After All These Years

I'm six years old today! Well, kind of.

On February 24, 2009, a legend was born. And you know, like they say, "some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold." I'd say this one turned to dust... no one really reads this blog anymore... but I'm still here!

But yeah! Can you believe it? I've been blogging on here for six years! Every once in awhile I reflect on who I am and what has happened since then. I mean, it's crazy, right? I'm sixteen now, and I've had this blog since I was ten years old. I'm in eleventh grade now, and I was in fifth grade when I started. I'm more than double that now.

So, what should I do with this post? I mean, no one's reading it anyway, so I might as well have fun with it.

So, first, I'm going to update y'all on what my NEW favorites are.

Fave band
1. Goose House (2012 answer: Deas Vail)
2. The Fray (2012 answer: Coldplay)
3. Local Natives (2012 answer: Local Natives)
4. Deas Vail
5. Measure
6. Paramore

Fave solo artist
1. Melanie Martinez (2012 answer: Taylor Swift)
2. Jeremy Zuckerman (2012 answer: Katie Costello)
3. Childish Gambino (2012 answer: Yael Naim)
4. Jhene Aiko
5. Sarah McLachlan
6. Heather Headley

Fave cover artist
1. Goose House (2012 answer: Megan & Liz)
2. Boyce Avenue (2012 answer: Boyce Avenue)
3. Fifth Harmony (2012 answer: Cimorelli)
Honestly, I'm not that into music covers anymore, so that's all I can think of...

Fave music genre
1. Broadway/show tunes/Disney
2. Rap/R&B
3. Score
4. Rock
5. Easy listening
6. Pop

Fave indie rock song
1. "Worth It" by Halocene (2012 answer: "Monday" by The Sea and Cake)
2. "Hurricane" by Athlete (2012 answer: "Wide Eyes" by the Local Natives)
3. "Wires" by Athlete (2012 answer: "Life in These Little Boats" by Deas Vail)
4. "It's About Time" by Barcelona
5. "Ride" by Cary Brothers
6. "Anything You Say" by Deas Vail

Fave indie folk song
1. "Stepping Stone" by The Good Mad (2012 answer: "Airplanes" by the Local Natives)
2. "Let it Curl" by Rie Fu (2012 answer: "Go to the River" by Yael Naim)
3. "Go to the River" by Yael Naim (2012 answer: "Come Home" by Yael Naim)
4. "Come Home" by Yael Naim
5. "World News" by the Local Natives
6. "Airplanes" by the Local Natives

Fave indie pop song
1. "Alchemy" by Kyler England (2012 answer: "Anywhere Place" by Katie Costello)
2. "The End of Everything" by Measure (2012 answer: "Oh, Imagine That" by Max & Simon)
3. "Begin Again" by Measure (2012 answer: "Ships in the Night" by Mat Kearney)
4. "I Want to Know You" by Measure
5. "Starbucks Smile" by Maria K.
6. "Sing" by Goose House

Fave alternative song
1. "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy (2012 answer: "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World)
2. "Miss Missing You" by Fall Out Boy (2012 answer: "Over My Head" by The Fray)
3. "We Are Broken" by Paramore (2012 answer: "Dare to Believe" by Boyce Avenue)
4. "Emergency" by Paramore
5. "Munich" by The Fray
6. "Absolute" by The Fray

Fave mainstream pop song
1. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack (2012 answer: "Liar Liar" by Christina Grimmie)
2. "3005" by Childish Gambino (2012 answer: "Far Away" by Tyga)
3. "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez (2012 answer: "Old School Love" by Megan & Liz)
4. "Bittersweet Tragedy" by Melanie Martinez
5. "Bang Bang" by Jessie J
6. "Say" by John Mayer

Fave orchestra song
1. "In a Box" by Jeremy Zuckerman (2012 answer: "Mombasa" by Hans Zimmer)
2. "Chi Blockers" by Jeremy Zuckerman (2012 answer: "Time" by Hans Zimmer)
3. "This Land" by Hans Zimmer (2012 answer: "Doctor Who Opening Credits")
4. "Mombasa" by Hans Zimmer
5. "One Family" by Mark Mancina
6. "Red Lotus Theme" by Jeremy Zuckerman

Role model
1. Janet Varney
2. Heather Headley
3. Seychelle Gabriel
4. Kei Takebuchi
5. Kristen Bell
6. Zelda Williams

Fave television/web series
1. The Legend of Korra (2012 answer: Doctor Who)
2. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2012 answer: Switched at Birth)
3. Pretty Little Liars (2012 answer: The Lying Game)
4. Burning Love
5. Parks and Recreation
6. Young Justice

And yeah. Well, happy birthday, That Animated Otaku, and good day, everyone!

That Day, Five Years Ago

And on that day, humanity received a grim reminder...

Oh wait. Wrong event.

So, what exactly am I talking about? The day that I made a life-changing (ish) decision. The day this blog began: February 24, 2009!

Can you believe it's been half a decade? You probably haven't been reading this blog that long. But, once again, this date sneaks up on me, and I am forced to think about how far I've come. But before that, let's get one thing out of the way.

Can you believe 2009 was five years ago? I always thought of it as like, two years ago. But no. It's been five years.

(Insert typical growth statement here) When this blog began, I was ten years old and in the fifth grade. I didn't know what I wanted to write about yet (and I still don't). I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up-- I thought I wanted to be an author, but as I age, I realize maybe journalism and creative writing, as a career, aren't for me. Even though I think I want to go into the performing arts, that could change.

As a celebration of the five years that have passed, here are 25 facts about my journey so far.

1. I was born near Salt Lake City.
2. I have lived in my current home for nearly eleven years now.
3. I was never a flower girl as a young child, and have never been a bridesmaid, either.
4. I was homeschooled up until eighth grade.
5. I used to participate in cheerleading, gymnastics, soccer, and volleyball.
6. An old dream of mine was to join the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team.
7. I have a severe vitamin D deficiency.
8. My favorite Disney movie has been Tarzan for basically my whole life.
9. Unlike most teenagers, I actually don't like to use my phone.
10. I am a schediaphile, meaning I am attracted to animated characters.
11. Idina Menzel and Heather Headley are my role models.
12. The first Broadway musical I saw was Wicked.
13. I have this newfound obsession with anime/manga/Japan in general and it's scaring me.
14. I am putting my best efforts toward a scholarship to attend Northwestern University.
15. Currently, my favorite songs are "Daisy" by Stereo Dive Foundation and "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
16. I am a very big Teen Titans fan-- I have read some of the New Teen Titans comics and I have watched the entire animated show, and I have a shirt, and I'm married to Dick, and I have a DVD.
17. Between Wicked and Frozen soundtracks, I'm always singing.
18. I love to Disneybound. I plan on Disneybounding Elsa and Merida this year.
19. Outside of showtunes and Asian music, I enjoy rap music. Don't judge.
20. The names I have in mind for my future children are Eren, Levi, Petra, Krista, and Sasha.
21. I am currently reading the novel (you guessed it) Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.
22. If I watch a show or read a book in which I can relate to pretty much all the characters, you can guarantee I will fall in love. That's probably why I love Free!-- Miss Amakata Miho and I both quote things that don't make sense to other people, Rei and I both can't swim and are perfectionists, Gou and I are both kinda boy crazy, and so on.
23. I'm not really looking for love right now. If someone ever likes me, then so be it. If not, then so be it. Until then, I just need to focus on what matters most to me: my family/friends, academics, and my career.
24. I am launching a business this year. Check it out here. I also won first place in my division at a cake competition.
25. It's easy for me to lose hope, despite my name. However, "when I call on Jesus, all things are possible."

Welp, that's the journey so far. Full of tiny little events. Wonder what else will happen in the years to come!

Fangreying!

Grey DeLisle. Do you recognize this woman?

No? I can guarantee one thing. If you had a childhood like the average child born in 1995-2013, you know her voice. I will write a few lines, and I bet you'll know who it is.

"You want to be Fire Lord? Fine, let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. AGNI KAI!"
"I'm Sam Manson, and my Happy Princess talent is goth haiku."

So here we see Azula from "Avatar" and Sam from "Danny Phantom." But, she has a lot of other roles.

• Emily Elizabeth, Clifford the Big Red Dog (PBS)
• Femme Fatale, Powerpuff Girls (Boomerang)
• Mandy, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Cartoon Network... maybe)
• Current voice of Daphne Blake and we all should know who she is
• Current voice of Esmeralda, Kingdom Hearts (originally voiced by Demi Moore in Hunchback of Notre Dame)
• Greenley, Tarzan and Jane
• Aquatta and Arista, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
• Vicky, The Fairly Odd Parents (Nickelodeon)
• Lor, The Weekenders (Disney Channel, late '90s and early 2000s)
• So many other roles... if you can think of it, she's probably done it... she's even done Timon and Pumbaa and you guys know how I feel about The Lion King.

So, why am I fangirling about this? Because if I talk about it in public, no one will care and I need to talk about this!

I think Grey is an inspiration to many young actors and vocalists out there, me included. I think everyone should experience fangreying and here are the reasons why.

This girl doesn't ignore her fans. Just because she's the queen/Fire Lord doesn't make her stuck up at all. I wrote her a letter from my dog's point of view on Tumblr, and not only did she (greydelisle) "like" it, but she followed me. Yes. The queen of voiceover actually has my blog on her dash. And she's liked other posts. And the funny thing is, I'm not Tumblr famous, I'm just a hardcore fan of cartoons. She loves her fans. She follows a lot of us. She also follows back on Instagram (I don't have it), so go follow her!

She's a stellar singer! I think her and Kiersten Holine need to collaborate sometime. I am singing "Wrapped in My Sweet Savior's Arms" for Fine Arts next year and I am totally in love with "Joanna," "The Bloody Bucket," "Home Wrecker," and "Showgirl." (and did I mention she listens to the Dave Matthews Band?)

Grey and my man Dante Basco are still involved in "Avatar" and sometimes they even read their characters' lines in the graphic novels. Dante wrote on his Tumblr (rufiozuko) something like "Next time I hang out with Grey maybe we can do some Zuko/Azula scenes" and I'm over here crying because he talks about it so casually! Like, they could just meet at Starbucks or something and I live on the other side of the country! Ugh. My point, though. They're so dedicated to their roles!

She is hilarious. Some Facebook and Twitter posts may say "I walked my dog" or "Someone text me plz," but Grey takes it up a notch.

• "Careful, buddy!" -Me, at the park... pretending to be a good mom
• My Disney Princess name is "Taco Belle."
• I'm naming my Ford Explorer "Dora."
• First I had to worry about Zuzu stealing my throne... and now it's that filthy royal brat! (This was posted when the royal baby was born)
• "T.HANKS" -Thank You card from Tom Hanks
• I thought Pitbull's first name was featuring.
• Not getting invited to a party sucks almost as getting invited to a party.
• Remember the weird kid that your mom forced you to invite to parties? Thank her for me!
• The line of clothes Beyonce did for H & M will probably beyonsale soon.
• It's pretty dangerous to be on the road with me when I'm trying to get to McDonald's before they stop serving breakfast.

Need I quote more? I love this girl! Follow her! She's like that person that you totally adore and they just get cooler and cooler the more you learn about them. At least that's true for me.

I never say that I'm someone's biggest fan, and you know, Grey DeLisle has A LOT of fans. "We are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends" because we all love Grey, we all love animation, and most of us want to become voice actors. Whether we know her because she is Azula, because she is Daphne, because she is Lor, or because she is Sam, we all can relate to each other. Most of my Tumblr followers know me because we both love Grey and her work. We're a big family (fun fact: "Everybody" directly translates to "big family" in Mandarin), how would I know if I'm her biggest fan? I'm not saying I'm her biggest fan or anything...

But I'm at least in the top ten. Look through her tag on Tumblr and peoples' reactions to her following them?

"I can't breathe!"

"Whoa!"

"Erm... can I get you something?"

My reaction was knocking down a table and nearly having to purchase a new keyboard. I celebrated her birthday week (I wore A LOT of grey this week, did the Azula and Sam Manson hairstyles, and will send her a photo of a cake I'm decorating for her). I can directly quote her Wikipedia page. Type in the letter "E" on my URL box and it will take you straight to her Wiki. Type "G" and you go straight to her blog. Sometimes, I watch cartoons so much that my voice begins to morph into a character's voice (the last time it happened it was a character voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessy, Jasmine "Jazz" Fenton from Danny Phantom). Name a show she's in and I can tell you what role she had. I can detect her voice from a mile away. If she were to post that she's landing in Ohio in... say, twenty minutes, I would drive to the airport. Keep in mind I can't drive yet. Not even with a parent.

I wish she would come to Ohio! I wanna meet her! Pfft, if she were in Kentucky I'd drive down! I'm serious, guys. This girl is amazing. I mean, watch this. For some reason, it won't let me embed.

Look at her face when she realizes she messed it up! Still fabulous, Grey. Still fabulous.

She also had an Agni Kai with the California Highway Patrol. It's a long story, really. I'll let her tell it.

See? Isn't it hard to not fall in love with Grey? I'm sorry if you are now addicted because if so, I strongly advise you not to look up Jim Cummings, Jennifer Hale or Tara Strong if this is overwhelming.

Happy birthday, Grey (and happy six-year anniversary of "Phantom Planet")! Here's to several years of more animation and laughter!

Finally Thirteen!

Okay, I don't know about you, but it feels like I've been twelve forever. I mean, yeah, I act like it. But I think the reason it feels like I've been twelve forever is because twice a week someone always says "Holy cow you are not twelve." And guys, when a security guard says that to you at an airport, it's creepy. Well now, my age is just slightly more believable. I'm still still the youngest in my half of the eighth grade at my school, but it's not obvious anymore.

I used to be excited about this day, like in my post "Lucky Thirteen" that I wrote when I was eleven. Which is amazing. I have spent three birthdays on this blog. Time flies. It's amazing what was hidden in that post. It gave me so many clues as to what would happen in my future and I didn't even know it. Like, I mentioned places I was getting readers from and Phoenix, Arizona was listed. Little did I know I was competing there exactly one year later (I mean EXACTLY--- right down to the day). I brought up the fact that "I might take Chinese next year". I'm not taking it right now, but I was referring to the school that I am now at. Eighth graders don't take Chinese this year, but they will next year which won't make a difference for me because I'll be a freshman by then. One way or another I'm taking Chinese. But wow--- freshman year is that close? It's hard to believe you guys have had access to my life since I was ten years old! Hot diggity! All those spelling errors from 2009 haunt me to this day... and then I see how I write now... just wow. And something even weirder? This blog is older than the school I go to. This website has been around since the 2008-2009 schoolyear, when my school started in the 2009-2010 schoolyear. I'm a newbie, but I've got my high school buddies who have been here awhile, thanks to my sophomore sis. Then, I wished the "Fine Arts participants in Detroit" good luck. Little did I know someone would be wishing me luck for the same thing 363 days later!

Yeah. I highly doubt you read the above paragraph but thanks if you did! That's just me babbling again! My parents should have named me Gabby.

Well, today started out as not fun for certain reasons. Then I got on the bus. By the time my bus reached the corner of the street, which was literally thirty seconds later, it just broke down. So we were sitting there for like, thirty minutes and I got my iPod taken away, so... not the funnest birthday, LoL (and yes, I didn't take it out of context, I'm laughing in my mind). But I was bored and just sitting there. However, the kids that were already on the bus became a little family in the time the bus broke down! We're like a little family... gosh, I wish I was serious.

Then, we got the shuttle which is at a local elementary school. We got there and I got on my bus that takes me to my school. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" a lot of kids yelled. Aside from being creeped out that they knew it was my birthday, it made me a little happier.

Then, we were on the road and me and my friends were talking about random things. Then, Dena (From Dena's World on the blog list) was on the phone and we thought she was talking to her mom or something. Then we heard her say something about "Hope from the Dayton Regional *hum* School" and then when she hung up she told us she called the radio station. That we were listening to right at the moment. Luckily, they didn't call my name.... OH NO I HAVE TO HEAR THE BIRTHDAY SONG IN YOUTH TONIGHT! And I am not officially thirteen yet... I will be at 8:35 p.m.

Lunch was great. I got to eat in my Language Arts classroom! Yay! And I'm not being sarcastic--- I like eating in there. No, I didn't have detention... that's one reason why I like it.

I was hoping I could eat Church's Chicken today but I don't think it'll work. So much for the love of fried chicken, eh?

P.S. Yesterday was Megan and Liz's birthday, so... happy birthday to ya. And tomorrow will be my friend Maya's birthday, but only my church friends and two school friends know her, so y'all wish her a happy one.
P.P.S. GUYS!!!!!!!!!!! EEK!!!!!!!!!! I reached my goal of 13,000 pageviews by my thirteenth birthday! It's all because of you! You should have seen the smile on my face when I saw I almost am at 14,000! Without you, I'd be stuck in a rut, no kidding. You guys have been the world to me since I was ten... don't ever forget it. I love you. This is the perfect ending to my day.

Typical Saturday of an Author

Okay, so I'm not a published author, (yet!) but I am an accomplished blog author, I like to say.

What can a musician's daughter, crafty girl, music lover, and author be found doing on the weekend?

Well, first, they can be found on YouTube...

BAHAHA! My dog does that weird face too. And the music... interesting.

Secondly, they can be found practicing a vocal solo.

They can be found being crafty and decorating a composition book with magazine papers. I'll have to show you mine someday it says "Soul Surfer", "Paramore", (written twice!) "Cheerleading", "Swimming", and it has a huge diaper on it. I'm gonna add more today. It's a fun and easy craft that drowns me in the things I love and makes me smile when I use it!

A music lover can be found jamming out to this...

Keep your eyes on 2:02. I just love the harmonies on this song when they say "somebody to lo-o-ove..." it makes me want to be his backup singer.

(when Jaden says "I was born from two stars..." he really was. Will Smith and Jada Smith. But let's not talk about them... this is a Christian blog!) Please don't ignore this song because it's by a Bieber. It's a really inspiring song. Had it been a Christian song, I'd give it five stars!

And where it says "post a Komment", be aware that this is not my video and that I know how to spell 'comment'!

Anyway, the songs that really inspire me when I write are...

Notice they say "keep your feet on the ground when your head's in the clouds", which is our Spring quote!

I wanna sing this next year for Fine Arts, and it really inspires my story I'm currently writing, especially since it's a Christian story!

~~~~

Our Fine Arts band is doing great! We have a huge chance at Nationals!

Two Weeks Ago....

Brian was waaaay off beat.

Mark showed up an hour and fifteen minutes late because of Maria's Narnia play. (she was Mr. Tumnus!)

Mariah and I were still learning our lyrics.

Chris' bass was quiet, but it sounded good.

Nathan was trying to figure the song out.

Josh was too quiet.

Last Week....

Brian stopped rocking to his own beat and finally got on track.

Mark learned his notes.

Mariah learned the lyrics and has good stage presence.

I learned my harmonies and am a lot louder. (Brian can hear me and Mariah over the drums now!)

Chris' bass is still quiet, but he's doing good.

Nathan is rocking his guitar solo(s).

Josh is strutting his strumming.

we have practice tomorrow, and if our progress keeps going up, we have a HUGE chance at Nationals! (Arizona... how will we get there???) At our first practice, because we were doing so bad and time pressed, I thought Nationals... never. (and it's my dad's 48th bday today! Happy bday, Dad! If you're wondering why it's written in this unlikely place, it's because I'm just now writing it and sticking it in a random place...)

Whenever you knock me down, I will not stay on the ground, pick it up.........

And never say never.

Wednesday's Walk~The Last Walk {to Wendy's}

Remember Valerie? Well, here's a post about those fun times.

Charity and Valerie were best friends since that Spring day of 2003, eight years ago. Yes, I felt the need to put that in bold print, because I can't believe how long ago that was--- I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD!!!!!

There were some rocky times, oh yeah. Charity and Val stopped being friends in the eighth grade. They didn't talk again until they were sophomores in high school.

But when they started talking again, (because they walked to school together because Val lived less than 60 seconds from me) they became friends. Then, they became good friends. Then, they were pretty good friends, and....

VOILA! Best friends again!

I remember the warm summer days spent at each other's houses. Valerie was a distant sister. Many times, Valerie would spend the afternoon at my house, then go back to her house to eat dinner, and then we'd go to her house afterwards. We'd do anything--- play soccer, get on the computer, talk, even read. Doesn't sound like a whole bunch, but it made our days fun.

We were huge geeks:). Some days, we'd spend hours reading books from her large bookshelf she had, and probably still has. Once, me and Val had a competition when I was younger, who would finish their book first. Sometimes, I'd cheat and skip 10 pages, and she'd still win. Sometimes, I'd read a 63-page book, and she read a 200-page book. She'd still win.

We also did some of the dumbest things. Like that one time when we ate tubes of lip balm, that was so gross, LoL! I can only name some of the crazy things we did.

When I was younger, I loved her closet so much that I would ask her if I could buy clothes from her closet. She always said no, anyway.

Her father was in the Air Force, too. We both moved to Ohio in the same year. Her and Charity were in the same grade. In high school, they attended the same school. (Go Wayne!)

But, they also became long-distance friends.

Valerie was supposed to move after eighth grade. But, she ended up leaving after the tenth.

I never got to say an official goodbye.

It felt horrible. The last 'goodbye' I said to Val was after our last walk to the nearest Wendy's, which is walking distance from me and is really close to the future place I might take acro at. That last 'goodbye' was a casual 'see ya tomorrow' goodbye. Not the goodbye I wanted to say.

I really did think that I would see her tomorrow. But, life was busy. I hardly ever got to see her after that. You see, her dad was now in Colorado Springs, and her family was preparing to go there with him. She was busy pulling off a DIY move while I was bored without my only friend on the street.

The last year I cheered, her father was a basketball ref. I saw her very often in the winter of that year.

But, as summer approached and it was almost her time to go, we went on vacation. It sure was a fun vacation!

North Carolina, and then hanging out with my Grandpa, (really special--- my living grandma is divorced, so I barely get to see him) aunts and cousins in Atlanta. We got to do everything--- Hard Rock Cafe, plus Centennial Olympic Park! Everything an Olympic lover would want to see.

By the time I was back from vacation, it was late at night, and even more worse, the day before Missions Extreme. I already had my outfits planned, so all I did was stuff it in three bags and personal stuff and hygiene (like toothbrush, girly things, etc.) and all that good stuff. I even had some extra time to put temp. pink streaks in my hair.

So much happened while I was gone.

There's this family that I follow on Twitter, the Potvins, who's daughter had relapsed stage 4 cancer. She's 8. Ellie was strong. Over 40 tumors, and she fought through it to the end. But on June 23, she passed away. The Potvins call her their angel.

Cancer has damaged my life enough. I know a cancer survivor who's still alive, then there's my Uncle Charles, and there's Mr. Wes. Cancer is something I've gotten used to over the years. Plus, I got a phonecall today that the lady, Mrs. Judy, who was married to Mr. Wes, her father died of the same thing today. Sad. First, her husband dies of cancer last May, and less than a year later, her father dies.

Back to the subject.

Valerie moved when I was at Missions Extreme. She's gone. But, trust me, I'll meet her again. My sisters said goodbye for me while I was gone, but it sure makes me wish I was there. At least we can still text each other, now.

Valerie, you like The Fray, don't cha?

Your favorite Tenth Avenue North song.

I wrote this post so that my friends can see that they rock my world! Not just Valerie, but every single one of them!

And my blog readers... YOU MEAN JUST AS MUCH TO ME!!!

*~~~ForeverLove~~~*

Hope

~~~~~

Happy Sweet Sixteenth birthday, Kayla! You're growing up!

RandomNess Friday~Random for Sure!

While you're here, visit Prism because she is the home of RandomNess.

I was really busy during the week for "Love Out Loud", my story for Fine Arts.

This is the Jaci Velasquez song it's named after.

Here's the song I'm learning on bass.

This is a cute song by Paramore. I'm trying to learn it on strings because we have a huge bulky bass at home that has no use, so why not, you know?

I'm still practicing my low key solo for Fine Arts. It's an easy song, and I recommend "Better Than a Hallelujah" to anyone who's doing their first solo. (This is my third.) I feel very confident that it was a good song choice. The beginning is very hard for me, though, because... I don't know. I'm always messy on the:

"God loves a lullaby..."

"God loves a drunkard's cry..."

"Woman holding on for life..."

"Tears of shame for what's been done..."

Parts. I guess it's because my voice has to begin low and then quickly return to normal. I'm working on it, and it's taught me....

• No sugar when it's time to practice
• No ice cream
• No soda
• Nothing creamy
• No cake
• No pie

Nothing that can ruin my voice in the moment. Then, there's the CAN-Do list:

• Apples
• Oranges
• McDonald's or Wendy's fries
• Any natural food that isn't sweetened.

For times when I do break the rules...

I'm bringing out the salt water. Yes, I'm shaking salt into water and gargling it in my throat to clear it. I tried it last night, (*COUGH* after eating ice cream *COUGH*) and my voice was much more pretty afterwards!

And my dad liked my solo! Which for those of you who don't know, my dad is a semi-pro musician, and he plays bass guitar at church. He's played at churches... probably before his MS diagnosis, which was nineteen years ago. He's played all kinds of guitars, *COUGH* claims *COUGH* he's a good singer.

And if I impressed my dad... that means it's on the upside!

Nationals in reach? For my writing and band team, I think so!

-Hope

<3SuNsHiNe<3

*UPDATE*

Happy fourteenth birthday, Rebecca!

My 387th Post... ON My Birthday!

(picture courtesy of FreedsBakery.Com )

Okay, if you look at my countdown WAAAY far down, you see that it's not my birthday.

It's not my birthday.

But it is someone's birthday.

In fact, it's not anyone's birthday.

So who's birthday is it?
~
Happy birthday to you...

Happy birthday to you...

Happy birthday to YOUR BLOG: MY LIFE AND YOURS...

Happy birthday to you!

How old are you? (2)

How old are you? (2)

How old are you? (2)

How old are you? (2)
~
Happy birthday, YOUR BLOG: MY LIFE AND YOURS! And to anyone who wants to send a birthday wish, it's easy: just post a comment.

It could've been a better blogging birthday. There have been times when I've been accused of things someone else should be accused of, sometimes even more than I deserved it. But hey, there are a list of things I've learned in life, and now I know one more thing.

1. You'll never get everything you want
2. If you get what you want always, you'll almost never be satisfied.
3. You can't live your life trying to be perfect. (I'm working on that one...)
4. If you don't trust God, then who can you trust?
5. Just because you aren't Beyonce, doesn't mean you're a failure.
6. Justin Bieber does have talent, he just doesn't always use it the right way.
7. "You can never say never..." (fave The Fray song!) even though I just said never on #1 and #2.
8. Ain't, technically, is a word.
9. Sometimes you'll be blamed for something that wasn't your fault.
10. Christians shouldn't hate.
11. Despite #10, people will hate you anyway, and you have to learn to live with it.
12. Everyone is unlikeable and unfriendable. No one is the perfect friend.
13. The list goes on for every lesson you learn.
14. No one is completely satisfied with their appearance, so most likely you look fine.
15. Everyone gets depressed, some more than others.
16. If you spend time beating yourself up over tiny things, you'll become bitter.
17. Just forgive yourself.
18. But you can't earn forgiveness, despite #17.
19. The only way to get yourself out of a situation is a real relationship with God.
20. Only trust God.
21. Everyone lies. If someone lies once, take your trust down a notch, but don't remove it.
22. Don't listen to everything you hear.
23. People will try to act like they have authority over you, but you have to take a stand.
24. Let love in.
25. People will get rewards that you know you should've gotten.
26. You have to deal with #25 many times in your life, and it sucks.
27. You'll get yelled at and someone who deserved to be yelled at will be "the only exception."
28. #27 is never fair. How could they get an exception when you try so hard and they don't?
29. Don't sign up for something when you have too much already to handle.
30. If your heart isn't in it, why do it?
31. If you aren't willing to do the work for it, don't do it.
32. Despite #27-28, (it was all about the same thing) you have to hold in your opinion and hope that who was yelling will see that there is no fault in you. (Besides, why talk back when venting in your journal is much more fun and educational? and you can gossip and the person will never know)
33. Your perfect days will pretty much always be ruined.
34. Rebound, and it can be a perfect day again.

And newly added to the list...

35. Life isn't fair now, and it never will be.
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Sorry about that, it's just been tough today. So yeah, some blog anniversary wishes would make me smile.

I need a hug,
Hope

Mispell Munday~Silver Lining

This "Mispell Munday" is about all the fun I had at a Superbowl party, Charity's birthday party, and the silver lining that came from it.
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i was raedy to hvae a graet tmie. it was friday, and taht maent it was Charity's brithady. smoe of her freinds were gnona be there. i was so ecxited. i had never gone to a praty before----- not tihs late at ngiht, and not wtih high scool kids. it was so ecxiting, we were giong at 7:30 and cmoing bcak at 9. supopesdly.

we shwoed up at 7:00 in csae smoe freinds shwoed up early. smoe freinds showed before we did. we had reseravtions, but Red Robin emlpoyees said "we wrote down your reservation but we don't take reservations". so they worte it dwon for the fun of it? waht the--- i can't even.... ugh.

taht praty was sooo fun though. Red Robin, you're too bsuy, you've got bad custmoer srevice. but i love yuor food.

yesterday was the Superbowl XLV praty. i had too mcuh fun. i tihnk if i was thre any lnoger i wuold've passed out. i went carzy.
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It's Feb. 7th... Happy birthday, Mom!

HEROES Week

What's a better way to start a week than having Sunday AND Monday off??? Sounds like fun! Well, I was sick all last week, so today is just another day.
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It started as a dream. Today, it continues as a reality. (And as a day off.)

Yesterday was MLK day! Milk day, Martin Luther King Jr. day... whatever you call it. You didn't have to watch the whole video. But if it meant anything at all to you, it meant the world to me.

Martin was a true hero. What's the definition?

"You could be a HERO, heroes do what's RIGHT. You could be a HERO, you might SAVE a life. You could be a hero, you could join the fight for what's right..."-Superchick.

It's easy. Just do whatever you think is right. It's easy. Don't just stand there and say "Hey, that's wrong..." Take a stand for what's right, don't just correct what's wrong!

Be a hero.

Help, because
Everyone has a chance and deserves proper
Respect. It's too quick for anyone's life to be
Over, and to listen and be a friend can really save a life.
Everyone needs to be a hero.
Stand for what's right.

That's the HEROES poem, written by me:)

Can't we all be heroes??? Can't we all do just that??? Help when things are wrong? Talk to people outside of your social circle? (That one will be hard.) Respect? (Don't make me spell it out!) Listen? Be a friend? Stand for what you believe in? We can all do that.

We can ALL be heroes. Starting today.
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I might post later on today to make up for yesterday's not blogging.

MLK: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA!:)

Prayer Camp Days 33-39

HeyyyyyOhhhh!!!!!!! Wellp, as I call it, this year is coming to a close. It sure was fun. 2010 was a year that... basically... NO ONE will forget.

And, with that, we have less than A MONTH until Christmas! Are you going to be a Super Santa this year???? (Speaking of which... never mind I'll bring it up later.) If so, WHO, WHO, WHO'S on your list??? Your mom? Your dad? Your grandma? Grandpa? Some friends? Maybe even me?

Wellp, if I really am on that big list of yours, you need to know that there are many items that I really like this year! (Don't expect them to be the cheapest.)

• "Play" for Her by Givenchy
• "Dark Kiss" lipgloss---- I got the fragrance, lotion, and shower gel already for my B-Day
• "Unlocked" (it's a book) by Karen Kingsbury

There's more.... AND, I also really like the WOW Hits CDs, and I absolutely love, love, LOVE any sort of amazing gift card from iTunes, Bath&Body Works, (And if you buy a WOW Cd, PLEASE do not buy the 2010 version--- I don't know ANY of the songs off of it. Buy the 2011 version if anything.) and Books and Company. That's my list.

Who's on MY list?? Well, not too many people to be honest, but only the friends that have either bought me something that I never did in return, or always deserved it as a simple thanks for being my friend. So you just might know who's on MY list... maybe you've found out that it's you!
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So... how was your turkey day? Mine was great! It's hot in Cleveland! Okay, so, it was actually kinda cold in Cleveland, cuz you know.... it's right by Lake Erie, which is right by both Michigan AND Canada.... you get it.

This was my fourth time back in Cleveland since Missions Extreme '10... MeMoRiEs.... it was great. I went to Aunt Niecy's house and it was very fun!!! Nobody argued, everyone was happy. My Uncle Dale's chair broke and like, he fell back out of the blue and like, his legs were dangling.... it was hilarious, even though I was worried that he got hurt.

Aunt Niecy (Real name; Denise) has an African staue person in her living room, named Malarke. (Pronounced Ma-*as in Magician*-Lark-*Lark like Bark*-E.*E like Money*.) I was standing in front of it, probably laughing, and made Malarke fall on his nose, straight to the floor. "You made Malarke fall!" She said. And, I scratched her floor when Malarke injured his nose. If you wanna know more about Malarke, you just have to talk to me in person, because I gotta start talking about the prayer stuff!
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These last days I have been practicing thinking before I speak. It's working, and God has told me that I can prevent arguements from happening if I'm careful what I say and do!

What's worse than waking up with a cold? Waking up with a cold on THANKSGIVING. I mean, hello, I just got my flu shot.... why now???? And what's worse than that? I got my flu shot on my birthday. But on the bright side, I don't have to catch the swine on my twelfth year!

How do I feel about being twelve now? Honestly, I feel the same, I look the same. But I smell different and my nails will look ten times more sassy and appealing. I got like, everything that smells like "Dark Kiss", and I got sparkly nail polish, gold nail polish, pink nail polish, and black nail polish. And, here's my favorite: AVON cake decorating kit!

My birthday's over. But God will make 2011 the best year for me to turn thirteen, I just know it!

My 334th Post AND My Birthday!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...

It's my birthday! I'm twelve! It's been a great birthday, being twelve, no school for Thanksgiving break, physical and a shot:(, Red Robin, and cake and presents soon to come!!!! (For nosy people, the cake is Red Velvet.)

Too bad my birthday is on a MONDAY. But, I'm enjoying it! But along with that, there's a lot of blog editing work to be done... *SiGh*

Prayer Camp 26-32

Hansel & Gretel. Roller skating. Volleyball games. Shower mishaps.

Oh my gosh.... WHAT A WEEK! Monday was boring, because Monday is just Mondaine.

TUESDAY
Oh my.... this was the WORST DAY EVER!!!! In History class, I had the weirdest headache. Like... it hurt, but it didn't hurt. It throbbed, but it didn't kill. It split, but it didn't split. So weird.

When I got home, I couldn't find my kneepads. I needed my kneepads! But after twenty minutes of searching, I realized that the kneepads weren't crawling back to me anytime soon, and just went without.

But there's a catch... I was NOT going to practice without first shaving my legs! (Don't ask....) So I ran to the bathroom to shave in time for practice, even though it was already 6 o' clock and I was late no matter what. But before I could reach for my pink razor, I had to turn on the shower. When I turned it on... I was like the 'Dumber' in "Dumb and Dumber". I turned on the shower head, while my head was right below it and....

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! It just SPRAYED my HAIR!!!!!"

I ran out of the bathroom. "What?" My dad asked. "Why are you wet?" And I was so furious. "Can we just go to practice now??? I'm late as it is." I said.

I went to practice, with a small bit of fury left inside, with damp hair and a wet shirt. But like they all say... the hard spikes really do get the anger out!!! It's better than gymnastics in a way, because if you're angry, you have to hold it in. In volleyball however, you can take it out on the ball. And I have friends who can help cool me down... and dry my hair!

WEDNESDAY
Today was... good. Church rocked.... nothing else to say.

THURSDAY
Spike it, girl! Thursday  Game day was fun! My serve got more points than I can count. I've improved greatly! it was our last two games, but not like we won or anything. But I have a new injury to talk about!

I was playing in front right, and the balls kept coming... TO ME!!!!!!! So exciting and fun to have the weight of the team on your shoulders, right? NO!!! One ball even came to me, dropped right by the net, and I had no choice but to spike it. I spiked, I failed, I bent my pinky back. But what was injured? My wrist. But I played on, (we ended up losing) and ended up being "player of the week", in other words, someone who showed a lot of effort.

And my cheerleading background helped a lot to cheer my team on!

FRIDAY
Hansel! Gretel! Maria was in a play for the Kettering Childrens Theatre, and this time, her play was "Hansel & Gretel". (Hansel is a boy, but a girl played him. Gretel is a girl.) It was so interesting! I wasn't following it at first, but at the end, it all came together. First, Maria was a bearded LADY dwarf. Second, she was a bratty kid. (Most of the time she was a bratty kid--- in the play.) Then she was a hot pink-haired, black-winged fairy. She did great!!!

It would be so fun if I could do KCT! But I'm not going to because I don't want to copy her or seem clingy. but just saying, it would be so much fun to have the part of Gretel or something like that!

SATURDAY
I spent the night at Maria's, and had a lot of fun! In fact, she should be leaving for her next showing in a couple of minutes. Pray for her and wish her great luck! Tomorrow is her last showing! And my wrist is getting better, thank God!
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Pray for those who need Jesus as a savior. And my birthday is on Monday! Don't forget to visit YOUR BLOG on November 22!

Prayer Camp Days 12-18

I'm back y'all! I've got great news! I can blog from my iPod now! So wherever there's WiFi, there's a new post!

The focus of my prayers??? That I'd be careful in all I say and do. But today??? Hectic.

Fridays alone are busy. Two birthday parties. One day. Two girls named Autumn. Exact same party times. So what's a girl to do... When she'd like to be at BOTH parties???

I showed up to the older Autumn's party first, which was at the mall in Fairborn. There was a scavenger hunt and we ate at Spinoza's. I missed cake and presents, but it was fun being with all my church friends.

Second, I went to the YOUNGER Autumn's party. It was way out of our way, in Centerville, at a suite hotel. That was SO fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS to AUTUMN COURTNEY and AUTUMN MORGAN!

However, I nearly lost my purse at Autumn M's party. And I did lose my NEW Neutrogena wash. It was good while it lasted. Prayer camp is going well, but my lips hurt so bad. I need lipgloss! So help me, God!