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. :)