A New Year!!

Well 2012 is ending and 2013 is just around the corner. It's been a long and really odd year, at least for me, but I'm not going to dwell on 2012, I'm going to look forward to 2013. It's going to be a good year, I can feel it. I already know what 2013 holds for me, or at least part of what it holds for me. First of all I finally graduate in May!!! (from high school) I finally get out of the prison and move on to better things. Second: I get to go to college. I have already been accepted to USU, I'm just waiting on BYU-I before I make a decision on where I'm going to go. We'll see what ends up happening. Third: I get to go on Heritage tours. So I get to tour Church History sites. I also get to go to New York and other such places. Oh and I get to spend three weeks with a few of my friends, while it prepares me somewhat for a mission. :) There are a few other small things that I know are in store for me, but those are the major things that I'm looking forward to.
Anyways, I would do a year in review, but it would take too long and too much effort on my part. I'll just say that this year has been interesting and full of lots of unexpected things, turns, events, and people.
Since I didn't really complete a lot of my goals for 2012, so I'm making new ones for 2013, although this time they are going to be a little more realistic than last year. I will be making 18 since that's how old I'll be turning later this year. :)

1. Always Smile
2. Write in my journal at least 3 times a week
3. Read my scriptures for at least 5 minutes every day
4. Pray morning and night (meaningful pray)
5. Spend more time with my family
6. Study harder and more
7. Save my money more than spending it
8. Exercise at least 3 times a week
9. Learn a new skill
10. Go to festival of Colors
11. Go to Scheels and ride on the Farris Wheel
12. Try to read 30 Books
13. Do 3 Hours or less on the Computer and TV a day. (leisure not school related)
14. Do at least 5 hours or more of service
15. See the sunrise from Timp.
16. Hike all the way up to Timp.
17. Learn a song on the Guitar
18. Write a note once a day to someone

The Alchemist

I just recently read a book called The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. One of my friends told me months ago to read it. I just never really got around to doing it because of school and such. But I finally sat down about a week ago and read it. It was such a good book. It's one of those books that are fantastic because of what it teaches you more. So my only point of this post is to say: if you haven't read, read it. It's a really good book, one that is wroth reading no matter who are.
And to give you a small taste of what the book is here are some quotes and a summary of the book.
Summary:
"PAULO COELHO'S enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom points Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transformation power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts."
Then just a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
 “When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
"Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.” 
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 
Those are just a few. The book is chalk full of a ton more. So see if you can grab a copy and read it. It's a fantastic book. :D

Busy Bee...

Lately I have been so very busy. It's a miracle that I'm still alive and breathing. I have had so much homework to make up and get caught because I've missed a few class periods of Math and French, and one class period of Physics. Some how those classes are always the ones I miss. Anyways it's been crazy and I'm still not quite caught up but, hey, I will be by the end of this week.
That's not the only thing that has kept me busy. Preference is coming up! This is the one dance that I have been looking to since like the second month of school, even before Sadies. We have planned it out to a T, and it's going to be so much fun. Plus I finally get to go ice skating for the first time in my life! And I'm wearing a gorgeous red dress! (even if, in the beginning, I didn't really like part of it.) And the shoes that I'm borrowing from a friend are just as gorgeous. Now I've just got to find jewelry that will do the dress justice. Then there's the boutonniere that I need to make. Oh joy! And that's all just for Preference.
Also I'm playing my cello for another ward in AF for their ward Christmas Concert. I will be accompanying their choir. I haven't practiced with them yet, but I will be on Sunday.
And then just to add to my plate of busy-ness, there's Interact. I'm the president for our Interact club at school. Interact is a service club for those that don't know it. Anyways a lady, Carol, is coming by tomorrow to let me know what the head hunchos are thinking for a service project. That way I can have the club help them. That makes my life a little easier.
Then there's work! I love my work. I babysit a 9 year old boy everyday after school besides Thursdays. It's so nice, I get paid and I've just got to keep the kid in line. And he's really easy to keep in line when you are one and one with him. :)
But all of this busy-ness practically ends in a week in a half when Christmas break comes around. FINALLY!!! It's very much needed. Plus my parents and I are going to visit my sister and her family in Texas over the break. I'm so excited to see my nephews and my baby niece. Plus I get to relax in a place a bit warmer than Utah, where it's cold.
I feel like I just ran out of breath just writing that all.
But I've still got two other things to address.
So today it snowed....finally. We haven't had a lot of snow in forever. The only down side was that after school the roads were bad. Yeah I drive a 19 year old truck that has no traction what so ever. I was fish-tailing a ton, and I HATE fish-tailing it. The exterior of me was all calm, but inside I was like...

AHHHHHHH. Swing my arms all over the place, plus some hyperventilation. I was scared out of my mind, but I tried to keep my cool even though the picture above describes exactly how I felt inside. But I made it home in one piece, and I was even able to run to a friends house to pick up my shoes. I still made it home in one full, unharmed, piece. But I have concluded that I hate snow and driving in it stinks!!!
Last thing: so awhile ago I wrote an essay and I promised my two favorite neighbors that I'd post it up just for them.  So here it is!

Remembering Me

            In life we all want to be remembered by something. Normally, we want it to be something good like; courage, never giving up, giving service, being honest, or any other good characteristic. Personally, I hope to be remembered as someone who never stopped smiling even when times were hard

My nick-name was “smiley” when I was younger. I was given this nick-name by some of my next door neighbors because they never saw me without a smile. This nick-name has influenced my life a lot, especially recently. I’ve been having a hard time the past year and a half. It’s been off and on, but it’s still been a hard little while. I remember a few months ago I was just having a hard time with severally things. I wasn’t smiling as much as I should have been; I wasn’t the happy Marissa that I’m normally known for. I was sitting at the computer doing my usual thing; listening to music and playing on the internet. All of the sudden something clicked and I remembered my old nick-name for some reason. I hadn’t been called that for a long time, so I was confused as to why it came into my head. Right then and there I made a decision to always try to smile no matter what. Little did I know that it would influence me months down the road when my life got even harder.

I hope to be remembered by this characteristic because it’s really dear to me. The neighbors that gave me that nick-name are some of the best people that I know, and they were my favorite neighbors too. Several years ago they moved away, it was a sad time for all of us that knew and loved them. By always trying to smile I can live up to what I once was, and what I can become, while trying to honor them in the best way I can. A smile is important to me because a smile can do a lot of things; it can brighten someone’s day, it can turn your day into something better, it can spread cheer like wild fire—after all, a smile is contagious. In a small way I can help the world by smiling. I can give someone my smile by making them laugh, or just smiling at them in a hall, outside, inside, anywhere. Although I am just one person, my smile can make a difference, and it can influence the lives of people all around me.   

 I LOVE YOU DAVE AND TERRI!! I will forever remember you. :)

Out of Place...

Have you ever felt just out of place, like you just don't belong somewhere. I honestly hate it! I've felt that way so many times in my life. What I've come to conclude though is that it's one of Satan's greatest tools against me. He'll make me feel so out of place, that I just recede into a hole and just not bother with trying to feel like I belong. Well tonight was one of those nights. Just out of the blue I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I was talking to one of my best friends and he told me something. At the moment what he told me made me feel like he was really my friend, some one I could trust, some one who cared for me. But what he said reminded me of a book. Daughter of a King, was the book. It's one of my favorite books. I love it, and I haven't read it forever. So I finally took it out and read it.
For those of you that haven't read it I'll give you the low down on it. The book is about a little girl-Katie-she is told by her parents that she is a daughter of a King, and that the King loved her dearly. Although the King lived far away in the Crystal Palace, the time would come that Katie would be able to make it back to Him. As Katie grows up she is teased by the village kids, and told that she isn't a Princess, but Katie finds a friend that believes that they are both Princesses. One day Katie and the other village kids steal a pie from a widow in their village. Katie breaks down a tells her parents what the did. She then makes a pie for the widow and takes it to her and tells the widow what they had done. The widow forgives her and has Katie eat the pie with the widow and her grandson-Michael. Katie and Michael grow to know each other and talk about the Crystal Palace since Michael was taught that he was a Prince, they are later married. They both have to remind each other that they can make it to the Crystal Palace, they have to keep dragging each other there. In the end Katie and Michael stand in front of the gates and Katie says

"I'm afraid...What if I don't belong? All of my life I've wanted to come here. But what if the King doesn't know me, it has been so long, and I am so worn and dirty. I don't feel like the daughter of a King."
"He will know you, Katie." Michael took her hand in his.

After they go through the gates the King comes to Katie and says

"I have missed you so very much, Katie. You have always been my princess, and I love you." he hugged her close.

We can take so many things out of this book. But for this post I'm taking the most obvious thing out of it, and that is "I'm a Daughter of a King." Every Sunday I recite the Young Women's theme "We are Daughters of a Heavenly King who loves us and We love him." I'm a Daughter of God. That's where I belong, He loves me for who I am, and what's in my heart. He doesn't care what I look like, He just cares about what I believe and who I really truly am. He loves me for all my flaws and all my sins and all my faults. He loves me for me.
We are all sons and daughters of God. And He loves us each individually and knows each of us.
I am so grateful for Him, and for the love he gives us. He gave his life for us so that we could see him again. "When I asked Jesus how much he loved me; he said this much, and held out his arms and died for me"
To my dear friend who reminded me of this book. THANK YOU!! I owe you so much now, you reminded me of this book, and the book reminded me of who I am. Words can't express what I just experienced because you of what you said. Thank you!  

Thanksgiving!!!

It's Thanksgiving!! A fantastic holiday, but a semi-forgotten holiday. We all become excited for this holiday because of the food and great deals on things the next day. But we always forget the real meaning of Thanksgiving. We get all wrapped up in the food, the great deals, and even getting ready for Christmas. (Christmas is a month away, let's take one holiday at a time!) So what is the real meaning of Thanksgiving. I know it's hard, but think really really hard. HA, did you think of it? What's that I hear? That's right! Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what we have! O my goodness! So what kind of things are you grateful for? Take out a piece of paper or something and try to write down 50 things you're grateful for, that aren't food or something you can eat. I believe you can do it because I'm going to do it right now. :)
Things I am grateful for...
1. My family. I love you guys!
2. All the things that my family does for me. I don't know how I could survive this world without them.
3. My friends. I thank you guys for all the laughs and smiles!
4. A nice warm house. (even if it's cold some days)
5. A bed that is comfortable.
6. A school where I can learn. (even though I hate it some days)
7. Music. Through all the ups and downs and when I feel like everyone has left Music has always been there.
8. Computers. We can share so many wonderful things through them, but why don't we do it more often.
9. My phone. A wonderful device that I can use to keep in contact with people where ever they are.
10. Cars. I don't think I could have been a pioneer and walked who knows how many miles
11. Clean running water and warm water.
12. Flowers. They always can brighten someones day.
13. Phone calls or text messages that are just dang sweet.
14. Laughter. Which is truly the best medicine.
15. Smiles. They can brighten any ones dark day.
16. Clothes.
17. Shoes.
18. Books!
19. TEMPLES!! Where families can be sealed for time and ALL ETERNITY!
20. President Monson and all his counselors.
21. My church leaders and all they do.
22. Pray.
23. They scriptures
24. My Patriarchal Blessing.
25. The Holy Ghost
26. Christs' Atonement
27. Oxygen
28. Trees.
29. Animals.
30. Let's just put nature!
31. Pictures. For all the memories that they can give us.
32. Agency
33. Little kids
34. A job.
35. Quotes
36. Daylight Savings time. (couldn't resist, it's for one of my friends)
37. The Sun
38. The Moon
39. The Stars
40. Paper that we can write on, print pictures on, and so much more.
41. Printers
42. iPods, iPad
43. Kind words
44. Planes.
45. Working Toliets
46. The opportunities I am blessed with.   
47. Service
48. Hospitals.
49. EFY!!!! (I learned some of the best things there. I even met one of my really close friends there.)
50. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I could probably go on and on and on and on. I could even got more in depth, but the bottom line is that there is so much in this world for us to be grateful for. Maybe we ought look at Thanksgiving as a time to remember all the wonderful things, and be grateful for this country. In fact we should everyday. But why get so excited for a Holiday that comes after Thanksgiving to the point that we kind of forget what Thanksgiving is really about. Let's take life slow and enjoy the little things. Lets not rush into things, lets always be thankful for all we have. We are so blessed, but we are never as thankful as we should be, and that includes me. So take like five or ten minutes out of your busy and write down at least 50 things that you are grateful for and share them. Post them on facebook, twitter, a blog. Tell them to a friend or a family member, and don't forget to tell all the people that you love, that you love them, and that you are grateful for them, and all that they do for you. 

Talents

Cultivate your talents! That's what I've always been told my whole life. Well I've never taken that too heart, like at all. I've always been fairly decent at playing the cello and piano, with sewing and creative things too. I've never really practiced the cello and piano, and I haven't really cultivated any of the other talents that I've been blessed with. Well I got my face slapped this past week, repetitively. We had a lesson in Seminary on the Parable of the Talents. That was the first slap. The second slap came a few days later in Young Women's. Our lesson was on our Talents. OUCH! I got my face slapped on both sides.
Then today I was with some of my friends in our schools midi-lab. One of my friends was singing for us, since she had to perform the next class period. She did such a good job, she has been blessed with a fantastic voice. I also started to notice that she has been blessed with a lot of other talents. But I was a bit jealous, she was really good at all of her talents. As I thought more and more about this, I must admit, I got even more jealous. Then the thought hit me. She cultivates her talents. She practices her singing and piano, she does other things like photography as much as she can. She takes every chance she gets to practice and cultivate her talents. Then another thought hit me as loud as a screaming voice. "You need to begin to expand your talents like her." That voice was 100% true.
I then made a decision to begin to develop my talents even more. I sat down today for the first time in years and I played the piano for over a half an hour!! I never even did that when I took lessons! Sitting down and playing old piano pieces felt wonderful. The more I played the better I got, just sitting down for that much time and I started to play better. My mind was boggled. Then I realized I was given a gift by God. It's the gift of music.
I've always loved music, and it's always been a big part of my life. It's helped me calm down when I need it. I've felt the spirit so much with music. I've broken down listening to a song because it's the song I needed at that point in time. In my Patriarchal Blessing it talks about my talents. It's a brief little paragraph, but it specifically talks about music. Yup another slap. I have neglected my God given gift, and I haven't developed it at all. I realized that if I practiced more I would be able to develop that talent. Just playing my cello every B day and for lesson wasn't enough. I wasn't using my gift very well. Same goes for piano, just playing for Seminary or for Church wasn't enough. How could I develop a talent that I hardly use?
So, I have this new determination to practice every day. I know it'll be hard, and I hope for the life of myself that I will be able to always have this determination. So wish me Luck!

"Life is like a piano...what you get out of it, depends on how you play it."

"Life is like a piano, the whit keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through life's journey, remember that the black keys also create music."

"Cause anytime something bad happens to you music's the one place you can escape to and just let it go."

~August Rush

"Love is like playing the piano. first, you must play by the rules, then you must forget the rules, and play from your heart." 

Parables

So in my AP Literature class we were assigned to write a Parable. I literally sat there in class thinking How in the world am I suppose to write parable, what am I going to write it about! I had no idea. Well this last weekend rolled around, and I still had no idea, and it was due on Tuesday. Then Saturday rolled around, the day I had looked forward to all week. I had a date Saturday with my friend Chandler from EFY. We were going rock climbing. I was a little scared, since every time I've done rock climbing I've always chickened out and not gone very high. However I had fun, and I climbed a 32 foot wall three times, along with a few other things. I had a blast and I felt accomplished. As I was sitting in church the next day I started to relate this story to life. Then the idea popped into my head Use it as your parable! You had no idea how excited I was, I figured out what I was going to do! So here is my parable, I'm really proud of it and I think I did a good job. (PS This story is twisted from what really happened on my date. So this isn't that accurate, so to speak.)

Trusting my Belayer

Nicole looked at the wall that stood before her and took a deep breath. She checked her harness and the rope that was attached to, they both looked secure and ready to go. She then looked at Thomas, her belayer.              

“Are you ready?” He asked.

“I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She looked up the wall, took another deep breath, and began to climb.

She had never done this before but as she began it seemed to her that it was fairly easy. Then all of a sudden she slipped. She quickly closed her eyes and waited to fall, but the rope caught her and she just hung there. She looked down at Thomas.

“I’ve got you, it’s okay!” He shouted.

She nodded, after a small rest she grabbed onto the rock hand hold and began to pull herself up again. As she climbed up higher it became harder. She slipped a few more times, but with Thomas belaying her, she didn’t fall.

Finally she reached the top. She took a little rest as she breathed a sigh of relief. Thomas had done his duty and kept her safe, and she had trusted in him, a good combination she decided.  

“I’m ready to come down!” She shouted. As she went down her face turned into a smile. She had just accomplished climbing a 32 foot wall! As she landed gently on the ground, Thomas took her in a big hug.

“I’m so proud of you, you did so well, and you kept going.” He said.

“I feel so accomplished. I can’t believe I had that in me.” Her smile grew even bigger as Thomas took her in another hug.

“You should feel very accomplished; you just accomplished something very hard.” He replied.

Halloween!!

Halloween, to me, is one of the oddest holidays out of the whole year. Mainly cause no one knows why we even have it, in fact I'm not even sure why we have it. But, hey, we can get candy and dress up in the costume of our choice.

This year for my costume I was Wendy, from Peter Pan. Thank you Meghann for making my 'night-gown.'

Just a small story as to how I became Wendy. Meghann, Sara, and I were all trying to figure out what to be for Halloween, when our friend Jed came and sat by us. Then Meghann just had this brilliant idea for his costume. Which was Peter Pan. Then she decided that she'd be Tinker-bell and then she dubbed me to be Wendy and Sara to Tiger Lily. So here were are, all dressed up in our garb. :)

 (Left to Right: Sara, Jed, Me, and Meghann.)

Then later that night Isabelle and Audrey came over. Isabelle was dressed as a Mermaid. Isn't she adorable?

 Then Audrey was Dora.

 Finally Audrey has started to talk, well bits and pieces, and she said Trick-or-Treat to me. It was so cute and she said it so well. :)

Sadies!!!

Well, this past Saturday was AF Sadies dance!! I had so much fun! For our day date we did a video scavenger hunt. So much fun, way out of my comfort zone, but hey it was fun. Here are some of the things that we did.

The boys had to model high heals

We had to ask a stranger three random questions

We had to pretend that we had lost a contact and we had to have a stranger help us find it (didn't work great for us)

We had to dance around a round-about

We had to do the Hokey-Pokey

We also had to do I'm a little tea pot

We had to stage a fake engagement and make it believable

We had to fit a couple in a cart

We had to act like manikins

I can't quite remember all of the things that we did but I have the videos from it. 

After we did all the videos we meet back up at a park in AF and had a pick-nick. Afterwards we went exploring and then we, being the teenagers we are, we played on the play set there. Here are some pictures from it.

 My Date, Colton. :)

 This is Sevey and her date Ty. :)

Then there is Daenen, Mr. Spiderman, and Sara's date.

 All the boys in our group besides one. (Ty, Spencer, Daenen, Stevie, and Colton)

 My new favorite picture of me. Thank you Meghann! I love it so much!

 Stevie was Meghann's date. He's so funny.

 Spencer was Alyssa's date.

 Sevey!!! I love this girl! She is such a great friend!

 Sevey getting eaten by a giant orange fish

 Me trying to save her, but being too late. :P

   And Ty, being Ty......

Stevie...planking.....

Scary Ty, trying to scare Alyssa.

 Sara, Meghann, and I, with Colton doing a photobomb!

 Sevey in deep thought. Hmmmmmm...

 Ty...planking....

 Miss Meghann, she is so dang cute!

 The boys, doing who knows what. Oh well, we still love them! :)

 Sevey and Ty trying to reach each other...again, and then there's the rest of us.

Here are some pictures from right before the dance.

 Sevey and Ty

  Jordann and Zach

 Meghann and Stevie

Colton and I

Alyssa and Spencer

 Sara and Daenen

Then our whole group :)

The Boys!

The Girls!

Then here are some random pictures of Colton and me.

We took pictures at a park behind Lone Peak. It was Gorgeous!! Here are some stunning pictures of it.