Becoming a Sophomore!!!!!

Ahhh!  After 9 years of school before now, I am finally in high school, and yesterday I officially became a Sophomore!!! It didn't even soak in... not when I was going to bed Sunday night, not as I woke up, got ready, and drove to school.  Even as I came to school this morning, it hadn't completely set in that I had entered the final stage of schooling.  Sunday night, I finally decided that I needed to prepare my stuff for the next day, and pick out an outfit.  Here's the lovely product that came from the help of my stylists... Andrew and Hayden.

Me... sporting a beautiful blue and green floral shirt, red, black and blue flowerd skirt, fabric-tied shoes and lacy white suspenders.  Fashionista? I think so :)

First day of school..... Pictures lost :'( but here my lovely 2nd day!

2nd day of school... (So my first day in classes 5-8)

Toucano's... an AP Test CELEBRATION!!!

Well here is a fabulous story to be told.  To begin, let me first say that I love Savanna very much, even though she can sometimes be very lame :)  Decided months in advance, Savanna and I had decided that were we able to pass our very first AP test (Human Geography), we would reward ourselves by taking a trip to the Brazilian Grill: Toucano's at the Gateway.  To our delight, we both PASSED our test! Following this fabulous event, we continued to schedule and put into action our mother-daughter date at Toucano's.  In a spirit of excitement, Savanna and I decided that we would dress up cRaZy together when we went to lunch, but due to her lameness ;) she bailed out on me!  Intent on still making the best of the situation, I bought a GORGEOUS outfit at the D.I. and was ready to go crazy... Even if I did it alone.

So here I am. Decked out in pink pumps from the 1900's, a lime green mini skirt, technicolor plaid shirt, colorful dangles, sparkly red lipstick, AND a fashionable hairdo with matching polka-dotted ribbon. 

Here we are again.  Savanna, who is a completely sensible, mature and normal fifteen year old, was stunned by the amazing fashion sense her friend had... and could not believe I had the flare to wear this in public.

So, determined to make an entrance, I continued on my way... DRIVING (Yes, I drove) to the Gateway.

However, I was intent on also staying modest, so I forced myself to change from my lime green mini skirt into  less sensible and boring attire.

We tried some DELICIOUS foods....

                               


And some not-so-tasty, as modeled in this picture by Savanna as she tastes a QUAIL egg.  Do not be deceived... Although they may look completely harmless from the outside, they are a nasty suprise as you plunge into the surface.  I would not advice eating them regularly as the bitter flavor may be bad for your health.



As previously demonstrated... some were not so tasty!

And... CHICKEN HEARTS!!! Which I actually found rather tasty.  Yum!

All in all, we had a pretty great time...I just can't wait to pass my next AP test and see what adventures will await me then.

Weeks 3-5

So.... due to laziness and lack of consistency, I'm no longer sticking to my week-by-week review of my time with Marc, so here is a summary of his last 3 weeks with my family.  (About a month after he has been gone)
I don't really want to take the time to upload the many photos I've taken, so I'll just say it was spektacular!  Getting to know Marc was such a wonderful and amazing experience, which I'm so glad to have had. I just can't wait until I get the chance to go to HIS home in France in 2 years.  It shall be very great :D  during his stay with my family, I got to know him so well, growing to the point where he is like another brother to me.  Can I just say that I will miss him very much and can't wait to see him again.

Week # 2... Girls Camp

Okay, so the second week with Marc, I was gone to Girls Camp, but even though wasn't in on the family excitement, I had one of the best weeks of my life...

Parlez vous Francais?

So for the last five weeks, Marc, a fifteen year old boy from Normandy, France has been staying with my family.  Our adventures started out kind of awkward because Marc barely knew us, but he quickly warmed up to our family and was soon as much a part of it as anyone else.  We went on many expeditions  with each new day full of excitement.  Here are a few pictures from the beginning of our adventures...

Day # 1





A night in Mueller Park Canyon... without Marc, who was too tired to come out after his 11 hour flight.

Great Salt Lake

Marc... showering..... already feeling comfortable as he shows his discomfort in the freezing water.

What time is it???...... SUMMERTIME!

Summer is FINALLY here, and I can't believe it.  Other than the fact that it is just barely beginning to be warm and it snowed last week, it just doesn't feel like the end of the year!  The last few weeks have been so crazy and I can't believe that they are finally over.  It feels so great to have the weight of homework and guys off my shoulders (at least for now).  I have a bunch of online classes and some summer reading to look forward to in the weeks to come, but for now I'm just excited to begin my summertime.  Here are some lovely pictures from the last few weeks at school and at home, including the first days of summer!

Cinco de Mayo!
Every year for Cinco de Mayo, my mom makes a fabulous Mexican dinner and we all dress up in sombreros and mustaches!  Don't they look beautiful?

There have been so many graduations for my family!

9th Grade Recognition Night

Me with my wonderful parents



Me with Camster... one of my best friends!

Savanna and Me with our FAVORITE moms



My favorite older sister Heidi with me



My 6 year old brother Hayden, just after graduating from Kindergarten!

My little sister Nakita, graduated from 6th grade!

Me with some of my friends on the swing in my backyard just hanging out together! :D

Spending time with my younger brothers.....



My beautiful guy I made out of legos... isn't he just lovely?



sleepovers in my bedroom



Last Day of School!!!!... A FIESTA!

Savanna and me after we got out from playing ninja

We made a piniata!  It was so beautiful :)

Savanna and I both broke our forks in the delicious meal we had.  (A wonderful taco salad!)

And.... a Luau to celebrate my grandparent's 50th aniversary

The delicious meal... coconut buns, fruit, rice, pork and lots more delicious polynesian food!

Some pictures that Andrew and I took together... sitting on the swing together!

Another great picture.... if you can't tell, andrew is one of my best friends... I love him so much!

Amazing entertainment... a group from New Zealand who sang and danced throughout the night

My littlest cousins did a little dance for my Grandparents...  it was so cute.  My youngest cousin Millie (on the left, kind of behind everyone else) was so so cute.  She is 2 and was kind of just in her own little world... it was so precious!

My Grandparents feeding eachother their cake.

Best lines of the night: 

Grandma: (As we tried to get her to shove the cake into Grandpa's face, saying they had done so on their wedding day) "But we love eachother!  That was when we didn't love eachother."

Nakita: "I'm not a girl!!!" 

Pretty much the last month has been AMAZING and I can't wait to see what new fun these next months of summer will bring with them!

About Me...

Here is a list of facts about me to get to know me (as my first post).

1- I absolutely LOVE sunshine.... in any way, shape, or form, it can almost always put me in a good mood.
2- My signature item is flip flops, which I wear all year long and cannot survive without (yes, I wear them throughout the entire winter too).
3- I am not a picky eater, but love almost any food... it is all just so delicious!
4- Of all the many wonderful foods I eat, French Toast is probably my favorite.  Close behind is apples, cheesecake, oranges, taco salad, home-made pizza, hawaiian haystack, chinese food, trifle, and brownies.

5-Music is one of my favorite things in the whole world.  I love playing the piano and singing, although neither of which I am very good at.  I also love almost any genre of music and listen to everything except for most rock and rap.
6- Ice cream is also one of my favorite foods.... especially with chocolate-peanut butter cups and carmel swirled into it or raspberry cheesecake!
7- Although my favorite season is summer (closely followed by spring) I love all four seasons.  I love warmth and the beginning of new life.  I love the changing of the leaves to red and orange (and the coming of the hollidays) and love seeing the snow fall.
8- When it snows for the first time, there is something about it that seems so magical, and I get so excited I can barely stand it.
9- I also feel excited when it rains and absolutely love to dance in the rain  (which is one of my very favorite things to do).  I just love the feeling of being completely drenched while twirling in the poring rain.
10- I love to do art of any kind, but especially sketching and painting.
11- I also love writing poetry and stories (although I haven't done very much).
12- My favorite juice/drink is orange juice.
13- My favorite celebrity is David Archuleta (followed by Justin Bieber)
14- My family owns two cats and a dog (plus a million other pets that have died) but I am not an animal lover.  However, I do like pet fish and birds when they don't belong to me.
15- I am fifteen and 1/2, but still don't have my permit. (Which I should be getting soon though).
16- I love to read, especially adventurous romances.
17- I am LDS!
18- I do not like spiders and snakes.... both of which give me the shivers.  I also can't stand any other kind of bug and am terribly afraid of the dark.
19- My biggest pet peeves are when people pop their knuckles or are mean for no reason.
20- This is me with my best friend... Savanna!  As you can see from the picture, I love putting my hair on top of my head or into other crazy do's.

21- I also love hanging out with my friends.

22- After going to Hawaii for spring break this year, it is now one of my favorite places ever (especially Kauai... here are some pictures from the trip.)

My little brother Andrew and me driving in Hawaii

One of the beautiful views from a walk we went on

The view as we began the hike along the Napali coast

23- If I were to make a list of all my favorite songs, it would take a lifetime, but some of my favorites are: Elevator by David Archuleta, Count On Me by Bruno Mars, and Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift.

24- I love to play board games with my family... especially European ones.

25- By the way, other than flip flops, my next favorite shoes are probably sandals... both of which I can't stand to wear without painted toenails.