Saturday is a Special Day...

it's the day we...go on fun dates. Saturday afternoon I have a date with my best friend's cousin Alex. He's actually a NICE guy. That in itself is a miracle, especially if you go to my high school. Updates to come later...
I've had the oppotunity recently to just "hang out" with my cousin David. This last weekend I met his girlfriend Katie and absolutely adore her. I love growing up and realizing how close David and I are- he is one of my best friends in this world. I have been calling him "favorite cousin David Hakes" and cannot begin a conversation without those words. I even texted Katie and said "Hi favorite cousin David Hakes' girlfriend! How is your day going?" Yes, I am a goof. I accept this sad, but true fact. I've become so much closer to not only my cousins (David and Bethany in particular) but I have also become closer to my aunts. Growing up, even though it comes with so many trials and responsibilities, is a TON OF FUN. Especially when you have such fun, smart, wonderful role models like my aunts to look up to. I LOVE MY FAMILY!

I realize that I have been a horrible blogger. Which I don't completelty understand because I love to just sit down and write aimlessly. So- I'm going to try to do better! Talk to you soon

A to Zzzzz

Thanks for tagging me kirsten!
a... attached or single... single
b... best friend...my 3 girls-mattie, marisa & tiana
c... cake or pie...i love cheesecake but i love pie too
d... day of choice... saturday. it's calming but fun
e... essential item...lip gloss/chapstick
f... favorite color... yellow
g... gummy bears or worms... hmmmm....worms
h... home town... grew up in Tempe, az, now it's CHANDLER (c-TOWN)
i... indulgence(s)... procrastination, movies
j... january or july... july. even though i loveee winter july is so fun.
k... kids?... Yes! I can't wait. i just have to graduate and find a husband ha
l... life is incomplete without...music and love
m... marriage date... sometime in the future..lets say 6 years from now??
n... number of siblings... 1 Brother, 1 Sister. They are crazy kids
o... oranges or apples... apples
p... phobias or fears... being alone. not literally. like emotionally??
q... quote(s)... my favorite is the one thats from coach carter (no, kirsten, you didn't make it up)
r... reason to smile... friendship, love, music, beauty.
s... season... i love every season.
t... tag two... spencer & jen
u... unknown fact about me... most people know everything... ha
v... vegetarian or oppressor of animals... i am not a vegetarian!
w... worst habit... procrastination
x... x-rays or ultrasounds...i've broken my arm so i got x-rays then
y... your favorite food... layered sald and pineapple cheesecake
z... zodiac... virgo.

Quotes

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows". - Helen Keller

I love quotes. Almost as much as I love movies. Possible because the quotes are from the movies...hm, genius! Although Hellen Keller jokes are hilarious, she really was an amazing person. I'm learning how difficult her learning must have been; it is hard enough to read sign language with 2 good eyes! She is amazing. The next quote is from Coach Carter. One of the basketball players, Timo, is in a rough spot in his life. Throughout the movie, the coach asks him what his greatest fear is. It is not until the end of the movie that Timo stands and admits his true fear. If you haven't seen this movie, it's incredible. That might just be because I'm a sports freak though!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

The LAKE

We just got home from Roosevelt Lake. It's an annual trip we take with 3 other families, and it was SO AMAZINGLY FUN. even though the girls were soooo lazy and sat around watching America's Next Top Model, we enjoyed ourselves. This morning we woke up at 530 and walked out the door with random swimsuit-sweatshirt-shorts combinations and dragged ourselves onto the freezing boat. The air was 65 degrees and the water was 75. needless to say, it probably would've been a lot smarter to get in the water, but it was too hard to move. we just stayed piled on top of eachother until one of us would be brave and go wakeboard. It was crazy fun!

Sisters

I'm realizing the importance of having SISTERS. yes, i only really have one sister, and i love her to death. but we're in the stage of life right now that we don't always....agree. so sometimes it is hard to realize that we will be the best friends each other could ever have. To me though, having a sister is more than having the same mom (although she's pretty incredible too). I have so many sisters that are blessing my life so much! My best friends are my sisters- we're learning that as we learn that we fight and as we walk into eachother's houses and feel at home. My leaders are my sisters- they teach me the things that they have already gone through and warn me of dangers ahead. I love sisters- even if Katie and I don't always show it.

Tagged

I WAS TAGGED
5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1) I was in 1st grade
2) Went to Rocky Point
3) Dancing to Brittney Spears
4) Playing with Eric Urry
5) Living in Tempe

5 things on my 'to do' list today:
1) RELAX (school is officially out for 2 weeks!)
2) Clean my room
3) Finish a personal progress goal
4) Go to the movies with friends
5) Go to the gym

5 snacks I enjoy:
1) Smoothies with fresh fruit
2) My vegetable "creation"
3) Carmelitas
4) Chips and Salsa
5) Mangoes!

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1) Repay my mom for everything she has ever done for me!!
2) Travel Europe
3) Buy myself a car
4) Donate money to charity!
5) Pay for college!!!!!

5 Bad Habits:
1) PROCRASTINATION
2) hating to clean
3) not being able to say "no"
4) Letting things get in my way of doing important things
5) Interrupting people

5 Things I would never wear again:

1) patched jeans!
2) my hair parted down the middle
3) Disney clothes
4) Pigtails
5) i'm not old enough to have this many things i wouldn't wear again.

5 of my favorite toys:
1) DVR
2) Computer
3) phone
4) iPod
5) car

5 people I tag:
I dont have 5 people...I tag Kirsten

Boys

boys always say that girls are more drama. i've witnessed today that boys start all the drama. and keep it going. and then blame it on the girls. Boys are simply ridiculous. but still, we love them. why is it that girls put up with the boys in their lives even when they make them cry? it seems to be that we can't let go, we can't move on, we can't let the "chips fall where they may". we're in our high school years. we need to hang out, have fun, let loose, and MEET OTHER BOYS. for my part...i'm rooting for "the other man". (only my best friends will know what that means.)

The Trip

I am currently on my family's Church history trip. We are at a Comfort Suites in New York, waiting to go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. How exciting is that?!?! We have spent hours upon hours in a 15 passanger van and seen so many amazing things! Last night we stayed at this disgusting little hotel in Canada near Niagara Falls. It was the worst night of the trip. It seems that Katie can't stay on her own side of the bed, the fire alarm didn't want to stop shrieking, and Curt thought that yelling at it would make it stop. Atleast we would have breakfast when we woke up, right? Ha, we ended up leaving the disgusting breakfast bar and ended up at a GAS STATION. This resulted in all the boys getting GROSS chocolate milk and chugging it, leaving me to think that my brother would throw up all over the car. You can imagine my discomfort at this. The falls were beautiful, or "awesome" as Kyle calls them. We were SOAKING wet after this. The two themes for this trip have been "doughnuts" and "Amish people". And Katie asking every five minutes "What does that mean???" Followed by the rest of us rolling our eyes. Maybe we should just use small words from now on. This is our seventh day on our trip..and i can't wait to see what will happen next!

Friends

I love FRIENDS. I think i have the best friends in the entire world. Seriously. Because it's summer, its hard because we don't see each other very often. So when MARISA got home today after being in utah for 10 days, i practically tackled her when she got to my house. Seperation makes the heart grow fonder?? I think so...but I'd rather not test it again. I've never laughed so hard in my entire life than wehn I'm with these 3 girls. From Utah to carmel apple dipping, John "Bythewater" to the crazy lady doing my toenails thinking that she was inspired by God, "exfoliating" to 98.thrizzle, these girls are my life. They laugh with me, cry with me, put up with me, and love me even though i'm crazy. They are amazing and i love them to death!

Mila

mila means miracle. one of my best friends, kelsey, is mila's dad's cousin. mila was almost 3 years-old, and at the age of 2 had already been diagnosed with brain cancer. This sweet, sassy little girl passed away this week, and I had the privilege to attend her funeral today. It was beautiful, but SO sad. This little girl truly was a miracle, because I know that she chose to come down to earth, fully aware of the pain that would come along with her short journey here. She came not only to stregnthen herself, but to teach those of us who were lucky enough to be around her. She gave everyone stickers as her greeting. So, appropriately, everyone who attended the funeral today received a sticker as a reminder of the giving, loving spirit that Mila had. She was loved so much, and her family and friends all miss her very much. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have the knowledge and the comfort that comes along with it of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know because He died on the cross, I can live with my Heavenly Father once more, just as Mila is now. I know that she is in a happier place!

my SIBLINGS

you know those days when everyone just is funny? you have funny days and not so funny days. and today, my brother, sister, and I were FUNNY. or maybe just tired...at lunch my brother and I were CRACKING UP and even my sister, trying to be annoyed, couldn't resist bursting into laughter. we were to the point where, had we been my mom, we would have been snorting. thank goodness i am not EXACTLY like my mother!
If i can explain a little about my younger sister...we are both...hmmmm how can i say this? We get a little obsessive. Some people would call it a good quality, we're focused, driven, and determined. SOOO we got the piano music for the EFY medley, the most amazing song. everrrr. i love this song so much. we're to the point right now where we actually FIGHT over who gets to play the song when we sit down to sing it together. She always wins, maybe i'm just too nice! ha it's days like today when i realize how much i really LOVE my family.

Family

I just spent all night at my grandparents house. my mom has 4 sisters and 2 brothers, leaving me with about 24 cousins. let me just tell you its a madhouse when we all get together. i've learned that it's necessary to take advil after a get together. but i love them more than anything in the world. the craziness and the chaos is so worth it...the little kids are the most perfect, innocent, beautiful little things EVER and i can't wait to have my own!! even though its so far away! it makes me appreciate the quiet at my house so much more!

EFY

i've never been to a place that is as MAGICAL. except for maybe Disneyland. but this week has been an amazing spiritual, social, stregnthening time. its one of the things that i am always excited for, but i don't even realize how much i NEED it until i'm there. I met some pretty amazing people...i miss them like crazy already. i learned sooo so much. This week makes me want to be a better person and to be around better people. Here's a "quote of the day" from my FANTASTIC week.

"True FRIENDSHIP helps give meaning to LIFE. It is an ANCHOR to the soul...stronger than the chords of DEATH."