Dancing Queen

Today, I am the dancing queen, only seventeen. :)

Today I have had phone calls, texts, notes, facebook posts, recordings, visitors, and even a video all to wish me happy birthday. Talk about feeling loved! Thank you everyone! I am having one extremely happy birthday because of you all. In just one year, from sixteen to seventeen, so much has happened! I've been in five plays, been to five school dances, met so many new amazing people, and most of all, I've found out so much about myself. So today, I will celebrate life, and I will be the dancing queen.

Christmas

CHRISTMAS!

Hurrah for Christmas! It came waaaaaay fast this year; time just slid by.

It has been a much different Christmas for me this year because honestly, I couldn't think of anything I really wanted. I mean, there were things I wanted like a new pair of pants and new tennis shoes for aerobics and things like that, but those aren't fun things that you want to ask for on Christmas! So I really struggled trying to think of something I wanted. My parents kept asking me and asking me what I wanted for Christmas and I just honestly didn't know what to tell them. Which makes it that much harder that my birthday is tomorrow. I'm supposed to provide them with a list of things they can give me that can cover two days worth of gifts? Needless to say, that isn't going to happen. I wasn't able to give them a list of what I wanted this year, because there really wasn't anything I did want. This Christmas helped me realize something very important, I already have EVERYTHING I could ever wish for. My parents have already provided me with everything I could ever need and more. They love and care for me. I also have friends that love and care for me. The more time I spend with said friends, the more I realize just how great my life is. So, this Christmas, I've been thinking about how grateful I am for all that I have. What comes to mind is Josh Groban's song, Thankful. 

"Somedays, we forget to look around us.

Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us.

So caught up inside ourselves, 

we take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for

what we know can be.

And on this day, we hope for

what we still can't see. 

It's up to us to be the change.

And even though we all could still do more,

there's so much to be thankful for."

Merry Christmas

I've Got Time

So. I'm sitting at home, and it's now Thanksgiving break, and all I can keep thinking to myself is, 

I've got time.

I'm playing my childish computer game, and I'm thinking,

I've got time before I really need to go unload the dishes.

I've got time before I need to go to bed.

I've got time before I need to think about boys.

I've got time before I need to write some letters.

I've got time to post something new to my blog.

I've got time before I need to work on my pieces for drama state.

I've got time before I need to think about my Thanksgiving plans.

I've got time before I need to work on my pieces some more.

I've got time before I need to compete and conquer at state.

I've got time before I need to re-memorize the Foreigner.

I've got time before I need to worry about Junior Miss.

I've got time before I need to perform the Foreigner.

I've got time before I need to worry about friend's birthdays.

I've got time before I need to fret about Christmas.

I've got time before I need to worry about turning 17. 

I've got time before I need to worry about college.

I've got time before I need to worry about my career.

I've got time before I need to figure out what I'm doing in my life.

So why is it, that even though I have all this time, I constantly worry about it anyway?

Because these are the things on my mind.

Not to mention family.

Now I've decided something. If I wanted to change one of these things, I could. I worry about them because I care about them. Because I care about all of them, I don't want to get rid of any of them. So I've now decided that I just need to take the time to do one thing at a time, and that if I focus on just one thing at a time, then I don't get overwhelmed and I am able to more fully give all of my focus to said thing. That's what I'm going to do from now on, take the one-thing-at-a-time philosophy literally.

And I think I'll start with sleep. 

Districts!

GUESS WHO IS COMPETING IN COEUR D'ALENE

Yeah. That's right. In solo humorous AND ensemble humorous.

DOMINATE STATE! 

GO RIGBY!

Don't Miss It

Okay. So it's been a while. But that's alright, nothing super important or big has happened. 

Well, nothing except this...

Now that's what's up. 

A Baby Birthday

Yes, I still need to blog about Girls Camp, but this is only a short post.

My niece Mckenna turned one yesterday, and she had the biggest birthday party I've ever seen a one-year-old have. We went up to a friend's cabin for the weekend, and celebrated it there. The theme was Tangled, because that's her absolute favorite movie. We had Pina Colada tacos for dinner (ask my sister Madison if you want to know how to make them), and Mckenna got quite a few toys to play with. Then we watched Tangled on the big projector screen in the basement. (I actually fell asleep before we got to that part...) Anyway, the biggest thing though, was the cake.

Of course we did the traditional baby's-first-cake-let-her-at-it thing where you just let the baby attack the cake, and I can add pictures of Mckenna later, but this was one awesome cake! My mom and my sister Katie put it together, and it was Rapunzel. Her head was the cake, face made via edible paper, and her hair was made up of cupcakes. 

That, is a cake. 

Angry Birds

My little brother Matthew turned 9 on August 10th, and I swear he had one of the best birthday parties a kid could ask for. The theme was Angry Birds. To give you a better idea of what it was like, here are some pictures. With commentary via me. 

First, this is what happens when no one thinks to ask me where the big cupcake tins are...

However, the other cupcakes were adorable. Thanks Madison.

She used green gum-balls and fondant to make the pigs for the cupcakes.

Each little boy even got their own Angry Bird t-shirt that my mom made with iron-ons.

And here are the happy party-goers themselves

Yes, yes it was a pretty rocking party. Happy birthday Matthew.