Q & A

Okay, I have gotten many requests (two, to be exact) to answer my own questions so here it goes:

1. What was the best Christmas present you ever got? I'm thinking that it would have to be the Whoopi Cushion that I received this year. Nah...it was the phone I got last year, but then washed.
2. The worst? Um...I don't know. I can't think of any that I really didn't like. I guess I'm just lucky that way.
3. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve book shopping.
4. What is your favorite holiday food? Scones on Christmas morning.
5. Do you decorate your house? I don't, but my family does.
6. What color Christmas lights do you use/are your favorites? I like the classic white look...
7. What is your favorite activity to do in the snow? Sledding, by far.
8. Favorite Christmas song? Any non-conventional ones (like Jason Mraz - Winter Wonderland)
9. Least favorite Christmas song? Any over the top crap.
10. Do you still believe in Santa? Who doesn't? Is there any reason not to believe?

There you go...

Comment Love?

So I finally figured out why people couldn't comment. I wouldn't let you! I had my setting on so that only bloggers could comment, but know anyone can! Whoo!

Now you better comment or I will be irreversibly sad. :(

Christmas Wishes

My Christmas wish is that I will get some comments for my lonely blog so...in an attempt to make all of you readers out there actual comment for once, I will ask questions. You can answer as many as you would like, or just one, but you have to answer at least one! Got it?




1. What was the best Christmas present you ever got?
2. The worst?
3. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
4. What is your favorite holiday food?
5. Do you decorate your house?
6. What color Christmas lights do you use/are your favorites?
7. What is your favorite activity to do in the snow?
8. Favorite Christmas song?
9. Least favorite Christmas song?
10. Do you still believe in Santa?

Answer away bloggers...answer away.

Testing My Limits

So I have three tests tomorrow. THREE! Guess how many periods I have in one day. Four. So that sums up to about only one period tomorrow in which my mental capacity is not being tested. Right now I'm printing out the outlines for a couple chapters for my AP History test. Oh, and I'm also putting off the studying portion of my night because I'm just too nervous. I hate studying. The teachers at Cottonwood are cruel people for putting me through this ordeal. Three tests in one day...who could handle that? Not I, said the Rachel.

Oh, and that's not all, no, because not only do I have three tests in one day, I have five tests for the whole week. I had one test today (English - it was an essay test and I'm pretty sure I did fine on that), THREE tomorrow, as previously stated, and then one on Thursday. Oh gosh...

I'm thinking maybe I should just go outside, pretend to slip and fall, and break my arm so I don't have to go to school tomorrow, and then someone else with graciously take all my tests for me because they feel bad. And then, Prince Charming will come find me and we'll ride off together on a white steed. Oh wait...things that good only happen in fairy tales, not in poor little Rachel's life. Dang.

Since that's clearly not going to happen, let's just hope I maintain my sanity long enough to get through tomorrow. I am going sledding with the Young Men and Women's after school though, so hopefully that will lift my spirits cause I'm doomed to fail my AP History test. It's just inevitable...

She's....ALIVE!!!!

Yes, yes, I know. I haven't been posting as much as everyone would like me to, but I've come up with a couple legitimate excuses as to why that is so. 1) School is kicking my butt. If I'm not doing math homework, I'm studying for a test. If I'm not studying for a test I'm reading for English. And low and behold, that all powerful Cornell Notes for AP History. You've all heard the horror stories that come from them. They are why I wake up screaming in the morning. 2) No one ever comments (except for Diane and Meili...I will recognize those two as committed commenters). What is the point of having a blog if no one comments, I ask you? There is no reason, so if you want me to continue blogging...COMMENT! Por favor. 3) My computer was out for a long time and then when we finally got it back from getting fixed (we had to clear EVERYTHING from it so now I have to take the time to go get more pictures to post...ugh) it was SO SLOW! I didn't understand why it was so slow...I mean...we cleared everything from it and it's even slower than it was before we got it fixed? What is all of that about? Sheesh!

Okay. Enough with the excuses. Let's get on to what's been happening with me lately, no?

PANDEMONIUM WEEKEND

Coldplay Concert
I know! My friend Adriana got me and Kenzie Coldplay concert tickets as an early Christmas present! (In the words of Adriana, "When I say that I mean that you're not getting anything else,") Let me just say that it was awesome! We had great seats, which always makes for a more pleasant concert experience. We weren't on the ground floor, but from the balcony we were diagonal (not by much) from the stage so we could see everything going on below us. Twas fantastic! At one point, amongst the headbanging, laughing, dog-barking, and crooning, Chris Martin (lead singer) waved at us! I swear it was to us because he look up towards us, and we raised out fists in a sort of salute, and he waved back! Ah! I almost passed out then and there. Not to mention that Chris Martin almost exploded our hearts by doing to cutest, skipping/prancing dance you have ever seen! I was seriously jealous of his crazy dancing skills that night. Kolbs was there too. Her parents got her tickets as a birthday present before. We could see her across from us where we sat so we frantically waved at her frequently.

Midnight Showing of Twilight
I don't want to say too much about this one so as not to ruin it for those losers who haven't already seen it, but I will say that it was a lot of fun. I went with my three besties of course (Adri, Kenz, and Kolbs), along with all three of Adriana's sisters and my brother David (who is dating Adriana's older sister Amanda for those of you who don't know). We kept up the tradition of midnight showings by eating Wendy's and squealing a lot in excitement during the movie. I thought that the movie was good...for the movie. Of course movies never fully compare to the books, but it was good, and I want to go see it again. Next time though I won't sleep through my alarm and will get to the movie theater on time rather than an hour late. Sorry guys!

Kolbie's Birthday Party!
Kolbie is 16! AH! Which means that the rest of us will soon be following. Adriana's next on January 4th, followed by Kenzie on February 8th, and finally me on the 3rd of March! We're all so excited, but Kenzie will be the only one to have her license...I couldn't fit Drivers Ed in my schedule this year so I'm taking it during the summer. Anyways, her birthday was a ton of fun. She did an open house thing where people could just come from 7 - 10 and eat, play games, drop off her present, and then scaddadle whenever they wanted. Most people ended up staying until ten though, and once Adriana, Kenz, and I figured that we should try to socialize with Kolbie's other friends, it was a lot of fun. I even made off with New Moon (yes, I'm reading the books again), and three boxes of leftover pizza. It was a good night.

Sunday - Young Women's Program/Standards Night
I had to speak and sing a duet with my friend Kimmie for the Young Women's Program on Sunday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I kinda did stumble through my talk, mostly because I prepared it that morning based on all of the other crazy stuff I did last weekend (see above - that was all last weekend!). Then, that night was Standards Night with Ann(e) Dibbs (President Monson's daughter!) speaking, and I was asked to say the closing prayer. Not that hard until you get up there and start by saying, "Dear kind dear Heavenly Father...". Well what can I say. Heavenly Father is just really dear and I just wanted to make that point okay!

Chili's Dinner Night (yesterday)
So David just decided to invite a bunch of people he knew, but didn't know each other, out to Chili's for dinner. Somehow I got invited along with Adriana and of course her older sister Amanda. So we show up and get escorted to a table for 12. Yeah...can you just imagine a bunch of David's friends (they're all just as crazy, if not crazier, than he is), his little sister, his little sister's friend/his girlfriends little sister, and Amanda's friend all trying to make conversation at a table in Chili's? It was an...interesting experience. I can't really explain it, but I'm glad I went. I'm sure the waitress didn't like it, but we all had fun.

Alright...this post should suffice for a couple more days/weeks. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I'll Be There For You

Again...this is nother excerpt from my other blog, but you guys are just too special to leave out.

"I got my Patriarchal Blessing on Sunday (October 5th). I tell you right now that it was truly amazing. At first it was a little awkward talking to the Patriarch because he kept asking me questions that I didn't know the answers to, but when the time came to get my actual Blessing it was amazing. Stunningly I didn't cry during the process, but I did bawl thinking about it later that night and about what it said.

It's still astounding to me to realize that my Patriarchal Blessing has already helped me. It's made me realize once and for all that God knows me personally and that he does look over me, and that I'm here for a purpose. Before I was always told that he was there and loved me, but I didn't feel it. Now I do, and it's...miraculous, the change that I already feel. I want to be the best person I can be, for Him.

Some good news from my Blessing is that I will get married (to a Priesthood holder who wants to walk righteously in the Lord, or something like that), which made me almost cry out right there in the middle of the Blessing. I was so afraid that I was going to be told that I would never marry and grow up without a husband. All of you already know that I'm a hopeless romantic (the biggest around), so I was super worried about that fact. I'm from the tribe of Ephraim, which is awesome, and basically I was told that I'm to aid and assist."

Seriously. It was AWESOME!

Acquaintances

This is an excerpt from my other blog, my private blog, so you should be feeling pretty special right now that I'm willing to share these DEEP feelings with you.

"I used to be her twin
Her other half
Her secret keeper
The one she turned to
for help

We used to laugh together
all the time
Go home with sad faces
Until the next day
when we'd be together again

Walking around the track
I used to listen
and lend a helping hand
into her problems

I used to enjoy every day
just because I knew
My loyal friend
would be there for me

We knew each other
inside and out
And I thought
we would always be friends

It wasn't to be
We had to leave each other
And go our separate ways
And I still ask myself why

Was it something I did
I often ask myself
and then I know
that we are no longer friends

Just insignificant acquaintances
Is what we pretend to be
But I hope, and pray,
That someday
we will be together again

Just like old summer days"

Funloving Montage

Bohemian Rhapsody = the theme music for my friends and I. I'm not kidding. Every time we here the beginning line, "Is this the real life...?" we're hooked like a fish biting on an exceptionally juicy worm. What is this power that this song posses? We don't know...all that we know is that we are helpless to the phenomenal authority this song wields.

That is the song that yesterday ended on. Amanda (Adriana's sister) decided to give us (Adriana, Kenz, and myself) a ride home. Once in the car we were already blasting Mama Mia, singing (Kenz and I uncertainly) to the song and making amazing fools of ourselves as we exited the parking lot of Cottonwood High School. It was then that Amanda and I decided that we were hungry, and where else do we go but the legendary Woody's?

Walking in you immediately take in the aroma of ice cream and hamburgers, the old 50s-70s music playing from the brightly colored jukebox in the corner. If that's not paradise, I don't know what is. Of course we all order the same thing: The Student Special with Curly Fries for $3.50. We picked a booth and immediately started talking about anything and everything, laughing and enjoying ourselves while we waited for our food.

Stuffing our faces, we continued to talk, me mostly about stupid things as Adriana and Kenz explained my "What if..." questions to Amanda, and how they were usually about monkey's swinging from tree to tree in our neighborhood or as we ride home on the bus. Little did we know that the time was trickling by. Eventually someone has the sense to look at a clock (and not the small Coke one in the restaurant that permanently reads 11:00). Two hours had passed since we entered the restaurant!

Smiling and laughing at each other we decided that it was probably best to get home. Getting into the car we, again, we blasted music and sang at the top of our lungs in which reminded me of a classic movie with a car full of girls in a convertible, hair flying in the air, and doing the exact same thing we were doing. Although...we were cooler because we didn't need the convertible, instead using Amanda's old, lightening stripped car.

Suddenly, the beginning voices of Bohemian Rhapsody start up through the radio. "No Amanda! I can't afford my neck hurting in the morning!" I yell, but it's too late...I'm already caught up in the sounds and voices of the song.



P.S. I've decided that I want a jukebox for my 16th birthday.

Ni hao

This is a note I wrote in my fourth period today. It's not really to anyone in particular, it was just so I would have something to do. Here it is...

What the freaking heck. Okay, so I'm in Chinese but wait! I am not in the Chinese classroom. So where could I be? Rachel Johnson is currently in the stupid AIMES hall in a science classroom sitting on a stool with her knees pressed against a counter and a laptop facing her. What in the world are we doing, you ask? We are researching Mid-Autumn Day (a Chinese holiday) that we are going to create a tri-fold poster presentation on that's not even due for two weeks!~
I do not understand why we are doing it here if we just have to go home and do it anyways. To make things better I have to listen to stupid Chris, (the MOST annoying kid I have EVER encountered) and his less annoying but still retarded friend "Wolf". Yeah...I'm not making this up. I freaking want to punch everyone in this class in the face!
Plus Katrina is here, which isn't a bad thing except for the fact that she NEVER talks. Not even when you are looking and talking directly to her. For example: since we are using AIME computers the Cottonwood students had to ask one of the AIME students to log in for them. After like, twenty minutes of just standing there doing nothing but looking frightened, Katrina gets a computer and then asks me to get someone to log in for her because she "doesn't like talking to people". Seriously!
Ha ha, I'm listening to this guy trying to explain to our teacher that he will be able to do more at home than here. It's a funny conversation.
Yes! We only have ten minutes left of school! Time to go.

So in the note, I lied. When I said ten minutes it was the computer that said we only had ten more minutes. Really we had like twenty which made me really sad when I found out. So for the rest of the class period I sat and read while Zhong loa shi (meaning teacher Zhong - her last name - in Chinese) drilled me on how much information I got. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

P.S. That Chinese character up there is the character meaning, "Endurance," which is exactly what I need for that class right now.

Who's Up In The House? C-WOOD!!!

Rachel is growing up right before your eyes. One day she was the cutest little three year old girl walking around at the Ranch, and now...she's a sophomore at one of the best high school's (excuse me...THE best high school) in the state. COTTONWOOD HIGH SCHOOL!!! Boo-ya!

So my first week was alright, except for I got homework on the first day. Who does that? Honestly? I mean, come ON! So everything was fine until I get to my Chinese class which is full of, let's be honest, unpopular, immature, weirdos! I thought only cool people, like me, were supposed to take Chinese, but NNNOOO, all the really annoying people decided to, and as a cruel joke the school decided to put me in a class of people I just don't have any patience for. I swear...one of these days I'm going to get arrested for punching EVERYONE in that class. Especially this kid named Chris who has long, greasy blond hair that he always wears in a ponytail and laughs like a girl on crack, just to get attention.

Well...I don't hate everyone in the class, that was a lie. You see, there is the gorgeous senior who sits in the back of the class everyday, and we've had some eye contact. Woo! His name is Nick, and I'm still too scared to go back there and sit by him (we don't have assigned seats in that class yet). I mean, seriously, that is not going to happen. He is so cute that I suspect that he would already have a girlfriend. (I was NOT thinking of becoming his girlfriend...at least not until March 3, 2009...)

All of my other classes are fine, and even though AP History is already kicking my butt, and the Physics part of my Algebra II/Physics block class is really confusing, I think I'm all right. I love my B days so even if I have the crappiest day before, I always cheer up immensely the next day. My friends are just going to have to learn to deal with a split personality.

Got Jackie Boy?

I am sure you are all dying to hear about my first ever concert experience with one of my favorite artists; Jack Johnson. It seems as though Meili has already posted a rather hilarious (and true) story about our little adventures. Take a look...

http://theincredibleedibleblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/jack-caffeine-free-diet-coke.html

Standing Ovation

I just think this picture is way funny. Anyways...

Well, it seems as though my blog gets a lot of attention, but I wouldn't know seeing as my Comment Tank is on Empty. It's okay to comment, even if you're telling me how stupid I am for quitting soccer because now I'll get fat and lazy. Seriously...I like comments, they're my friend. Don't be shy to make fun of me if you want, go right ahead, it's all fun and games.

Right now I'm trying really hard not to sing my lungs out to "Your Song" from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack (Ewan McGregor has one of the sexiest voices EVA!). I've been singing all day (it's a good singing day for me today) and...well...it's just one of those days where I rock at singing and am like, "Why hasn't a talent scout hidden in my bushes and discovered me yet?". Some days I'll be like some amazing singer, and others it's, well...crap. Today is a good day.

Oh! Speaking of singing reminded me of how I'm in the stupid Soprano-Alto Chorus in school (if I'm in an all girls choir, then who am I gonna flirt with for the hour and a half class is in session I ask you?), and then THAT reminded me of how I got my school schedule and should share it with you! Okay...this is it....

A1 Intermediate Algebra - Honors (Stavn)
A2 World History - Advanced Placement (Schwen)
A3 Computer Applications CC (Holmberg)
A4 Mandarin Chinese 1 (no teacher)
B1 Physics 1-2 - Honors (Cannon)
B2 Soprano-Alto Chorus (Pike)
B3 English 3-4 Honors (Paradis)
B4 Released Time (Staff)

Now for the explanation of these classes. The first period on each A and B day is the Algebra/Physics Block as they call it. First we learn the math principals and then we apply them. Bleh. My history and English classes are both honors and I'm kinda scared to death about it. I'm freaking out! The Chinese class, don't worry, they have a teacher and he's even flying in from China, but I'm not sure that they know his last name because there wasn't anything like that on my schedule.

School is about a week away, and I wish it wasn't, but at the same time I am SUPER excited to start high school. I mean...SENIOR BOYS! Seriously! AND I will be 16 by the time Prom comes around. *squeal*! I never thought that I would be the kind of girl to get excited about that, but I think it's more that I will be able to date than the actual idea of the Prom. :D

P.S. - Mom, when I said senior boys...I was just kidding...but I CAN date in seven more months.

You Don't Know Me

Let's make this short shall we?

I quit the soccer team. I wasn't having fun, and last year I nearly broke down because there was too much responsibility for me to handle all at once. This year I want it to be better, so I'm de-junking my life (not to say that soccer is junk!). School is going to be really busy for me, and I didn't want anything else interfering with my 4.0 GPA goal. I need more open time in my schedule this year, and I think taking soccer out of the equation, even just for this year, will help me.

Please don't feel sorry for me. None of this, "Aw, poor Rachel, had to quit soccer,". NO! It was the right thing for me this time. And instead of trying to please other people, which I constantly do, I am going to focus my attention on pleasing myself this year. Don't worry, I'll still try to be nice to other people, but maybe I should just concentrate on making myself happy before making others happy.

Smackdown

I was going to write about the full week of soccer that I've had, but instead I got distracted by a fly. I don't know what it is about them today, but they seem to have an ongoing bet to see who of them can fly around my face and buzz in my ear and be the most annoying things on the planet to me. All day I've had fly after retarded fly come right at my face and fly around until I scream out of loss of patience and flip around like a crazy person trying to get the menace out of my face.

It doesn't sound like anything now, but if one more fly comes at me tonight, I think I might just spontaneously combust.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Honk + Wave - Limbeck

She really broke my heart in two
Four years later, I still never forgave her
The thing is, when I was ready to
I had completely dismissed her
Now I think I'm driving through her state

And I'm not ready for some burnt down bridge just yet
And I'm not sayin that I want anything from you
The only thing I really want now
If I see you, Suze
Is if we drove side by side
On a highway in the in the beehive state
That we could Honk and Wave

So I'll just keep taking the 15 through
It's kind of early so I'm swerving and swerving
There's really nothing else to do
except sit and keep steering, thinking, driving through her state

And I'm not ready for some burnt down bridge just yet
And I'm not sayin that I want anything from you
The only thing I really want now
If I see you, Suze
Is if we drove side by side
On a highway in the in the beehive state
That we could Honk and Wave

That we could Honk and Wave

I wonder of a way that I could
Make her feel like an ass
Without her thinking I'm trying to do that

I'm thinking of a way that I could
Make her feel like an @$$
Without her thinking that I'm trying to
Without her thinking that I'm trying to

And I'm not ready for some burnt down bridge just yet
And I'm not sayin that I want anything from you
The only thing I really want now
If I see you, Suze
Is if we drove side by side
On a highway in the in the beehive state
That we could Honk and Wave

That we could Honk and Wave

(Not So) Free Slurpees!

Everyone knows that on July 7th that if you go to a Seven-Eleven gas station that you will be able to get a 7.11oz slurpee for free right? A whole bunch of sevens and elevens, that's the fun of it right? My friends and I have been planning for this all year. I mean, if you can get anything that's free my friends and I are most likely there. Anyways.

So around seven o'clock in the afternoon today my friend Adriana called and asked if I wanted to go over to her house so we could walk to Seven-Eleven to get some free slurpees. I had TOTALLY forgotten that today was the big day, so naturally I was super excited. Long story short (cause I'm getting told that I have to get off of the computer in five minutes) we got to Seven-Eleven and there was a sign that said...

"Free Slurpees from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM"

I mean! Sheesh! Who's going to go to Seven-Eleven at six in the morning just for a seven ounce slurpee?!?! That's insanity! If ANYTHING it should have said, "Free Slurpees from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM" just to stick to the whole seven and eleven theme they had going on there. Psh!

Instant Karma

Now let's get one thing straight people: if you think that I'm not going to rant or blab about certain things anymore then you couldn't be more wrong. I'm just limiting a couple things. For example, I probably will no longer talk about how mad I am at my family and stuff like that. THAT is the personal stuff that I'm limiting. Not the boys (well only a little bit), not my sometimes crappy boring life, not my amazingly curled hair today (just had to stick that in there so you know that I look cute today). Don't feel TOO bad about yourselves because you're still going to have a couple nightmares about what I write...just not as much as before.

Okay, moving on. Today I had an ortho appointment and I have to start wearing bands again. Their right in front of my mouth! It's silly. Why can't we have some like, magical pill that you take and then when you wake up the next day your teeth are perfect? I'm sure someone on this planet is smart enough to make that pill, if only just for me, because I hate bands.
After the ortho appointment I went the the library and got a couple of CDs which include: the soundtrack of Walk The Line, Michael Jackson (Off the Wall), Justin Timberlake (Justified - I thought that was clever, he he), and Instant Karma - The amnesty International Campaign To - Save Darfur. I was excited for that one because it has Jack Johnson singing Imagine on it. I listened to it as soon as I got home and almost melted. I am SO excited that my sister loves me enough to get me Jack Johnson tickets. :)
You know what I thought was stupid though...the Park Library doesn't have, like, ANY Sarah Dessen books! There are three of her books that I haven't read yet and I wanted to check them out (That Summer, Keeping the Moon, and Dreamland). I highly recommend Just Listen, or The Truth About Forever to you book readers. I really like any books by Sarah Dessen, but they might be teenager books so I'm not sure how much other people will like them, but if you're curious then I would go check one out just to check it out. He he...

Explanation

You might have realized that you can no longer access my other blog, Organized Chaos, and you might be asking yourself on question: Why? My answer to that question would be this: Because I said so...

Long story short, my other blog is for my three best friends and my sister to read, no one else. I have felt like I have had to seriously filter what I'm saying, afraid that I might give out too much information about my secret teenage life, so instead of just blocking out all of my wonderful family members from knowing what I am doing and how I am doing, I have decided to open a family friendly blog in which anyone in my family can read without too many problems (too many being the key words there...I am still the same crazy teenage girl I was on my other blog, just a little more filtered and censored now).

So...if you have any questions about my explanation I probably won't answer them. Just know that you will probably no longer get to hear about amazingly cute boys and how much I just want to lick their stomachs (words taken from one of my besties, Adriana Martinez), or how much I want to bash in my math teachers head. Don't worry, you'll still get to hear about those things, just not as detailed and inappropriate as if you were reading Organized Chaos, and doesn't that just let us all sleep a little better at night? I would sure think so.