No White Chirstmas

In fact, it seems more of a late fall type of Oregon. The sun was up this morning when we opened presents. Now, we are carrying on with a family tradition. We spend Christmas watching some of the new DVDs we received. We watched "Up" as a family earlier and now Jamie, Dad and I are watching "Star Trek." The smell of Ham is in the air. Mmm...I love Christmas dinner!

I got a lot of great things for Christmas...

2 pairs of converse shoes
a pair of cute purple flats (shoes)
several DVDs
3 books
armano chocolate (dark chocolate (Madagascar)
lots of cute clothes
money!
gift cards!
something dad brought back from Israel
an ornament
socks
a colorful scarf
a handmade sign with the 9 "Be's"
handmade jewelry
a game

This morning we had sausage, bacon, waffles, and eggs! It has been a very good, non-white Christmas day! Now, I must figure out how to get it all home...

Merry Christmas!

Tedious Scheduling=Rewards?

I think it will be beneficial for me to schedule out the next few years of my life in days, weeks, months and years. I know it is a little tedious, but I feel like this is needed. I even have some "back-up" plans for diffrent directions that my life could go. I have had friedns tell me to go by days, weeks and months and maybe one year. Basically, a set goals and schedule out how to achieve each of them. I think this may be a good idea. I will keep everyone posted on how it is going and some of the formatting I am using. I will also have pictures of my bedroom, before and after. I am moving SOME furntiure (like my desk and bookshelf) but nothing too drastic!

Small update, but hopefully more soon!

Doctor Who and The Hunger Games

I just finished watching the current Doctor Who. Season 4 who David Tennant is amazing. I wish He could be the Doctor for one more season. That would be fun to be an actor or an actress on Doctor Who. David Tennant did point out that if he doesn't quit now he never will and it could be a very good thing or a very bad thing and he does not want to be on a show where he has over stayed his welcome. He also pointed out that refreshing the Doctor every few seasons keeps the show new and fresh, more interesting to watch. I wish we had BBC on the television...and that David Tennant would stay for just one more season. He is amazing and so was Christopher Eccleston. I love the current Doctor Who series and hope the "Eleventh Doctor" proves to be just as amazing. I am concerned though. Theroretically, the Doctor can only regenerate Tweleve times so he needs to be careful and not die again for a while. Could you just imagine yourself being a part of such an amzing series?

Another project that I am going to love is The Hunger Games movie. The release date is set for 2011. I hope the movie is not rated R (it is a violent book with no sex, very little nudity and no swearing that I can remember). I would love to have a role in this movie as it is one of my favorite books. But I would have to look like a sixteen year for the part that I want or look like a menacing teenager to play the role of the other Hunger Games participants. I am not sure I could pull any of those off. It is a fun thought though!

So, I had to blog of to amazingly epic shows that are gracing or will grace all television sets and DVD players in the coming months!

Now, off to bed. School is early tomorrow and work will be long.

Rest in Peace Heather...now a teacher in Heaven

Article that I am about to post for you surfaced very early this morning (around 2 am). They finally released her name. I was one of the first to receive the phone call that she died (at 9:30pm). I slept about four hours last night and am still in shock. She taught me a lot about life and never gave up on her students. She was a funny person...she taught me how to perfect my colorguard technique, but did not perform colorguard very well (she did say once that in the next life she will be a guard groupie and performer...after she teaches the gospel to others). I like to think she was one of those people who annoyed God because she wanted to come down to earth so bad and he finally let her...under one condition: she wouldn't stay long. The whole state of Utah is in shock. There are two vigil's today (one in American Fork and one in Riverton) that I will be attending. I help teach dance to colorguard students and today I have a meeting in Salt Lake City (after church), to help us teachers figure out the best way to tell our students and to help them cope too. God no longer needed her here. She did her part. He called her home to be the most amazing teacher he will ever have in heaven. (please note, I was told she did save the students even though the bus did role, because if it hadn't, the bus behind them would have hit them and caused more fatalites). Everyone give your thoughts and prayers to the Christensen's, American Fork and Riverton High School and all those whom were greatly affected by this wonderful woman!

"INKOM, Idaho — A bus carrying a celebrated Utah high school band swerved off an Idaho interstate and crashed on its side, killing an instructor and injuring some students, police and a school official said.

Two students were rushed by helicopter ambulance Saturday night to a hospital in Pocatello, John Miller, director of the American Fork, Utah, high school band, told The Associated Press. Another 12 were sent to a hospital by ground ambulance with serious injuries, and 30 students were taken to a hospital for minor injuries, he said.

Idaho state police said a preliminary investigation showed that the bus driver had a medical condition that caused the crash.

The Salt Lake Tribune said witnesses at the scene identified the person killed as Heather Christensen, the school's woodwind instructor.

The crash occurred around 7 p.m. MDT on Interstate 15, about two miles north of McCammon and 50 miles north of the Utah border, as the band headed back to American Fork High School after a competition with several other bands in Pocatello.

Miller told the Salt Lake Tribune that the teacher killed in the accident tried to avoid the crash by grabbing the steering wheel when the driver lost control and the bus veered off the road. Miller said the instructor tried to get the bus back on course, but fell out of a window as the vehicle rolled.

"She loved her students, they were her life. I know she died trying to save them," Miller told the newspaper.

Forty-nine students were on the bus that tipped over, Miller said. Altogether, a total of 222 students were on the trip, divided into four buses.

James Kimball, 16, a band member at American Fork, told the AP that he saw the bus swerve off the road and go on its side in a ditch off I-15.

"I was on the bus right behind it. We were watching a movie and I looked forward and saw the bus bouncing across the side of the road," the high school junior told the Tribune in a separate interview. "The bus flew off to the side, bumped across a couple hills and rolled over."

Distraught students sang church hymns after learning of the instructor's death, Kimball said.

Mike Huestis, the band's assistant director, told the newspaper that authorities worked to ensure that all people on the trip were accounted for and examined for injuries. Police said the bus had about 50 students, two adults and one driver on board.

Huestis traveled to the competition in his own car and was ahead of the buses. He did not see the crash, he said.

Kimball said the band, one of Utah's best known, won the Pocatello competition. The school's bands have won the Utah state title for the past 19 years. The school band also performed at President George Bush's 2005 inauguration and marched in the 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York."

Love you Heather Christensen. Thanks for being such an amazing teacher and friend. We will not be the same without you.

You Know You've Lost a Friend When...

You know you've lost a best friend when the following take place...

1. You cry everyday knowing that she will not get the chance to she it.
2. You look at her blog every time it is updated and feel sad that you are no longer a part of her life.
3. You notice she is happily moving on without you and you are trying to make it through the day without her by your side.
4. She visits your state and sees all her friends...except you.
5. You ask her mother everyday if your best friend is doing okay.
6. You worry about her everyday.
7. You start hundreds of emails to try and get her back, but none of them seem to express your feelings correctly.

Yeah, I miss my best friend and I want her back! I just don't know what will bring her back...

Does she know that I have BIG dreams and I don't want anyone to give up on me, especially her. I always work very hard for what I want, I just need to people to come along for the journey. She is on my list of people I want to not give up on me...EVER. Never give up on who I am, or if I am lost never give up on finding me, never give on my ideas (even if they never happen), just never give up on me.

I have decided to make a list of only some of the people I would not want to leave my life ever...

1.Grandma and Grandpa have to be at the top. From the day I was born that were always proud of me and always tell me like it is. They are the only healthy grandparents I ever knew and I thank them for always believe I could and still can achieve the impossible! They will leave this earth someday (I hoping not anytime soon) and when that day comes I will have to work harder than ever before just to make then the proudest Grandparents anyone has ever seen!

2. Momma and Jessica Dupaix- my best friend and her mom (who is like a mom to me). Before our little tiff, Jess always taught me to be strong and was a rock in my life, since July I have felt unsure about everything. She means the world to me and if she is still willing, she will be a bridesmaid the day that I get married (which will not be for a while). Momma Dupaix has always made me laugh and has never turned her back on me, even when my best friend decided she was not happy with me.

3. All my paternal Aunt's, Uncle's and Cousin's. To all my cousin's, we grew up together played many computer and other games and had fun doing so. I take great pride in learning wisdom from my aunts and uncles and I would hope that even though I am far away from most of them, they are still proud of who I am and what I do!

4. My Aunt Lindsay who is great at giving advice and occasionally spoiling her nieces!

5. Aunt Nancy who is always offering to help out any of her nieces whenever the going gets tough!

Again these are just a few. I will post more about this later.

A Long Weekend (or Just Three Days)!!!

A whole has been happening since last weeks post. First, I am way excited for this three day weekend. I have a lot planned. I am going to throughly cleaning my room (and give before and after pictures), go to a bridal shower for a dear friend, watch the BYU/Oklahoma game, read a lot of books, finish homework and sleep-in (I think sleeping in will be my favorite part of the weekend). I am already starting on some of my weekend plans by staying in the library for a while to finish my homework and spend some quiet time reading! I think I am going to enjoy this weekend!

Something else I have to dot his weekend is be really honest with a friend. I am going to attempt to talk to my best friend again and what I have to say probably going to upset her even more, but I must be honest with her. I can't lie to her. That will not get us anywhere in our relationship. I think this fight may escalate a little more, but things need to be said. She has to hear the truth. It will not be fun for either of us, but it must happen or I will loose my best friend forever and I can't allow that to happen.

Surprise Break Before Class

We had a quiz in Ballet today (the first quiz of the new semester) and then did some floor work. The treacher decided to let us out of Ballet early today (Ballet goes from 8am-9:30am and we were let out at 9am) which is nice because I can go get some breakfast and update my blog. A lot has happened recently and I have been taking everything in stride. Jamie and I had a very long talk yesterday and I have come to realize how greatful I am to have my big sister as my roommate (I just hope she feels the same way). Then my father called last night because he found out how rough of a day I was having and we had the same talk Jamie and I had earlier. I love my Daddy! Maybe that is why I am a Daddy's Girl! I have had a lot thing think about recently and have had a lot of things come my way that I never expected.

I have been busy as ever. I have already been assigned two papers and they are both due Monday. I am expecting some math homework today in class, but luckily, I only have math three days a week instead of four or five! This weekend will be very busy, but I think I will survive!

My love to all! Now time for breakfast and math (10am-11am) and then my scholarship meeting!