The Good Samaritan

Well, today I have a rather simple, but deep experience to write about. It happened yesterday, and it has really left me thinking about things. I was on my way to pick up Spencer from soccer practice, and as I was driving through a neighborhood, I was driving toward a boy about Spencer's age who was riding his bike. He seemed pretty content for the brief second I was paying attention, and then all of a sudden he was crossing a street that intersected the one I was on, and instead of going on the sidewalk, he was headed for the corner as I was approaching it. The gutter was full of dry fall leaves, and as I saw this and briefly contemplated what that might mean for him, he made eye contact with me. Just then, his wheel slipped out from under him, and he fell forward off his bike and into the street right as I passed him.

All of this happened so fast, and I could hardly believe what I had just seen. I gasped and swerved slightly, and looked backward through the rearview mirror, hoping he wasn't too hurt. For a brief second, as I saw the boy gingerly cradling his elbow, I considered pulling over to see if he was okay, and if I could help. I was still recovering from what I had seen by the time I realized I really could have helped him, but I was already far enough away that I just decided to keep going. I resolved that if he was still there when I made the trip back, then I would stop and help.

I made it to the field to pick up Spencer, and when he got in the car I told him about the boy I had seen, almost excited to get back and see if he was still there, and assuming that Spencer would be curious as well. But I was surprised by what I heard my wise little brother saying to me. He asked me why I didn't stop to help him, especially in light of the fact that he hadn't been in a hurry to get home from soccer. I could only make the excuse that I was in the mindset of going to pick him up, and it didn't seem necessary to stop what I was doing to help. He was at once disappointed that I hadn't stopped to help the boy, especially after having found out that he was about his own age, and probably picturing himself in the same position.

But he didn't stop there; he went on to compare the whole scenario to the story of the Good Samaritan in the bible. I have always known my brother is a good listener in sunday school, and that he has a particularly good memory for scripture stories. He seems to learn well from them, and this was the case yesterday, when he said that I was like the 2nd priest in the story who passed the man beaten on the road, and didn't have the time to help another because he had somewhere to be.

This really got me thinking. My immediate reaction was to defend myself, and to explain why it made more sense for me to keep going, but the more I tried to rationalize this in my head, the more insignificant it sounded compared to what experience I could have had if I had taken the time to stop and help another, no matter how minor his injuries may have been.

We passed the spot where the boy had fallen, and I could tell Spencer was eager to help him if we could, but he wasn't there anymore, and it saddened me even more to see how easy it would have been just to make the simple gesture of assistance, and how quickly that opportunity passed when I didn't respond the first time. My conversation with Spencer ended there, but I continued to ponder this concept for the rest of the day, and marveled at the wisdom of my little brother. Even with his simple, pure knowledge of Christ, he could plainly see that I had missed a perfect opportunity to show my love for my neighbor, and my willingness to follow Christ because I was simply on a different agenda. I realized how that was such a weak excuse for my actions, considering all that I profess to believe on a daily basis. I realized that if my will had truly been aligned with His, and that I had been perfectly willing to follow the promptings of the spirit, then I would have ignored all other supposedly sensible judgment, and made the small sacrifice of helping a fellow child of god in his need. The force of that small lesson just really struck me, and I felt a need to share it with others for some reason. I hope that others may learn from that experience as much as I did. We never know what opportunities we could be missing out on unless we just follow the Spirit, and truly look out for our fellow men.
Next time, I am determined not to let my Savior down. I will follow Him in all things, no matter how inconvenient they may be for me. This is what true submission and alignment of will looks like, and I hope that I can be counted on to live it.

All of the Firsts

Well guys. Guess what. You may be surprised to see that I am in fact still alive in this world, and actually quite busy. I have had a lot happen in the past several weeks/months, and it is all still relatively new to me. I honestly don't have much time for this, which is why I'm literally losing sleep to write this post at 1 in the morning. However, sometimes you just have to take it where you can get it, and for me, in this time of my life, this is it.

Okay, first of all, this is my life theme video right now, because I love it, and it's so inspirational, and also because it portrays exactly how I feel about the example and amazing prophet that Joseph Smith was. I love the way Elder Holland bears witness of him using logic, and also the power of the Holy Ghost, to diligently "preach of Christ", as well as the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 25:26). It is certainly amazing what these words can do to strengthen my own testimony.

Anyways, I now need to provide a summary of how crazy  my life has been these past few weeks, so here goes.
Two weeks ago, I had my last first day of high school. After this year, I will no longer be required by law to attend school. Yippeee!!!! Also, a couple weeks ago, I got my first real job as a waitress at a retirement home no more than a 1/4 mile from my house, if that. It's actually pretty awesome because I work with some fun, sweet people, including the elderly, and plus, it makes me feel more productive. There are many other pros and cons that I won't go into now, but suffice it to say that I'm enjoying the world of employment.

Another thing that I can finally boast is that my six months have been up for a couple weeks, so that makes things more fun, even though I don't have much opportunity to drive people. I do go to the gym quite a bit though, so I definitely make a point of partying then.

At school, my schedule this year looks wimpy, but there are reasons behind this. I have seminary of course, AP Literature, Spanish, office aide, AP Government, and hopefully independent study P.E. Then, I have a couple precious and meager hours in between this for homework, but they don't usually end up being used for that. It is really hard to be diligent in this... let's just say, between church & callings, school, work, fun, and hobbies, I am definitely having quite the challenge to learn to balance all of this gracefully and without too frequent meltdowns. That part is especially hard. (I had one just yesterday for example.) However, I am still hanging on, and the most important thing is that I'm becoming stronger than ever in the gospel, which increases my ability to cope with everything that life might throw at me. When life gets you down, read your scriptures!! :)   - oh, and also, do family history! I swear it's therapeutic!

  + =   :)

I am always grateful for the blessings all around me which are gifts from my Heavenly Father, and I hope that I never take them for granted because I certainly would be completely lost without the knowledge I have, and I hope that someday I will take that message out into the world as an official full time missionary for the church to declare its truth and testify of its blessings.

For now though, I will learn to be a better member missionary, which is yet another huge challenge to add to my own list of goals. But this is one that I especially care about, so hopefully I will have the courage to make it happen.

In the meantime, I am just here, doing my thing, learning the balance of my current life, and getting lots of practice for college as I also try to figure out what I'm going to do with my future. I can't do more than my best in preparing for it & pray for the strength I need to face it, and then leave the rest up to my Father who can do all things if only I will believe in Him.

I believe.

-Melissa Joy

It Ain't the Summer Blues!

The Summer blues were supposed to be my reason for not posting, but in reality I really have no excuse for not posting more often other than I am a failure at prioritizing. I just never get around to it! I know I always enjoy reading other people's blogs, but I can't seem to establish a routine for it myself. This is something that I have always struggled with, but I will overcome it if I ever want it enough.

          (random & cute!!)

For now, I'm just so glad it's finally summer!! It has been so hot, and even though we have no air conditioning for the time being, I am appreciating it so much. I have waited for these two weeks of heat so long!! It's why I endure every other week in the year. It's what keeps me sane! 

I just have to mention since I never did before, that I got 94% on Miller's final, and kept my 4.0 intact this whole year. Next year may be another matter entirely, but we'll see how that goes. I'm just really proud of it because I worked so hard to maintain it.

I have been having lots of fun already this summer! I went to Girl's Camp, hiked Roxyann with Crstn and Anna to see the sunset, and actually had a pretty scary experience--long story behind that--all because we didn't bring a flashlight..how smart. After the sunset it gets DARK..Obviously we're bright. But it ended up being such a good bonding experience.

We sang hymns, prayed, held hands, and tried not to be terrified. It definitely took a huge amount of faith. We had to take the longer path because it was wider, more traveled, and more open and light. I'm pretty sure it took us over an hour to walk down, and we did it all in the dark.


We were strong for each other, and reassuring. We just talked and talked about life, and said why we love each other, and discussed fulfilling our divine missions, and we just got so invigorated, we kept walking right on down and no harm came to us. We didn't even get a ride back to Anna's house, we just walked. That was because after a while, we received the peace  and assurance of Christ, and embraced it with every part of us. It turned into such a cool experience, spiritually, but also a good physical lesson- when planning a sunset hike, bring flashlights, or else lots of guys with the priesthood! 

Some other things I have done...well, some biking, and vegetarian eating, and having lots of fun with Heidi. Also, I went to see the Amazing Spider Man with 5 of my best guy friends and my brother, and ate Marionberry Pie ice cream while overlooking the valley at 2 in the morning. That was quite an adventure as well.

I have done lots of hanging out with Anna, Meg, Adde, and Christine. I also went on a double date with Luke and Christine and Josh to Jacksonville Inn, and then to a movie in the park for Josh's birthday, which was hilarious and fun....

Right now, my dad and brother are driving up to Seattle to ride 200 miles to Portland this weekend. I'm so proud of them! They are amazing, and fun people..it's also kind of funny, my parents' anniversary is tomorrow, and since my dad started doing this Seattle to Portland ride every summer, he has been away for it. We'll find a way to make it fun for mom, though.

So, I feel like I'm basically living it up like a true teenager. But I have also done lots of spiritual growth and inward reflection on how I can improve my relationships and the quality of the life I am currently living. I had a realization of how important it is that I fulfill my divine purpose and reason for coming here, and I have to be prepared in order to fully receive that mission.

I have been motivated by the people around me who are watching to get my own life in order, set a good example, live high standards, and keep myself "unspotted from the world" in order to reach that potential. It is kind of a burden, but it is also a complementary challenge, and honor to be so highly trusted with a purpose that makes a difference. I accept the challenge.

On a side note, I have been getting closer to my sister than ever before. We talk about everything, and go on random outings together, and stay up late, giggling into the night..we have had a LOT of fun. I am so glad we never really fight. I know I can talk to her about anything, and that she will make me laugh when I don't feel like laughing. She is so much fun! I don't want her or my brother to go to college in the fall, but I guess I'll have to handle it.

                                            

                                           

(This is us after Sam's graduation..we were pretty hyper. I love these guys!)

Also, I have been working on serving the people I love more freely and more often. I try to be diligent and have a good attitude, and it has really made a difference in the spirit of our entire home. Honestly, even just in the week or so I have stepped it up, I have seen a huge change in the atmosphere. It is very satisfying to know that I have brought about a lot of that good change.

Lastly, I guess I should mention I am teaching my little brother Spanish!!! It is so fun! It is good practice in patience for me, and a good education for him. He loves it, and often begs me to teach him more throughout the day. He keeps using phrases on my mom, and it's funny because half of the time, I think he doesn't know what he's saying. It's cute.

Also, I am learning how to get along with him better. It's not like I constantly fight with Spencer, it's just that he has so much energy and craziness that I don't know what to do with him sometimes, and it overwhelms me. Now, I am helping him to channel that energy into something that he enjoys, and it is also a good experience.

I am just getting along with everyone in my house so much better now that I changed my own attitude, and it is really eye-opening to see the influence that I have. I have put so much more into my relationships with my family and I have gotten out of it ten times what I put in.

I think I will keep this attitude, and see who else I can change by my positivity and service. I'm gonna keep smiling, and watch the good consequences follow. The possibilities are endless! 

Busy Stuff...

Wellll....I have not yet posted about Carnegie Hall, and the main reason for that is because as soon as I got home, things got crazy busy, and it's also overwhelming to try and sort through all the pictures I have and pick the most important, which I know is a lame excuse...I hate that excuse, it seems just so shallow. But it's all I've got, because I feel totally inadequate for being consistent about this blog.

But whatever! I'm going to go with it, and hope for the best! I think it's just overwhelming for me to try and put my life onto a short blog post when I feel like my life is so much more dramatic than it actually is. It's difficult for me to find the words that describe all of the crazy emotions I deal with all the time, and who I really am as a person. I feel pretty terrible about it.

And also, when I put pictures with posts, I feel like I want to put a ton of them, when I guess I don't actually need all of them. It's just my nature to be really detailed I guess, and I'm still getting used to it. It's kind of rough though, so please bear with me.

....I guess I should mention that along with being busy, of course I have had some "episodes" of bad health, as my mom calls them. I had a panic attack last Sunday during a concert!! of all places..agh. It wasn't pleasant. And then I had another one this Sunday. Along with yet another new symptom of my rare disease that I affectionately call "Filmore." The list of problems seems to be growing a little too fast for my liking...but I don't think I actually have a rare disease, there I'm just being dramatic again :)

But anyways. You don't want to know about that. I'll just say that the past couple weeks have been crazy because there's a lot going in and out of school. I have the AP U.S. History exam next week, and have been doing some crazy awesome studying with my best buds, Christine, Josh, and Luke. We always make food, so it's really fun...but it's also productive, don't worry!! :)

Also, I had my first OFFICIAL date, which was fun...
Plus!! Heidi is home! OH, it's joyful. She brings so much happiness in my life. I have been holding up much better since she came home, and we have been alternately boosting each other up as needed. It is most definitely worth it to have to share my room again, and not have enough room in my drawers for clothes again (because she took the other half when she came home). She's just awesome. Besides, her Despicable Me  ringtone is therapeutic for me every time I hear it. Since she has been home, I have learned at least one important lesson from her, but one of the most prominent goes like this:  Unicorns, I love them, unicorns, I love them.. :)

So that's where I am right now. Hopefully the busy-ness won't peak too much more before the school year ends, because I don't know how much more of this I can handle. Obviously my physical AND emotional health is failing me. Oh well. It's life. You gotta love it.

And lastly, I have to mention that I have been saddened by a recent realization that when Luke, Josh, and my bro, Sam, leave, my heart will pretty much break. I can't believe they're graduating!! They have become my best friends, my siblings, my mental support team, and my joy every day. They always make me laugh. They make life interesting, and fun. I have enjoyed school at least 83% more this year because of them, which means that school has become almost better than being home. I love these guys, and wish them the best for all of their futures!!
But...I will miss them tremendously.

So, that's it for now. As soon as I have a sane minute to upload pictures from Carnegie, and the mental strength to tackle trying to describe the amazing-ness of that experience, I will definitely update about that. But for now, it's CRAM CRAM CRAM for the AP TEST!!!! (oh, and also planning for my half-birthday. SOOO STOKED about that! :)

It's gonna be a crazy awesome two weeks!

And also...I'm definitely obsessed with Peanut Butter. Just thought that might be important to mention.. :)

The Time Is Come

Well folks, we are almost there. All of the planning we've been doing-the coordinating, signing of documents, violin-equipping, preparing, practicing, concerts, fundraising-is all about to come together.

We are leaving for our flight tomorrow night..or actually very early in the morning Sunday, if you want to be technical. It's here! In two days, I will be in New York City! :)

I can't even believe it..it's kind of overwhelming. But I know it will all work out, and that we will do our best. Plus, we're going to have a lot of fun along the way!

By the way, the weather's going to be in the 60's and 70's and sunny all the time we'll be there!! We're so lucky. It's raining pretty hard here, actually for the first time in a while. Of course, the weather will not be predicted. So stubborn...that's why it's Medford.. haha.

So it's packing time for me! We have to start today so we're not rushing too much at the other end. It's going to be a stressful process. I hate packing because I'm always afraid I'll miss something, and I always have to write it down, or I'll drive myself crazy thinking of all the things I need. Plus, we'll be doing some last-minute shopping, which, I have to admit, I resent, and that should be interesting.

And with performances and events to go to, we need a few extra items, too. It's just going to be a crazy couple of days, but it will be worth it. And maybe I'll even get some sleep!

Well. I will take a ton of pictures, and I will definitely have fun!!

So that's it then.

 I'm off to New York City!!!

MARCH IS HERE!!

Well the month of the countdown has finally arrived!! I can't even believe that in 15 days, I will be walking the streets of New York City. It's crazy.. So I am definitely excited!! Also, we are halfway through the 3rd quarter, and that's crazy too cause that means I am almost 3/4 done with my sophomore year! It has been a great one, too, by the way :)

 

I have been really busy, as usual, and I have been having a lot of fun. But I have also been trying to practice more than ever these past few weeks because I needed to be officially perfect with two more songs for Carnegie, and Faina has been relentlessly scaring mom and I when we go to lessons.

We hadn't been doing well, even though we had practiced more than usual. So for the past two weeks, we practiced for a ridiculous amount..and it just put more pressure on us. We were so nervous about being perfect for these three pieces.

And today...today, we went to our third to last lesson before Carnegie. And we nailed it. Totally nailed it. It was so amazing. Such a good feeling to finally succeed after all of that stress, and uncertainty. We will still keep working, for sure, but now we are at peace that we have improved so much, and I'm so grateful that we get to do this! 

I also had my first B on a test this week!!!! Quite the experience..it was a "Miller Test", and you would have to know him to appreciate this. But I am not mad about it, because I was gone for a couple days the week before, and didn't quite understand everything. Also, he did put a really hard problem on there which most people missed, myself included.

It was a learning experience, though, because I know the things I did wrong, and when we had the quiz that covered things that were on the test the next week, I got 100%!!! (Okay, I did miss 1/2 a point, but that wasn't anything significant. I just didn't multiply the final answer of one thing. I basically got it, though.). 

Besides that one, I have gotten totally 100% on EVERY single quiz he's given, and an A on every test, so I'm pretty proud of myself. It's a hard class...

And lastly, I have a video here. My adorable little brother Spencer is quite the animated little fun child. I'm convinced he could be a great actor if he wanted to. This all came about because the other night, I heard him talking to himself in the living room. 

So I went in there, and saw him rehearsing a play for a little performance they were doing in his class the next day. I had the brilliant idea to record it so we could have this memory, and have his priceless acting on camera. It is adorable, and I just thought I would share it with the world!!  

So, here is my 10-year-old brother Spencer, with his version of "King In The Kitchen" :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rSdD3A_Yqws

Well, there you have it. And don't forget, 14 days until CARNEGIE HALL!!!! 

 

:)

Energy Profiling & Dressing Your Truth!

So let me explain what Dressing Your Truth is! (It goes along with Energy Profiling).

Basically it is a makeover system based on your Personal Beauty Profile or your true nature - the person you are.

So first you determine what Type you are. In this program there are 4 Types. These Types each have a unique movement that are expressed in our personality, behavior, facial features, body language, thought processes, the way we share our feelings, and even all the way down to our doodling! The Four Types are based on the 4 main elements which are Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Carbon. These are the elements that create everything on this planet - even humans. Each individual element has a unique movement that will be expressed through us as people.

Let me explain a little bit about each Type:

Type 1 - Nitrogen/Air
Upward, light, bright, animated, fun, fresh, cute, playful, disconnected
Shapes are circles, stars, hearts, sunburst, curly cues.
Examples in nature are Humming Bird, Quaky Aspen Tree, and Gerber Daisies.
Type 1 celebrities are Rachel Ray, Drew Barrymore, Jim Carey and Paula Abdul.
Type 1 people are fun, optimistic, full of ideas, encouraging, can adapt to change easily, can get distracted easily, have a lightness about them.

                       

Type 2 - Oxygen/Water
Fluid, flowing, blended, connected, soft, subtle, relaxed
Shapes are teardrops, s-curves, softened oval, softened rectangles.
Examples in nature are Dove, full-bloomed Rose, Weeping Willow.
Type 2 celebrities are Jennifer Aniston, Richard Grere, Julia Roberts, Emma Thompson, and Jessica Alba.
Type 2 people are calm, detail-oriented, sensitive, can worry about the little things, plan ahead, like comfort in all things, have a peacefulness about them, they ponder and day dream planning into the future.

Type 3 - Hydrogen/Fire
Active, reactive, swift, substantial, sure, rich, dynamic, textured
Shapes are swift lines creating angles, triangles, trapezoids, squares
Examples in nature are Hawk, Maple Tree, Bird of Paradise.
Type 3 celebrities are Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, and Joan Rivers
Type 3 people are swift movers, they work quickly to get things done, result-oriented, confident to lead others, quick to see solutions, great multi-taskers, can sometimes appear pushy or bossy.

Type 4 - Carbon/Earth
Constant, still, bold, symmetrical, exact, clear, simple, reflective
Type 4 shapes are parallel lines, perfect ovals, perfect rectangles.
Examples in nature are Penguins, Noble Fir Tree, Cala Lily
Type 4 celebrities are Courtney Cox, Simon (on American Idol), Cher, and Anne Hathaway
Type 4 people have a gift of perfecting. They see how things can be improved. Structured, like to be their own authority, value loyalty, tradition, deep thinkers/reflective, one-track minds, like alone time.

Click here to take Carol Tuttle's Beauty Confidence Quiz!! 

See how you are getting along with fashion! Maybe you, like most women, are ready for a change in how you love and take care of yourself...

You can also click on this link to see many "Before & Afters" of women who have not only changed the way they look, but how they feel. These photos aren't enhanced in any way, and it's amazing to see the transformation. Pay attention to the way their eyes glow, and they just radiate confidence and happiness with who they are in the after pictures.

I believe every woman is truly beautiful, but the fashion world has not taught women how to bring that out, but I know how!! When a woman steps into the clothes that are perfect for her Type for the first time, at the same time she is stepping into who she truly is! It is amazing to know of something that is so life changing. I wish I could share these truths to the whole world!!

I am grateful for the deeper knowledge of who I am - my gifts and talents that are unique to me.

I will probably refer a lot to the 4 Types throughout my blog so I wanted to make sure to clarify what each one represents! It is a lot of fun!

Here are some fun resources if you want to learn more:

www.myenergyprofile.com
www.dressingyourtruth.com
www.thecarolblog.com

Also, I would highly recommend reading these books written by Carol Tuttle, the creator of Energy Profiling, and Dressing Your Truth. She is also a highly qualified energy therapist, and has changed many lives with her insight to the patterns of the human mind.

Purchase this book here! 

(It is also available as an audio recording for ipods or mp3s) 

It explains in full depth and detail the tendencies, challenges, and strengths of each type. Everyone will fall into one of the four categories, and they always have and will be that energy, it doesn't change. It is who we are in our natural element, and movement. It helps us to understand each other better and the way we work with people will be immensely improved. And remember, we don't judge Niagara Falls for being too pushy, or a willow tree for being too flowy; it's just the way they were made. So don't judge people that way either! :)

Or purchase this book!

It will tell you about the 4 Types in depth also, but it will focus more on the typical fashion mistakes of each type, and fashion myths we have all been led to believe in. 

Or this book!

It elaborates on how energy works in our lives, and how we can use that energy to create good in our lives. It explains all of the negative energy we have as a human race, and individually, and how to clear this energy so we can move on with our lives. This book changed my life, and I highly recommend it. Remember: we are each in control of our lives!

And if you want more info, just let me know! :)

Bring It On, 2012

I guess it is quite obvious by now to me and anyone with eyes that I am a horrible blogger...I just can't do the balance thing. I'm not consistent, I am way too busy, and it is not my first priority right now... Let's keep it at that.

This year, I am making a goal, NOT a resolution, to blog once every two weeks, and call it good. I know it sounds cheap, but that's really all I have time to think about promising for. I am a teenage student with a life. Need I explain further? :) And that brings me to talk about what I have been doing for the past two months. 

I had a perfectly magical Christmas, with family, good food, presents, giving, freezing weather, and all of that good stuff. Except for one thing. There was something essential missing in my Christmas this year, and it was devastating, I have to admit. I never saw it coming. 

First of all, let me explain something. I have been seeing a therapist for the past two months to help with all of my migraine and miscellaneous problems (which I will not go into right now for fear of boring people...I don't want a pity party, trust me..). And on my first appt., December 21st, she asked me to cut off my right arm. In other words,  I was ordered off of chocolate.  

Yes. It's true. And awful, and frightening, and terribly horrible.. For the first few days, I was feeling pretty starved, and deprived. I never knew how much chocolate I ate here and there. I never knew how much I was attached to it, addicted, even. But it wasn't just that I couldn't eat it. It was that it was EVERYWHERE!!!  No hot chocolate to warm you up, no candy from stockings, no chocolate-covered things, no truffles, no chocolate cake, no chocolate chips to snitch when mom is baking with them, no Oreos, and no fun. But the problem is, it's Christmas time, what do you expect?!?! It's lying around the house and taunting you from all corners of shadows...

Well, lets just say, I felt like a wild animal. I'm still not happy about it, and I continually find myself involuntarily reaching for a couple of chocolate chips, and at the last second before I pop them into my mouth, I remember. And my disappointment is deep and depressing..But I guess I has been good for me in a way. At least I didn't gain any weight from Christmas... 

Other things that I have been doing these days? Siskiyou Violins, fundraising, meeting people who will donate to us so we can make it to Carnegie Hall. We have had like 7 concerts in the past two months and I have to say, they are getting boring and redundant. But I endure them faithfully, and continue to practice during the times when I am forced to because I haven't in so long that I begin to feel guilty. 

...Otherwise known as, every two weeks basically. Ha...It sounds so bad...but honestly, I can't even hardly find time to shower these days. Not even kidding. And besides, I do have Chamber Orchestra that I wake up at 6:15 a.m. for every morning, and I play for an hour then. I'm sure that helps. I hope. 

Also, for Christmas, my dad got each of us a gym membership, and it's actually a lot of fun. We have been going at least twice a week and I always come home refreshed and ready to sleep. Plus I get to spend time with my family, and that's always a good thing.  

I suppose that's all I have time for now, but hopefully I'll be able to continue to consistently post and keep some part of my life in balance. I try every day to improve..Who knows how long it'll be before I can be sane again. Until then, I've got birthdays, concerts, finals, and a 5-day weekend to look forward to! :)

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!!!