital getting blood drawn, ivs, and ultrasounds. The next night she was in a car accident and was sent to the hospital in an ambulance and had to be tested for brain damage and such and was miserable. And then she broke up with her boyfriend. After all of this, she is in so much pain as you can imagine. I went to visit her yesterday and despite everything she is just so cheerful and laughing at everything (it's probably the Lortab!) I went to make her day better and instead she made my day a lot brighter! I just think she is so wonderful and such a strong person! I'm so glad we are best friends! Last year when I was suffering from a broken heart, I would sometimes randomly start crying while we were hanging out. And she was so nice to me and could always make me laugh and feel better when no one else could. I just hope I can return the favor someday. I'm so blessed to have her as one of my best friends!

No One Thinks You're Funny...

I don't have anything to say about my life but I thought I should say something here is the only thing I can think of:

So I took the bus to school today. I was sitting with Breanna, our friend Felisha and this boy I don't know, but they do. The boy was talking to Felisha and suddenly we heard him say, "If you batted your eyes at a guy who was a total stranger and told him you hadn't eaten all day, he would buy you food in a second." Random, I know. Then Breanna was like, "If either of us tried that (me or Breanna), then he would point the way to a homeless shelter." And then she almost died from laughing so hard. And the three of us looked at her like she was insane. And I was like, "Shhh. No one thinks you're funny." And she continued laughing. Normally I laugh at what Breanna says, but this was too true to be funny.

No wonder we haven't made very many friends at school. People don't embrace freaks like they did in high school.

Sorry that was lame, but unfortunately this is the only eventful thing that has happened to me at all today. Breanna dressed as a hippie at Mimi's Cafe in Anaheim, California.