A trip to California

On the 2nd day of January,  my mom and I went to the Idaho falls airport. We were flying to Las Vegas. There, mom's good friend Stacy Kosinski, had a 3 hour drive from Hesperia, California, to come pick us up and take us back to Hesperia.

The first few days we were really busy. We got to her house just as it was starting to get dark. We made dinner and ate. Then we all went to bed. In the morning, at 4:00 every one piled into the car to drive for an hour to the air port to drop off Sister Kosinski's son Bob. He is in the army and he was home for Christmas. After we dropped him off we drove to Anaheim.  That is where two of  her daughters, Darby and Mally, live. We stayed there Friday night, then Saturday morning Mom, Darby, Sister Kosinski, and Sister Dunn, (Sister Kosinski's mom) went to the Temple for Darby to receive her Endowment. Mally and I went to the temple grounds to support her but we couldn't go in with them. When they came out we went out to eat. After we ate, Sister Kosinski, Sister Dunn, mom, and I drove back to Hesperia. The rest of the week we just slowed down and relaxed. we went to church on Sunday, and On Tuesday I went to mutual. But that was pretty much all I did after we got back to Hesperia. Mutual was really fun. We went laser tagging. I stayed with a girl named Devin the whole time. She took good care of me.

The trip was a great experience. I did lot's of firsts. Like, I flew on a plane for the first time. Which, by the way, I LOVED! I love flying! And, I got a pedicure for the first time. It was so relaxing. My toes are blue, with white zebra stripes.

Here are pictures from the trip. We were gone a whole week and I am so glad to be home!

This is mom and I in the airport.

This is from Darby and Mally's apartment balcony. These are the Disney land Fire works.

More fire works.

Mom and I in front of the Temple.

 From left to right: Sister Dunn, Mally, Me, Sister Kosinski, and Darby.

 

The Newport Beach Temple.

 This is the Temple's fountain. I love fountains.

This is me cleaning the kitchen with Sister Kosinski's grand kids Bubba, and his sister Mercie. 

The Star Valley Middle School Talent Show

Last Friday, Was the middle school talent show. For my talent, I sang while mom played piano.  We performed "I  am his Daughter" by Stephanie Mabey. I performed in the talent show last year too. I did "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn. I was really nervous but I think I did a good job. In both talent shows I've gotten a standing ovation.

This year for the talent show, Mr. Saunders invited me to be a part of the square dancing group. My partner was Jordan Jeffs. We had a lot of fun. My brother Anthony, did this very same dance when he was in 8th grade. Except, he did the boys part.

So, This is me square dancing, and singing. Enjoy!

Ruby Goes Bye Bye

So, for the past few weeks I have been riding a horse named Sweet Pea instead of riding Ruby. Because, Ruby is too much of a problem for me to ride her. Last time I tried to ride her didn't go very well. We finally caught her after 30 minutes of chasing her around. When we did catch her we saddled up and went into the coral. She moved when I would try to get on, and threw her head when I attempted to stop her. You know, typical Ruby behavior.

When we kinda got Ruby under control we went into the bigger field. ( Of which two of the gates were wide open.) I tried to stop her to wait for Melanie and Dakota. She wouldn't stop. She would just walk side ways. So, naturally I got off her. Then when I tried to get on her she wouldn't stand still. Then, she just took off! So Melanie chased her on Dakota while I ran to close the gates. After I closed the gates I went over to Ruby and Melanie and Dakota. Melanie had Ruby cornered so I went and grabbed her reins. (Which thankfully she did NOT step on and break.) I had both of the reins in my hands. I tried to get on her again but she jumped away. I held on to the reins with both hands so she wouldn't run off again. She jumped and reared back a couple times, and pulled me on my butt. I didn't want her to trample me (Because I was on the ground) so I let go of the reins. Melanie finally got a hold of her and handed the reins to me and told me to walk her. WITH OUT getting on her.

So, needless to say, I am NOT riding Ruby any more. I am now riding Sweat Pea.

This is me and Sweet Pea! She is definitely a very sweet horse!

She is the BEST horse! She is very obedient. She gives me no trouble. She's just a really slow walker, and she's snitch. She'll take any chance she get's to grab some grass. I don't mind. It's MUCH better then being on a problem horse.

It is becoming winter here. (Again) So Melanie and I have been riding bare back. It's really fun riding bare back! And I am learning to trust Sweet Pea more. Last time we rode I went down a small hill on her, and I went thru a small river on her bare back. I love bare back more than saddled. It is more comfortable, and you can absorb the body heat from the horse much better than when you are saddled.

I'm sad I can't ride Ruby any more, but I'm glad I get to ride Sweet Pea.

 This is Harrison and I on Dakota.

(He's dressed like a ninja.)

Sweet Pea and Me.

Honors choir

This last Saturday I went with the eighth grade honors choir class to honors clinic. It was really fun! I got up at a quarter to four, curled my hair, got dressed, ate breakfast, and got on the bus and drove to Mt. View, Wyoming. I saw the sun rise for the first time! (I've never gotten up earlier then six-thirty)
It took two hours. Actually a little more. We were a little late because we hit a deer on the way there! I saw it roll under the bus and to the side of the road. It made me want to cry. When the bus driver slammed on the brakes I had just opened a bag of gold fish so they spilled everywhere! We got a good laugh out of that.  When we got there, we sang for an hour, then took a half hour break, then sang for another hour, then took a fifteen minute break, then we sang for another hour, and then took an hour lunch break. Then, we sang for another hour and a half, then took a fifteen minute break, then sang for another hour, then took an hour break for dinner, and to get dressed for the concert. Then at five- thirty, we warmed up our voices. Then at six we were sent into the auditorium and performed the concert. Here is a picture of me and my mom after the concert.

After the concert I quickly changed my clothes, and hurried to get on the bus. The bus ride home was pretty boring because everyone just slept. I just sat by myself and played games on the phone. 

Here is the first song we performed at the concert. We just learned it that afternoon so we weren't the best at it. We are singing in African. 

Auntie Judy Visits from Guam

This past week my great auntie Judy, came to visit us. She flew into Jackson, then rented a car and drove to our house.  It had been 7 years since we saw her. While she was here we made batiks. Auntie Judy is an artist. She paints all sorts of things. Any way, she showed us how to make one kind of the paintings she does. What you do is melt some wax, then use a pencil and draw on silk paper. Then you trace the pencil with the wax. After you finish with the wax you put your colors on. The wax prevents the paint from going ''out of the lines.'' After you get the colors on then you let it dry. When it's dry you iron the wax off. Then viola! You are finished! Then, with the melted wax you can do all kinds of things. My little siblings and I covered our hands in wax. Porter and Nicole put wax on their noses! Here are some pictures of our batiks and my wax hand.

 This is my boutique.

 All of us. From left to right: Nicole, Auntie Judy, Porter, Me, and Mom.

This is mom's.

 This is Auntie Judie's.

 My wax hand.

Us in the making of our batiks.

Getting over fear

For the past 4 weeks I have been riding horses with my friend Melanie. We ride her and her dad's horses, Ruby and Dakota. Ruby is 6 and Dakota is 14.  Melanie has had many experiences with Dakota that have made her very scared to ride a horse. Since the first time I rode with her she has been making a lot of progress. The first time, She wouldn't even consider trotting. Now, this week she has been loping as much as possible. Last week we went to the arena at the Lincoln county fair grounds. We had tons of fun and that is where I got her to lope. Here are some videos that she recorded of me loping on Dakota.

 The guy on the other horse is Melanie's dad. He is riding Ruby.

I discovered I can lope without my hand on the horn!






 

Lving in Star Valley, Wyoming.

I was born and have been raised right here in Afton, Star Valley. It is a very wonderful place to live! It is a small town but that's just how I like it. I would not like to live in a big city. In Afton, there aren't any Walmarts, or JC penny's, or any big shopping stores like that. We don't have any hotels, or casinos. I like it like that. I also like the fact that we have long winters here. I don't like having hot days. I would rather be on a snow machine in the snow, than on a beach in Hawaii.

I also like living here because it's not hard to find a horse. There are horses everywhere! I have loved horses for as long as I can remember.  I have many friends who have horses. I ride at least once a week. This week I rode a horse named Ruby. While I was riding her she bolted, reared, and bucked.

Wyoming is a very beautiful place. Here in Afton we have the largest intermittent  spring in the world. My dad told me that when he was a little boy, he and his brothers would jump into where the water comes out of the mountain when it would stop and they would get crystals and get back out before it started again. It is very beautiful to hike up to and see.  

We have mountains here. Many of them. They make a bowl around us. I think of it as a wall of protection. Protection from tornadoes, and other storms.

Some of my family on a mountain with the valley behind us. 

Fields of hay bales just as you are coming into Auburn. 

I took this just as we were coming out of Thayne. 

My house during the winter!