the past 2 weeks? absolutely sensational.

LJ will be in my presence exactly 7 days from this moment.

YC? through the roof.

went to a billy joel and elton john concert--

will write about it in the very near future.

lovin the way things are right now.

lovin and livin it up

:]

Blog vs. Journal?

Okay so a ton has been going on for the past couple days, yet at the same time, barely anything has happened. Explanation:

Thursday: I took a dive into the pool next door for the very first time this whole summer. Last year, I went in the day it opened...early April. It was freezing...the air, the water, and me. After a few hours at the neighbor's house, I came home and a rainstorm came almost instantly. It was perfect timing. My friend had been texting me how rough his life had been going, but he somehow found and ran towards the positive and happy wall rather the negative and unhappy wall most people run to a little too quickly. It was pretty random, but like I said, it was all perfect timing. The rain started falling, and the sun was beaming through the clouds towards all of our windows in the house and the whole scene related perfectly to those times in our lives. The rain will fall boisterously, and it may ruin some plans, but that doesn't mean we can't find the sun.

Friday: Dain spent the night. We woke up at noon. We were aching to finger paint. No paint in the house. No paint next door. No finger painting happened. So we made jewelry instead. We then spent a little over an hour singing-nay, belting...wailing songs in spanish. I still am to figure out why half of her ipod is foreign. That's when we decided to make a soundtrack for our lives. Landon suggested to make a list of top 100 songs of all time. We'll see what happens. Dain, mama and I ate enchiladas and drank homemade limeade as we watched the Tribute to our Beloved Michael Jackson that mama recorded last week. I came really close to tears more than once. Barely did anything yesterday...but the day was what summer's all about. Sleeping in, creating things, singing while laying dog tired, limeade, and watching the king of pop.

Today: I went to sleep around 2ish this morning...no solid explanation. My best excuse is probably still trying to get used to the switch in time differences from Utah. Anyway, I woke up at 4:30 this morning to take Charlie out and head down to the Washington D.C. temple for volunteer work with my ward to help clean the grounds. We couldn't have picked a more perfect day when it comes to weather. Everything was absoultely beautiful. When we were done, I went into the visitor's center to see their new universe exhibit. It had pictures of stars and galaxies along with scriptures describing God's creations. I was the first one to leave a comment in their "comment book" saying how much I enjoyed the exhibit.  

I apologize if I used this entry as a journal, for it's probably not as interesting as what goes on in other entries, if interesting at all. But I felt that I had to somehow record what's happened over the course of these past few days, and I don't really have a journal. Oh, and by the way...thanks to Dain Broadbent who introduced me to the incredible song "Postcards from Far Away" by Coldplay...I've finally mastered it on the piano within these couple of days. I hope you all love it as much as I do, because frankly, I can't get enough.

it doesnt get better than this!!

1. Just got home from efy.

2. On a high.

3. that rhymed.

4. have a million and one goals set

5. trying to figure out how to achieve them 

6. finally have a legit tanline because i went to the beach yesterday

7. miss having all of my brothers home

8. feel like a child right now..which is a fantastic feeling

9. loving a huge list of songs right now

10. noticed ive used the word fantastic several times within the last couple of days

11. dang it, summer is so fantastic.

London doesn't know what's comin

It's official. There are now two Elder Sikahemas serving in two capital cities of the world at this very moment. One in Hong Kong, China, the other in London, England. Our family and friends said a sweet goodbye to Elder Leonard Trey Sikahema yesterday at the airport as he anxiously walked through the sliding doors. In all honesty, I didn't shed a tear once yesterday. I feel that there has been so much hype in the departure of Elder Sikahema, that I was just ready for him to leave and start living the two years he's been preparing for his whole life. He had to go.

 

I'm not going to get into the preparation he's had for the past nineteen years of his life, and I don't even want to reminisce the good times I've had with Trey. It's not that I don't want to conjure special memories with him because I miss him, but because I feel that what's happening now and what's happened in the past couple of days is more significant than the life I've lived with Trey. The night before Elder Sikahema left, my uncle Leonard (Treybo's namesake) brought my  great grandpa's guitar and played a couple songs. The first one he played was "Edelweiss" which I realized is one of the prettiest songs to be sung and played on the planet. He then played and sang a song in Tongan that expressed the wonderful and tragic life of the prophet Joseph Smith. There's something about listening to a song sung in the language of your people. It's gratifying. It's humbling. It's beautiful.

 

When I woke up July 2, I felt elated. There was such a miniscule size of ache in me, and I couldn't help but love to see Trey dressed in his brand new suit  in which I hope to see tattered and close to ruined when he returns home honorably. Saying goodbye to Elder Sikahema was a completely different feel compared to Elder Leland J. Sikahema and Landon. I wasn't ready to let go of them. I needed them to stay  home and watch after me when I was scared and helpless. But for Trey, I'm more grown up. I knew how ready he was, and there's people in London aching for him to bring them the gospel. I practically felt the ache for them. That's why I barely miss him. I just wish I could see his face as he arrives in Atlanta to meet his companions, and the zeal they must have as they board the airplane to London, England. They're warriors.

 

So here's to you, Elder Leonard Trey Sikahema, as you embark on a journey where you are the keystone to changing lives. London doesn't know what's coming. I love you, and go dominate.

What is Inspiration?

I've always loved this song, but after my cousin showed me this video, I have so much more appreciation for it. Check this out..

As I said before, I've loved the song "Bleeding Love" since it first came out. But after watching this dance to it, it has so much more meaning. It's funny, because I've always thought that random clips on YouTube and TV show bits have been really cool, but not necessarily "inspiring." In fact, I become a little annoyed by some of the things my friends send me via email or text that are to be in context "inspirational." However, when I watched this video, it didn't inspire me to change the world, but it actually made me think about how sad it is that so many people and families are going through this type of situation. To be honest, I had chills. I was absolutely shocked at how a video one minute and fifty seconds long could make me consider the state people are in today. I couldn't imagine living a life close to perfection, and then having it vanished so quickly.

I had been dancing since I was four years old to the end of my eighth grade year. There's something about dancing that is miraculous. It's how you express your feelings just through the movements of your body. Yet it's not always "body language." You can show anger, frustration, love, joy, depression, and every angle of your personality. Expression is to show how YOU feel. It's up to you if you want to perform it or not. It's like grasping your feeling in your hand and letting it go severely or delicately, and sometimes a combination of both. When I first started to learn hula as a little girl, one of the first things my mom said before I learned a single step or hand motion is "you tell a story." Whether you're telling your story, or somebody else's, whatever you do when the music comes on is what you want your audience to know. What's amazing about this video is that far too many people know this story, and you can experience every emotion to its extreme. So in the end, it's always okay to show if you're bleeding love.

Human by Jon McLaughlin

Summer plans have changed pretty drastically.

My cousins came to visit their newborn nephew/grandson, and now the cousin my age is staying another 3 weeks with me.

Money.

I've realized that I actually enjoy talking to adults more than teens. 

I know. It's really odd. I can't figure out what my deal is. 

There was a stake event last night and I found myself conversing in a circle of adults more than once.

Or even with an adult one on one.

Hm. I'll have to take some time to figure that one out.

But I'm going to 6 Flags tomorrow. 

More flags, more fun.

Bring on the flags.

My fellow bloggers...

I'm a greenie, rookie, whatever you want to call it to blogging. wanna give a hand in how to makeover my page from this jade green number? I'll take anything.