Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

I'm having Harry Potter withdrawals. I'm guessing that this will be a common occurrence over the next little while. I may or may not have just spent an hour watching HP videos and I may or may not have cried while watching these two. I've grown up with this story. I started reading the books in 2002. From second grade to senior year Harry, Hermione, and Ron have been my constant companions.

Harry has taught me to have courage even when I feel alone. He taught me to never back down and always persevere. Good will win out. The war will end.

Ron taught me to be happy. He taught me how to be a good friend even if that means standing in the shadows at times.

Hermione taught me to be feminine but most importantly smart. I honestly think that Hermione's love of learning has influenced me to love learning as well. It's cool to be the girl with the 35. It's cool to love math and be math sterling scholar. It's cool to read and learn and be the smart one.

I've learned so many other things through Harry Potter. I will always be indebted to J.K. Rowling. It's amazing to think that this entire Harry Potter world came from her mind. It's inspiring.

If you have ever loved Harry Potter, watch the above videos. They may be slightly nostalgic.

Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

mechale lauren

wind?

I never thought the day would come that I would say- I'M SICK OF DEBATE!

Really, its just too stressful at the moment. let it die. But the last tournament is on Friday so I guess I'll get over it... oh wait, maybe not. It's exactly the same time as the Bountiful vs. Viewmont game. Really? yeah, not okay with that... gag me.

But other than that, it's December!! hallelujah! I love the Christmas season. I started listening to Christmas music on October 17th and I'm proud of it. Last Monday I performed in my flute teacher's annual Christmas concert. It was phenomenal, as per usual. My mother and I performed O Holy Night.

Umm... I really don't have much to blog about. But i needed to blog... just to blog...

I feel a sort of duty to mention the fact that I have survived a category 2 hurricane sans water... so just the wind. It was epic. 2 days off of school, no power for 60 hours, my finger almost getting ripped off (i'm telling the complete truth), church was cancelled so we could clean-up, baskeball game moved to Saturday only for the power to go out with 1:15 left in the game (bountiful 54, american fork 53). it was weird...

so thats about it...

mechale lauren

19 Days...

I was just reading through some of my past posts and drafts (because I write a lot of posts and either never finish them of don't post them) but anyhoo, I wa going through and I saw that last year, the first basketball game was November 23rd against Northridge. This year its on Novemeber 22nd (basically the same day....) against Northridge! weird. or maybe not weird? I don't know...

But since i've brought up basketball...

THE SEASON STARTS IN LESS THAN 3 WEEKS!

i've been counting down since over a month ago...

i really am so dang excited. But ya know, it's kind of bitter sweet. Its my senior year! That means only one more season of basketball in the student section. one more season of getting checked out of school for the games. one more season of seeing the players in class and discussing the games/season/other teams with them. one more season of the anxiety that leads up to state. oh life.

i can't wait for what this season holds.

oh, also, a couple of times last week, I had to stay after school for whatever reason (i think it was debate these times...) and I was done at nearly the same time my dad was getting done with conditioning so i just stopped it. I can't even tell you how excited it made me. i had to time them on a couple of their runs and it was so fun! haha! I can't wait for this season. ahhhhhhhh.

too much excitement.... I'll try to contain myself. maybe.

mechale lauren

SAN FRANCISCO -UEA 2011

Yes, UEA was like 2 weeks ago, but you know what, I really don't feel bad about being late on this because I'm putting up pictures which I NEVERRR do so be grateful.

I have never had a better time on a trip ever ever ever. I never wanted to leave. I loved every second of this trip! By golly. So it was for a flute tour with my flute studio. We went to the San Francisco bay area and then to Stanford University for a master class with a couple of head flute lecturers there(regrettably, the only pictures I have of that are on my phone...). Let me tell you a few highlights.

1: The Golden Gate Bridge. Named for the Golden Gate Strait it spans, not the color of the bridge. Check me out- leaning on the bridge. Aww yaaaa.

2. Lombardo Street- the most crooked street in the whole, entire, wide, 7 billion person, vast world. With Kirsten my best friend ever. we used to play soccer together and now we play flute together! Yay! Her and her mom, Patrice, and sister, Klara, were my family on this trip.

3: FISHERMAN'S WHARF. I'm obsessseeedddd with this place. Seriously. One of my favorite places on this planet! It was magical. We had lunch there on the first day. Kir and I went off by ourselves and found a cute little seafood stand. I ordered clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Best food EVERRR. Once we got our food we headed over to a small square where a crowd was gathering to eat food and enjoy the entertainment. There was a street performer playing his electric guitar while singing. Oh wait, rewind. We had earlier decided that this song was our theme song- "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie. Okay fast forward to the square at Fisherman's Wharf. The man STARTED SINGING THAT SONG!!!!! whhhhat?? Never been so happy in my life. And we fed the seagulls. I guess you could say it was romantic (like the literature kind of romantic, not boy-girl romantic...)

4:Ghirardelli Square. a.k.a. chocolate heaven. I had a mint chocolate chip sundae with DARK hot fudge. I would highly recommend it.

5: ohhkay. this was the best part. like really. THE EXPLORATORIUM. located at the old World Expo but being moved to pier 15. Its a science and art museum. It was perfect. I could have spent an entire day there. easy. This picture(and the next) are from this cool little contraption. Inside this box was a mug of water and a camera. On the outside of the box you had to set how fast you wanted the camera to take the picture after you dropped a drop of water. When you were ready, you put your face next to a piece of glass facing the camera and dropped the water. 338ms after the drop, we got these lovely pictures.

The Exploratorium really was so amazing. There were tons of different areas to explore. My favorite was the "think" area. It was basically everything I'm learning in Psychology. It was so cool! AHH! I needddd to go back asap as possible.

6: Point Lobos. Basically it was just a beautiful coastal lookout. Really, so beautiful. I lurrved it.

All of Cindy's (my teacher) students. [Elizabeth,Katelyn, Kirsten, Maddie, Me, Klara, Hayley, Laura and Cindy]

Umm... it was windy?

7: CHINA TOWN! I got a piece of jade for a necklace and a pearl ring that I'm obsessed with. China Town was so fun. Just busy streets with tons of Asians and good deals.

Me and Klara:) I love this little girl! Lunch at China Town was so good. We ate at this Chinese restaurant that like a billion famous people have eaten at (Bill Clinton, Mayor Willie Brown, George Bush Sr, etc)

8: Muir Woods. The last destination of the trip:'( It was super fun though. Kir and I just went off by ourselves and took vampire pictures (haha) and made friends with these two tourist ladies.

Some of my favorite people from the trip![Cindy's best friend June, Cindy, Me, Kir, Klara, Hayley and Hayley's mom, Marie]

Some other un-photographed highlights include: Carmel by the Sea- one of the quaintest/romantic towns I've ever been in, Stanford- such a cool experience, i loved the master class, Pier 39-♥, Monterrey Bay Aquarium- oh yeah, love me some sea animals, a trolley ride, and ALCATRAZ! I'm obsessed with Alcatraz. It was one of the coolest places I've ever been. You probably think I'm a freak for saying that but it seriously was so cool.

So all-in-all, one of the most memorable UEAs of my life. Driving on the bus back to the Oakland Airport was one of the saddest moments of my life. I love the Bay Area and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be returning.

mechale lauren

oh, oh, oh! I almost forgot about Gilbert, our super cute and funny bus driver:) i'll miss him.

Wednesday afternoons is a great time to go to this place-



We were in and out in 25 minutes and it was joyous.

I'm so glad I have this friend who always is up to go with me. Love her.



mechale lauren

I haven't posted a plethora of random facts of my life for a while so here it goes-

15 hours at a debate tournament does something to you... that was WAY too long. but I did exactly how I wanted to. I didn't break to the final rounds but I was dang close. Perfect.

kiss me slowly. forever and always. philadelphia. i love parachute. i better be able to go on october 28th.

in other parachute news, this incredibly kind girl got me a signed poster from them because she works at a radio station and they came. love her!

the halloween dance is this weekend. homecoming was 2 weeks ago. crazy fast.

don't tell, but i don't really care that we got pummeled by East. we had hot chocolate (and it was incredible, i might add), everyone was way happy and super fun, and basketball season is coming so yeah..

speaking of basketball- 6 weeks from tomorrow is the season opener at home against Northridge. don't be alarmed that i have the first few weeks of the season memorized...

stats is FINALLY getting interesting. also, there's a table of random numbers. like a legit official table of random numbers. I'm not lying- see?

i love life.

debate tournaments can truly be full of awkward moments. a random kid from skyview tried to get me to feel his abs, another super awkward moment occurred but i can't explain it on this here cyber world because i don't want to embarrass anyone.. if you're curious, ask me in person and i'll share with discretion. it was painful.

the officers are my family. honestly, i love every single one of them (which for the record, I didn't at first..). i can talk to any of them about anything. i've never felt so close to people in my life. its blissful.

california/stanford is in two weeks from thursday!

Nicole and i are going to the temple wednesday:)

wx game. this friday. yeah, we better win. also, i hope highland beats east. that'll be a good game.

my bff aubz d rocked it in oklahoma! as laurie. atta baby! i think i'll go again tomorrow night.

my ipod is missing.

if anyone wants their house cleaned, just let jane busk or me know. we're in the cleaning business now and could use a few more houses.

i love serious conversations. muy bueno.

can i puh-lease go to washington d.c. for spring break?! that's really why i need more cleaning jobs, so i can save for d.c.

have you ever had a dream where you kissed someone? super weird. it feels real. and to answer the obvious question- no, i have no idea who i kissed, i just know that i basically know what its like to kiss. weird? yeah, probably.

is it weird that some things i've capitalized in this post but others i haven't?

i have a test on the elements of style tomorrow. gag me.

go seminary. my class is seriously the best. brother beynon thinks so and so does yuriko smith, she's the famous amazing asian substitute. did you know that she plans a lesson EVERYDAY just in case she gets called in? what a great lady.

go ap research. best class ever.

i love bountiful high. like i'm serious. i want to move away, get married, have a couple kids, and settle back in b-town to have more kids and raise them all here. its just a good place. i love it.

boys are dumb. i like them anyway.

pinterest.

i like meeting new people. its a good thing.

fall is pretty much here. yessss.

okay so for fhe tonight we played kick ball with all of our neighbors in the circle and had hot chocolate after. and it was fun!

i love helping people with math. its so dang rewarding. i can't get enough.

and this has been a sufficiently long post to keep all 13 of you readers occupied for a moment.

thank you for your time.

mechale lauren

oh someone came on strong to ya huh who who who who who who who haha sorry but thats just funny
oh and please tell me brit hardings address

oh and whatever you are currently stressing over at this exact moment....just stop stressing your face off otay bweav in bweav out and smile and then tell yourself that i am your favorite sibling and then if you do these things in this exact order you will begin to feel better.......entonces ( which means so or then) do it!!!

ok bye bye now cya bye bye ( barbie off toy story2 at the credits)

yup i still rock movie lines

ok bye

go ahead, johnny, make me miss you and your weirdness even more than i already do.

mechale lauren

You are not Forgotten

Sometimes I wish I was already in Relief Society. Mostly so I could have heard this talk from Elder Uchtdorf live. I loved this highlight from the talk.


You Are Not Forgotten

As a child, when I would look at the little forget-me-nots, I sometimes felt a little like that flower—small and very insignificant. I wondered if I would be forgotten by my family or by my Heavenly Father.

Years later, I can look back on that young boy with tenderness and compassion. And I do know now I was never forgotten.

And I know something else. As an Apostle of our Master, Jesus Christ, I proclaim with all the certainty and conviction of my heart and soul—neither are you!

You are not forgotten.

Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love.

—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Isn't it wonderful to know that I am never forgotten? My Father in Heaven loves me infinitely and that's comforting.

mechale lauren

Happy as a Lark

I'm happy. Legitimately happy. No, not everything in my life is perfect and I often find myself dwelling on the negative. Why? I've realized that when I focus on the positive I'm much happier. Go figure. Yeah, I still think about the negative (I can't just ignore it) but by letting it not pervade every thought, I'm happier. And that's a good thing.

Take this past week for example. It was homecoming week. I was at school early everyday and stayed late everyday. Thursday I got a total of a half hour of sleep because I was up painting the field (and might I add that it looked incredible). I fell asleep in every class Friday. I went home, showered and I was back at the school to stress about how to get power for both of the blow-up toys I was in charge of. There was so much to do and so much to worry about, yet I was completely happy. Homecoming week was magical. I deepened relationships, gained a greater love for the Bountiful High legacy, saw first hand the effects of cooperation, and enjoyed every second of it. It was incredible to be at the homecoming game and hear the crowd go wild at the sight of the lit B. Homecoming week is what high school is all about. It's about becoming unified with everyone around you simply because you're all Braves. It's about cheering a team to victory (we beat highland 27-3, that's HUGE!). It's about saying hi to a new person everyday. It's about loving where you are at every second. I loved this past week. I've never been more exhausted, but I've never been more rewarded for hard work. There were so many things that were hard, things I didn't want to do. There were things that stressed me out and things that were dramatic. But rather than focus on those things, I looked at the good things and that made all the difference. I've been completely satisfied and genuinely happy.

So yes, I can be a happy person despite the hard things I face. It's taken me a while to learn the lesson, but I'm glad I have.

mechale lauren

I am a Utah Man, Sir

I think I'm going to be a Ute.

I went yesterday for a campus tour and honestly I can see myself going there more than BYU. I loved it. I went and met with the academic advisor for the materials science and engineering program and she was fantastic! She's also very realistic and cares about her students. She was thrilled that this year there are 70 materials students because most years its around 40. I feel like at the University of Utah I'll be less of a number and more of a name. Not to mention that I'll get more money at the U than I will at BYU and they have the program I want to go into. So no, its not for sure, but I'd give it a 90% chance that I'll end up a Ute.

mechale lauren

She's Got a Boyfriend Now

I hate choosing titles so thats just the song I'm currently listening to. No, I or anyone else around me has a boyfriend now. But lets get to it-

BYU's department of High School Relations called a few weeks ago and wanted to set up an appointment for me to come down and meet with a counselor and go on a tour of BYU's campus. It was really great actually. I met with the counselor and he was awesome! He was very informative and personable. I found out that they aren't going to require the writing portion of the ACT for the class of 2012 so I don't have to retake it!! tight. After he gave his spiel (and gave me a BYU hoodie and two tickets to the Holy War next saturday and $30 worth of food in the stadium) my mom and I were ushered onto a tour with Rhett Wimmer. okay he was HILARIOUS. And knew the most random facts about the Y. I guess it is his job but it impressive. We happened to run into Jordan about half way through so he jumped on the golf cart and rode along for the rest of the time. After the tour we headed over to the Crabtree to meet with Dr. Fullwood of the Mechanical Engineering department. He is also a materials guy which was why we met with him. He let me know that although BYU doesn't have a materials engineering degree, you can get the education to go into that at the Y by going into mechanical engineering and specializing in materials.. So that was good to know.

My whole purpose in going down to meet with them was to see whether or not I could rule out BYU as an option and based on my time down there, there's no way I can rule it out. Number 1- I felt like they really want Mechale Maxwell at BYU. I don't have any friends that have been treated the same way I was when I went down. I was basically guaranteed a 4 year tuition scholarship and they said I'm a likely contender for the Monson (1.5 times tuition for 4 years). BYU also has huge research opportunities for undergrad students. It really is a great environment. One thing my tour guide said that really stood out was that at BYU there's only truth. There isn't a division between secular truth and spiritual truth because to God there's only truth whether it be physical or spiritual laws. I like that- there's only truth.

But now I'm more confused than ever. I've pretty well narrowed my choices down to BYU or the U. I'm planning on meeting with the U here coming soon and I'll be able to make a better decision. But i'm just confused right now. Yes I'm praying and yes I have faith that everything will work out for good but I just wished I knew now. I know that will come though, I just have to be patient.

As a casual update- life is good. I'm busier than ever and I'm rarely home. I replied to homecoming last night. I'm going with Jameson Poulton. He's a sophomore but he's way cool and I'm way excited (our whole group is seniors and a lot of my good friends so don't worry, it won't be a sophomore group or anything ha ha). The BHS vs. Viewmont game is tonight.. don't tell anyone, but I'm way nervous! Johnny's in Guatemala, WHAT?! crazy. I miss him.

Also, Homecoming week is in less than two weeks... We're freaking out in Student Gov. AHH!!

anyway, thats all I have to say, so see ya!

mechale lauren

I'd rather read than write.

I wish I could just enjoy writing. I'm currently in AP Research (yes I should be doing my homework and not blogging but theres only a few minutes left) and I just finished an essay on my history/experiences with reading and writing for AP Lang. The reading part I have down. I love reading to learn more about other cultures and ideas. But writing? gag me. I just don't enjoy it. I struggle keeping a journal and thats why I created this here blog but even then, I'm doing a terrible job of writing down my history. I just don't like writing! I try to like it, I really do. But its hard. So pray for me to learn to enjoy it because i actually want to! But I just don't... right now at least...

mechale lauren

What to do...

I'm in a very strange situation, not a bad one, but strange. And thats all I feel comfortable saying on this here public blog. the end.

mechale lauren

Don't Conform, Transform

Hello kids. okay not kids. sorry. I've been thinking about a number of things of a serious nature the past few days. mostly about friends and the like. I found a scripture Sunday night. Its Romans 12:2. I'm not going to write it out, if you really want to read it go look it up. But basically one thing that I took out of it was something that is becoming my new motto- Don't conform, transform. Basically I've realized that I shouldn't try to do what everyone else is doing. Don't conform to the things of the world. But rather, I should transform my heart and actions and become what my Heavenly Father wants me to be. So yeah, that's what I'm trying to do currently.

In lifely news- School is crazy! Don't get me wrong, I love it, but its busy... Oh and the choir trip is to D.C., I want to go SO badly. But I doubt I'll have the money... sadly. Also, why can't AP Lit just fit into my schedule?? I would so much rather take that than AP Language.. boo. It'll be okay though. Oh, I'm the only girl in AP physics. 16 boys and me. Atta Girl! ha ha.
Okay, for this next portion, please play the following song.



I miss Johnny. a lot. and he's going to Guatemala in a week. Surprise, surprise! that means no (basically) instant mail. The above song is applicable because Johnny truly will always be my best friend. I love that kid more than anything! We were both introduced to this song the Monday before he left and it's kinda become our song (even if he doesn't know it.. ha ha). I've really been fine without him, but there are times where its extremely difficult. I have a friend who works at the MTC and yesterday she texted me that she could see Johnny. I may or may not have gotten
tears in my eyes. ITS SO HARD! It was never like this when my other brothers were gone. With Johnny its different.



That kid means the world to me. We used to go on walks, lay on each others beds and just talk. We'd text each other from our separate bedrooms when we got home for the night just to see how our nights were. I complained to him about boys and he complained about girls. Gosh I miss him. But it really is fine. Sure, the night he was set apart it didn't feel that way. After the ordeal, I went outside, climbed the tree out front, listened to my ipod and bawled. It really is all for the best though. I'll learn how to hold my own as well as develop a better relationship with my little sister and, most importantly, he's serving the Lord.

Well yeah, he's a cool kid.

I'm done now.

mechale lauren

Shuell (think Megamind)

Well school started today.

It'll be a crazy, fun, hard, busy year.

I'm really upset with friends right now. ugh.

I'm only doing a semester of AP psych so i have to do all the work and not the test. gag me.

debate is great.

I luhh seminary.

stats:) yessssss. goooddd class.

i have so much to do right now. sigh.

and i just got a deathly text from Vickie herself. NOOO not more stress! no, we cannot move club rush a week early!! that gives me and alec only a week to do EVERYTHING! ahhh.

calm....

I read a good book. The Stranger by Albert Camus... Very interesting.

okay enough of this nonsense. I'm leaving.

mechalelauren

I'm Baaack!!

Hello. I am alive and well although, based on my recent lack of blog posts, it would not appear that way. I just have wayyy too much to blog about to be caught up on the summer. It's getting overwhelming...

So let this suffice for now:

I enjoyed Girls State
I ate up everything at Hi-GEAR (my engineering camp)
I had a blast at Utah State Leadership Conference
I went to Girls Camp and had fun for the most part
I had tons of fun at Flaming Gorge
I loved loved loved Dixie State Leadership Conference
I want to go back to California right now.

5 free t-shirts (among other paraphernalia) and 8 weeks later, I'm home to enjoy summer. All three weeks of it until school starts (which, for the record, I cannot wait for)

I'll probably blog more later about my adventures... Maybe post some pictures... But only if you're lucky:)

mechale lauren

books books books

Well I haven't blogged for a little bit. So here it goes.

It seems like everyone and their dog is reading this week. I love it. There's a bunch of girls starting a book club and I am thoroughly enamored with the idea. I can't wait.

Yesterday and Monday I read a book called When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin thanks to a tip off from Hannah. Wow. This book was incredible. READ IT! I've only cried in two books- HP6 (when Dumbledore dies) and this one. It's a novel about the heart- both figuratively and literally. It starts out with a small girl named Annie selling lemonade on the street when the narrator Reese Mitch buys some from her and notices the tip of a scar peeking out from behind her yellow dress. He realizes more about it than he says. The novel is their journey together to mend Annie's physical heart and heal Reese's emotional heart. Its such a tear jerker. Like really. But it's so worth it. It probably has earned a spot in my top 5 books of all time.

Also I'm done with school. Done with it. I don't even carry around lined paper anymore. Chemistry and English are my only two classes I'm even doing anything in and they're easy peasy.

Hey guess what- I want a kindle or a nook color. wanna buy me one? k thanks:)

well this concludes the lamest post of all time. except you really should read the book. and summer can't come quick enough.

mechale lauren

oh yeah- anyone have any reallly good books to read? I mean really good. Like ones where you come away thinking about something worth while. those kind. if you do- let me know. i think you're awesome

Did I watch the Royal Wedding?

Well yes of course I was up at 2:00 a.m. to watch theee Royal Wedding with my mother (and two of my brothers..ish)! And I loved every second of it. I love the royal family, I really truly do. They're so regal and iconic. I think Kate will be the perfect princess. Princess Catherine, I think it sounds very royal. Lets just hope that this wedding lasts.

So my favorite parts were definitely

1- The dress. Oh my... it was stunning. It was so beautiful. Kate looked ridiculous. William had it right when he quietly said to her, "you look beautiful."



2- Pippa's dress. If I had her body I would wear that dress everyday.



3- William's cousins who looked identical to the stepsisters on Cinderella. They looked uncannily like them-



4- hats hats hats. Some were AWFUL! but some were so elegant.




5- The dress of the Prime Minister's wife..



6- Prince Harry. He had the better uniform, he's funny and not married hahah. Oh and I loved when he turned around to see Kate walk down the aisle and said whatever he said to William.




7- Queen Elizabeth II. She is the epitome of regality.



8- The balcony kiss of course! and we got an encore!



9- The carriages




10- "Every wedding is a royal wedding" -Bishop of London



11- the men's and boy's choir. Oh sweet music.



12- Westminster Abbey. Could that place be any more beautiful?



13- The trees inside the Abbey. Mmhmm, that was a nice touch.



14- and finally- Prince William and Princess Catherine. I love that William and Harry arrived early to mingle with the guests. I love how stately and regal Kate is. I loved their perfect day.



A perfect modern day fairytale:)

mechale lauren

Easter 2011

Do I love Easter? -Why yes I do.
Is it my favorite holiday? -It sure is.
Why is it my favorite? -It has none of the stress of Christmas, it involves family get togethers, a morning of surprises, I get to sing my favorite hymn at church (#199- He Is Risen) and learn more about my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today in Young Women's, we had a silent lesson. I'm kinda a big fan of quiet lessons, not all the time, just every once in a while. My teacher Sister Lauti had prepared a power point presentation complete with music, a corresponding booklet and time to record our thoughts. It was wonderful. Go silent lessons full of the Spirit. I loved it.

On a more secular note, Easter was so fun today! Christmas and Easter are so much fun even now when all my siblings are older. After church we went on our annual easter egg hunt. We all get soo into it, its a bit ridiculous. We know all the previous year's hiding spots, the most difficult ones, the obvious ones (in the piano and behind the knife holder(? whatever it's called). But frankly, it was an extremely difficult hunt. There is still one egg missing that my parents can't even find. They're definitely losing their minds, they can't even remember where they hid eggs only a few hours before haha. Next year, they're writing down all the spots.

Here's an amusing little ditty. So last night Chris, Paige and I wanted to go rent HP7. We waited until 10 because during the last hour Top Hat is open movies are only 50 cents. So 9:50 rolled around and it was time to go! So we went to ask the parentals for permission and we were DENIED! what?! So Chris was getting all upset and saying, "this is RIDICULOUS," and such but then it was over. So fast forward to this morning. There was one extra egg hidden- "the big green one." Of course Chris, the most competitive when it comes to hunts like this, found this egg. Inside was a little note that said-

"Look for that which shelters
From the cold, wind and rain,
And your search will be magical,
Not in vain."

Good clue Dad, haha a bit cheesy but whatever, I got a good chuckle out of it. So when we finally figured out what the cryptic clue meant we found a present! Woot! and guess what it was- I'll give you a clue, our search indeed ended magically! haha HP7!! Apparently my Dad felt way bad last night because he had to tell us no to renting the movie and Chris was a bit irritated.

So really, thats a pretty lame story but it was definitely a memorable moment from Easter 2011!

well, HAPPY EASTER! Its only the best holiday everrr.

mechale lauren

SBO Girls Representative

Well I only have one thing to say.
Next year will be amazing.
All the work/waiting/stress/nerves has definitely paid off.
I cannot even wait.

mechale lauren.

Kiss Me Slowly

Not literally.. Its just the name of the song later in the post ha.

Hey there. I've really wanted to blog for quite some time but alas, school has indeed gotten the better of me. but since today is the first day I haven't had homework in 2 weeks might as well blog, right? Right.

First off- I just came home from mutual to find my mother reading this blog. Is that okay with me? not really. I mean, yeah, what do I have to hide? but I didn't like it.. once I move out in a year and a half its free game but for now, I'm concerned.

Next, school? Yeah I'm so done with these AP american reviews. deathly. oh and on another note, I typed 26 full pages of homework in 3 days last week. Its really not that much, but it really wasn't all that enjoyable. And I had Calc reviews and Chemistry homework on top. But I finally learned how to study. It's taken me how many years? But I made some good habits these past two weeks and breaking them today has been difficult.

I must say that I'm pretty excited about my multi-genre paper for english. I'm doing it all about failure. Not your usual topic but its going to be epic. I already love it. I've come to find that I enjoy writing. Let me clarify that- I enjoy writing creatively about things I care about. like failure. It's been enlightening and I've learned a lot about myself. Isn't that really what writing should be for- learning and experiencing? I think I'm going to like this assignment.

I have so many things I want to say but I really don't know how to say them. I have so many thoughts floating around that I can't express. But ya know what, sometimes it's nice to have thoughts that really don't have any definitive meaning if that makes sense. Words have a way of being concrete. I'm sure some english buff out there will argue against my point and say that words contain a freedom and such, but contrast words with a thought. A thought has a chance to morph however it wants. It can choose some words one second to describe it and a whole new set a moment later. But words are just... there. Sure they carry thoughts, emotions, feelings but I love the ambiguity of thoughts. Thoughts are so intimate. My thoughts are only for me. I can share them through words but then they're just words. No more a cloud of abstract, metamorphic feeling. Hmm.. enough of that tangent... that was weird.

I found this new video today. Remember how 2 years ago I found Parachute and fell in love? Remember how their music meant a lot to me in a very very strange way? Remember how everytime I hear them, I remember a lot about myself and who I am? Remember how they helped me find my identity? Yeah, me too. That was a strange time, but I'm grateful for it. Parachute is one of my very top favorite bands. They aren't anything super exceptional or exciting but I absolutely love their music. And I kinda really like this minimalistic video.. Go Parachute.



I keep thinking about a mssed opportunity. It kinda hurts. Not really, but there's a definite twinge of regret. Maybe someday it'll come around again.
I had some other things that I wanted to blog about but its really not going to happen right now. I'm in a pretty contemplative mood and somehow a racoon and its babies in my chimney don't really fit in right now. Neither does Prom... So rather, I'm going to head to bed, find solace in my thoughts and call it a day.

mechale lauren

p.s. that was a weird post. don't judge

1, 2, 3, 4

1. Yesterday I got this sillyband from Utah State. I put it on. Then I took it off. It broke. I'll take it as a sign I'm not supposed to go to USU.. Not that I was really considering it, but there ya go!

2. Well uh.. this is basically my favorite t-shirt. I'm really not sure where it came from. But it says "Red Crown Gasoline." Pretty classyyy. Or trashy. Either way.

3. This is me on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. I haven't washed my hair since Sunday. Don't judge. Its a mess.

4. You can insert your own caption here. I really don't know what I was thinking.. I've gone crazy.

In other news, CONGRATS TO HANNAH AND JANE!!!! SBO's at BHS 2011-2012! Really, I'm so proud of these two! Sure, I'm a little sad that I didn't make it, but I'm going for Girls Representative so hopefully that works out! Fingers crossed. I'll be frank. I've always wanted SBO President or SBO Girls Rep so lets hope the second works out:)

Oh, and on Sunday, two boys(who will be left un-named) came and brought me cookies. One of them made SBO. It was so nice of him to bring me cookies, they were delicious and made me feel good. I love boys at Bountiful. All studs. ha cheese.

Well apparently I'm going to prom. I just don't know who I'm going with. Hannah said this boy been planning on asking me but hasn't yet and he's out of town so he can't... but she said I have to find a dress like asap because his mom wants to order a tux.. well okay. weird but whatever! haha

SPRING BREAK!!!!! oh wait.. I'm here.. doing AP American reviews, AP Calc reviews, Essays and reading a book for english. Sweet. But ya know what, it's better than being in school so I'm fine with it.

My best friend is home!! From a verryyy long weekend in the hospital:( But she's home and doing much better so thats wonderful.

I know I'm a little late, but Tangled is so dang good. I love Eugene Fitzherbert haha

well all good things must come to an end so I'm ending this boring/random/lame sauce post.

Wallah.

mechale lauren

**Please excuse my incoherent remarks and stream of conscious. Also, this post is for me. I'm in NO WAY trying to sound stuck up or cocky or humble or whatever. This truly is something that is hard for me to deal with.**

I'm getting a little tired of hearing "35."

Its making for awkward situations. I told 4 people. Hannah, Natalie, Johnny and Jane. The first three were with me when I found out. Why does everyone know?

They say good job and I say thanks. And then what am I supposed to say? I ask them what they got. Just because mine might have been higher they can't tell me? And then I tell them that theirs is good because I honestly think it is but they say I'm just being nice. But then by telling them theirs is good am I making mine sound like I think its spectacular? That's not the goal. I'm thrilled for them. I'm proud of myself, but I don't want everyone knowing about it. I don't know how mine happened. I studied, I tried. What more am I supposed to say?

Then the counselors call me in to meet with ALL of them.... uhhh. okay, weird. Then we discuss my plans and I realize that my dreams could come true. It's a good feeling.

But maybe lets just keep this quiet. I'm not appreciating this attention from everyone and their dog. Why hasn't it blown over yet? Why does everyone know?

Sometimes I hate being the smart one. I HATE it. I hate the feeling of being used for tutoring. I hate the feeling of not doing well and disappointing my parents. I hate the feeling of people labeling you "smart." I hate the feeling that people expect perfection.

So what if I would love to go to Stanford. So what if I want to be a mechanical engineer.

I love school. I'm extremely grateful that my brain comprehends and processes well. I truly am. But sometimes its hard. I'm sick of saying "umm, I got a 4.0" "yeah, I'm in AP Calc BC." I'm sick of jaws dropping. What am I supposed to say other than "thanks?" It's not easy. I hate when my friends say they'd trade anything for my brain. Life is a lot more than doing well in school, okay?

It's frustrating. And these recent events haven't helped my dilemma. Ugh. Can I just go to college and be in the company of minds more intelligent than mine? Listen to their views and ideas and learn from them. I want to come up with my own conjectures and theories. I want to research something that will make a difference. I want to associate with the best professors and have access to the best facilities. I want to learn. I want an education.

But then, in the back of my mind, I'm reminded that I want to be a mother. I want to be a stay at home mother. So should I go to BYU? Should I just please my parents, bishop, brother, friends, family and focus on getting married by age 20? But I want the best education I can get! Is it right for me to put off a family for only a couple years so I can become educated? Why can't I consort with the most ambitious young adults for a few years? It's not like I wouldn't go to institute or would date sketchy fellows.

Oh I don't know. I have some time but I'm sick of trying to fit the mold that everyone expects of me. I know this all sounded very jumbled and no, I'm not going to proofread it. Deal with it.

I promise I really am a happy person:)

mechale lauren

p.s. could friday at 2 please come sooner? I'm done with this whole waiting thing.

Staying Positive

Quite frankly,

Life Is Good.

I found out some great news today.

Brother Beynon told me something that was said about me and it made me feel GREAT.

Officer tryouts are this coming week and I'm dang excited/jittery/nervous. I reallly want to make it, so we'll have to see!

Hannah and I made a pact to actually get ready everyday this week and its been a great week. Relation?

My brother made a delicious lunch today.

Sewing is going great.

I skinnified some jeans this weekend. They were floods before and now I might be able to bare wearing them.

I'm planning on making this skirt-



cool huh?

I don't really have much else to say.. and I need to work on my portfolio for SBO so bye for now:)

mechale lauren

Muramatsu EX #65812

I didn't know I could be in love with an inanimate object. Especially one I don't even own. Yet, as strange as it sounds, I've fallen in love with a flute. The Muramatsu EX. Specifically the one with the serial number 65812. We've been planning on buying a flute for me and it is in our price range so there's a great chance I'll soon be the owner of this little number.

I first met him(I've just decided it's a boy) today at the Utah Flute Association Festival. Very enlightening actually. After workshops, they had TONS of flutes to try and experiment on. I tried many excellent flutes. Some around $10,000.. super expensive. But none compared to my Muramatsu. Not even the more expensive Muramatsus. This might be a strange way to explain a sound, but it has such an emotional sound. It was easy to get a full range of color out of my playing. My tone has never sounded so good. Other flutes I tried felt awkward and uncomfortable in my hands but not little 65812. It was beautiful. He's all I've thought about today. I realize how bizarre and psychotic this all sounds but its true. Every bit of it.



I'm in love with a flute. Yeah, strange, I know.

oh and he has a beautiful crown.

mechale lauren

p.s. I've knocked 1.5 more books off my book list. Half of The Color Purple and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Both good. The Color Purple is very heavy.. both left a lot to be thought about. But I really like The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

Jupiter

I know, I know. 3 posts? I'm getting a little crazy. But I had no homework today and I'm in a funk (I didn't even want to watch March Madness...!!) so I'm blogging.

In case you were wondering, I have a favorite symphony. Holst's The Planets Op. 32 Jupiter. All The Planet suites are beautiful, but Jupiter is the favorite. Notice the conductor's face at 3:12. Oh the joy of music. It's my dream to play Jupiter in a symphony. Can you imagine? It's stunningly beautiful. especially 3:05-5:05.

Jupiter- the Bringer of Jollity.



really? I melt when I hear it. I love symphonies. love.

mechale lauren

Don't You Quit

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happpiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Book List

according to the BBC, most people will have only read 6 of the following 100 books listed. So I found this book list on a blog and now I don't remember which.. but apparently, according to BBC, most people have only read 6 of the 100 books. I've read 15 (the bolded ones) but my goal is to read a lot more of them!

okay. number 1 is missing.. i'll try to recover it haha.

2. the lord of the rings – JRR tolkien


3. jane eyre – charlotte bronte


4. harry potter series – JK rowling


5. to kill a mockingbird – harper lee


6. the bible (mostly)

7. wuthering heights – emily bronte *

8. nineteen eighty four – george orwell


9. his dark materials – philip pullman


10. great expectations – charles dickens


11. little women – louisa m. alcott *


12. tess of the d’urbervilles – thomas hardy


13. catch 22 – joseph heller


14. complete works of shakespeare


15. rebecca – daphne du maurier


16. the hobbit – JRR tolkien


17. birdsong – sebastian faulk


18. catcher in the rye – JD salinger


19. the time traveler’s wife – audrey niffenegger


20. middlemarch – george eliot


21. gone with the wind - margaret mitchell


22 the great gatsby - F scott fitzgerald*


24. war and peace - leo tolstoy


25. the hitch hiker’s guide to the galaxy – douglas adams


26. the road – cormac mccarthy


27. crime and punishment - fyodor dostoyevsky


28. grapes of wrath - john steinbeck


29. alice in wonderland - lewis carroll *


30. the wind in the willows - kenneth grahame


31. anna karenina – leo tolstoy *


32. david copperfield - charles dickens


33. chronicles of narnia - CS lewis


34. emma – jane austen *


35. persuasion – jane austen


36. the lion, the witch and the wardrobe - CS lewis


37. the kite runner - khaled hosseini *


38. captain corelli’s mandolin – louis de bernieres


39. memoirs of a geisha – arthur golden


40. winnie the pooh – A.A. milne


41. animal farm - george orwell


42. the da vinci code - dan brown *


43. one hundred years of solitude - gabriel garcia marquez


44. a prayer for owen meaney – john irving


45. the woman in white – wilkie collins


46. anne of green gables - LM montgomery


47. far from the madding crowd – thomas hardy


48. the handmaid’s tale – margaret atwood


49. lord of the flies – william golding


50. atonement – ian mcewan


51. life of pi – yann martel *

52. dune – frank herbert


53. cold comfort farm – stella gibbons


54. sense and sensibility – jane austen


55. a suitable boy – vikram seth


56. the shadow of the wind – carlos ruiz zafon


57. a tale of two cities - charles dickens


58. brave new world - aldous huxley


59. the curious incident of the dog in the night-time - mark haddon


60. love in the time of cholera – gabriel garcia marquez


61. of mice and men – john steinbeck


62. lolita – vladimir nabokov


63. the secret history – donna tartt


64. the lovely bones - alice sebold


65. count of monte cristo - alexandre dumas*


66. on the road – jack kerouac


67. jude the obscure – thomas hardy


68. bridget jones’s diary – helen fielding


69. midnight’s children – salman rushdie


70. moby dick - herman melville


71. oliver twist - charles dickens


72. dracula – bram stoker


73. the secret garden - frances hodgson burnett


74. notes from a small island – bill bryson


75. ulysses – james joyce


76. the inferno – dante


77. swallows and amazons – arthur ransome


78. germinal – emile zola


79. vanity fair – william makepeace thackeray


80. possession – AS byatt


81. a christmas carol – charles dickens


82. cloud atlas – david mitchell


83. the color purple – alice walker*

84. the remains of the day – kazuo ishiguro


85. madame bovary – gustave flaubert


86. a fine balance – rohinton mistry


87. charlotte’s web – E.B. white


88. the five people you meet in heaven – mitch albom*

89. adventures of sherlock holmes – sir arthur conan doyle


90. the faraway tree collection – enid blyton


91. heart of darkness - joseph conrad


92. the little prince – antoine de saint-exupery


93. the wasp factory – iain banks


94. watership down – richard adams


95. a confederacy of dunces – john kennedy toole


96. a town like alice – nevil shute


97. the three musketeers – alexandre dumas


98. hamlet – william shakespeare


99. charlie and the chocolate factory – roald dahl *


100. les miserables – victor hugo*

* Books I reaallly want to read ASAP as possible.

So there it is. I'm going to be a busy little girl:)

Well, the term ends tomorrow. Sing praises. This term has been a beast. I'm ready to crawl in a hole with my books and music never to emerge. That is no exaggeration. Nothing, I repeat nothing is going right lately. I'm just really frustrated and ready to go on a vacation. Get away from it all. I'm doing the right things. Why can't it just work out? I'm done. I want to go to college and start fresh so I can finally be myself and stop pretending.

Also, I just want to do the right things. This is all going to sound dumb but I don't care. Last night when I was praying I got the sudden urge to pray for my future husband. I don't know why.. But I did. While I was praying for him I got the most overpowering surge of love for him. It was weird. I don't even know him, but I hope he knows that I already love him and I hope he's making good choices. Conversely, I hope I'm living worthy of him. I know how bizarre that sounds and trust me, its bizarre, but whatever.

Honestly though, I'm so ready for this year to be over. I'm anxious for officer tryouts in 2 weeks and I hope I make it because if I do, I'll be able to get through the rest of this school year.

In other news, I went to an engineering competition at the University of Utah on tuesday and our team took 3rd in state! really though, that's impressive because it was our school's first year entering and all the other teams have been doing the JETS/TEAMS competition for years. But here's the slight disappointment- there was only 1 point difference between second and third and first and second place teams get scholarships to the U. One point and I could have had a scholarship already to the U. Oh well, we've still got next year! It was a way good experience so that's a bonus.

Well I'm going to go eat dinner.. maybe I'll be back later

mechale lauren

Obsessed?

I guess it's just fine if I'm a little in love with Alex Pettyfer. Not even a big deal.

yeah okay abs..




Its fine that I loved him in Beastly. Its fine that I want to see I am Number Four now. Its verrryy fine that he's rumored to play Peeta in Hunger Games coming out sometime next year ish. oh yeahh haha

mechale lauren

p.s. sorry I haven't posted about the final state game. We lost :( needless to say I was devastated. I wanted it so bad. But we had a great season. and props to Highland. They took state in Football and Basketball! Thats impressive!

State Playoffs- Installment #3

Bountiful (rank 3) vs. Woods Cross (rank 4)

Ohhkay. Rival Game. In the Semi's. WHAT?! I'm not going to dwell too much on this game. Short, sweet and to the point.

WE WONNN!!!

I was never really worried. Slight concern at times, but other than that just solid confidence. I could never doubt the ability of those boys. They constantly amaze me. I'll admit that when Johnny made his lay-up and free throw near the end of the game I cried a little bit. I've gotten so emotionally attached to this team. I'm not quite sure whether its a good or a bad thing, but what's done is done. I'm planning on taking tissues to the game tomorrow because win or lose I know I'll need them pretty badly. Ya know, it's a good thing I've gotten over being embarrassed by my attachment..

I'm so ready for tomorrow's game against HIGHLAND! It'll be a battle. We beat them at our home, they beat us at theirs. Now the real test is who can win on a neutral court. There are a few reasons I want to win. Number one- I've already been talking trash to my friend Tyler from Highland so... Two- I want to prove that we're the better team. Three- I've been waiting for this for so long. There's nothing in the world I want more than the state title. The thought consumes me. Today I my last class all we did was watch Huck Finn so I listened to "One Shining Moment" by Teddy Pendergrass and "Heart of a Champion" by Nelly for the entire hour and a half. The WHOLE time. Pathetic:)

I'm ready. These boys deserve this win. I've seen the countless hours they've put in throughout their whole lives. They can do it. I believe.

It's time for our shining moment. We have the heart of a champion. Lets go get it Braves.

mechale lauren

State Playoffs- Installment #2

Bountiful (rank 3) vs. Springville (rank 1)

Alright folks. I witnessed some excellent basketball tonight. Truly excellent. First off was Highland vs. Payson. I thought it would be an extremely tough game but alas, Highland was far superior. Go Rams!

Next up was our game. Today I wasn't nearly as antsy as I was on Tuesday. I didn't want to think about the game and I didn't until a little before it started. I stood silent in the stands. I started thinking again of what we needed to do and how we were going to accomplish it. The game started off in a great way. My big brother, number 25, John Maxwell made 5 points.. mmm. yea boy. Then Nick made a lay-up. 7-0. Then Mckay scored. 9-0. And from there Springville never made much headway. They didn't come within 4 points ever, if I recall correctly. Wonderful:) Final score- 51-37 Braves. As a matter of interest, Mckay finished with 25 freaking points. Yeah, no big deal.

Now we knew we were advancing to the Semi Finals tomorrow, but who would we play? Olympus or Woods Cross? Of course I stayed for that game as well. Woods Cross took command of the first half! I was cheering for WX the whole time.. as weird as that sounds. Believe me, it was hard. But I really wanted to play them in the Semis! Can you imagine? A rival that huge for a spot in the final game?! Crazy. So I was quite happy with WX's lead. But Olympus is a great team! They came back fiercer than before. They took the lead in the fourth quarter 53-52. From there, it was back and forth the rest of the game with no lead larger than 2 points. Finally it was down to the wire. The score was 65-64 for Olympus with 15 seconds left. Wildcat ball. I have never wanted success for Woods Cross so badly. Little Hunsaker(as I fondly call him) shot the jump shot.. AND MADE IT!!! It was crazy!! 66-65 WX with 7 seconds left. They played solid defense down the court, and even with Olympus' final attempt at a shot, won! Bankowski left the game with 32 points.

B-town vs. WX tomorrow. 5:30. Dee Events Center. Semi-Finals.

Now here's the trick. Its an extremely heated crosstown rivalry game. We've beat them handedly twice this season, but emotions and adrenaline will be running high. This will be a game for the ages. We know how to win- Double team Bankowski. But will we? My answer is a resounding YES! I can't wait. The arena will be packed. It goes without saying that tomorrow I won't be concentrating at school. Not a chance with our season riding on this game. Take deep breaths, Mechale.

If we beat Woods Cross (like we will), we'll be playing either Highland or Lehi in the finals, but most likely Highland. And that game will not be easy. But these boys are up for the challenge. They are the best team I've seen out of Bountiful in a while. We're ready for the win. First B-town 4A boys basketball state championship.

But I'm not getting ahead of myself and counting my chickens before they hatch. We have to solid games to play in the next two days. Mmhmm.

By the way, 3 of 4 teams in the semis are all from our region. That says a whole lot about Region 6 basketball.

Go Braves. Beat the Cats.

mechale lauren

State Playoffs- Installment #1

Bountiful(rank 3) vs. Timpview (rank 1)

Here's the low down. Walking into the Dee Events Center is possibly one of my favorie things. I can't possibly describe it. I've seen countless games there. Cried countless times there. Jumped for joy countless times there. Pulled my hair out countless times there. Enjoyed time with my dad countless times there. Get the picture? Heading into this season brought so much anticipation, nerves and excitment. 5 returning starters? It was bound to be a good season. With some late season setbacks we ended up with a third seed. Not quite the first seed I had hoped for, but it's all turning out just fine.

I got to the arena about noon, just after the ACT, just in time to watch the tail end of WX's win. I'll be honest, I was getting a bit nervous. I kinda feel bad because some people were trying to talk to me but I was super unresponsive. They should learn that I'm am not to be patronized before or during a game.

So the moment arrived. The boys stepped out onto the court and began to shoot. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe, be normal, talk to people, relaxxx. But it was hard. I was engrossed watching those boys shoot the ball- Timpview and Bountiful alike. I concentrated on the outcome of the game. Everything they had to do. They looked so calm and possessed out there. The night before they had an extra special team dinner. Author Kevin Hill came to speak to them. He is a motivational speaker and olympic mental coach. From what I got from Johnny, he spoke about the power of words and the mind. He taught them 8 words to remember- Act like it would be impossible to fail. And that's just what those boys are doing. He came to their game yesterday and I got to meet them. He has faith in these boys. He taught them some visualization exercises to engage in before the game. He also told them that if they take state he'll come back to speak to them and give them signed copies of his book Aspire.

The pregame clock ran down to zero. It was time to announce the players. Hearing Johnny's name called was- its pathetic- kind of emotional for me. I realized that this could be the last time I heard those words. But I digress. The game began and it was soon became clear that we were the better team. We took a lead in the second quarter of 14 points:) yess. But Timpview is a great team. They came back and tied at 29. If you were anywhere in the vicinity of where I was, I'm sure my stress was extremely apparent. I was up and down. Spinning around. Handling my jersey and feather. Sitting with my head on my knees talking to myself. I was a spectacle. But those boys played better and harder than they have in a long time. They played as a team. Dillon Salazar went 4 for 4 from behind the arc. Johnny hit a three early in the game. Mckay and Nick showed their extreme athleticism with some beautiful plays. Basketball truly can be beautiful. There were a couple plays in particular that gave me butterflies they were so pretty. I know how ridiculous it sounds but it's true. I'm pathetic.

As the time in the 4th faded I realized that we would advance. And what an incredible feeling that was. If you've talked to me much at all in the past week you'll know that basketball and this first game in particular are all I've been thinking about. I took a deep breath closed my eyes as I was clapped on the back and bombarded with well wishes. Phase 1 of 4 complete.

The rest of my day was spent up at Weber with my favorite coach. Springville vs. Box Elder. Payson vs. Timpanogos. Highland vs. Mountain Crest. All excellent games. I love it. I love the arena, but mostly I love the game.

Alright Braves lets take down Springville in the quarters. Yeah man.

mechale lauren

A Serious Conundrum

Would you want to be taking the ACT on the first day of State Basketball Playoff? Ya, me neither. But alas, I must take it because it's free. At least our game is at 12:50 and the test will by over by 11-ish. But really? My absolute favorite day at the tournament is the first one. Endless basketball. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING is better. I'll just have to lose a few hours of bliss for a test that will affect my future. Cool.



But this video made a bright spot in my day. Sure it looks like a hippie project, but it's very entrancing. Oh and the lady's pants.. hawt.



Well I'd best be off to getting ready for bed. You know, I have a very important day tomorrow (if you're thinking that it's important because of the ACT you're dead wrong).

GO BRAVES. I hope we can beat Timpview. I know we can. Lets get 'em boys.

mechale lauren

Proud

I'm having a very proud moment right now for two reasons.

1) My brother just came home from practice today and.... HE DUNKED IT!! Woo! Go big brother! He's been working on this for quite some time and he accomplished this feat before the end of his high school career. Cool.

2) My brother is seeing Justin Biber: Never Say Never tonight!! He'll be a changed man, mark my words.

and thats about it.

mechale lauren

Sweethearts 2011

So yeah, the dance was a few weeks ago but at least I'm posting about it now, right?

Sweethearts/Jr. Prom was seriously the best dance I've been to! It was so funn. It was way funny because Johnny was in my group. Apparently it was causing some grief because Kade wanted to ask me but he was in Johnny's group and Johnny didn't want to be in the same group as me haha, but no worries, he bucked up and realized that it's just fine to be in the same group as his little sister:) Good thing, too, because going with Kade was so much fun!

Asking/Answering- So the way Kade asked me was such an inside joke so none of you readers out there will think its that great haha but I thought it was hilarious! He gave me a little stuffed owl with a scroll attached that had a Ravenclaw crest on the outside. Inside, there was a little poem asking me to the dance with the letters K, A, D, and E bolded. Basically, we both love Harry Potter and we're Ravenclaws. The owl is where the inside joke comes in but I don't want to explain it.. its dumb haha. So to answer I wrote him a letter (sealed with wax, mind you) that basically said if you want to know my answer turn to such and such page in HP4 and look at line something. At that part of the book, Fred Weasley is asking Angelina to the dance and on that line Angelina says "Alright then." So that was my answer! Oh and I made cookies because boys like food so I always give some sort of food.

The Dress- So let me just brag for a moment. I found my dress at TJ Maxx. It was on clearance for $30, the shoes were on clearance for $10. Cheap. Oh wait- my mom had $30 to TJ Maxx so it was less that $12 with tax. Score. My parents were so happy with me:) Haha but the dress could not have been more perfect! I loved it! It's so me. And its so cute and slightly more casual without the jacket and just a white shirt under it. I'll wear it forever. Love that.

The Dinner- We didn't have a day activity, but for dinner, we went to Oakridge. It was delicious. The best part was our waiter Jordan Dennis. It sounds way dumb, but we were playing a "guess the waiters name" the whole time haha. He's also a biology teacher at Northridge or something like that.

All the girls got roses and everyone got chocolates.. very valentinesy(yeah, I know, not a word). Okay, the bathrooms at Oakridge are INSANE. They had hairspray, lotion, deodorant.. anything a girl could possibly need in a bathroom haha!

The Dance- The dance was at Rice Eccles Stadium. Such a cool place for a dance. It's up high and the entire West wall is glass so there's an awesome view of good ol' Salt Lake City. Okay enough about the venue. The dance itself was crazy fun! I loved every second of it! Crazy dancing, fun people, ya know.

After- After the dance, we went to Jeffrey's and just hung out and ate food. Way fun.

The entire dance was full of little sibling remarks by everyone- especially at dinner because we sat at the same table. I don't know how many times I got asked if it was awkward being in the same group as my brother. Come on, we're siblings.. if anything that should mean it's not awkward! Well at least for me it wasn't haha!

Me and the handsome brother:)


Me and the handsome date:)




Good times. Good times.

mechale lauren

Never Say Never

I never thought I'd say I liked Justin Bieber. I never thought I'd say his movie captured me. I never thought I'd say I'm a bielieber. But all I can say is

NEVER SAY NEVER

Justin Bieber is incredible. He's insanely talented. He can sing so well! He plays the drums, trumpet, piano and guitar and never had any formal lessons. He never had voice lessons until he was discovered a couple years ago. He sold out Madison Square Garden in 22 minutes only a year after being discovered! And, of course, he's super attractive. Much more so after seeing the movie.

I know I sound like a stupid crazed teenager but its okay. J Biebs is wonderful. You cannot possibly go to that movie and not come out with a respect for the kid, if not a new love for him. I can't get enough of him right now! Never Say Never was the greatest movie I've seen in a looongg time. I have to see it again!

Justin Bieber has captured my attention and will never relinquish his hold.

This is with NO vocal training.. WHAT?!


ohhhkay. watch at 1:21-1:24 ish.. that run is insanely good. AND he was sick for his performance at Madison Square Garden(this one).


I love this song. Love it


mechale lauren

Onomastics

on·o·mas·tics   /ˌɒnəˈmæstɪks/ [on-uh-mas-tiks] –noun ( used with a singular verb )
the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.

I sure didn't know that word until now- thanks dictionary.com!

I just had a lengthy conversation with my mother about names. I've come to a conclusion. I love family names! I know that it's kinda cliche to make lists of names for future kids, but i can't help it! So here's what I have so far:

Nora Jayne: My dear mother is named Nora so my daughter would be named after her grandmother. Also, there is a trend that it follows. My mother is Nora, her mother is Mary, her mother is Nora, her mother is Mary.. Get the picture? No, none of my siblings are named Mary so there's a gap in the pattern, but my mother and I have considered changing my name to Mary Mechale Lauren for geneology's sake. Yes, it's a mouthful but I don't mind. Sure, I'd have 5 names once I'm married but I'm fine with that. I'd never actually use Mary haha. I don't know, it'll probably never happen but there's the story behind Nora Jayne.

Chloe Alice: I love the name Chloe. Chloe Nebeker is my great-great grandmother. Kinda far back, but a family name nonetheless. Alice Caldwell Fox is my great grandmother whom I adore! Love love love Great grandma Fox.

Sophie LaRue Sophie Noble is my great-great-great grandmother. Even further than Chloe haha. I think Sophie is such a cute name! and I know what you're thinking- LaRue??? I like it okay?! It's also very similar to my middle name- Lauren. Clever right? And LaRue Thomas is my all time favorite fictional character from a book. She's from the Children of the Promise series- possibly the best historical fiction series out there. No I wouldn't be naming my daughter after a fictional character per se, I just love LaRue and I relate to her more than any character in any book. Besides, its kinda cute right? Give it time, it'll grow on you. And it's French. My mother happens to speak French and went to France on her mission. Okay it was actually the Belgium Brussels Mission, but she was in France all except the first and last days of her mission. So what I'm trying to say is- French, strangely, is sentimental to me. LaRue works:)

Now lets just hope that I have a compliant husband:)

mechale lauren

Oh and by the way- I realized that I spelt concise wrong in my last post! I wrote consise! How embarrassing.... haha