Christmas

Yup. It's here. And this is the part where I brag about all my stuff! ;) Okay, only some of it.
I got a Canon Rebel T2i. LOVE! I will have a name for it soon. Also, now that I have a camera, keep checking my photo blog, Adventures. I got Bedtime Bunny, who is an adorable stuffed bunny, from Brielle. Mom and Dad gave me a new Pink Baby. Yay! My favorite childhood toy is back! Trevor got me a super soft scarf, which I am looking forward to wearing. Kristen got me a very pretty necklace. This year seemed to be my necklace year! I got a purple necklace from playing Bunko yesterday, a heart necklace from Grandma with my initials and an amethyst in it, and 2 necklaces from Santa Claus. One has a little ring that was CTR on it, and the other is 2 hearts. Yup! I got a rock tumbler, and it is currently tumbling some rocks in the garage. We got some Wii games for the family, and a Perplexes Ball. Brielle got and American Girl doll, and she's SO cute with it! That's about it. Also, please suggest names for my camera! I like to name my things. ;) I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so any name will do.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Signature

I'm testing out my new signature I made. How do you like it?

The arrival of December and Snow

(Note: Well, it's being stupid, so there's some weird things going on with the text. Sorry about that!!)

Hey! Alright, so I know I haven't posted on here for a LONG time. Hehe! Sorry 'bout that! Well, I would say that December has creeped up on me, but it hasn't. I've been eagerly counting down the days!! And to make things better, there's snow on the ground! It makes me all happy inside. Now, winter is my favorite season, and December my favorite month, it being the month of Christmas. I've been trying to decide what I like so much about those two things... Here's what I think might be behind my love of these two things.

My love of winter

Well, I guess my favorite part of winter is the snow. I actually hate winter days without snow. Because then it's just cold. Bluh. So, I guess this section should be called...

My love of snow

That's better! Snow. People say that they'd like it if it were warm. Agh! Warm snow? Weird... No, snow is good because it's cold. And white. And fluffy. Unless it is warm, then it's slushy. But we're talking about cold snow. There's something about the way snow makes you feel. It makes you feel warm inside! Even though it's cold... It makes the world beautiful, even with all it's pollution, and ugly stuff we humans have put everywhere. And when you go up into the mountains, and into the trees, it's breathtaking! It sparkles, and glimmers, and makes everything look...magical! Have you ever noticed that when there's snow on the ground, it seems to be quieter? It's like a big, white blanket that sucks up all sound. And watching snow fall... Wow, it's amazing! Or studying a snowflake. That's my favorite! Snow is just amazing! I know that it causes slippery roads, and makes frost on your window. But there's pros and cons to everything. Some people choose to look only at the cons: It's cold, it slippery, it's wet. I choose to look at the pros! It's fluffy, it's pretty, it covers all the ugly things, it sparkles... Mmmm.... I love snow!

My love of December

Well, in December there is Christmas, and Hanukkah, and, well, whatever other holidays are in December. My family and I celebrate Christmas. I love Christmas! Well, what I really love is the Christmas season! It seems like for a month everyone is just a little bit happier! And, admittedly, a little more stressed. But all the same, happier! There are 24 days before Christmas, and those days are filled with hustle, and bustle, and carols, and COOKIES!! Num. ;D And magic! Don't you think that Christmas is just magical! Another reason I love Christmas: We focus so much on Christ! More the usual that is. Now, we all know that Christ was probably born in April. But we can celebrate his birth in December! It's a great time. People find more love in their hearts. It's a season where lots of giving, and serving and loving happens. I love it! It is by far the best holiday

(speaking of Christ, we saw the Carl Bloch paintings at BYU! They were AMAZING!! Here's one of my favorites. It's kind of bad quality, sorry!)


And I think that's why having a White Christmas is so cool. Take the day filled with the most joy, and happiness, and excitement, and add magical, wonderful white snow. So, the arrival of December and of snow has made my insides go happy!!

↑One of my favorite songs!!↑

Fall Break

Well, today was the first day of Fall Break. YAY! After taking a Warm Vanilla Sugar scented bubble bath, Mom, Brielle and I went up to Build-a-Bear. Brielle and I got matching bears named Brooke and Snow Bear. Hers is Snow Bear. XD They're SO cute! Then we went to Costco, then home to drop the stuff off. Then we went up to a little party store up in Lehi. They had so many cute things! Mom bought me and Brielle candy sticks. Then we went up to Trafalga, and rode the go-carts, and Brielle rode a pony. We wanted to do bumper cars, but everyone came off wet, so we decided to skip it. After Trafalga we went to Grandmas. She's catsitting Dexter and he's a hyper little kitty! Can we say SPAZMOID! He's cute anyway! XD Then we came home and found Trevor watching the Mentalist on the couch downstairs. Now we're packing up for tomorrow, and we're (hopefully) going to eat dinner soon. Stay tuned for updates on Fall Break! XD

This is what Brooke looks like. Outfit and everything! (minus the boots) Brielle's is exactly the same, but with a different outfit. XD

Dear Maddie,

I hope you're fine up there in heaven! We're all going to really miss you, you know that, right? I can't believe that yesterday in science we were having so much fun together, and today you're gone! We're all wearing pink tomorrow to remember you, and our choir concert is dedicated to you. I''m so glad I got to know you, and have fun with you. We're going to miss your great personality down here on Earth, but hopefully you'll be just as happy up in heaven.
Loves from,
Marissa and everyone else who misses you♥

Maddie is a girl I know from school. This morning she got hit by a car, and she died this afternoon at Primary Children's Hospital up in Salt Lake. Please everyone pray for the Meacum family!

Photoshop

Okay, okay, these aren't great pictures. But, they're sort of ish kindaish good. Ish. XD Tell me your favorite one!

What I started with:What came next:


Yes, I know they're kinda not skillfully put together. But, I wasn't actually trying TOO hard. XD Tell me your favorite one!

Kristen

Basically, she's awesome. She's my role model (see this post). She's also much better at updating her blog then me! We had a sleepover on Friday, and then went to the State Fair on Saturday. So much fun! I love doing things with her, I love just having her around. I really miss having her at home. I just want to let her know, I love her, and she's the best big sister ever!!

P.S. I love this song of hers that she posted on her blog! Mad piano skills....

Haunting

Loneliness

I don't know what it is, but the past few days I've been feeling...lonely. I mean, there are people around me, all day, everyday, but it's an emotional loneliness. I don't know why it's happening know, or why it's even happening! I want that perfect friend. The friend who's shoulder you can cry on without feeling embarrassed. The one who you know will keep your secrets safe, and will always be there for you. D= Sadly, I don't even know if those kind of friends exist in my world. I miss Jessica and Rebecca. They were awesome friends! They don't even write me anymore though... I miss Kristen too. I mean, it's not like we ever did much together, but it's just weird having her gone. And I don't want Trevor to move out either. The other night he hoped up on my bed and we chatted a bit. It was very nice. I don't know who I'm gonna go talk to when both Kristen and Trevor are moved out. They used to talk to each other, but the only sibling I really have to talk to now is Brielle. Trevor assured me that I can call him anytime! XD I guess I'll just keep praying, and waiting, and hoping this bout of loneliness will pass. Soon.

The Worth of Weeds

I got this from the May 2007 New Era. I thought it was really good.

The Worth of Weeds
Sometimes to really see yourself, you have to see others more clearly.

The fresh mountain air cooled my lungs as a laced up my boots. Next to me, my horse whinnied impatiently.
"I know, girl. I'm coming," I said soothingly, as I stroked her reddish-brown mane.
I finished fastening the saddle, mounted, and was off.
As I rode up the mountain, I thought of all the troubles that were weighing on my mind. I was a junior in high school--worried about friends, sports, final exams, and where to apply for college. Hundreds of thoughts swirled around in my brain. There were simply too many problems; I would never be able to solve them all. That's really why I had come to the mountains. I needed to escape for a while.
After a time, I arrived at my favorite spot--a small out-of-the-way clearing that overlooks a mountain valley. I stopped my horse and said a small prayer in my heart.
"Heavenly Father," I prayed, "I am so tired and so overwhelmed. Please give me some comfort. I just need a little peace."
The answer came almost immediately. "Look up."
As I raised my eyes, I was met with a scene of such astonishing beauty that I could scarcely breathe. All of my problems seemed to melt away as I soaked up the view. The farms in the valley were laid out like squares in a patchwork quilt, and on that day in May many of the fields had come to life in brilliant shades of green. What struck me most, however, was not the green. Throughout the fields of green were generous smatterings of the most vibrant yellow I had ever seen. The effect was mesmerizing, and it sparked my curiosity because I knew there weren't any local crops of that color.
I rode faster on the way down, eager to get to the valley floor and discover the source of that captivating yellow. When I reached the fields, I was astonished to find that the beauty of that
that had so enchanted me didn't come from anything exotic. The fields were filled with simple, unassuming dandelions. I picked one small dandelion and brought it close to my nose. It was amazing to me how much difference perspective had made. From high above, I was quite taken in by the beauty of something that most people on the valley floor would call a weed. I would never have recognized its worth if I had not been prompted to look up and find the beauty in it.
I realized that I sometimes treat people the way most people treat the dandelion I held in my hand. I decide that they aren't really worth my notice, without pausing to get to know them better or to think of how greatly the Lord values them. God knew that the dandelion was beautiful in its simplicity, even when most people couldn't see it.
It occurred to me that I was much like the dandelion. Small, imperfect--but important and cherished in the eyes of my Heavenly Father. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1926-2004) once said that, "sometimes with smudges on our cheeks, dirt on our hands, and shoe untied, stammeringly but smilingly we present God with a dandelion--as if it were and orchid or a rose! If for now the dandelion is the best we have to offer, He receives it, knowing what we may later place on the altar" (That Ye May Believe [1992] , 100)
Since that day I have never looked down at those little yellow flowers, I don't see something to be stomped on, plucked up, or sneered at. I see effortless charm and loveliness. I will be forever grateful for the lesson I learned on that day--never judge someone of something until you have tried to see them from the Lord's point of view, because the Lord, from His perspective high above mine, has a far better view and can much more easily judge the worth of flowers and souls.
~Riley M. Lorimer

I loved this, and just thought I'd share!
P.S. I'm having a bit of formatting trouble, so ignore lack of paragraphs please! xD

Wow. This is cool.

Nikki showed me this cool new site called iGoogle! I'm currently making this post, ON iGOOGLE! It's awesome. Well, yeah. Just testing this out really. xD

♫On the stage again!♫

I am doing summer acting classes at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. It's so much fun! My teacher was my third grade teacher, and the director for many of the plays I've been in. I can't tell you how good it feels to be on stage again! I mean, sure, it's not some big production we're doing, but it's still feels great! There's something about acting that's super awesome. I don't know what it is... Some say it's the applause at the end, but that's not it for me. I mean, yeah, that feels good! But it's something else. It's the entire process that pulls me in. Most people don't like blocking. But I do! I love learning the dance moves, and the lines, and just pulling yourself into it. That must be what it is! Being someone else! Being me is great, but it's also fun to put on a costume and be someone else for an hour or so. Anyway, it doesn't matter what it is that makes acting so great, acting is great! And it feels grand to be doing it again! On that note, it's about time to go to my acting class!!

Emily

♫Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear EMILY! Happy birthday to you!♫ YAY! Happy birthday Emily! Her birthday was yesterday, but I was too busy hanging out with her to do this post! ^_^ Emily loves to act, and is very good at it. She is very dramatic, all the time! That's my favorite thing about her! She can bust some wicked dance moves, and dances through ALL the time! She is also a very good singer, and also does that a lot! She is very fun to hang around, and she has a great sense of humor. She is funny, smart, pretty, fun, and just a great friend in general! Happy birthday Emily! Luv ya! ♥

Happiness

Kristen, Stephani and I just got back from a photo shoot. It was quite fun! We went down to Neilson's Grove and played in the fountains, and the flowers, and on the swings ^_^ And earlier today I helped Katie make a blog. It was...interesting! XD Other than that, today was quite uneventful. But those might be my favorite days. The uneventful ones. Oh, and I played on photoshop! YAY!

Friends

Ok, so all my friends are here and it is AMAZING! Okay, well, not all of them. But most. ^_^ We're having a sluber/camping party. YAY! Anyway, that's my happiness of the day. Dad is going to light a fire soon, and we're going to eat. YAY! Well, gotta go be DRUNK! On happiness! (And love) ♥♥♥

Wonderfully Fantastical Day

My favorite things about today.

• Purple Tulips
• Smell of dirt
• Sleeping in
• Yummy Suckers
• Power Point
• Homework
• Sunshine
• Shorts
• Vanilla scented lotion
• Little Birds
• Piano
• Little sister
• Vacuuming
• Eeyore necklace
• Brown polka dotted scarf
• Blogging
• Trees
• Sweeping
• Monkey Bars

Disneyland!!! (and a traveling teddy!)

Yup. We're going to Disneyland! Tomorrow! There's been a lot of preparation, but I'm SOOO glad we're going! I also got a teddy bear who will be my "traveling teddy" I'm going to post pictures, and little journal entries on his blog. His name is Jonathan, or Jonny Bear, and I think it will be fun. You should check it out!!! Anyway, we need to get up early tomorrow, so GOODNIGHT!!!


~Marissa

Goals

•Be happier
•Laugh More
•Be Kinder
•Take more time to be alone
•Get fresh air more often
•Eat Healthier
•Spend more time with family
•Spend less time on computer
•Exercise more
•Read more
•Learn more
•Turn to God more
•Do more Personal Progress
•Be more organized
•Serve more

Role Models

Alright, so I have many role models. I want to model myself after so many great people, and that's great! I want to be better, and to have someone or something to model yourself after really helps. Some of my role models? Here they are, and why.

My Mom: Alright, so everyone's role model is their mom, and for good reason too! Of course, no other mom is as great as my mom, and I'm not just saying that. I know I can go to her for help. She can make me laugh, make me feel like I'm someone special in this world, and make me feel like I'm loved, because I am. She teaches me, and lets me learn. She doesn't hover, but she's always there when I need her. She's amazing, and I want to be just like her. I can only hope to be as great a mom as she is.

My Dad: He loves me, and is always trying to do what's best for me. I can tell that whatever he does, he does because he loves me. Love basically radiates off him! He's always doing the right thing, and I love him a ton! I don't like it when he's not here for dinner, or when he goes to meetings, but I know he's doing what he has to. He is active in his calling, and is working hard to make a living for his family. He is a great role model, I love him SO much. ♥

Jesus Christ: He should probably be at the top of this list. Who doesn't want to be like Christ? He love unconditionally, he helps, heals, loves. He is the greatest role model of all.

Trevor: He's so funny, so fun to be around. I want to be as happy as him, and as great a friend and sibling as him. He can tell awesome jokes, and it seems like he's always happy! I love him SO much!

Kristen: She is so happy! All the time! She laughs a lot, and her laugh is contagious and AMAZING (like mine! ^_^) . It's just such a happy sound! She knows that family, and friends are important. She is bubbly, and really fun to be around. She knows who she is, and she knows how to love. I really want to be like her. I also want handwriting like her. ;)

How to Train Your Dragon

LOVED this movie! It was funny, had action, had dragons, had dragons, had dragons, oh, and did I mention? It had dragons. I LOVE DRAGONS! I want one now, but there's a 0% chance of that happening, sadly. ='( Everyone should see this movie! It's amazing!


~Marissa the one who so desperately wants a dragon, but know that it will never happen so she'll just have to get her Mom to buy How to Train Your Dragon when it comes out on DVD

25 little known facts about ME!

• I love history-Yes, yes I do. I really like looking at (and touching) old artifacts. I think it would be really fun to be a history teacher someday!
• I love interior design-The placing of the furniture, color coordinating, creating a balance, I love it all!
• I'm afraid of the dark-Like, REALLY afraid of the dark. If I'm inside, it's not as bad. But outside? Ohhhh no!
• I enjoy being small-Sometimes. Most of the time, I enjoy being small! Just as long as someday I grow tall enough to actually reach stuff. Being small makes me...happy! I feel like some petite little princess!
• I would like to live near the forest-All the cool fantasy stuff happens in a forest. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can see some fairies, right? Just kidding! I do think it would be fun though...
• I'm scared of being alone in the forest-I hate just sitting alone in the woods. I do this often while camping, but I hate it anyway!
• I'm VERY afraid of rattlesnakes, wasps/hornets, and angry moose-Okay, I've never ever seen an angry moose, but I'm still very afraid of them!
  
• I hate spiders-Okay, everyone knows this! But, it's true.
• I think bubbles are amazing-Don't ask why. I like the word, the actual thing, and anything that has to do with it. I want to ride in one someday, but somehow I think that that will never happen.
• I still play make believe-When my bedroom door is closed, I'm most likely trapped by trolls, flying on a dragon, swimming through the sea, hunting mice and voles for my clan, shooting arrows, running away from a fire, talking with Greek gods, making a forest dwelling, becoming a princess, living on the street, leading a war, sailing a boat, or doing something else along those lines.
• I love the font Comics Sans-It’s a cool font, you must admit.
• I love multiples of 3, and hate multiples of 2 and 4-Three is my lucky number. That must have something to do with it...
• I love the number 13-Only sometimes though. Depends on my mood.
• Sometimes my ears randomly ring-Weird, huh?
• I love babies-They're SOOOO cute! AHHH!!!
• I love Eeyore-My family already knows this, but other might not. It all started when we were in Disney World, and I saw a really cute stuffed Eeyore. I told Mom that Eeyore was my favorite, hoping she would buy it for me. She didn't but I realized that I really did like Eeyore. For my next birthday I got quite a few Eeyore things, including the Eeyore that I was at Disney World
• I have several favorite words-Smile, dream, believe, laugh, hope, bubble, plethora, petite, mirage, and frumpled (this one is made up) are among them.
• I have random little phases over things I like-For example: Detectives, warriors, huskies, wild cats, webkinz, princesses, and currently? Fairies.
• I am claustrophobic-Trevor says I'm not, but put me in a small enough space and I freak out!
• I love small(er) spaces-Not too small mind you... But little hideouts and stuff. They're fun!
• I LOVE shopping!-I don't like spending the money, but looking around is fun! Gift shops are THE BEST!!!
• I wish I had a pet dog-Truly, I do. But if I had to choose between our cats, and a dog, I would choose the cats.
  
• I wish I had a pet bird-A parakeet would be nice. Minus the smell. =P
• I love Greek mythology-It's really cool, don't you think?
• I can't think of a 25th thing-Uhhh... So, maybe there are 24 little known facts about me... Oh well! ^_^