Touch the Skye

Stop and Stare.

2010-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we need to let our foot off the gas pedal of life.
Slow down, look back.
Are you where you want to be?
Are you staying true to yourself?
Are you passionate about what your doing with your life?

"Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it" - Unknown.

Prepare for Landing.

2010-08-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

On the way home from New York..

Only a few of the beautiful sights that my dad enjoys daily! :)

All SOOC.

...To Take a Leap of Faith

2010-08-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

Beach.

2010-08-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

All SOOC :)
Coney Island, New York

Trip to the Waterfall!

2010-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

All SOOC!

Golden Buildings

2010-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

My last sunset in NYC..

Girl with Doll.

2010-06-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hmm.. Well looks like I have some explaining to do!
It's been crazy busy!
With about 200-400 pictures coming in every day..
While getting home anywhere from 6-11PM each night..
I have not had much time to keep my posts updated!
I'm sorry!
The past few days we have been visiting some famous museums around NYC.
Two being the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art,
which I took special interest in due to their photography exhibits.
I have been inspired!
Here is my first MoMA-inspired "series".
Taken while walking back to the apartment.

"Girl with Doll."

ALL SOOC.

Hanging out with the Fam! (Days 2 and 3!)

2010-06-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Maren enjoying her Gingerale!

Just scratching some lottery tickets..

Ashley and Richard!

Our Family! With Emma just chilling :)

The family with Barbara.

Day 3

Ashley (my step-sister) and I!

Maren (my half-sister) and I!

Ashley and Maren

Emma enjoying her dinner!

Maren at dinner.

Kyle and Ashley at dinner.

The three kids and their mom!
Dave, Barb, Sharon, and Richard.

The family with John and Marsha.

The whole family!

Just bein' crafty!

Just a couple from my big collection that was finished later on!
(Don't worry, I made another leaf one that was NOT that large.. ;])

We Have Landed! (Day 1)

2010-06-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Waiting for our flight to leave at the SLC Airport!

Waiting at the O'Hare Airport for our layover!
The second busiest airport in the United States! (as of 2008) :)

Chicago, O'Hare!

Almost there!

Finally, we land in Toronto, Canada!!
With a breathless sunset to welcome us!

Poor Trix!

2010-06-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Poor girl has been oh-so-sick these past few days!
She picked up kennel cough from the vet!
I hope she gets better before we leave for 19 days to Canada and New York!! :S..

Moab Day 3!

2010-05-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

We be Jeepin'!

A beautiful view on the way to our 4x4 trail.

Maren and her new friend April

Jacob

I loved the way the sun was hitting the plants :)

On our way up to Left Hand..
We were met by countless other families.
I was extremely surprised and disappointed at the same time..
There were probably at least 35 cars trying to pack in the parking space at the beginning of the trail.
The most cars I've ever seen there at one time were about 4!! This was insane to me.
I was instantly wondering if I would ever be able to get any good pictures with so many people!
Or be able to swim!
However, as we pulled in, we found that there seemed to be some sort of 4-wheeling competitions.
So maybe that's where the people were coming from..
But not really likely. Because there were many cars parked up on the mesa by where the competition was being held.
I could also see many families walking down the trail to left hand..
I guess we were going to have to share our (best kept?) secret this year!
It didn't turn out too bad :)
Luckily we arrived later, so people were starting to clear out!

Reflection of the water

Violet crossing the river.

Spider Man!!
This guy tried to climb the cliff at Left Hand!

...Did he make it??

Yes he did!!

I'm so excited I was able to do this!!!

I loved the coloring of the rocks!

Another waterfall picture of Left Hand :)

Maren jumping.

April!

Skyler!

Myself jumping off the big cliff :)
and only hours after a man jumped off that same cliff..
and broke his femur and shattered his ankle!!
Yes, I take risks!! Ha ha!

Skyler jumping off the small cliff!

Maren jumping off of the small cliff!

Drew jumping off the big cliff!

Heading back home!

Grandfather and Grandson!

Remember this picture?
Maybe not, because they re-painted!
It looks much cleaner now..
But my favorite saying is gone :(.

Maybe you'll remember this one from last year!
"Without rain, there can't be a rainbow.."

Here is the other side of the NEWLY REMODLED..box thing?

They have a new pretty snazzy quote.
But I don't know, it looks too clean now!
Oh well. :)

More pictures tomorrow of our last day :)

Moab Day 2!

2010-05-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

A reservoir on the way up our 4X4 trail
The bluest water I've ever seen! (This is SOOC!)

Colorado River

Uncle Kendall and Aunt Sherry

Erick and his family.

The Kids at the Arts Festival,
where I received countless compliments on my new camera!
Even from someone who was running a photography booth!

The Big Dipper!

Uncle Mike and I went on an adventure to get this picture!
Around 11 at night, we hopped in the jeep and drove up into the canyon.
We were driving up a private road.. In pitch black darkness.
And I felt like I was in a horror film!
I was so scared!!
We finally stopped to a place.. I cautiously set up my camera.
Everything was quiet until suddenly..
The radio turned on! All by itself..
Now I was really getting freaked out!
I set up my tripod and start the exposure..
So we waited.
For 15 minutes! Yep. A 15 minute exposure!
I was sitting in the jeep, glancing to my left, right, front, behind.. for 15 minutes.
Finally we got the shot and went back into town for some ice cream.
At this time the moon was rising above the mountains.

You can sorta see some deer who were passing while I was taking the shot :)
I enhanced it so you can see them better, and the "trespassing" sign got overexposed, so I fixed that a little too :)

More pictures tomorrow!

Moab Day 1!

2010-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Uncle Mike!

So, I'm taking pictures of the gorgeous flowers..
Someone whispers..
"Look behind you!"
As I glance back,
A doe is staring right at me!
I raise my camera,
and she dashes away!
Darn..

Playing around with a flashlight while waiting for the moon to emerge from the clouds!
(These are cropped)

There it is!
(Too cloudy to get any star shots tonight..)

First day in Moab..
The new cam is performing well!
All of these are SOOC.

Student Fest 2010

2010-05-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't win the 2,000 dollar guitar :(
darn! ha ha :)

Master

2010-05-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Student Fest 2010 tomorrow!!

SOOC

Italian Dining

2010-05-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Making some home-made Italian cheese bread while trying out the new cam!!

SOOC!!

Strange Day..

2010-04-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

SOOC

It snowed and hailed for most of the day..
But I glanced outside at about 6PM..
And everything was yellow!
As I looked to the west I found this :)

Stress.

2010-03-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.
Already?
I know.
Here comes the series of mental breakdowns,
and constantly feeling ill.
It all started with today.
Got the PLAN results back.. didn't do so well!
Taggert brings his back to his desk, scores a 30 out of 32.
I was pretty confident with myself, I didn't think I'd be too far behind him.
Yeah, didn't think I'd be as far behind as a 23.
Whoa! There it was. I didn't feel very good after that.
Next class! AP European History. SWEET.
In my opinion, I am terrible at this class.
Sure I can pull off an A every quarter, but that doesn't mean I'm learning anything.
Or even TRYING for that matter.
My priorities had shifted to AP Biology earlier in the year.
Therefore, instead of balancing the two as I should have, I left Euro on the back burner.
The WAY back burner.
While I spent hours on Biology each night, I spent about twenty minutes on AP Euro; figuratively speaking.
That probably contributed to my lack of confidence.
I can't pass any DBQs. My FRQs stink if I don't use the book. I'm never in the mood to study for that class.
Take last weekend for example.
A three day weekend.
I'm sitting at home, nothing to do (after I take the 80 question multiple choice test for AP Euro, which I scored a 40/80 on). Instead of studying for AP Euro like I promised myself I would, I pull out my biology book, promising myself I'd only make a FEW flashcards. Six hours later! I'm staring at a 2-inch stack of flash cards, wanting to wack myself in the head with my cursed biology book. Why does it have to be so interesting!!! It's not even that, I don't think. Well, yeah, it sort of is. But I think part of the reason I never study AP Euro would be because it intimidates me. I don't know the material as well as I do biology. I'm already so behind, I find no use in trying to catch myself up. Also, things in biology MAKE SENSE. I can imagine the things happening in my body as I do daily activities, and it helps me study. In Ap Euro, there are so many treaties and alliances and philosophers and laws and policies and blah blah blah blah blah! How am I supposed to remember all of that? Now, I'm sure that if it was my only AP class I could manage fine. But because I put it at the last of my priorities (as far as AP classes go), I am far behind my other classmates who have either made it their top, or have already mastered the skill of balance.
It is extremely frustrating. Not only that, but I beat myself up WAY more than I should.
Last year, when I had to take frequent bathroom trips during AP Human review sessions (to let out a burst of tears due to my stress), I promised that I wouldn't put myself through it again. However, when I got my test scores back in the summer, and saw I got a 5 on the test... I kinda forgot about all of the trouble I went through a few months earlier.
HAH. Now I remember!! Today marks the first tear (of many) because of stress.
Hello month of April. My worst enemy.
I can't imagine what my life will be like next year, with 6 IB classes.
Thinking about it makes me want to pass out.
I'm going to have to find some way to not stress out and do this to myself. Otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to put up with all of the work in the future.
To give you an example of how far ahead I think of things and stress about them.. Right now I'm thinking of quiting AP and IB and not even trying because by the time I get into college and have to take finals or other exams for classes... I don't think I'll be able to live. That sentence doesn't even make any sense.
My head hurts!
Good bye world. Until May 10th, that is.

The Process of Aging.

2010-02-26T09:45:00.001-08:00

Dogs should be able to live as long as humans.

Enough said.

Obedient Silhouettes

2010-01-29T17:04:00.001-08:00

The Loving Face That Still Looks Down On Us.

2010-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

I love you, Cole. This is how I imagine you in heaven. Strong, proud, happy, understanding, and loving. We will never forget you. Your spirit is always with us and your life with us will always be treasured. I miss you every minute of every day. I try not to weep but sometimes sobs escape. I know you are healthy and strong now, and I try to look back on all of the good times we had. Always thinking of you <3.

An Angel Is Looking After Me.

2009-12-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

The girl presses her wet cheek against my side.
They are talking about me again.
I know by the way they look at me,
with their eyes full of sorrow.
I know by the sound of their voices.
No longer lively and cheerful,
but low and painful.

I lie on the floor,
lifting my head and watching them with big brown eyes.
The girl strokes my head and clenches me closer, gently sobbing.
I can feel her heartache.
She can feel my pain.

The pain I have concealed for so long is finally unbearable.
I cannot hide it.
I shiver.
They watch me closely,
I see their faces dampen.

It is a different kind of pain to watch their sorrowful eyes.
I wish I could tell them that the angels are here.
Watching over the girl.
Watching over my friend.
Watching over the man and woman, and the smaller girl too.

One angel is sitting by me, whispering in my ear.
They say I'll be safe.
One day, they say, when I fall asleep,
They will take me to a better place where I will always be happy.
Somewhere I can watch over my family,
and all of the pain will be gone.

They promise everything will be okay..

I wish there was a way to tell the girl with the wet face..
An angel is looking after me.

I love you Cole..
Forever, and always.

Big Boy.

2009-11-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

Chew Toy.

2009-11-28T19:03:00.001-08:00

Just Showing Off..

2009-11-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

SOOC

The colors of the sky..

Just A Pup.

2009-11-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

SOOC

They've arrived... (Well, they arrived about two weeks ago :P)

Midnight Carnival

2009-10-06T17:56:00.001-07:00

Brett, Nikk, Bryce, Taylor, Braxton.
Five Guys.
One Band.

And I have the privilege of being their photographer!
I love these guys. Brett and Taylor are two of my best guy friends.
Braxton and I have always been good friends as well.
Bryce and Nikk; new friends!

The guys and I went out for a photo shoot a few days ago.
And this is what we came up with.....

You can listen to their single on iTunes, it's called "Who Are We Now"
You can also find them on Myspace by searching "Midnight Carnival"
They have a bunch of new songs on the way!

Best Friends

2009-10-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

A best friend only comes around once in a lifetime.
That person stays by your side 'til the end.
It's easy to tell a real best friend from a fake best friend.
Real ones are there for you through thick and thin.
It sounds so cliché,
But when it comes down to it,
It's basically the truth.
Best friends are there to laugh, listen, and talk with you 24/7.
They understand your problems,
and are always there to lend an ear.
There isn't anything they don't know about you.
Best friends don't judge each other.
It doesn't matter who your friends are,
or if your religions don't correspond,
or if you like different music,
or if they're smarter than you,
They won't try to change you.
Real best friends know when you're having a bad day,
and they understand if you don't want to talk about it,
But they always know how to cheer you up.
Best friends are there to help you be carefree.
They never try to start drama,
or get you stressed out,
because they always want you to be happy.
Real best friends are inseperable.
But sometimes,
something can happen to split best friends apart.
Sometimes you don't talk to each other,
for weeks, months, years.
Real best friends know when you're upset with them.
They know why you don't want to talk to them or see them.
And they understand that what you're going through is hard.
They understand it will take time for you to heal.
And that's the thing about real best friends,
They understand.
They're willing to wait.
They will wait weeks, months, or years.
However long it takes for you to cool down,
and be reunited once again.
Because the only thing they wish upon you is happiness.
They want to bring you happiness,
they want to help you.
And if that takes waiting years,
They understand.
Real best friends are there to catch you when you fall,
Even if you don't want them to....

I love you Jordy. You are my best friend, and I'll always be here for you.

"Sky" Fishing

2009-10-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Neon

2009-09-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tranquility

2009-09-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Rainbow.

2009-09-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Busy Bee.

2009-09-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

Capture My Utah.

2009-09-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

I'm sure all you photographers have already heard about this, but just in case.. capturemyutah.com is a site where you can upload all of your photography taken in Utah. They are making a photographic book with the submissions that they get. If the public likes your picture, they can vote on it to get it in the book. There are also cash prizes for the best pictures in each category, and a big cash prize for the best overall. Get uploading!

Thunderstorm Over Bear Lake.

2009-08-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

As the sun sets.. A storm brews.

It was a miracle that I was able to catch even one photo of the lightning over Bear Lake. Lightning is extremely difficult to shoot. It's not as simple as "When you see it, click the shutter button." Ha! I only wish! We were out there for about an hour trying to get pictures of lightning. After about the first half hour, I finally got the hang of it.

The easiest time to try and shoot lightning would be when it's very dark outside. This allows you to leave your shutter open longer, which gives you a better chance at getting the shot. With the shutter open longer, you'll need a tripod or stationary surface to set your camera on while the picture is being taken. I left my shutter on for about 25 seconds. I kept taking picture after picture, even if I hadn't gotten a lightning strike.

It was pure luck whenever a lightning bolt would strike at the same time my shutter was open to capture it.

P.S. The pictures are SOOC except for a slight darkening on a few.

Max!!

2009-08-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the very, very, VERY, few good shots I got of ETF at Warped Tour this year. I was at the very front near the left side of the stage. I was prepared to get the guts squished out of me once ETF walked on stage, and that's exactly what happened. Hands flailing everywhere, and bodies pushing me around like a rag-doll. But amazingly, I was still able to get a few decent shots of the band! This was one is of Max Green, the bassist. I commented his profile with this picture in the comment. He commented me back and said "Thanks for the picture. It's rad." ahhh!! I was very happy to see this comment :). I never realized how wide of a fan base they had until Warped Tour. A lot of people like these guys! And I feel privileged to be able to get some internet-communication out of them through something I love to do :).

The Face of Sheer Content

2009-08-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

"Thanks for the workout, Ma'."

Puppy Mania!

2009-08-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is Kauzy, my cousin's new Chocolate lab mix. Hopefully this picture is only one of the many to come of this and other cute pups.

The folks I babysit for just got their own two month old Goldendoodle (Golden Retreiver mixed with a Poodle). When I first saw Darwin Noodle Moon, I thought he was a walking stuffed animal! He's such a cute little guy, and I'm hoping to snap some pictures of him soon. O

n top of that, my neighbor's Boxer, Roxy, is now most likely pregnant! So in a few weeks I should have a series of puppy-litter-pictures coming in :).

You Can't Take a Bear Cub From His Ice Block.

2009-08-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, okay.. Maybe you can.

The Enormity of Old Faithful.

2009-08-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

SOOC

So great; it can cover the sun...

A Sighting of Wild Wolves

2009-08-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Dusk has come. We are driving back through Yellowstone National Park. My face is pressed up against the window, my eyes are glued to the landscape. All day I have been positioned like this, with the hope of getting a glimpse of Yellowstone's pride and joy- grey wolves.

While driving along side a long stretch of meadows, we see two are three cars pulled off to the side of the road. Usually if it's an important animal sighting, there is blocked traffic and plenty of cars stopped- as we saw with the black bear sighting earlier that day. My mom looked off into the distance and saw two small shapes about a half mile away. They were cruising along the landscape. Finally I spotted them as well. The car stopped. I jumped out.

The mere chance that it may just be two wild wolves made me shake with excitement. I got out my camera, which had little memory and battery power left. While zooming up as far as my camera would allow, I silently watched the beauty of these animals as they moved at amazing speeds in the distance. While shaking from excitement, I captured as many pictures as I could- not even knowing for sure what these animals were.

When they disappeared, I returned to the car. We began to take a look at the treasures I had received. It was unclear whether they were coyotes or wolves. After asking for some opinions and doing a few comparisons, we figured out that they must have been wolves.

Here are some of the pictures I captured:

They were pretty far away when I tried to capture these pictures, so the detail is very distorted. However, we can assume that this is what they looked like up-close (or at least something like this):

This is McKinley. He is the alpha male of his new pack at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. The Discovery Center was right across the street from our hotel in West Yellowstone. My two sisters and I went there the next day to get a closer look at the wolves.

Distant Paradise

2009-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Loneliness

2009-07-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

Heavenly Laughter.

2009-07-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

SOOC.

While waiting outside of a hotel room in West Yellowstone, my step sister and I were engaged in a playful conversation. I look up to the clouds and what is it that I see? Why, nothing else but a friendly face; chuckling in the sky.

Bracelets!

2009-07-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

What's a fun summer without bracelet making?
Ah, I love it! The majority of them that I make are for other people..
I'd be happy to make you one ;).

Camoflouge

2009-07-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Look closely- what do you see?
SOOC.

P.S: Back from the most amazing camp on earth :)

It's a Grizzly!

2009-07-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Captive or Wild..?
You'll never know! ;)

Moss

2009-07-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mammoth Hot Springs..

2009-07-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Bear Hug!

2009-07-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

"Hey punk! Get off me!"

Happy 4th!

2009-07-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm a little late. I'm behind on quite a few posts.
I am still working on my post for Bear Lake, with many sweet pictures (including some EXCLUSIVE pictures of a lightning storm over the lake!)
On top of that, I just barely got back from yet another vacation to Yellowstone with my family.
Many exciting things happened here as well, including a wild wolf and black bear sighting! (I got pictures, don't worry!)
With a whopping 1500 pictures total for both trips, I have quite a lot of writing and picture-posting to do! So be patient, I promise it'll be worth it!

Mini Cooper Rally

2009-06-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

My first Mini Cooper Rally!

My mom brought home this gorgeous car for us to take to the Rally the next day. I loved it sooo much! I declared it my dream car, and named her Stacie :).

We began the Rally at a coffee shop up on Foothill drive, and from there we drove to Heber for lunch. While we were waiting for our lunch, I took the opportunity to snap some pictures of these beautiful cars!

Possibly my favorite part about Mini Coopers is the fact that no two are alike-they are so unique!

After lunch, we drove up the Alpine Loop. This was the beginning of the official Rally. We stopped near the top to look at the scenic view. There were 30 Mini Coopers packed together like sardines in the parking spaces.

We drove past this van on the way up, I thought it was really cool!

This is my step dad's Clubman.

This is my friend Doug with his Dad and their Mini Cooper.

After we got done taking in the view and looking around at all the different Mini Coopers, we began to descend down the canyon.

I loved it when we got out of the canyon because you could see all of the Mini Coopers lined up at the light! It was so fun to watch people pull over and gaze at the cars.

Cooper!

2009-06-28T22:22:00.001-07:00

More from the Mini Cooper Rally will be up soon :).

The Man on the Moon..

2009-06-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

SOOC.

Enchantingly.. Purple.

2009-06-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Prehistoric Beast..?

2009-06-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

or loving companion?

Backyard Adventure.

2009-06-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

My backyard is slightly overgrown near the little crick we have. It's kind of cool to go back around there and explore.. and take pictures in the afternoon sun. The way the sun hit all of the overgrowth inspired me to snap a few pics..

What is this? A wheelbarrow, lost in my jungle-like backyard? I guess so!

Exploring is no fun by yourself. Which is why I had my best friend right there with me! Sam Spracklen, I love this kid! He is my brother.. from another mother. We've been hanging out every single day since I got better from the swine flu! We actually even hung out when I was still contagious.. But what can you expect with best friends? Man there aren't enough nice things to say about him! He was there for me through it all, especially last summer when I lost my last best friend. It was a really hard time for me, but without Sam I really don't think I would have gotten through it! We always have so much fun when we're hanging out, even if we're doing the most boring of things.. We love making fun of eachother and laughing at the other's expense :). We pretty much go everywhere and do everything with eachother. We've always gone to different schools, but that hasn't stopped anything. The last school year was kind of hard, and we didn't hang out nearly as much. It's hard with a busy schedule and hard classes like mine. But obviously it didn't hinder our friendship in any way, because we're back to normal again! Sam, my bro! You're the best!

This Face..

2009-06-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of it. I always crack up whenever Trixie has this look on her face..

A Window to the Soul.

2009-06-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

Rachel Christofferson's eye.

Rain, Rain... Go Away!

2009-06-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

You're taking away my SUMMER SUN!

Lost in the Chaos.

2009-06-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Max....

2009-06-16T08:11:00.001-07:00

So Max got the pictures, and he put the one of him on his myspace.

Not as his display picture.. Just on there. It has 66 comments so far.. I don't know how long it has been on there. I'm kind of disappointed that he didn't message me back.. Maybe my message was a little overwhelming

In any case, Monte and Max both didn't give any credit towards me for the picture. I'm fine with this, I don't really need credit. But I don't think my chances at getting backstage passes at Warped Tour have gotten any bigger. It doesn't seem like that dream will come true.

I've heard that if you donate blood then you can get backstage passes.......

HA. Yeah right. We all know how I deal with getting blood drawn.

So I guess I'll just go as a normal person.. And hang around the ETF merch stand all day.. (Usually Max and Robert hang around there) and MAYBE MAYBE ask Max if he remembers me..

I'm not sure if that would be such a good idea because he probably won't.. But I don't know, it depends on how much my pictures made an impact.

Hmph. I'm a tad bummed.

Bouncin' off the walls!

2009-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Smirks and Stares.

2009-06-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Princess Brynn.

2009-06-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

School girl by day..

Princess by night..

Never be afraid to dream...

Completely Candid.

2009-06-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

I love this picture.. Their faces and gestures are priceless.

Jumping..er..Running..for ..Joy?

2009-06-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but to find these hilarious.

It's hard to believe that this same blood-thirsty looking dog has been keeping me company for the past few days I've been sick!

The Last Day of Middle School...

2009-06-09T06:47:00.001-07:00

Many life changing experiences occurred on this day..

An obvious one is that it was my last day in Middle School, a place in which I have spent three years of my life. I've met so many new people and I've made so many lasting relationships. I came into Middle School knowing no one. I went to Morningside Elementary where all of my friends were going to Wasatch and Churchill, and Midvale Middle was totally unfamiliar to me. I spent days on end begging my mother to let me go to the other middle schools with my friends, but I am so glad I didn't. The new people I met in Middle School are so amazing, and I love them more than they know. They're my best friends, and I don't know what my life would be like if I hadn't met them! The teachers I met in Middle School also became a big part of my life. I remember my favorite teacher in 7th grade was Ms. Putnam.. She was always so cheery, outgoing, and funny. I was able to keep in touch with her through the years thanks to MESA. The 8th grade teachers that really made an impact were Mr. Bliss and Mr. Christensen. Mr. Bliss shared my love for animals and my integrity to save them. He was vegan while I was vegetarian. I was also able to stay in touch through Class of Rock the next year. This amazing homeroom helped my friends and I get our band together, and Mr. Bliss even got all of the bands a show down at Kilby Court! This teacher is truly inspiring and a great person. Mr. Christensen was a great teacher. We all thought he was so hard on us.. HA! I'm happy he was, because it got me ready for Stucki. Mr. Christensen always encouraged us to do our best in everything. He was totally laid back and really cool. We were all really sad that he was moving to Riverton the next year.. But I was able to see him from time to time thanks to Cross Country. In 9th grade, I don't think I could choose a teacher or two that were majorly influential.. Because they all were. I remember telling friends and family all the time that I was so content with my schedule and that I loved all of my teachers. The two teachers I had the year before became even more special. Mrs. Thurnau was quiet and kind.. But everyone knew she had a rocker side. My friends and I always agreed that she was a really great, fun, and all-around cool person. Her nose piercing was the only hint we had to her "other side" :P. Ms. Porter was an admirable person. We always respected how easy it was for her to take control of the classroom. Her teaching methods were different yet effective, and busy work was always kept to a minimum. She was kind and understanding, but firm. Ms. Porter was one of those teachers who made you want to succeed. Mr. Stucki was a very... interesting teacher ;). At times he seemed completely irrational, but there was always some method to his madness. He would always make us find the answer by ourselves. His reasoning was that if we had all of the answers thrown at us, we wouldn't learn a thing. This class was the main source of stress for the entire year.. Despite all the "calm down" speeches Stucki administered. As my cross country and track coach as well, Stucki was always there to encourage and give life-changing advice. Nothing was ever perfect, and you could always push yourself harder in order to succeed. Ms. Bradfield was so kind. She saw things from all perspectives, and never judged a person based on one. She was hilarious and told the best stories. She was always there to help me through my stress, for I often shed a tear during that class (it was right after AP Human... [pre-AP test freakout!]). She was the teacher that you could talk to about anything and you could always count on her to understand. Mr. Saunders was an unbelievable teacher. Math is a tough subject for me, but with Mr. Saunders as a math teacher I think he really helped me pull through and strive in one of my weakest subjects. On top of that, he was also one of those teachers you could go to and talk about anything. We often stopped the lesson to talk about track in front of the whole class. We always talked about track successes and disappointments.. We discussed what I did wrong or right in certain situations. Mr. Saunders' stories were THE best. He was so good at reading people and their emotions. There was no troubled student that could get past him, because he knew exactly how to reach them and help them do their best. His whole year was about us, the students; he always did everything in his power to help us get the most out of our school year. Mr. Saunders is a truly remarkable teacher and I know I will be visiting back with him often. These teachers have effected my life and my will to succeed. There aren't enough thank you's I could give them for this. I only hope that they will reach many more students the same way they have reached me.

On the last day of school there was a talent show, yearbook signing, and a drawing. After the talent show, some friends and I gathered up on the auditorium stage. No one was there but us. Two of our friends were on guitars, and two others were up in the sound booth; DJ-ing and putting on a light show. It was a relaxing (if you could call it that) time to look back on the past three years and....... well.......

... dance. :)

..and eat a little end-of-the-year-celebration-cake. :)

..and play some face game..

Steven and Anton at the talent show.

Malia and Pierce dancing it up at the talent show.

After school, my dad picked me up and we headed over to the hospital to get x-rays for my back. It's been giving me a hard time lately and for a week or so the pain was almost unbearable. I was actually kind of excited to get the x-rays, until I got the news that it wasn't the only thing I was getting at the hospital. "You have to get blood work, too." said Dad. "Whoa whoa whoa.. That means I have to get blood drawn, right?" I replied. "Well, yeah." he said. "Oh just kidding then! My back is FINE!!" Yeah.. that didn't work.

My heart skipped a beat.. or two. Fear crept into my body. I hate needles. I hate shots. I cry every time I have to get one. I've never gotten blood drawn before, but I've heard tons of horror stories. Ugh.. I cried. For a long time. I kept trying to meditate to get myself to calm down.. and it kind of worked. It worked until I was sitting in the chair and the phlebotomist entered the room.. then I lost it. I started hyperventilating. My eyes welled up with tears. The nurse tried to get me to calm down by talking to me about school. I closed my eyes and continued talking with her while the needle went into my skin. We sat there talking for what seemed like an eternity. When it was finally over, I opened my eyes. I was dizzy. Everything was blurry and black. The noise from my Mom's voice and the TV in the waiting room rang through my ears. I was told to put my head down and wait until I felt better. I really thought I was going to pass out or something, but after two cups of water and 10 minutes, I was okay again. When I got up I was still a little dizzy, but I could walk.

I got home later, and my friend Joey came over to visit. I hadn't seen him in a while, so I was pretty happy that we got to hang out. But what made me even happier is that he brought me something......

PHOTOSHOP CS4!!!! woooooo!! And even better.. It's compatible with Topaz Adjust! Ahh, I've been wanting that program for a long time. I probably seem really nerdy right now :) but this program is so cool! If you don't believe me, search it on google! It has some example images on the website where it shows before and after.. It's pretty cool :). I'll be having a lot of fun with it this summer.. But I'll still be using www.picnik.com a lot as well, for I'm more familiar with it.

Next on the agenda: Enjoy an amazing 2009 summer. :)

Sky Scraping.

2009-06-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

The 2009 X96 Big Ass Show.

2009-06-07T19:58:00.001-07:00

My eyes sting. My feet are swollen. My back is in indescribable pain. And I think my nose might be broken..
But wow, what a day.

My 4th X96 BASh. This year it was a little weird, because they had it in the Spring instead of in the Fall. The weather was pretty much great. It wasn't too hot, mostly overcast. Which is perfect for a concert. Dark clouds hovered ominously, but they proved to be harmless.

Rachel and I skipped the last half of school to go and get our stuff together and get ready. It was at the USANA Ampitheater and started at 3:00PM, which is much later from the previous BASh's I've been to. They usually start around 11:00AM. We went to the USANA Ampitheater last year and were really disappointed. The set up is kind of lame; regular GA is on the grass, which is about 200 feet away from the stage. Then closer up there are seats. And in front of that it Mosh Pit GA. Last year Rachel and I got regular GA.. and vowed that next time they had it at USANA we were going to get pit tix. They usually play at different venues every year, and this is the first time since I've been going that they've played in the same venue two years in a row. We got there around 2:40 and proceeded in line.

I was stressing out all day about whether or not they were going to let me in with my camera. The sign reads "Point and Shoot camera only". Technically, my camera is point and shoot. It's not an SLR or proffessional. So in reality they should let me in with no problem. Last year I barely got through, and in all the concert I went to in between I was denied entrance with my camera. When we got to the front of the line, the security guard asked me to open my camera case. "I don't think we can let you in. It's bigger than the limit we were told." she said. "...are you really serious?" I replied. I showed her that I couldn't take the lense off, and Rachel also told this to the security guard that was checking her. "Oh, well that changes it then. I guess you can go in." she said. Man, can you say relief?

At 3:25 Mury was on stage. Their a band from SLC and they weren't bad! They were actually pretty good and Rachel and I were happy that we got to hear them. After Mury, Rachel and I hurried over to the Graywhale booth where they were having band signings. The deal was that if you bought a band's CD, you were garunteed to get to meet them and get a signature. I have ever Escape the Fate song made on my iTunes already, and I have their second CD that I bought at one of their last concerts. But I was going to do just about anything to get to meet them again :) so I bought their old CD. Ronnie was still their singer on this CD, so it sounds totally different from their new one.

While we were buying merch, Mury was to the side of us and they were still signing. The line was pretty short so Rachel and I jumped in to get our shirts signed. They signed them with personalized signatures, which was pretty cool. Most bands are cocky and want to get the signings over as quick as possible :).

At 4:30 Escape the Fate was signing. I don't think I've confessed my love for them on my blog before. Well, I was introduced to Escape the Fate at the beginning of 8th grade. The first song/music video I heard of them was Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliche. After that I was hooked. Partly because Ronnie was amazingly attractive, and also partly because the song was incredible.. If you're into mainstream Rock, that is. But Escape the Fate is more than just mainstream rock. They're unique. They probably have one of the best guitar players and bass players out there. The solos that Monte come up with are amazing (and he's even vegan!!). To quote a few reviews;
"Emo bliss mixed with a punch of hardcore that will make you want to get up dance."-Epitaph
"...makes up for what it lacks in originality with unrestrained energy, as exemplified by fast-paced, wire-tight "Situations" and the morbid, New Wave-influenced "My Apocalypse."-CD Universe.
Ronnie Radke was the lead vocals from 2004 to 2008. He has an amazing talent. The album Dying Is Your Latest Fashion is the only full album that he's featured on. In 2008 he was put on probation for being involved in a fight that led up to the death of Micheal Cook. "First we couldn't tour out of the country.. then out of the state"-Max Green. He was later sent to jail for violating his probation. Escape the Fate didn't know what to do, because they know that they had just lost an amazing singer. For a couple months they were lost, not really knowing if the band was going to make it. They were nearly ruined by their former frontman, due to his involvment in drugs and bipolar personality. "It was like walking on egg-shells, not knowing who he was going to freak out on next"-Ortiz. Then, they found Craig. Craig Mabbit, and Arizona native, is the former lead vocalist of Blessthefall. "When Craig came to us there were so many emotions. We all has this sense of desperation because of everything we had just been through. ...And everything just clicked in place better than we'd ever imagined." After Ronnie got the news of their new singer, he broke into a rage. He began writing hate blogs about his former buddies in the band. One was directly aimed at his old best friend Max Green; "Trust me you're gonna get what you deserve. Escape the Fate is ME and will always be ME. And YOU will forever live in MY shadow".

Despite all of the drama they had been through, their new CD was just as amazing as I expected. With incredible metal solos and emotional screams, This War is Ours was a hit. It was so much different than their last CD. They lost a huge amount of faithful Ronnie fans, but they gained so many more fans as well. I love both of their CDs, and I think it's sad that Ronnie is wasting his talent. As Ortiz said, instead of getting his life back together and recognizing what he has, he's sitting in jail writing hate blogs about his friends and about a women who lost her son. It's insane.

Escape the Fate isn't for everyone. And I'm pretty sure a lot of the people who read this blog probably won't like them, which is why they aren't in my playlist on the side of my blog (if I had it my way, all of their songs would be there). But please don't take my word for it. Check them out, I recommend it. Some popular [note the word "popular". I can't say "good", because they're all good:)] ones from their old CD Dying is Your Latest Fashion with Ronnie are "Reverse This Curse" "Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliche" "Situations" and "My Apocolypse". Some more popular ones from their new CD This War is Ours with Craig as the vocalist are "The Flood" "On To The Next One" "Ashley" "We Won't Back Down" and "This War is Ours (Guillotine pt. 2)" <-(this one has amazing guitar but there's more screaming in it than in the other songs). You can probably very easily find all of these on youtube or any other music site. PHEW, Back to the BASh! ;). At the 4:30 signing for Escape the Fate, Rachel and I were waiting in line. I was trying to snap a few pics of them, but it wasn't working out very well. People kept getting in the way, and I couldn't keep my camera still because I was shaking from nerves! I got an okay one of Craig.
(In most of these I used an "HDR" effect-it makes it look cooler)

I got my shirt signed by the band and it was the first time I had met Craig and Monte in person. I've met Max and Robert at earlier shows before, but Craig and Monte usually hide away.

Monte and I at the signing.

Rachel and I went against the rules and got a picture with Monte. The security guard told her to move away and she stood there and snapped a shot (good job Rach!). I love this picture!

After the signing my nerves died down a bit. They were excited before the signing when I ran into Max, and then again during their concert, and then again after when I ran into Craig and was flashed a smile. We made our way back down into the pit and found that a band called Single File was playing. They were pretty good. We were enjoying the music and then the next song was starting. "This one's called Dear Meghan." Whoa. I turned to Rach, "Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" "No, they say Dear Maiden." she replied. Psh... Dear Maiden.. Who the heck is Maiden anyways?! :P. We were listening to the song and it was confirmed that it was in fact Dear Meghan. This was pretty exciting! But the song wasn't exactly a love song.. Here are some lyrics;

Dear Meghan,
Would it kill you to be honest once in a while?
You're just findin' better ways to suit yourself...

Closer-- never close enough to hurt you.
Yeah, we're getting closer (closer), but never close enough to reach you, no.

And your smile fades with every photograph (photograph)...

All them years of blastin' ducks on Grandma's old TV,
Meghan is a vegetarian now, and so are all her peepz.
Well "LA-DI-DA", with your friends all crackin' up.
Sing, "LA-DI-DA", cuz your friends won't back you up,
Oh no...
Back you up?
Oh no...

Rachel and I kind of freaked out when we heard the vegetarian line. It was so funny! Especially because I was with Rachel, the only one out of my "peepz" who is also a vegetarian :). We really wanted to go to their signing and tell them how we crazily relate to their song.. But we decided it would be cutting it WAY too close. Their signing was at 5:40, and ETF played at 6:00. Madina Lake was also playing at 5:25.. Which brings me to my next subject :).

Before my obsession with Escape the Fate, I had an extreme obsession with Madina Lake. I discovered them at my second Big Ass Show which was at the Salt Palace. I think it was mainly the cute singer and the cute bassist in the band that got me hooked. And the music, of course. The bassist and singer are twins. I got a few good pictures while they were playing.

Singer-Nathan Leone

Bassist-Mathew Leone

Guitarist-Mateo Camargo

Drummer-Dan Torelli

While writing this blog I remembered that I got a poster of them signed at the last BASh I saw them at. I think it's funny that I knew EXACTLY where it was. It fell behind my dresser forever ago, and I just went and fished it out :).

After Madina Lake, Rachel and I pushed to the front where Escape the Fate was going to be playing. We took precautions as to who we were standing by (big macho emo men=HUUUGE moshpit=danger). We got pretty close, about as close as I was at their last concert at the Murray Theater. The only difference was the lighting and security; at this concert I could get some amazing photos. My grip was extremely tight around my camera through the whole concert. I never put it away, however. I wanted to make sure I got as many photos as I could, for this opportunity probably wasn't going to happen again. As we were waiting, I noticed a huge hole in the bottom of my bag.. Just my luck, right? I didn't know what to do. I couldn't hold my bag, and my camera, and rock out at the same time. It just wasn't going to happy. I took my signed shirt and wrapped it around my bags and pulled the drawstring around the end. That would do if it was held with care.. which is something I wouldn't have during the concert. Rachel being her amazignly kind self took the bag for me and held it during the concert, and I took her bag in return and wore it on my back. I felt like I was going to faint because of the anticipation crawling throughout my body. My stomach wrenched. Finally, they arrived. They started out with their recent single, the Flood. The music hardly reached my ears as I was frantically trying to get pictures of Robert on the drums before his signature sunglasses fell off by the power of rock.

Drummers are hard to shoot! They're in the very back, they are constantly in motion, and the other musicians are always walking in front of them. These are two good ones I got before his sunglasses evidentally fell off....

...but he still kept rocking :)

The next song they played was another hit single off their album, "Something". The music actually got to my ears on this one ;). My legs were shaking like crazy because I was so excited, it was hard to get pictures! I hadto stand on my tippy toes and I was about to fall over because my legs were pretty much numb :).

"Can you help me understand?"

The next song they played was "Ashley". It's pretty much a love song about a girl named Ashley! This song is also pretty popular. I'm not totally sure who Ashley is exactly. But a good guess might be Craig's daughter.. or girlfriend. Or maybe someone in Monte's life, because he write a lot of the songs too!

"Spread these wings so I can fly.."

"Ashley, baby.."

After Ashley, they played "10 Miles Wide". They just barely got done filming their new music video for this one.. I'm excited for its premier :)

"I've got a hole inside...

..and it's 10 mile wide."

Craig got a little excited... ? :P

After 10 miles wide, they played This War is Ours (Guillotine pt.2) I love the beginning of this song because Monte has a sick riff for it. It's a lot more screamo than the rest of their songs, but I love it.

"Yes I will see you, on the front lines of war."

-everyone was jamming so hard.. I loved it.

"This is where we conquer them."

"We have to find a better way out of this tragedy.."

"This War is Ours"

Maxy Boy taking a break between songs.

The last song they played is one of their really famous ones from their old album Dying is Your Latest Fashion. It's called Situations and I must say it's pretty catchy. When I tried filming it, I played it back and you could hardly hear Craig's voice because everyone in the pit was singing along.

"The situations are irrelevant now."

Robert Ortiz-looking at the camera?

"She can't behave, and I'm just a slave."

Craig impressed at the cheer-off. Pit vs. Lawn.

Robert, throwing drumsticks at the end.

After ETF, I was perfectly content with packing up and heading home :) no other concert was going to beat their anyways! After Escape the Fate, Rachel and I went to get something to eat. While she was ordering, I saw Craig walk by the Live and Local bands, just standing there and watching. On his way back I was kind of staring at him (whoops) and I smiled. He smiled back, and it pretty much made the rest of my day :).

Rachel and I went back to the pit to watch Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I got a few pictures of these guys. Their singer is an amazing screamer. On Face Down, when it came to the bridge.. It was like effortless to him. I loved watching it.

After Red Jumpsuit, Unwritten Law played next. These guys were pretty good. I have never really listened to them before that day, but they weren't bad. Rachel and I wandered around the tents a little bit during the Unwritten Law performance. The lead singer of a local band called The Recovery came up to us and had us listen to one of their songs on his ipod. They were pretty good and asked us if we would buy one of their CDs. They were really nice about it and said that would take anything we offered. I gave them 8 bucks for one, and Rach gave them 6. I was pretty excited that I was learning about all these cool new bands at this concert! (That's one thing I love about concerts).

After Unwritten Law was the headlining band, The Offspring. Everyone packed together so close that personal bubbles were no longer an option. It was dark, and about 10:15. It seemed like they took an eternity to set up. My back was utterly killing me. It hurt so bad that I could hardly stand anymore. I just really wanted the show to start so that I would forget about the dull pain that was eating me away. Finally, the show started at about 10:40. Rachel's mom was already there, because we called her earlier (thinking that The Offspring were going to start earlier). My back was still aching, but we stayed for a couple of songs. We met some pretty cool people standing next to us during the long wait as well. Rachel and I made our way up the hill and out of the Usana Ampitheatre. Her mom was waiting for us, and as soon as I sat down in the car my back instantly felt better. We listen to The Recovery on the way home as we excitedly shared our experiences with Rachel's mom. The night came to an almost-end when Rachel and I got back to my house. We got our signed shirts out and started to "deck them out". We were proud of the results, and finally got to bed at about 3:00AM.

My 4th BASh was an amazing experience. I think it was one of the best ones yet, as my favorite band was there and I actually got to meet the whole band. I also got to take pictures, which also led into other amazing experiences, and hopefully more. The Warped Tour is somewhat similar to the BASh, because many bands play. Escape The Fate is playing at the SLC Warped Tour on August 8th, and I am SOOO EXCITED!!! Can't wait! I hope I can get in with my camera again :).

Leaf.

2009-06-04T23:26:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, let me out to play!!"

Once upon a time, Megan got really bored. She was sad that she didn't have an SLR, and she was getting very desperate for the Nikon d90. To get her mind off things, she went out into the backyard to take some SLR-worthy photos. Trixie was her subject, as usual.

Falling leaf.

Proper leaf.

Leaf-head.

Angry Leaf.

Roll-over Leaf.

Face game Leaf.

Aging Leaf.

Sleeping Leaf. (shh!)

Lost Leaf.

Ashamed Leaf.

Stubborn Leaf.

Curious Leaf.

Wait...what's the answer to question 18?

2009-06-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

Trixie sort of dozed off when showing me how to solve quadratic equations..
Darn! Now I'll never know..

A Litte Monte Update ;)

2009-06-02T07:44:00.001-07:00

Brian Monte Money Jr..
or Monte$$$ :)
the guitarist of Escape The Fate
(AMAZING guitarist, and a vegan.. OMG..! my soulmate.)
set one of my picture that i took of him at the BASh as his display picture on myspace :)
so now his 18,000 friends
plus the 350,000 friends that ETF has on myspace..
are all looking at it!!!!!!!!!!
i love him :)
i love etf.
i can't tell you how much.

this is the pic.

He also put this one on his myspace.

P.S. I'm still waiting for Max's reply. He hasn't gotten on myspace yet but I sent him the pics and a little fan-speech :) I also hinted that I really wanted some backstage passes to warped.. with the promise of amazing pictures, of course.

Ah, i love it..

P.P.S: I'm still working on my BASh blog.. I've just been a little excited and preoccupied!

This may just be the best moment of my life...

2009-05-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

So you know that last blog I posted?
Max Green?
The bassist of Escape the Fate?
My MOST FAVORITE band in the entire world?
yeah, well he MESSAGED ME ON MYSPACE!!!!!!!!!!!
wow..
Pretty much when I got the message I screamed and laughed really really hard and got light headed.
My heart is still beating incredibly fast.
this is what he said...

Gosh. I think I might faint?!?!

I don't even know what to say back.
It's going to take me forever to plan it!
I've been waiting for this for forever. Now I know for sure he will read my message!
I can tell him im going to the WARPED TOUR and maybe he'll remember meeeee!!
ahhhhhh!!!

That's it!
It's settled. I'm going to be a professional photographer!

Max Green.

2009-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Probably the BEST Bassist alive.

<3.Escape The Fate

15th Annual X96 BASh was...
unbelievable.

More to come.

Heads or Tails?

2009-05-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

P.S-I am SO stoked for the X96 BASh today! Ahhh! Hopefully they will let me in with my cam :)

Such a Small Beauty.

2009-05-28T06:36:00.001-07:00

Ready for Round Two?

2009-05-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I sure was. :)

I still love Moab, rain or shine.

I rode down with my cousin Sam and her boyfriend, Brandon. We began to get annoyed with all of the stops that the rest of our family was making, but we got over it. The ride consisted of loud music and scenic views, which is just the way I like it. It was raining almost the whole time, right up until we passed the sign labeled "Moab". We thought our luck was good, and we would have a nice and sunny weekend. This was only partly true.

On the first night we went and checked out the Arts Festival. There were tons of neat little handicrafts and such. There were also quite a few photography booths, in which I spent most of my time awing at. When we decided we were done, we got back in the car and began to drive home. Not a minute on the road and the roads were almost flooded. We knew about the flash flood warnings and just thought how lucky we were that it started raining almost at the same time we got in the car.

Brandon decided to practice some harmonica- it fit the mood. :P

When we got home, my cousins Drew, Michael, and I went and explored the back of our cabin. We found some deer tracks and witnessed an amazing sunset.

My favorite part is how the sun outlines the cloud at the top.

This place became my little heaven over the next few days. I went out there probably three or four times a day, if not more. In the mornings and at dusk, just hoping to get a single glimpse at some of the wildlife. On an early morning, the beautiful wilderness inspired me to write. I wrote a poem.

I follow the tracks of my mythical ancestor
to the place that has become so familiar to me.
And as I wait for the slightest sign of his arrival;
I listen.
I smell.
I watch.
I hear birds calling to their mates,
providing the soundtrack to my evening.
Caws, tweets, yells.
Each is ever so distinct.
I smell wilderness.
The aromas of flowers, bushes, and trees.
All of these things surrounding me,
engulfing me in their irreplaceable scent.
I watch ants crawl across the surface of the rain-beaten sand.
I watch the relatives of my ancestor dart across the clearing.
I watch the formation of a heaven-sent sunset,
the sun's rays barely escaping through the thick clouds.
Ever so patiently,
I wait.
As I sit, I yearn to be apart of this world.
So peacefully placed.
Without a care in sight,
except for the life-long challenge of survival.
I wonder if this is what my ancestor feels.
He is terrified of me, while I only want a glimpse of him.
He has the right to be afraid.
People of my kind have hunted him,
destroyed his home.
We have brought down our evils on this innocent world.
We have no respect, no compassion, no sorrow.
No patience for this primitive wilderness.
A snap of a twig-I look up.
I am suddenly looking into the eyes of my ancestor.
We are both afraid.
He is afraid of me, while I am afraid for him.
A gunshot is fired.
My ancestor falls.
Lightning shoots across the sky,
the sound of deafening thunder fills my ears.
The wind reaches unimaginable speeds,
sand tears at my skin.
I shut my eyes and cover my head.
With frustration, sadness, and understanding,
I listen.
I feel fear swell through my body.
Mother Nature is angry.
Angry that man has taken claim to her world.

The next day I wrote another poem, which I will post soon.

On our second day in Moab, we first went to see some petroglyphs. The small hike was crawling with lizards, it was hard not to step on them.

My cousin Michael was so determined to catch one. I kept begging him over and over not to, because I hate seeing animals in stress. He didn't get his hands on one the whole trip! I'm not sure if this was due to my warnings or sheer bad luck.

When we reached the petroglyphs, Michael and Drew were a bit daring and climbed pretty far up the rock. They found a really interesting horse petroglyph.

I climbed up to take a look at it and snap a couple pictures. Uncle Mike appearently wanted to give everyone a heart attack, so he also made the climb.

The Fam got a pretty big kick out of these pics.

"The Big Man on his throne."

The petroglyphs near the bottom were also pretty neat.

It makes you wonder what all of it means...

After the pertoglyphs, we drove down to the Arches National Park information center. We really wanted to do the Fiery Furnace hike but we knew we needed a tour guide because it was dangerous. We found out that all of the guided hikes were full. We were pretty bummed. So Sam, Brandon, and I went and drove up to the Devil's Garden Hike. It's a 7 mile hike (if you do it right :P). We took the hike and saw the Broken Wall Arch, the Landscape Arch, and the Double O Arch. We took many pictures along the way.

The newly-broken Wall Arch

The Landscape Arch- Sam and I.

This took some bravery...

The Double O Arch.

Me in the "Little O" with the "Big O" overhead.

Sam and Brandon got pretty daring and found their way to the top of the Big O. Sam was pretty freaked out at first and she almost didn't go. Next thing she knew she was on top of a named Arch, with some pretty sweet picture to show off.

Brandon was extra-daring and climbed all the way up to the cliff right past the Big O.. Sam and I were kinda freaked out :P. Finally he got some sense when the wind started kicking in, and he began to climb back down.

Sam and I by the Double O.

We figured out that we took the wrong trail up, and we were going backwards. By the time we left the Double O, we could see some pretty nasty clouds moving on in. We started to get kinda freaked out, because of the previous flash-flood warnings. We didn't want to get stuck in the dangerous canyon when it was raining. We began booking it down the desert mountain, trying to get back to the car before the rain hit. We felt harmless drips, but we knew that the monstrous rains were not far away. A mile away and the winds begin to hit. It was fierce, blinding us with sand and stinging our skin. We picked up the pace and broke into a run. We got to the car and BAM, the rains hit. We lucked out once again, for the second day in a row.

On day three, I visited my special place in the wilderness once again. I spent about an hour and a half out there in the morning and wrote another poem. I loved this place, it was so amazing. All you could hear were the chirps of the birds, and all you could smell were the various bushes and trees surrounded you. I saw a few wild bunnies as well. I also found more deer tracks.

My cousin Michael had been begging since the day we stepped foot in Moab to go to Left Hand. Left Hand is a water-hole that can't be found on any map. Locals are the only people who know it exists. We learned about it from a friend of my Mom's in the previous years in which we visited Moab. Since then, we've showed Left Hand to many friends and relatives who have came along with us on our Moab trips.

I love Left Hand for many reasons. It's beautiful, for one. The view from the top of Left Hand is also beautiful. Red rock cliffs surround it on both sides. There are two cliffs that you can jump off of into the water, one is about half the size of the other. On the top of Left Hand there is an additional wading pool that feeds into the waterfall, and farther up there is yet another peaceful, smaller, water hole. There are only two ways to get to the top of Left Hand. If you backtrack a little from Left Hand, you come to an inconspicuous fork in the trail. The road you want to take to get to the top starts with an incline of slickrock. The other way to get to the top is to swim over to the waterfall and climb up. The hike to Left Hand is short and sweet, with some petroglyphs in view along the way.

Sam pointed out that this looked like a UFO. We pondered and laughed at the crazy thought.. You be the judge! Isn't it kind of weird?

Richard, my step-dad, jumping off the cliff at Left Hand.

I love the feeling of jumping off this cliff. I'm always so terrified to begin with, and it takes me a few minuted to gather up the courage to jump. My legs go numb as I step off the edge. Before I know it, I'm submerged in freezing cold water and seconds later I resurface. It's so thrilling and risky. The water is shallow and murky, which is the scary part!

Another thing I like about Left Hand is that dogs are allowed there. This pup was especially cute. His name was Marley. He wanted to jump off the little cliff so bad, it was hilarious! He kept barking at the water and you could tell how badly he wanted it. I learned from his owners that last year he slipped down the waterfall by accident.

A shot of Aunt Kim from the top of Left Hand.

A cool little tunnel on the top of Left Hand.

Reflection on the water- view from the top.

Sam had a fun idea to try and "chute" down the tight river in the second water hole on the top of left hand.

I also tried this and I shot down the river into the wading pool on the top of Left Hand. Everyone clapped when I arrived and someone yelled "Nice entrance!". They wanted me to go down the waterfall! :P

I love this saying- on the way to Left Hand. I get a picture by it every year.

On the hike up Brandon noticed a cave up a ways and to the left of us. On the way back we decided to go and check it out. At first it looked like it was filled with petroglyphs, but when we got closer we found that it was all initials of previous visitors.

We wanted to keep the tradition going- so we added ours as well.

For the third day in a row, right when we got back to the car (even after all of the detours) the rain hit, once again. We were pretty much speechless, we didn't know what to say. It was too weird!

On the fourth day at Moab, we all packed up and threw our stuff into the cars. Sam and Brandon were going back to Left Hand, so I decided to stick around and hang out with them. We had some complications and couldn't stay as long as we had planned, so we only went half-way to a little shore by the river.

I got a phone call from my mom asking if I wanted to go four wheeling. We headed back into town and met my mom at the Jeep rental store. She informed me that they couldn't get the Jeep, and that we were just going to go home. I rode with my mom home, and I have to say I was pretty bummed to be leaving. It's never long enough whenever we go to Moab, and I wish I could go there every weekend. Hopefully I didn't bug my cousin too much so maybe the next time she comes down I can tag along :).

And here concludes my second trip to Moab in two weeks. I love that place! I will be posting my second poem and lots of news pictures, so make sure to keep checking back!

Nobody's Perfect.

2009-05-26T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm back for the second time. :)

Agua.

2009-05-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

My new best friend.
It's essential!
Here comes summer training :)

Weekends don't get any better than this.

2009-05-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

I awake on May 15th, 2009. It's 6:30AM. Thank goodness, I didn't sleep in. Today is the day I've been dreading yet yearning for all year long. It's the day of my first AP test as a ninth grader. All those days of seemingly endless stress have come down to one moment. Well, rather, two hours.

It ends.

I suddenly wonder why I had put myself through so much stress. I thought I knew nothing, when I actually knew much more. It was a success, but bittersweet.

The day drags on.

It's 4:30PM, and I'm all packed up for a Camp Tuttle retreat to Moab. The timing couldn't be better... or could it? I arrive at the church to leave on the tour bus with my buddies, when I find that the tour bus is nowhere in sight. I walk up to the church and ask a nice lady if she had seen a tour bus anywhere, and she said they left 20 minutes ago. My heart skips a beat. "Left? Twenty minutes ago?" I repeat. "Yes." she replies. I hurry back to the car where my mother was waiting. "They've um.. left.." I said. "What?!" exclaims my mom.

We run back to the house and plug my phone into the charger. Countless missed calls and unread text messages, all with the same message; Where are you?!? I quickly dial Ashton's number. "Hey umm.. where are you guys?"
"Megan! What are you doing! Are you coming?"
"Yeah.. Can I talk to our youth leader or something?"
My mother speaks to the youth leader and discovers that thankfully they aren't too far. We race towards the meeting place, find the bus, and I'm off for an amazing weekend.

The day ends with a beautiful sunset.

Rise and Shine! It's Saturday, May 16th. I awake at 6:30AM, but wake-up call isn't until 8. Ashton had picked the best sleeping area, right near the bathrooms. Of course there are going to be those girls who need two hours in the morning to get ready. The only thing I heard for the next hour and a half was the constant opening and closing of the noisy bathroom doors. It seems endless. "We are not sleeping here tomorrow night," Ashton whispers to me. Agreed.

Breakfast ends and we find ourselves getting ready for a day-long river rafting trip down the Colorado river. I was extremely excited, partly because I had only been river rafting once before (at Camp Tuttle Summer Camp).

After the long but peaceful bus ride, we arrive at the start of our river rafting trip. We split into two large groups, and then into smaller ones. Ashton, Andrew, and I were in a group along with some other new friends we had made in the short time we'd been together (Camp Tuttle seems to do that-friend making is quite easy). The trip started out with many threats of getting pushed into the river and such. I'd gotten made fun of countless times for my fear of fish and other creepy things that might be hiding in the muddy water (It was scary I tell you!).

Then the water fights came. It was team Justice (our raft) against team Holla (Riddle's raft) and the unknown raft. The unknown raft was quite easy to conquer, but Holla was a different story. They came onto us with full force, and we were unprepared. I got completely soaked by Riddle in particular. We all swore revenge. Team Justice stole the unknown raft's buckets when they were careless and lost them in the river. We now had four buckets when Holla only had two. It was a close call, but I'm pretty sure we dominated in the next water fight ;).

We then stopped for a delicious lunch in which I stuffed my face with two sandwiches. It was a nice time to hang out on the shore and catch up with old friends while making new ones. I had escaped being pulled into the river many times.

After about an hour, we left for the remainder of the trip. We experienced some pretty rad rapids in which we had to use our buckets for their intended purpose (bailing out the water in the bottom of the raft). The water got warmer the farther we got down stream, because less of it was run-off. We got the OK to get in, and as you might have guessed I was hesitant. Ashton didn't want to get in with me, and everyone else was trying to pull me in. All of a sudden I feel a push and before I know it I'm immersed in freezing cold water. As I emerge, I take countless short and panicky breaths and squeal. "The fish are going to eat me!!!!!!!" I yell. Harmony, a counselor, soon pulls me out of the water. I was very thankful, and then I realized how ridiculous I just sounded. I needed to prove my bravery, so I soon got back in. It wasn't as bad as I thought, and I actually had a pretty good time swimming around in the intimidating muddy abyss. We had to get back in the raft not long after, for we were approaching some pretty nasty rapids.

About four miles later, we reach the end of our river rafting experience. We all pack our freezing bodies onto the bus. As we arrive to the church, Ashton and I bolt out of the bus and straight line it to the showers. "Whoa whoa whoa.. I don't think so! If you guys are taking showers, we're pulling numbers," we hear Honey Bee yell. There were only two showers, and 60 people.. It was understandable, but disappointing. I decide to lay out my towel and bathe in the sun while I wait for the number-pulling to be prepared. Ashton yells to me that she picked 12, and for me to pick one to see if I got better so that we could share. I pulled 18th. I return to my towel and expect to be there for a while. Not long after, Ashton yells to me again and said that someone who didn't want to shower gave her number three. This made me a bit happier and I gathered up my showering supplies. As our shower ends and we begin to get ready, we realize that not many people actually wanted to take a shower. No one after number 5 came to take a shower. "Well, that was pretty pointless.." I said. Ashton agreed.

After Dinner we hurried and got our things together for the Delicate Arch hike. As we begin, Ashton and I start to get pretty disappointed with our stamina. We were pretty winded not long after we started. We were walking pretty fast, but still. (Not to mention I was wearing flip-flops :P.. Alex and I decided that we were twinners.)

We stopped for a few photo-ops along the way.

And of course, the classic Riddle-takes-a-picture-of-himself-when-asked-to-take-a-picture-of-you Picture. :)

The hike continues. We were blessed with yet another amazing sunset.

And finally, we reach our destination. The Delicate Arch.

It attracts many tourists- from places all around the world.

...and then there's us. :)

This was actually an accident. Ashton was trying to take a picture of the arch but she pressed the button on accident, and at that exact moment she turned the camera vertically to take a vertical picture. The shutter speed was low to allow more light in because it was fairly dark, and so it came up with this swirly effect.

...And we later tried it again.. except with our faces. :)

After the Arch, we headed back to the church for a much-needed night's rest. We awoke at 8 and proceeded with breakfast and attended the 10:30 service. After the service, we packed all of our things onto the bus.

I found this little guy on the side of the church. I thought it was pretty interesting- it looks like an inverse LadyBug.

We got on the bus and started the long drive home. We remembered everything from jaw-dropping experiences to incredibly awkward moments. We promised never to forget them while embracing our new friendships.

This amazing weekend couldn't have had better timing.

I'm ready for round two!
Moab, here I come! Memorial Day weekend! Wooo!

Pure Longing

2009-05-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

She can be such a baby sometimes :)

Baseball, anyone?

2009-05-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

A nice Mother's Day evening is always welcome.
And so is a good ol' game of catch.

SOOC.

"He looks like he really knows what he's doing!"

*...where did it go?*

The Sky's On Fire.

2009-05-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

...and it's burning the trees black.

Blacks, Whites, Sepias, and Colors.

2009-05-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Rafa.

2009-05-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

My friend Alex recently got a new puppy, and I couldn't resist the photo-op.

What is The Purpose of Life?

2009-05-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

Dead Last.

2009-05-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

The gun fires and they're off. Your mind begins taking on the role of coach. You tell yourself, "Keep your stride big, don't let your arms cross, deep breaths. Stay strong for these 8 laps." The pack begins to spread out, and you're in dead last. You hear "Keep with it, Hillcrest." Your teams inches farther and farther away from you. Suddenly they appear unreachable. You keep telling yourself, "It's okay, keep with it, and don't give up."

With a little encouragement, you attempt to catch the Alta girl ahead of you. You get closer and closer, but realize you still have a mile to go. Your biggest mistake was giving yourself excuses. "My back hurts. Oh, my stomach. Ah, my legs." There are no excuses. The only thing on your mind should be "Catch her, keep with them, longer strides, arms straight, steady breathing." That and nothing else.

You see the Jordan girl ahead of you run into the infield and drop out. "Come on girl, keep with it!", you yell over your shoulder. You quickly turn your focus back to the track. You silently thank the encouragement from the sidelines; little do they know that it makes all the difference. Not long after, you hear footsteps from behind. You take a quick glance and see that a team mate is passing you. "Nice job girl, keep it up!" You know she has a chance as state, and wordlessly wish her all of the luck in the world.

As your legs scream at you, you hear; "Nice job. Don't look at the girl ahead, just focus on the tack in front of you. You're just bouncing up and down, drive forward!" Instantly you begin to drive, head forward, and legs moving faster. It hurts. Your legs want to give up. But you know you can't, you must keep moving. It's so hot; your face is on fire. Two more laps, you can make it.

Still you try to catch up with the girl ahead of you. Fifty meters seems like 10 miles as you make a futile attempt. You realize you are still dead last, but you don't let that bring you down. Keep moving forward and keep working those legs, that's all you can do. You begin your last lap. "Okay, now pick it up; give this last lap every ounce of energy you have left." As your legs still fight you, you begin to lengthen your stride and pick up your pace. As you reach the last 100 meters, you run on your toes and raise your knees higher with every step. While picking up speed, you know you don't have a chance at beating the girl ahead of you.

You accept that you finished your last race of the season in last place. After the race, you kick off your spikes and run near the bathroom. As you slump to the ground, the whole season flashes by in your mind. From where you had begun to where you are now. Astonishing PRs and disappointing performance, you'd been through it all. You stuck with it all season, missing as few practices as possible. And thanks to that, you had improved amazingly. Even though you had finished dead last, you were still able to be proud. You knew that you still had three years of training ahead of you, and that the 3200 wasn't even your strongest event.

You have faith in yourself, and know that you are capable of so much more. And you know that in the coming years, you will see all of your potential shine through.

It's a Weed?

2009-05-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

SOOC.

It's the face that keeps you going.

2009-05-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Only Way.

2009-05-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

The only way to success is through our own hard work. Why do we work hard? The simple answer would be for success and satisfaction. But who does that success and satisfaction go to?

It goes to ourselves.

We work hard for ourselves. If we do it for anything else, we will fail. If you fight for revenge or superiority, you will fail. The only way you can reach success is if you give everything you have for nothing but yourself. Not in a selfish kind of way. But don't do it for someone else's praise, or to prove others wrong. Do it simply because you know its right.

We can't live in the shadows of other's expectation. We will work hard our entire lives to live up to what they have expected of us. It is unreachable. We must set our own expectations and goals, and strive for them only. No one knows yourself better than you do. No one can set better goals for yourself than you.

Nothing feels better than to bask in the success due to our own hard work. But it feels even better when we work hard for the right reasons.

The Thunderous Abyss.

2009-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

A Little Less Than Masculine..

2009-05-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

Foul Play.

2009-04-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia.

2009-04-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Disappointment.

2009-04-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature's Greatest Gift.

2009-04-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

One Small Step Towards Peace..

2009-04-26T00:04:00.001-07:00

On April 25th, 2009, people from 100 cities around the world gathered together for one purpose and one purpose only: to free Joseph Kony's child soldiers.

Salt Lake City had over 1500 people gather at the President's Circle on the U of U campus. From there, we symbolically abducted ourselves and marched to the Gallivan center, or the "LRA camp".

We all held on to a rope while traveling the distance, demonstrating our unity.

After we arrived, we patiently waited to be rescued by the Media and the Moguls. Simply because this is seemingly the only way these abducted children will have a chance at being brought home. Through the media and moguls, we will raise awareness about the sad fate of these children, and bring them to safety.

At only 7:30PM, we were rescued. The red flag symbolizing media attention, and the purple flag showing that we had at least one mogul show up and give a speech on behalf of the children.

The next mission: travel to the next closest city who has not yet been rescued, and increase the numbers until they are unavoidable. Many people traveled to Idaho and Nebraska soon after we had been rescued.

We were lucky to have been rescued so quickly. It was due to the effort that so many compassionate people had put into the event. Previously, we had emailed, mailed, and telephoned countless news broadcasters, governors, senators, mayors, etc. We made sure they were going to be there.

Our job wasn't done, however. We still had three flags that needed to be raised. Green: showing that we had raised an equivalent of five dollars per person that were attending the event. White: showing that each person had written at least two letters to a local or national mogul. Black: showing that at least 45 people had signed up for Lobby Days held in Washington DC on June 23rd and 24th.

It was due to these countless compassionate people that our goals were reached. I began to feel so thankful. I was thankful for everything; my family, friends, strangers, compassion, love, peace, freedom, everything. I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to have these things taken away.

I am extremely glad that the night was a success. This just proves my point even further that a good cause is nothing without good people to follow along with it.

Let 'em go, Jo.

Eyes of Sincerity.. or Betrayal?

2009-04-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

We see beauty through the barriers set in front of us.

2009-04-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Be a see-through-er, not a look-at-er.
Darrel Scott