Hagg Lake Trip

My church youth group had our annual Hagg Lake trip this past month. Hagg Lake's water isn't known for its warm waters; therefore, I didn't bring my swimsuit. Like a good little girl, I sat on a rock admiring the lake's beauty, when along came two "friends". When I asked what they were up to they said they wanted to "see how the water was next to me". I got very suspicious when I saw the guilty looks on each of their faces.

I became even more suspicious when two more "friends" came next to me, and one with a camera (ready to capture some terrible event.) I pointed to Jen, one holding the camera, and said "you push me in...you die." I thought to myself that threat should be enough to stop her from pushing me in.

Just as I felt I didn't need to worry about being push in, I realized I should have been worried about being pulled in.

Katie and Missy pulled me in, and surprisingly, the water was warm.

When I was done killing Katie and Missy for pulling me in, we went to find someone else to get wet. A bout full of boys, an easy target for destruction.

We succeeded in getting all the boys out of the bout.

Missy and I decided that we needed a day-at-the-spa.

When I got home that night I was cold and wet. I took advantage of my hot tub and jump in. I'm not sure how excited my dad was to find dirt in the hot tub. I just cant wait for next year's Hagg Lake trip.

Camping Outback

The day my mom got home from the hospital was the same day she gave me an idea for a new adventure. You could tell her mind was still very drugged up by the proposition that she gave to me. Most of you have seen my back yard, and know that the only place for a fire to be made is in our BBQ. Well, obviously mom had forgotten that little detail when she said "How 'bout you girls make a fire and have smores." Not to mention, most moms would never even let two teenage girls make a bon-fire in their backyard. I took advantage of her drugged mind and dug a small fire pit.

My friend, Makenzie, made me some hot chocolate, which is the one drink that I am desperately addicted to. I guess I was a little too excited to gulp it down for another cup..... See pic below

Yeah, I was spitting out HOTT chocolate for the first time that night. As I'm telling you this I am also laughing about another incident on a bus ride home from Liberty. All I can say is, Capri-sun, funny conversations, a bus, and myself are not good combinations. Also, now that this incident is brought up I should apologize to Sarah for making her ride home with Capri-sun soaked jeans...oops.

Makenzie and I played chubby-bunnies. I, of course, won the game...Booyeah!

Okay this one is great. Makenzie went to blow out a candle and came back with a wax covered mouth....at least it wasn't me :]

Mom's Surgery

Mom went in for her first reconstruction surgery on Friday morning. The surgery lasted a whopping six hours. Sarah and I drove down to Providence Medical Center to say hi. You would think that finding your way around a hospital would be easy, but no it's not. First we were honked at because Sarah was driving the wrong way in the parking garage. Then we couldn't find a parking spot. Once we were out of the car we had to find mom's room. Because of mom's previous treatments I knew my way around the East wing, but were we in the East wing? No, we had to search the whole entire West wing to find the Green Elevators. Why couldn't we just take the Gold, Yellow, or Purple Elevators? Providence has a weird system or getting around. After endless back and forth walking, we found the room.
Mom was drugged up, as expected. Those pain meds gave her a crazy sense of humor. She was crackin' joke all night long. I'd repeat some of the things she said, but it's a lot funnier coming from a drugged up patient. When she goes in for her next surgery I am definitely having a hidden camera record all the silly stuff she says.
Mom had six tubes coming out of her. One thing I want to do is try on the air tubes that go in your nose, just sounds cool.

Dad had been in the room with mom ALL day, so we went down to the cafeteria to eat. Surprisingly, the food was good.

Dad slept at the hospital with mom. But I feel sorry for the other people in the hospital who had to hear him snoring.

Sarah and I went down to the five dollar jewelry sale. I got her a watch for her birthday, and I got myself an amazing, blue scarf.

Sarah and I left around eight that night.

My mom's doctor drew a smiley face for mom. He came in and checked up on mom. He is in a rock band...I've always wondered what fun stuff doctors do after a day of serious surgeries.

Mom gets to come home next Tuesday. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on how the family is doing.

Me and My Books

In the last year I have taken a complete 180 degree turn with my view towards reading. I have read books before this year, but never finished them. I would read enough to know how the story would end then get bored with it. I even did this with class assigned books...don't tell my teacher. Anyways, it wasn't till my ninth grade year that I enjoyed, and finished, my class assigned books. I actually picked up and read a book for myself that wasn't a class assignment. Once I finished that book I picked up another one and finished that too. I guess it helps that my parents have a library collection of books in the house. I have never, not once wanted to spend any part of my summers reading a book. When I was in Montana I found it quite pleasing to sit down and read a book that I liked. When I finished a book I picked up another and read that too. I am a VERY slow reader so it may not seem like I read a lot of books to you, but for me I am becoming quite the reader. So far I have read: Speak, Dove, Animal Farm, Lance Armstrong, Recovering Charles, Wednesday Letters, Why I Believe, Timepiece, and The Letter. I decided that the next book I am going to finish is The Christmas Sweater because I gave it to a friend for Christmas. My friends and I went to the Library yesterday. Sadly, they didn't have the book that I wanted. But I did go to Barnes and Noble with the same friends today and they did have another book that I have been wanting to read. I didn't bring my money with me, but this gave me a great idea. I have been wondering where on earth I would get my first job. I now plan on working at a book store. If I work at a book store I can read the books without having to buy them...it sounds illegal, but fun. If anyone has any suggestions for books that I should read, my comment page would be the place to spill your ideas.

(One more thing.)

I went to the library to get a book that I've been wanting to read. They didn't have it, so I went to the desk and they ordered it from a Portland library. Two days later they called and I picked it up. I had not clue what this book was about, only that it's my friend's and dad's favorite book. I thought, oh if it's her favorite book than it must be good. I didn't want to pass up a good book. When I got the book I was disappointed and excited at the same time. First off, it was only a 110 paged book that looked REALLY old. I thought, I have been searching everywhere for this? it better be good. but at the same time I was excited because it, being a short book, meant I could finish it in a day and get back to my other book. Boy was I wrong. I got home and started reading the Introduction. Within the first two paragraphs I was in need of a dictionary. After five pages of gibberish, I gave up on finishing the rest of the Introduction. I started the book. Right off the bat, I was confused. I kept reading in hopes that it would clear up eventually. Early on in my reading I pulled out a dictionary. This book had the weirdest words. It even spelt color wrong. I kept reading; I was determined to finish this book that I had worked so hard to find. The day was at its end, and I was only at page 19. That in itself tells you how hard this book was. I decided that if I couldn't recall anything that I had just read, it was time to quit. I gave the book one last chance, and I opened to the last page (this is something I tend to do with all my books.) I read the last page and was lost once again. I flipped to the second to last page and read that too. There was no way that I was going to try to read this book. I took out my book mark and shelved the book. I'll never know what that book was about or what message I would have gotten from reading it. But one thing I do know is that my dad and friend must be amazing readers to have that as one of their favorite books.

I'm debating whether or not I should tell you what book it was. I don't want to crush someone's dreams of reading it too. But then again, I don't want anyone to go through the torture of reading it after their painstaking efforts in finding it. I've decided to reveal the book that caused me to sweet bullets finding and reading it. The book is......Heart of Darkness, by Joesph Conrad.

THE SURPRISE Return

While I was in Montana I had been planning out my return to Oregon, and how I would surprise my friends. I had it all planned out when a new and improved plan was brought to my attention. I had remembered my family reunion that we go to every year, in Utah. I wasn't going to miss my chance to surprise Sarah when she least suspected it. I called my mom up and told her my idea. She, secretly, bought me a plain ticket to Salt Lake City, Utah. When I got back from Mt. Rushmore, the week before, I said goodbye to Montana and jumped on my 10 o' clock flight to SLC, Utah. I had to fly to Denver, Colorado to switch plains. It wasn't just a simple, half hour delay. I had to sit in the Denver airport for three hours. Not only did I have to sit for three hours, but I got lost and I was all alone. When I found terminal A50 I took a seat and read my book. Three hours later, I got on my plain and eventually made it to Utah. I stayed at my grandparents before we drove up to Bear Lake. When I got up to my Aunt's cabin on Bear Lake, I started to plan out how I was going to pop out and surprise Sarah. I eventually came to the conclusion that I should be buried in the sand when she arrives. You're probably wondering how I kept all this secret from Sarah. I had just gotten back from a hiking trip with Amber a couple weeks before. I told Sarah that I was going to be up in the Mountain again for that weekend so don't call me. I even let her brag about seeing Melissa and being in Utah while I was supposedly stuck up in Montana. She didn't have a clue what I had in store for her. I knew what time she would be arriving at the cabin, so I dug my hole and waited for the right time to have my cousins bury me. There I was sitting on the couch waiting when, out of nowhere, my dad's car pulls up honking (my mom's way of warning me that they were there.) I flipped out and ran out to the sand. I jumped inside the hole, and my Uncle, Mark, put an inner tube and towel over the hole. I, anxiously, sat in the hole waiting for Sarah to look inside. My cousins told Sarah that they had caught a fish in the lake, put it in the hole, and wanted her to see it. Through a hole a watched her walk over. When she lifted the towel and realized it was me she jumped inside. She flipped out and, as I expected, she hit me for not telling her. I had a great time at the reunion. I got back home last Saturday night. I love being back in Oregon with all my family and friends.

The Love Inn, my aunt's last name is Love hence the name.

Trip to the Lagoon in Utah.

Waitin' in line.

Best ride at Lagoon

The 'Rents

Farris Wheel.

Our traditional Bear Lake Pizza run.

Me kicking B-U-T-T at PacMan.

Gerrrrr. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Just out for a walk...in the middle of the road.

My dad gave us a quarter to ride, Yahoo.

I can hold the sun, pretty cool ha?

This is such a random picture, but that's why I love it.

My grandparents are amazing!

My dad got Jet Skis. You can hear me screaming a mile away.

One night there was a wind storm and the tree fell over. I was out side with my cousin next to the tree when it fell over, scary.

Melissa and I hit some golf balls, if you don't know by now I LOVE golfing...I even watch golf on TV with my dad.

Our traditional Friday night shakes at LaBouse cafe.

Week FOUR in Montana

Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog.
I went to Mt. Rushmore for my last week in Montana. The drive down to South Dakota was too long. It took us two days to get to Rapid City. There's really not much to say about the trip, but seeing the Mountain was pretty cool.


i stayed in Rapid City for a couple nights. On the last day I went to Bear Country USA. Driving through the park was nice...but...they would yell at you if you had your window rolled down. I mean come on, how am I supposed to pet the bears or even get a decent picture through a window? I was feeling like a rebel so I left my window an inch open the whole time. Since no one has invented non-reflective windows, I didn't get any blog worthy pictures of any bears.

On the way back to Montana I stopped at the border. If you ever are at my house ask me to tell you the story behind this picture...it has to be done in person, only I know the sound effects needed to tell it.

The day after I got home from South Dakota I rode horses with my Uncle Jeff, and Amber. One thing this picture doesn't show is Jeff holding the reigns of my horse the whole ride. I am still deathly afraid of horses, but I can now get within arms length without screaming.

On Saturday I packed up my bags for THE SURPRISE return....