only 2 more days!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving for more than 1 reason. One is because of the food but also this time my family and I are going to my grandparent's home in Idaho. I love seeing everybody there. I can remember one Thanksgiving we went to up there my Aunt brought coloring pages and we got to color them for other children. It was so much fun and I guess those are my favorite times. They don't have to be big but it's the little things that you remember forever. Tomorrow my mom is going to pick up my sister from college and then we are leaving for Idaho on Tuesday. This past week felt so long. I never thought it would end. Why is it that when you want the week to go by fast it takes forever, but when you don't think about, then is the time it goes by quick?

Attention! Cute Dog Found!

Well earlier this week my mom and I were walking the neighborhood and on the way home, I saw a dog run across the road on the opposite side of the street. I went to see if it had a collar so we could take it back to it's owner. I had to chase it down about 2 houses but I finally caught it. It was so scared. OH NO! NEW PERSON! STRANGER! STRANGER!

We didn't find a collar on it, so we didn't know what to do with him. We walked down 2 streets and asked every door but they kept saying that it was a dog that belongs a couple houses down but when we went to that house, no, it wasn't. So I convinced my mom to bring it home. I gave it a bath and trust me it was DIRTY! The dog looked like it had been neglected. One paw was shaved and the other wasn't and it had matted hair on it's ears and under it's belly and it was really thin. He didn't want to eat. It was sad. I had to keep him in my room at bedtime but we didn't know if he was potty trained. I didn't want him sniffing around and leaving presents everywhere. He was my shadow, everywhere I went he followed. It was so cute. The next day mom took it to the shelter and hopefully they will find him a home who will love him. We nicknamed him Squiggy. I have to admit he isn't the most handsome dog but that's what makes him unique.

trek pictures

This is our ward that went!





The River Crossing!













I know it's kind of blurry but this is dad and I holding the moon!

Dutch Oven

Today at my school my friend and I got to compete in a Dutch oven competition. It was so much fun! A couple days ago we practiced trying it a couple times. We made Egg Rolls and rice. We tried to make fortune cookies in the Dutch oven but it didn't work so well so we weren't able to make them. We ended up buying them from the store. We wanted to match each other so the day before my friend and I went to Wal-Mart and we got matching shirts and cheap jackets for in the morning.

The day started at 6 am and we quickly packed the truck with the items that we didn't pack the night before. We got there at 7 and we started setting up. Our stand was called “Little China”. Dad had to leave to get everyone else off to school and we started the Egg Roll filling. Our next step was heating the meat and sautéing the vegetables. It was probably one of my favorite parts. We didn't have to burn our own coals; they provided them for us which were very helpful considering how long they take to heat up. Dad came back and the filling wasn't quite done so we played UNO to pass the time.

One time when we decided to pick up the lid to check on the meat the oven mitt was too close to the coals and it started on fire! It was such a surprise. So we now own a burned oven mitt. Sorry Mom! Judging started at 11:25 so just before then we made the rice and rolled the egg rolls. It worked! We fried them in the Dutch oven and sad to say some of them broke but we gave the ones that looked the best to the judges. We fixed up our old red wagon and we rolled the Dutch ovens to the judges. We answered their questions and I thought we did a good job. By the time we got back from judging they (dad and my friend’s mom) had already started to sell our food. (We weren't allowed to start selling until our judging was over) We already had customers before we got to our booth!

The customers could buy a combo meal which was 2 egg rolls, rice, a fortune cookie and a drink. It was so much fun. With Dad's selling skills we sold all that we had which was over 100 egg rolls! Once we were done we went into the school auditorium to announce the winners, we didn't win but that's not what mattered, we had fun and if we had another chance to do it again I think I would.

Seminary Inspired

In my seminary class my teacher challenged us to read the scriptures every day in the month of February. Our reward would be one of these little wire men, that he would make for us. I missed a couple of days and that meant I wasn't eligable for the prize anymore. But when he showed them to us they were so cool. I believed that I could make some just as cool. So I went home and my Dad found me some wire and I bent it and this is the result. Aren't they cool?

Summer, Where Art Thou?

Hey, I know I haven't written for a long time. (in fact, not since last year). I am going to try to write more often. I have been so busy. A new year starts a new semester at school. Christmas vacation was wonderful! It went by way too fast for me. It was hard to get back into the routine again.( as well as getting up early again :) It's a big relief to get back and then get new classes like PE.........inject sarcasm here~~~The new semester starts and I get new work all over again. Good Grief! January has been very cold. I wished it was Summer ...NOW!
OH! The reason I am so excited for summer is because this year for youth conference our stake gets to go on Trek! I have never been, but it sounds awesome. Dad says I should do some major toning to get ready for the long walk. Also, he promised that he would teach me to waterski. I have been aching to do that for so long. Dreams of popcicles, fireworks, and ice cream dance through my head. Come, come, come to me!