Kalista

I've been working on some portraiture and was doing film photo yesterday but ended up doing some digital as well, and this is how they turned out. I'm thrilled with the results :)

Expressing Thankfulness [Day 6]

Happy National Election Day! Woo! So I skipped half of my English class this morning in order to go vote with my parents. I met dad there where he was already standing in line and it was a good time. I laughed inside (out of irritation) when one person said, "I bet I know who YOU voted for." I told him that I voted straight Democratic - which is a lie - but it's good to keep the world on it's toes. Just because I'm a Mormon and just because I live in Utah and I'm getting ready to go on a mission does NOT mean I support Romney. I support Romney for other reasons - NOT JUST BECAUSE HE'S MORMON. Come on people, I'm not a total idiot. I'm grateful that I have the right to vote and that it is my civic duty to do so. It was all in good fun. Besides, I didn't have to sit through the entire LAME library lecture in English today. Yay for bigger and better things! :)

Fun little story:

During this time of the year FOUR years ago (aka the last election time), we were rebellious 9th graders and decided to put together our own party. I'm not quite sure WHAT we were party wise, but we had fun doing it either way. Izak ran for president and Craig was his partner as VP. Oh, it was just fantastic. If Izak wasn't on his way to Mexico in a month, I might have been tempted to write him in... ;)

Expressing Thankfulness [Day 2]

Today I'd like to express gratitude to my friends who always make me better and love me for who I am. Especially when we laugh uncontrollably at movies or when we get together and just make memories - kind of like trespassing while longboarding and hiding from them like a two-year-old in a grocery store. You guys are seriously so wonderful and without you, my life would be boring. You rock :)

Oh, and if you haven't had the chance to go see "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", you need to. That is all :)

(Don't worry if you're picture isn't here, I love you all the same. These are just the pictures that I have on my computer currently :))

Just the Little Things

Tonight I'm finishing up on some stuff for personal progress. No, I haven't finished yet, but I'll be finishing tonight. I know it's about time I got around to wrapping it up, but that's not the point of this post. One of the experiences requires us to go back and read two general conference talks of our choosing that relate to womanhood. I instantly thought of the talk that was given in the October 2011 General Relief Society Meeting that was given by Presiden Uchtdorf.

One thing that impacted me the most as I watched and listened to him speak again tonight was his emphasis on enjoying the small things. He pointed out that a lot of the time we are so focused on the end result in our journey through life that we forget to notice all of the other good things in our life while we are trying to obtain that BIG goal, when in reality, we should be able to realize the happenings in our lives that are small and simple. Whether it be something that happened today or yesterday that was somewhat insignificant, but just so happened to make you feel that much better and maybe happened to put a smile on your face.

Let me share a personal example of my own that may help you better understand what President Uchtdorf is trying to help the women of the church (as well as anyone in the world) should consider. Although this example may seem simple, I still believes that it exemplifies exactly what he is trying to say, but only on a much smaller scale.

We all know that Monday is known for its stigma of being the worst day of the week. We generally tend to dread Mondays and always tend to look forward to Fridays and the beginning of the weekend. This also causes us to maybe not enjoy the rest of the week as we are just trying to make it to the weekend alive. But here are some things that I realized made the last week worth my while.

Last Sunday, I had a meeting with my bishop to talk about going on a mission. I then went to mission prep after that and enjoyed the wonderful lesson given by Sister Nyland. Also, something to mention is that our mission prep class (which I had started attending before they made the announcement) had tripled in size! There were a whoppin' 12 people there! Heck yes. Haha, anyways, after that I was able to spend some time with a dear friend.

Well, then Monday rolled around and I was able to sleep in because I didn't have to leave until about 11:30 that morning. Fortunately, I was able to make a list of all of the wonderful things that had happened that day, as well as on Tuesday. I love realizing the little things. For another experience in personal progress, I had decided to write down at least 3-5 things every night for a few weeks of things that were good that happened that day. This was during a time where I was really busy and didn't have much time to fully write out the happenings of my day, so even when it was a somewhat rough day, I was able to sort through everything that occurred that day and write down even the smallest of things that turned out to make me realize that I had had a wonderful day. Here's an example:

November 10, 2011 - I had to sweep and mop the wrestling room today [by myself] and Izak was nice enough to stay and wait for me. I was definitely grateful for that - it was awfully nice of him to do tha for me :)

November 11, 2011 - This morning before the [freedom] assembly, we were doing a few run throughs and I ran to the back of the gym and ran up the bleachers and tripped and fell. And somehow managed to get a bruise on top of my foot. Ha... yeah, it hurts, but it was hilarious and embarrassing a bit. Especially when Dad spoke into the mic and said (rather loudly), "Hey, did everyone see Savanna trip?"

November 14, 2011 - Today was a minimal day, which was nice. I always love those days.

November 15, 2011 - [In choir today] singing those wonderful songs was awesome. We even went out into the hallway where the acoustic was much better and it was just wonderful. I hope that we'll be able to do it again tomorrow. It was just very therapeutic whenver we sing those wonderful songs with such power. It was just freaking awesome. Durtschi said that when we get a little better, we'll go out into the commons. That will be freaking sweet!

November 17, 2011 - I asked Coach [Harris] why he asked me to be a manager. Seriously though, I didn't volunteer, he asked me, therefore I asked him why. He said, "What? You don't want to?" and I said, "Coach, if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't." "Oh, alright." (Of course this is where he smiles and he has the most contagious smile. It's awesome.) "But really, why?" "Because I like you. I think you're awesome!" Haha, okay. I'll take it :)

So as you can tell, none of the things that I just shared with you above have any life-changing qualities, but they were just expressions of gratitude for the little things. Some are simpler and others are more detailed, but things like this still just make me smile. It also made me realize that my life really is good and it only takes a small amount of time to think about and write down the wonderful things that happened throughout your day. It makes you a lot more grateful for the little things and the tender mercies that carry you throughout the week. So here's the last one of the night that happened last night:

October 20, 2012 - Yesterday after spending 3 hours at the Provo Temple, I didn't really do much for the rest of the day. I ended up meeting a couple of girls in PG to take their pictures for Sadies. (I miss high school dances.) After I got done with them, I headed over to Shawna's house to hang out and wait for Nikki to get home so that I could go and watch some movies with her. I was getting impatient and Brett had invited me over to hang out with him and so I decided to head over there to his house to hang out. We ended up watching Charlie Chaplin, which was fun because Brett had never seen any of his movies before, and we just talked the whole time. It was nice to get to talk to someone who is SO good at listening! It was also fun to try and get him to talk for long periods of time (about REALLY random things). I talked about some of my frustrations and he just patiently listened and heard me out. Another thing that I noticed was when Ruth came downstairs, she was laughing and crying (apparently a sign of exhaustion) and Brett immediately got up to give his sister a hug and to comfort her. It was really sweet to see that. It just made me love him even more. :)

Enjoy your night everyone and remember to look for the small and simple things (Alma 37:6-7) to brighten your day and help you to be happy on your journey! :)

My Love for Letters

Besides the inconvenience of the time that it takes to be delivered, snail-mail truly is the most amazing thing ever. I really, truly and sincerely, LOVE writing letters. The only thing I love more than writing them, is receiving them. No joke. It's only the best thing in the world. So if you feel like you want to write me a letter, please feel free. If you feel as though you would like a letter, just pop a comment down below or message me on Facebook or something and tell me what kind of letter I can offer you. I write all sorts. Even if I've never written the kind of letter that you are in need of, I'm always willing to try something new. Just like having three religious classes. This will consist of five 50 minute classes each week between each of the three different classes. It'll be awesome.

So let me tell you exactly WHY I love writing and receiving letters. And why not make it into a list? Because I obviously LOVE lists and I obviously LOVE procrastinating studying for my midterm tomorrow... gah, let's face it, there's no hope for me.


Why I Love Giving and Receiving Letters

Giving:

• I love writing letters because I am able to spend the time thinking about what to say to someone. Of course this is a lot different than speaking words because they are able to hold it and the tangible feeling is always more sentimental.
• When I can help it, I prefer to hand-write my letters, but if I don't have the time to write out everything that needs to be said, I simply type the letter and send it off in an envelope, but that's only if I'm really in desperate need to save some time. (I could also spare some time on Facebook. . .anyone have any ideas to get rid of that bad habit?) Needless to say though, I print off the letter that I type and send it (either in an envelope if they are along distant away or in an envelope if they are close to home - I love envelopes. They're so convenient.) I try VERY hard not to email any letters if I can help it, (depending on who/what it's for) just because I know that I would prefer to hold the letter in my hands and read it rather than reading it off the computer screen. Of course the words and the meaning would be the same, but the tangibility just adds to the sentimentality of the entire letter.
• I love being able to tell someone about my day through a letter. It's nice to know that someone cares enough to hear about what's going on in your life and it's also nice to let out a breather and be able to release some feelings through writing, especially if you know someone is on the receiving end and you're not just talking to yourself.
• There's always a nice feeling when you are able to tell someone all the great things about themselves. It's amazing to know that someone was able to smile because of you.
• There is just something about a pen in my hand and flowing across the paper. I have pretty nice handwriting and so it's fun to look back on it and look at it. Weird, I know. Don't judge.
• It's nice to get exciting things in the mail too. I love sending pictures or using fun paper. I have recently sent several pictures as well as using yellow paper and neon orange paper. It just makes it all the more fun to send the letters.
• I found the COOLEST stamps EVER. They're amazing. They have Disney characters on them. Disney-Pixar characters that is. They're pretty much the coolest thing EVER. :)

Receiving:

• I feel as though nothing is better than receiving a letter. It's a reminder that someone cares about you enough to take the time out of their day to write you a letter/note letting you know that they were thinking about you and that they cared enough to express it to you.
• I love looking in the mailbox every day to just find my parents bills and newpaper ads stuffed in the tiny compartment (not!) but I love being able to look through the envelopes and find one with my name on it. There's just something so fascinating about it. It's marvelous.
• I love my name on the envelope because it just reassures me that it's mine and no one elses. (I'm kind of greedy that way. . .)
• I love the thoughtfulness that is put into letters, just knowing that they were thinking of me the entire time while writing it.
• I don't know about you, but I like unique things in letters. The most current letter that I've received in the mail - about half of it was written with a typewriter. Seriously SO AWESOME. It's not every day that you receive a letter typed up like it would have been in the 1800s through the early 1900s. Even though that was cool, I still prefer the hand-written letters. I think it's the handwriting to suffice as who they are when they're writing it. I don't know, nostalgia maybe?

Anyways, it's been nice sharing my fascination with letters to you. If you do, by chance, need a letter or want to send one over my way, I'd be more than happy to write you a thought or a happy inspirational message. I would also love to take what you write and read it many times over and treasure it forever. I would also like to inform you all that I protect my letters like I do my journals (all of which go into my dad's safe).

2 Years Early

Look out ladies and gents: this girl's goin' on a mission 2 years earlier than planned! It's gonna be stellar! Don't you worry, the Lord has prepared me for this in subtle ways and they began flooding into my mind after President Monson made the announcement. No joke. I couldn't focus. It was ridiculous. So I decided to write them down for my own personal keeping. I didn't have to pray to know if I'm supposed to go because I already know. The announcement was my answer. Of course, I know that the Lord has prepared me so that I can make the choice for myself. He's not going to force me to go but I want to go because He knows that I am willing and capable. He has helped me prepare so that I am able to make this choice for myself. Of course I have a lot to learn still and will be studying heavily for the next 8 months. You can guarantee that I will turn in my papers ASAP and if everything goes as planned, I will have my call around the beginning of March. It's an amazing feeling. Of course, I need to figure out what institute classes to take, how big of a load I'm going to do with school in the spring and everything else that I need to figure out with my life previous to leaving, but of course, it'll all work out for the best. It'll be wonderful and I'm excited for this sudden adventure in my life.

Thank you to all of those who said they thought of me when they heard the announcement (even my bishop who texted me right after the announcement was made) and no one needs to worry, my parents are both very supportive of my decision to go. It's amazing. :)

It’s a Good Thing That Boys Don’t Take Long to Get Ready

Blowing up balloons was never my favorite thing to do and yet I still opted to go with the idea. I went to the dollar store to buy some cheap, colorful balloons.The idea was to type up each letter of my name individually, cut them out after printing them off and then rolling them up and sticking them inside each individual balloon. I sat on the chair in my living room. One balloon. Two balloons. Cheek pain. I hated this feeling. I immediately began seeking help from my family members as they passed me sitting on the chair. First my sister, she said no. Then I asked my dad. He didn’t answer as he walked out of the house. I decided to blow up another one. Three balloons. I massaged my cheeks and wasn’t sure how I was supposed to blow up all 150 balloons by myself. There had to be an easier way to do this. Right as I was about to give up, my dad waltzed in the house with a tire pump. Brilliant. This was going to be so much better! He showed me the easiest way to do it and I started blowing up balloons ten times quicker than before. The process began to go more smoothly as I stuck the rolled up pieces of paper in the balloons and blew them up one at a time. Not only did I put individual letters in the balloons, but I also took the time to write a few notes to him, just to give him a bit of encouragement while he figured out who was giving him an invitation. I also included a few blank pieces of paper in some balloons just to throw him off. I couldn’t make it too easy for him. As soon as I was done blowing them all up, I placed them in garbage bags. I called up my friend, Andrew, to help me out by being my get-away driver.

He came to pick me up and he popped his trunk so I could place the balloons inside. I hurried to climb inside the warm car to avoid the cold winter chill in the air. We drove over to Spencer’s house. The first thing I noticed was that there weren’t any lights on in the house. I immediately let my guard down. I wasn’t careful about keeping my voice down. Andrew shushed me. He looked through their window next to the door and saw the family in the distant room watching a movie. I quickly placed the two bags full of balloons on the front porch in front of his door along with the note I had written in order to indicate who it was for and the dance that I was asking him to. I knocked loudly. I booked it to the car, closed the passenger door after climbing in and we were off. Easily enough we had gotten away without being caught. It was a successful escape.





Andrew and I after the get away! I know we're the best looking partners in crime that ever existed!



 

I awkwardly avoided Spencer until he responded to my invitation. The next week of school I was terrified to even make eye contact with him. I had thoughtfully picked out who I was going to ask and now that I had, I pondered the thought of him actually rejecting my invitation. The only thing that comforted me was that I had chosen to ask him because I knew that we would have an excellent time. He was one of those kids that everyone loved because he was kind and happy all the time. We were destined to go to this dance together and to have a great time. I was on the committee to help plan this dance and the only thing that I was missing was a date. I convinced myself that I would get a positive answer; it was just a matter of playing the waiting game.

Choir was the only class that I had with Spencer that year. I sat in class a week later and waited for us to start. The choir director sent the girls to the practice rooms to learn a certain part of a song while he helped the boys practice their part in the choir room. When us girls felt comfortable with the part, we piled back into the room and took our seats. The only problem was that there was something on my seat that wasn’t there before we left the room. Balloons. Four on each corner of the chair with one placed in the middle that had been written on. What was written there was the answer I had anxiously waited for. Of course I had to be careful not to seem embarrassingly excited. My best friend, who sat next to me, smiled from ear to ear and shared my excitement with me. I had a date to the dance and I couldn’t have been more excited.


The day of the dance quickly approached. I had a dress, I had made sure that Spencer’s tie would match perfectly, and I was prepared to have the best time of my life. The group that we were in was bound to make the whole entire day eventful. Unfortunately, our plans to go bowling during the day fell through, so instead we went to lunch and played “Catch Phrase”. There were complaints from some of the girls in our group because of the simplicity of our activity. I didn’t say anything and just enjoyed myself.  I had fun and it seemed as though Spencer was as well. That’s all that really mattered. Besides, it didn’t matter what we did; it was our attitude towards it that determined whether we had a good time or not. We personally had to decide whether we were going to have a good time or not. Thank goodness I had the perfect date to have the best time with no matter what we did.


When the day portion of our date was over, I took Spencer home for him to get ready. I remember specifically that we talked about how long it takes girls to get ready for dances and how it only takes the guys a short amount of time. We laughed about silly situations like that the entire time. I really did not want this date to end. It was magnificent. After I took him home, I headed to my house in order to get myself ready. I took a shower and twisted my hair back in an elegant up do, put on my dress as well as my flat shoes, grabbed my coat and keys and headed out the door to go pick up all of the people that would be riding with me in my car.


Spencer was the last person that we picked up before we headed over to meet with the rest of our group to take pictures outside and then eat dinner. I pulled up into the driveway of his house, got out of my car and walked up to the door with his boutonniere in hand. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I waited for someone to answer, but no one came. I figured that I had knocked too softly and that I needed to try again, but instead of knocking I chose to ring the doorbell knowing that for certain someone inside the house would have heard it. There was still no answer. I waited for a couple minutes trying to decide what to do. I went back to the car to ask the other couple what I should do. They were surprised that I had been standing on the porch for the past five minutes because they couldn’t see the front door from where I had parked the car. One of my passengers offered to call the house, but I didn’t want to seem impatient in case someone was inside still. I finally just decided that I would try and knock one more time.


What if he really wasn’t home? I thought that he was the perfect guy to take on a date and was excited to get to know him more. The last thing I thought would happen would be being stood up by this kid who was supposedly perfect. I thought the day date had gone well, but maybe it hadn’t. What could possibly be going on?  


On my way back up to the door to try one more time, I looked up to see a suburban speeding down the road. I immediately let out a sigh of relief as I recognized Spencer’s mom in the front passenger seat. Before the car came to a complete stop in front of the house, Spencer jumped out of the car in a James Bond type fashion and ran up to the garage. He explained while he opened up the door that his family had been up at the church cleaning when they lost track of time. I honestly found it to be hilarious. I wasn’t upset at all. His mom welcomed me into their home, complimented my outfit and invited me to take a seat. I laughed as I heard Spencer running around upstairs getting ready. He ran downstairs two minutes later, already in his suit, rushing to find his shoes. He put them on in record time and came in the front room with his hair wet. He bent over to run his fingers quickly through his hair and in record time of approximately 15 seconds it was done and he was ready to go. It’s a good thing it doesn’t take guys very long to get ready. We did the usual routine of the flower exchange and pictures were taken by his wonderful mother. We went on our way and were laughing about it the entire time. I could have easily taken his lack of punctuality offensively. It could have even gone as far as to ruining the whole night, but instead I chose to just laugh with him and make jokes about it. Luckily it made the night more memorable. Besides, we were going to have a spectacular time.


[And we did. Don't you worry!]

Look to the far right. Spencer's face is my favorite :)

First Snowfall of the Winter = Fun with Friends

We began by shoveling snow in order to have a huge pile available.

Ben and Shalyn packing snow and they even made a little flag.

Both of our snow castles. They built a temple within their walls and we... well... we just did whatever. It was awesome!

And then here's all four of us when we were done playing in the snow. This night was way too fun! :) Snow is amazing :)

Put A Puzzle Together With Dad.

#5 on the list is complete. It's awesome. I bought a puzzle with Nikki last Friday night (along with some ice cream) and since Nikki and I didn't finish it (the puzzle that is), I thought that Dad and I might enjoy it. It would be some good "time for bonding". While we did it at the kitchen table, not much was said except for, "Where do you think this piece goes?" or "Which building do you think this piece belongs to?" or even "No, no, no, that piece doesn't go there." The puzzle was of temple square. It took us together about 3 hours to do. It was totally worth it. It's beautiful. I even had a frame all ready to go that I had found a few months ago for it to go in. It's incredible. The picture that I put up doesn't do it justice. You'll have to come by and see it for yourself sometime :)

The Partial Black Friday Experience

I experienced my first Black Friday with Maddi tonight. (She called it Black Thursday since it's not quite yet Friday.) And not even fully. We just went to Wal-Mart at around 9 o'clock to buy some movies and to get out of the house and holy tamoles... we had a hard time finding a parking spot... it was absolutely crazy!!! We were thankful that they were letting people inside, but we weren't quite sure how we were going to get around. Push and shove people was what we were looking at, but fortunately we didn't have to get too rough. I only took one picture of us and it's not even a good one. We even went to Target and didn't even stop cause they were making people wait outside and we had to get home. Half way home, I realized that I should have taken a picture of everyone there since it was a part of our adventure, but I neglected to do so. That's okay though :) Anyways, I got two new movies to add to my collection (it's getting quite large in number, not huge, but I've spent a lot of money on $5 movies! haha). I got "Yours, Mine and Ours". Mom and Maddi told me that it was a good one, so I got it and then I bought "A Knights Tale"... I've seen it once, but I don't remember much. Haha, anyways, Thanksgiving was good. I'm thankful for everything in my life. Hope you stuffed your faces and I hope that no one went hungry today. Have a good rest of your weekend and if you're out doing Black Friday, don't get trampled.

Sadies 2011

Normally it's against everything in my well being to blog more than once in a day... but these are special circumstances... haha. I'm WAY behind and I have LOTS to share. About three and a half weeks ago, I went to Sadies with Drew Cornwall. (Freaking love this kid... one of my FAVORITE people EVER.) And I just wanted to share some pictures with you, cause that's just how I am. I would share more, but I don't have them all yet. So here are my favorites of what I have so far :)

Tied for first for the best dance date I've been on. I only wish I had more pictures to share with you! Thank you Kayla for taking our pictures for us!

Fast Ball

My future is basically being thrown at me at 98 mph... if not faster. For the longest time I was absolutely dreading going to college, moving out... moving on. Sometimes moving on has a sad connotation along with it, but this time it's just about moving on to bigger and better things. It's the next step of life and it's the next challenge I still have yet to face. (Especially the living on my own part...)

I was dreading the decision of which college to go to. Absolutely nuts. Well, I applied for two colleges. The first one I applied for was SUU. Felt excited about it, but then I went down there for the Shakespeare Competition the second week in October.... and to be perfectly honest, it just didn't feel right. I didn't like it. Then by the time I had gotten my acceptance letter, as well as a $4000 acedemic scholarship, I had already decided on a different school that wasn't even in the options earlier on. Not even at college day. I wish I had thought of it then. I just feel really good about it though. So guess what?

I'm gonna be a UTE :)
I applied and last Tuesday I got my acceptance letter.

No wonderful, save my butt scholarship yet... but even my dad, who's worried about money more than I am, said that I should go to the school that feels right rather than the school that offers me more money. Of course I pick the second most expensive school in the state, but hey, what's right is right. There's no doubting it.

I even stole my mom's Utah sweater,


(I was trying to hold it up and take a picture at the same time. Fail... I know.)


and I'm ready to give it back, only hoping that I'll be able to receive one for Christmas. Haha, but I told Carly the day after I got my letter, I would wear the sweater to school. We were both shouting for joy and hugging each other that morning. It was really exciting. I'm also applying for other scholarships. I'll probably be sure to let you know how it goes. Two months ago, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what I wanted to do with my life or what I wanted to be. Well, as of now, I'm going to the University of Utah, and it's going to be fantastic. I already know it.

Quick story:
On Halloween, we went up the canyon to go ziplining in the dark (which was freaking amazing by the way) and I wore the UofU sweatshirt. Well, my uncle works up there and let me tell ya... he's a die-hard, devoted BYU football fan. I did wear the sweater just to see what he would say. He did say something. He told me that I was disowned, and that I was NOT allowed to cheer them on. Well, then I told him that he would probably never speak to me again and that I had applied there. He actually congratulated me and said that it's a great school and he's proud of me (but also added that I'm still not allowed to cheer on their football team... so ridiculously funny).

Anyways, there are so many other things that fall under this subject, but let's just say that life's throwing a fast ball, and I'm not quite sure I'm ready for it, but at the same time, I'm so ready, it's not even funny! I'm embracing ever second of my senior year though. This is the time for me to do anything and everything. (Which I am... :))

Today was just an all around brilliant day...

Today was my first day in chamber... and let me tell you... it was WEIRD. Normally Carly and I split ways after seminary, but today we got to walk to class together!!! I was warmly welcomed into the class by all the kids and Durtschi. It was magnificent. They're singing this mile-long song called "Carmina Burana" that they've been practicing since the beginning of the year. Yeah... I'm totally lost. It's not even funny. I've had the music for about a month and a half now, but haven't bothered to sit down and actually try to learn the latin... or the notes... in fact, I bought a version of it that the London Symphony did, and it's INCREDIBLE, but a little far-fetched for me right now. I'm sure that if I really work towards it and spend countless hours on it (that I don't have) then I would be able to do it. Hm... Christmas Break project maybe? We'll see. They're performing it this weekend, and there is no way in the dark underworld that Hades rules over, that I will learn it by then, but they're performing it again sometime after the new year. I'll most likely make an effort before then. Promise. :)

Anyways, it was weird being in a small, mixed choir. It's definitely going to take some getting used to. We also started some Christmas music, and it was magical. Seriously, I can't wait for it. Christmas chorals are my favorite to sing.

Speaking of Christmas, it's getting cold. I hate that it snowed today. It should at least wait till Thanksgiving. (Haha, just a little side note there.)

So here are a few things that I noticed and little things that happened in chamber today:

• I'm singing alto 1. I haven't sung alto 1 since junior high. This should be interesting... I mean, you would think that alto is alto, but when you're used to singing the lowest among the women, you definitely get used to it. I don't know, I guess it's just a choir thing. But it'll be a learning experience from here on out.
• Hayden Knudsen? Yeah, he can SING. Holy tamoles. That kid can totally rip it out.
• My sight singing has gotten a lot better since I started practicing with hymns at church. Never thought it was that big of a deal, but it's awesome.
• There are three Michael's in chamber. SOOO weird. Mike Alder, Mike Thurman, and Mike... uh... HA I can't remember the other one's last name. He'll probably never read this, so I don't really have to worry about offending anyone.
• Quote of the Day by the one and only Steve Durtschi:
• "The stage can do two things for you; it will either shove you under a bus, or it will glorify you."

Haha, so epic. Today was just an all around brilliant day, from the perfect seminary lesson (about eternal marriage, which I always love), getting to sing again with people that I adore, and making the coolest potato head dude in photo today, as well as looking and feeling awesome today. It was sweet. The Book of Mormon I can definitely thank for an amazing life. Whenever I'm really good about studying it, I tend to be more calm and at ease with my crazy hectic life. That's NOT a coincidence, and I know it. Anyways, have a wonderful night. :)

Displaying Photos: Here's Some Ideas

I love it when I find new ways to display photos. It's creative, exciting and SOOO EASY! I absolutely love pinterest just for the spark of ideas. :)

I love pinterest. It sparks so many lovely and creative ideas :) I think I will be going and purchasing some clothes pins in bulk now, just so I have them for the future. :) 

Just in case you didn't know...

I LOVE photography.

I love photographing people:

• Families

• Couples e.g. engagements, married people, friends (even though I haven't had the opportunity yet, I'm sure I will)

• Seniors (or any individual for that matter)

• Children (harder, yet doable)

• Brides

• Dance Groups (date dances, dancing groups, singing groups, groups, I love working with a large amount of people)

To be perfectly honest, it's just flat out the best time of my life.

I've even started considering University of Utah.

If I read correctly (and I'm not being fed false information),

then they offer a Masters Degree in Photography.

Which is EXACTLY what I want.

Now don't start hating me if you're a die-hard BYU fan.

The Y is in my options too.

Just need to do a bit more researching.

It's only a matter of time when I'll have to finally decide where I'm going to go to school for the next 4-6 years. No big deal or anything.

I love what I do and I love capturing moments,

faces,

life.

It's kind of like capturing life as you know it and then watching yourself change by comparing yourself to that moment.

I don't know about you, but either way, it fascinates me.

Anyways, if you need your pictures taken, let's have a photo shoot. :)

Split Personality

HAHA, I had too much fun in photo today. We were supposed to take our photo and make split personalities. Here's the original picture:

This one was cropped, changed the hue and the saturation, added some smudge along with some different colors in the background. It was rather exciting. :)

And then don't forget the tidbits of deformation :)

And there you go, there's some demonizing for ya :)We are going to be sharing these pictures on Halloween. I'm rather excited actually. Can we just say, AWESOME? I think yes! :)

Back Where I Belong

I am soooo SO ecstatic to announce that I'm transferring back into choir!!! GAH! Super pumped. When I found out that I was taking Business Management (which class I am in right now) for no apparent reason besides the CTE credit, it became absolutely useless to me. I mean, Bus-Mgmt is useful in life, but not when you take it at Timp High. I don't know, that's just my opinion. I haven't learned anything new yet and it's already 3 weeks into the term. Ree-dick-you-luuuus.Anyways, it just so happens that my photo classes that I'm taking this year count as the SAME EXACT CREDIT! Yeah, I just found this out last week and it made me really excited. Yesterday I got permission to switch into Chamber at the end of the term! I don't have to wait until the semester change (thank goodness). I saw the dresses today that we get to have and DUDE. They are actually really awesome and so pretty. And they're not sparkly. (Thank goodness.) Hopefully I look good in it. Here's to hoping. I knew something was missing in my senior year and I knew exactly what it was all along. The fact that I wasn't in choir this year at all made me feel incomplete and now I'm really excited. I feel as though I'm back where I belong. It's a beautiful feeling.

So you know that wonderful photo class that I've been in? Yeah, haven't really learned anything in that class, but I've learned more than Business Management... We turned in a photo shoot already, so here they are! Well, my favorites anyways :)

I will now have the PERFECT B-day after this first term is over.
My classes will go as follows:

Stage Craft (tech)
Seminary
Chamber
Lunch (always acceptable :))
Digital Photo

You should be jealous!

UP SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE: Ha, just wait until I tell you about the paper that I wrote for Bus-Mgmt. Ha, it's complete garbage. Can't wait to tell you about it.