Thanksgiving & Surprises!

Well!! What a week.
Plus, I am now officially 16!!!! I'm still not even sure how I feel about it. I'm glad to be a year older, but the endless teasing about dating and the looks I'm getting from guys lately have been making me nervous. But enough about that.

My birthday was amazing, and my friends made it even better. It involved large amounts of food, courtesy of Parks & Recreation, as I like to call my best friend, Christine Parks. She made me a pumpkin pie (how original, right? She doesn't like cake, sooo it had to be something she liked too..lol. I love her), a Peanut butter nutella sandwich (mmmmmm yummy yummy yummy!), and got me some hot chocolate to help me survive AP U.S. History, where we got to write our first DBQ. Fun...

And my other friends helped too, Anna and Meg, Maren, Adde, Jenna... after the best school day I have had in a long time, the evening was so much better. I didn't want to call it a party...it was just a really legit hang-out session with food and my bestest friends. We were pretty much delirious. I'll eventually upload some...silly pictures :)

Well I really just want to tell you. I can't hold back anymore. Guess who came home unexpectedly for Thanksgiving?!?!?!?!? My one and only favorite sister!!!!!! Unbelievable!!! I was sooo happy. She's so tricky.. she told us she would be at Grandpa's house for the holiday! Guess not. She just missed us too much. I'm so happy she's home. I can't even describe it. I have been so sad and lonely without my sunshine-y sister. Well..this evening has been quite joyful, as you might imagine. :)

We are, at this moment, bonding as we sit at the island in the home-y family room, typing on our laptops, side by side, listening to happy music, and blogging. I couldn't be more content at this moment. And suddenly, I'm so grateful for my life. I love my siblings so much (especially my dorky brothers) and my parents. My friends, my family, music, freedom, and the gospel. These are the things that are most important to me. I hope I never take them for granted, because I have so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Season, everyone! I hope you love your family as much as I do, and have an amazing turkey day! :)

Out With the Old, In With the New!

Well, last week was the end of the quarter. I was such a basket case...but we're not going to dwell on that.
The main thing is, I did get all A's.
On Friday night, Christine and I went to Adde's house and we pigged out on ice cream, and watched an amazing ballet movie called Mao's Last Dancer. It was incredible..the sad thing was we were so tired that there was more delirium than usual. We were either completely silent with exhaustion, or endlessly giggly and loud with exhaustion. Either way, we were crazy. It was good to get out though, and finally allow myself a break.

On Saturday, mom and I went to our lesson and ended up staying at Faina's house for an hour and fifteen minutes. We had a lot of fun, and learned new stuff, and it was good. I spent most of the day reading Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's proposal on (and didn't end up finishing until Sunday morning). But Saturday's weather made me soooo happy!!! It was perfectly cloudy and the wind was blowing, and trees were dancing, and the leaves were beautiful colors all around. It was just really pretty in general :)
Then, of course there was Daylight Savings on Sunday, and church was amazing. We ended up making homemade monkey roll dough...so good! I just loved everything about yesterday.

And today, chamber was a lot of fun. I had Academic Festival Overture stuck in my head all day because of it, and loved it.
We are doing a fake crime scene forensics investigation in science, which was kind of cool also. Then, after school I went to help Sam with his eagle project, and that was actually fun. We got to paint and get messy, although not nearly as messy as when we painted the actual building. It was a blast :)
And tonight in family night we (or more specifically I) are going to introduce a new tradition to our family. We'll have a notebook out on the counter with a pen, and everyone will take turns numbering and writing down things they are thankful for until we get to 1,000, or just until Christmas. I'm really excited, and I think it'll be a great activity for our family. I love us!!!
Plus, I'm extra stoked for Christmas this year because Heidi comes home this time, and I miss her a lot. She will be my favorite present! Happy Christmas Season!! YAY!!! I'm putting on the Christmas music right now...also...11 days until I'm 16 :)
Happy week everyone!

Busy Days!

 

Why do I have a Tangled picture on my blog? Tangled is just cool, that's why. No other reasons needed. It's legit.

Whew!! I have been staying busy, believe me. I'm lucky I have a few minutes to write out a post right now before I finish my homework, eat dinner, have Family Night, and go to my violin lesson before bed. I'll be especially lucky if I get to practice before the lesson with my mom.

In fact, I'm so busy and stressed that I have started getting sick out of nowhere. At first, a couple weeks ago it was sneaking up on me, and I started regularly taking extra Vitamin C, Benedryl, and trying to get enough sleep. I've also been drinking extra fluids, tea, lemon juice; anything that would help. But I wasn't quick enough, and it went away for a while, and then yesterday it just hit me. I'm not completely out of commission yet, but I will be if the meds I've been taking don't take effect soon. I'm kind of frustrated because the end of the quarter is next week, and it's gonna be tough if I'm fighting a cold in the middle of that...

But anyways. Enough venting, now the exciting stuff.

I got over 100% on my Personal Health Quiz, 100% on my Spanish Quiz, and 98% on my AP U.S. History Mid-term. So I'm doing well in school, it's just not good that I'm losing sleep to do so. I need to really figure this out sometime soon..

Also, Heidi turned 19 last Thursday, and we got to talk to her. She had a lot of fun, and loved it. Yesterday we made a chocolate cake in honor of her, and had vanilla ice cream with it. She didn't get any of it, of course, because she's in Idaho, but it was still delicious. Soooo weird that she's in her last official teen year though. I really miss her.

Two weekends ago, I finally got to watch Tangled with my best friends Scott and Gerry. Of course, Gerry loved it, and finally admitted that Scott and I were right to make him watch it (a year later than it came out mind you). My favorite boys ever. They are such dorks, and very weird, but I do love them. I'm glad to have my little family back.

HEY!! We had our Halloween Orchestra concert last Thursday also, and that was a blast. I think we played very well, and had good quality sound, even if we weren't perfect. I loved it. :) Our pieces were fitted to our abilities well, and we made them sound good. We actually had some good dynamics and phrasing, so I was satisfied. Also,  Aaron and other people from North came and got to see us. That was fun... I'll hopefully be able to post pictures later.

I just keep remembering things I have done in the past couple weeks that are so much fun, and exciting!! I had a lot more fun stuff going on than I thought I did...It's good to remember all of the good things in my life. But I'm saving my favorite for the last, so bear with me.

On Friday evening, right when I got home from school, my mom handed me the phone. It was my Aunt, wanting to know if I would like to babysit my cousins while they went to David's football game, and get some extra money to help them clean the house and organize their clothes. I would have to sleep over since they wouldn't be getting back until late, but I could stay up and watch movies if I really wanted to I guess :)
It didn't sound like the ideal thing to do on my only free evening, but I do need money, and I felt good about it, so I did it. But later, I did feel sad when I learned that Luke, Josh, and Sam all came over to watch Groundhog Day AND the Mentalist with my brother, and had a fun evening. It's okay though, I'm really happy to have some extra money again.

On Saturday, a few things happened. First, I spent most of the day doing homework, or lazing about since by that point I was feeling a little sick, and I didn't want to do anything.

Second, the Oklahoma Sooners lost their football game, which was disappointing, and now they are only number 9 in the nation. Sad...but it was bound to happen sometime. I'm still rooting for them heartily over my t.v. set though. Always will. They are my team. :)

Also, we went to the McPhee's to have dinner at an "After-baptism" party for Tony, (the Philippine ?I think? guy) newest member of the Medford 6th ward in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm so happy for him! He has a good spirit about him, and I think he will do well.

On a similar note, today I finally got a copy of El Libro de Mormon, courtesy of Brother Hassell. Heidi has inspired me to read it in Spanish, especially since I know it will help me learn it so much faster. I want to be good at it, so this is what I'm doing. I'm really excited.

And, last of all, on Saturday evening, MY NEW STRINGS FINALLY CAME!!! I was so relieved. I have been having such a hard time getting good sounds out of my old ones, and it makes me feel grubby because that's how those strings sound. Now, though, I can play and actually sound amazing without trying!! And, with my new bow from last year newly repaired (hah, funny story), it just made for one happy Missy.  Mom and I put them on together, and stretched them out, then tuned them, and played on them...I couldn't believe the difference. It was incredible. Now I want to keep playing them. I want to get out my violin and just play it, all the time now. It's pretty fun! :) And I'm really happy.

So that's what my days have been like. I'm allowing myself to enjoy the little things, I just need to enjoy them earlier in the day so I'm not going to bed late, and exhaustified all the time. I will get this. It'll come with practice, this is just the learning session so I'll be okay.

Well, I'm signing out for now. I'm really not especially excited for this week, but I'll just plug away at it, and hopefully it will be good. I'm working on patience right now, and I think this would be the time to call on my angels for help. Happy week, everyone! :)

Fall Is Here!!

               

 Well! It has been a while...I have been so busy doing good things..and also annoying things. Like homework. But that's for later.

There's a lot going on right now. Like seriously. For one thing, my sister and best friend Heidi moved out. She's in college now, and loving it, but we miss each other a lot. We Skype each other every week, and talk on the phone at least twice a week besides that. I'm so grateful for technology!
And I hope she's eating a lot of ice cream, because it's therapeutic.

I have continued biking, and eating healthy, and I feel like it's going to be really beneficial somewhere pretty soon, it's just not obvious yet.

I have been thinking a lot about missionary work lately, and how much I could help all the people in the world with the knowledge that I have, and that I shouldn't just keep it to myself.
But it's not that easy, I know that, and I know we aren't perfect yet..but I'm still praying for those experiences.
And lastly, the biggest thing is I have been trying soooo hard to figure out how to balance everything. I discovered through the first month of school that I get headaches when I don't get enough sleep, or enough food or water.

That is a huge deal for me, because I feel like my body is telling me there is no getting around it anymore. I have no choice now. I HAVE to do my homework on time, and get to bed on time, and do all of those things. The only problem is I feel like I'm going insane with all the stuff I'm balancing.

I'm taking ALL Honors classes and one AP class at school. They are all challenging to me in some way, and I have homework pretty much every day in every one of them. I'm working on trying to make science interesting for me, and I do have a good teacher..It's just the homework thing that still gets me. I'm just not good at focusing very well. I have to really discipline myself in order to be efficient.

It has been the longest school year of my life so far. Normally the first couple months go by very quickly, but we are STILL in them!! And it feels weird because it's supposed to go a lot faster.
But I'm working very hard to keep my eye on the goal, stay sane, and have fun at the same time.

I feel like high school is supposed to be fun, right? So why am I feeling so miserable?
I know I wasn't given the natural speed and comprehension at all things academic like my best friends are, but I have long since given up on comparing myself to that. We all have different strengths.



So anyways...I have added biking into my schedule, harder classes, taking the time to eat healthy and really take care of myself so I don't get headaches, learning to drive, the violin, which I am more serious about now since I am going to Carnegie Hall in the spring, reading and writing, church interests, and singing. I have all of these things to do each day and it's the hardest thing I have ever done.

I have really been trying to focus on what is important in life and have fun, but the problem is all of these things are weighing on my mind and vying for my attention and it's such a burden. I have realized I just need to do the best I can, and it'll all work out.


I found this video on mormon.org, which is the church's website for investigators, and I really loved it, so I'd like to share it with whoever wants to see it.

 

Now I think I'm going to go have some Ice cream and go on a bike ride.

 It's perfect weather out there guys! I think I'm going to be okay :) 

Biking & Poems

For the past three+ weeks I have been waking up at 5:30 a.m. to ride my bike and start exercising, training, and getting some good endorphins as my daddy would say :)

It has been so rewarding, and I especially enjoy watching out the back window as the sun rises over the mountain as I'm riding. Plus, I'm getting exercise, and it's FUN!! I'm loving it so much, and I'm so happy with it I think I'll continue.

I always knew I was meant for biking. It's the greatest. Besides, more time for me and my brother and dad, and, well, the rest of the family really, to bond. We're a biking family. It's called the Cloward Family Biking Club, and I am now officially part of it's amazingness.

So anyways, last week when I was watching the sun rise as usual, I had this inspiration for a little poem/sonnet thingy-ma-bob that doesn't rhyme. So I wrote it down, just a little rough copy of an idea, and it actually turned out well.

I could polish it if I wanted to of course, but for now I think I'm just going to relish in the first draft, the natural state of the writing as I imagined it. I have to say, I'm really proud of it. So here it is folks, the first ever shared work of the future celebrity writer, Melissa Joy Cloward.

Watching the Sunrise

You can tell the clouds are about to present something utterly wonderful to the world as they turn a brightish orange-pink.

They are working out where it will be when it appears, to give warmth and life to the night-scarred planet.

It must be exact, as it has been rising in the same spot since it was in existence along with our beloved Earth

…at that self-same position, precisely over the mountain which is plain as day from my house.

Waiting for the glorious moment is as anticlimax as it gets. When is the Sun supposed to rise exactly?

You can’t remember...

But as you contemplate, something brilliant is happening to the sky.

The clouds are preparing for the main event, and they slowly part, to endow the sun’s grace upon the self-destructing Earth.

It isn’t a sudden movement, but rather a slow, deliberate struggle between shadow, light, and sky.

You are watching in continual awe as each irregular fluctuation of the clouds results in more and more color change, until you think you have seen every tint, tone, shade, and hue to possibly be created by any palette.

There are streaks of pink, orange, blue, purple; fighting for their turn in the limelight as they blast across the sky, mixing and churning into gentle colors of blush.

But despite this, they are not the main event.

Their glory is short-lived as the clouds are now completely apart, bolts of pink and orange, velvet curtains spread wide to give heed to the moment of climax.

The Sun is much higher in the sky now, plump with purpose. It’s time has come to change the dark to light, to morning from night.

It watches from above where life is starting to stir, and the warmth is becoming comfortable once again.

The dew is taking its final sparkling breath before plunging back into the cold earth, where it will be until tomorrow night.  

Life is waking up, and preparing again for a clear, fresh morning.

It’s a calculated, golden dance between sky and earth to create a cacophony of light which now emanates everywhere, characteristically driving the shadows backstage.

Now the trees are stretching their limbs from a long night’s slumber and rustling their branches to wake up the dreaming birds.

In no time at all, they are rubbing their needle-y noses and beginning to chirp to the thawing baby plants. 

The Sun will awaken the whole planet with her charms, and continue to steadily warm the Earth for the new day, a new adventure. 

She is ready now for her daily journey across the sky

.

Summer Fun in the Sun

Well folks I have officially entered driver's ed, and my life is upside down. But!! I have much to tell, and many visuals to give, so those updates will be coming as soon as I can upload the pictures.

Also, Parks and Recreation (Christine Parks) came home today and I am completely stoked to have her back with me so we can totally jam it up for the rest of the summer!

And by the way, just to clarify in case anyone was wondering, I am having a fantastic, wonderful summer, which I very muchly deserve, and I am so glad the sun is out!!

I'll have pictures in a couple of days, but until then, just know that I'm soaking up every drop of Vitamin D I can possibly get, and I hope everyone else is getting some where they are as well!! :)

Best Summer Wishes from me!! 

Alabama Adventure

  

As I've said before, my family took a trip to Alabama the week after school got out for a family reunion. We kind of used the reunion as an excuse to go see a lot of places, and have some extra fun in the south. We loved it!!
I love all of the people there, and the accents, and the food, and the trees, and especially the humidity.

Additionally, all of the family we were with we hadn't seen for a long time, and I had forgotten how much I loved them. They were so much fun to be around, and so carefree, and everything went so smoothly. We did a lot of fun things that seemed normal to them, but we all loved it.

We were on the border of Alabama and Georgia, near the Chattahoochee River. My great Uncle Larry's house, which is who we all stayed with, is in a little inlet on Lake Eufaula just ahead of the river.

Then, we drove down to Florida and stayed in a resort on the Gulf of Mexico to experience the joys of a real, warm, sunny beach. It was the perfect vacation, and we all really loved it.

When I went back and looked through the journal I kept throughout the trip, I just couldn't stop smiling because the entries were so full of life, joy, and utter happiness at how much fun I was having. It was almost intoxicating!

Basically, it was just like a dream come true, and it was so surreal, I could hardly handle it. I can't say enough to describe how much I loved it. We'd need some pictures to get any closer, though, and I have tons, so I'll do my best to post them!

Here they are, some pictures depicting only some of the joy and adventure we felt, which I don't think we could have truly captured on camera :)

 

In the airport waiting for the first flight...full of energy, excitement, and anticipation!!

Waiting for the plane home...tan after a week of fun in the sun, tired to the max, frizzy curly hair because of the humidity...and whatever other differences you can see!!

Hysterical difference :)

 

The Houston, Texas Airport

Heidi Ho in Houston!! (with some frozen Yogurt, of course...)

The jungle-y vegetation of the south. 

Oh, how I love it.

 

Sisters on the boat in the sun!!

Cousins, cousins, cousins!! 

That was so much fun :)

 

Me & my daddy just chillin'

Mealtimes... good stuff.

The Reunion Hotel :)

It doesn't look big, but trust me.....it's big. 

Enjoyin the sandy, warm beaches of Florida with my sister

Waterlogged and sunburned at the resort, but having a blast anyway!

my feets :>

On the pier at Fort Walton Beach

And the grand view from the plane... Florida!

Inner tubing. . .Good times.

Just chillin with Marin Brown, my 4 year old cousin!

Gaterrrs!!! We saw, heard of, ate, and discussed these creatures many times in that week. 

Enjoying yet another amazing meal made by the Moms. 

The Chattahoochee River Lock! 

Heidi and me on the boat. . . again.

Mom water skiing all over the place, making the sunset look good :)

and another one without her. 

Genealogy!!

Bracing ourselves for the bath-water warm beach!!

A beautiful view from the resort.

...And lastly, enjoying the relaxing waves as long as possible. 

We were out there until it was dark, and loving it!! 

From the left, it's Sam, then Me, and then Spencer.

I'll cherish these memories forever!! I know I talk it up with every little thing I do in my life, and make it seem so exciting and dramatic, but this is the ultimate deal. 

This will undoubtedly stay in my memory as "The Best Vacation Ever." :)

Many thanks to Mom & Dad for making it possible!!!

Pictures n stuff :)

     So now I have to at least post the pictures I have put together to give some visual perspective on where my life has been for the past month. It has been a lot of fun, and I'm so happy to have done all these things, but it was still so crazy while it was happening so I'm also glad things have died down just a little bit. It'll take a couple days to upload all of the pictures I have though. Just watch for 'em!! :)

                  

                                     Me & my amazing friends at 

                                     Bubba Gump Shrimp in San Fran!     

                                  Me and my lovely bff 

                                   Christine Parks & Recreation :)

                                                                                                                                        

                    

         Some lovely place on the Cannery Row!    :)

 

                                    Me, immensely enjoying the gift shops

                                            

                                                

                                                          Near Chinatown, looking 

                                                              forward to a day of fun!

                                 My sunburned tomato face deliriously  

                                  bracing myself for the long ride home...

            

                                        Adde being silly :p   

                       

                

                           My horribly sunburned neck after a long, 

                      fun day at Great America!

        

                

Christine and I, admiring Alcatraz Prison

......from a distance...                         

                      

    

            

 Hmm, should we eat at this scary foreign food place??

Yes, we should. And we did, and it was amazing!

      

                    And finally, the View of San Francisco!