11.03.2011

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

11.01.2011

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.

10.12.2011

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

10.10.2011

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

9.29.2011

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

9.26.2011

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