Be Happy

Good News!!!

2009-08-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Good news everyone! 1) I updated my blog and 2) I made the Varsity Tennis team! WHOOHOO!!! My first match is tomorrow; I am so excited! Sorry I haven't really been updating all that much. I have been on Facebook instead. I will try to get better! Though, with me going into high school, it will be hard.

More fun in my life- I just got back from vacation in Beaver's Bend, Oklahoma. My family rented a cabin and we relaxed on a gorgeous lake for three days. It was a much needed vacation. Already I am stressed with tennis and school preparation. Now, I am renewed; hopefully it will last a while!

Summer is almost over. So sad =( Ahh, well. It was good while it lasted!

Fun in July

2009-07-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

I took some really good pictures on the fourth of July. However, they are on my mom's camera and I have no idea where it is. So I will instead tell you how excited I am to go to EFY this year, a summer camp designed "Especially For Youth." I am going to the San Antonio session and am leaving next week. So I am spending today and tomorrow packing up. It is going to be a blast!!!! So how is your summer? Please commet. I am not going on any big vacations; the farthest away from home I'm getting is EFY. I will put up pictures when I return. See you all next week!

A Day at the Races

2009-06-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today, Josh and I played with Hotwheels. We had a race to see whose track was the fastest. However, everytime it was a tie. So we videotaped it. Still, we are having trouble seeing who won. Can you help us out? Comment to tell which track you think came in first. I won't say which is mine or which is Josh's. Trust me-it's hard to tell. Josh insists he won, but I think otherwise.

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

Oh my goodness! I have not written in forever! I have been so busy with the last bit of school that the computer has almost completely slid off my To-Do List. Well, I'm back on. The last day of school has come and gone. I will now be a Freshman! More good news: I have already earned a spot on my High School's Student Council! I will miss 8th grade- the carefree, the friends, all the familiar faces. But now I will get to see friends that I have not seen for years because of the school boundary lines. Summer is already in full swing down here in Texas! I don't plan to do much, so if you have any plans, please comment!

I have been babysitting the past few days and will be again tonight! I have found the time to clean out my room. I have given it a complete dust down, sorted out my jewelry, redecorated in some places, and have thrown away a lot of trash. It looks great, but isn't done yet!

I hope to be better at posting more often. Thanks for checking!

Busy Weekend

2009-04-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was really busy! My mom surprised my dad with a weekend getaway to this cool cabin in Oklahoma. My brother and I stayed at a friend's house. On Saturday, we went to a school car wash, built and painted birdhouses, went to a soccer game and went to a baseball game. It's been a while since I've had a packed Saturday! The trip turned out nicely, and when my parents came home, we surprised Dad even more with a surprise party. He is turning 40 in just a week, so this was his party! He was totally surprised and had a blast!

I just turned in a huge U.S. History project; a timeline with 70 events and 70 questions. Hopefully I get a good grade; I think I did well.

Also, I just turned 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited. I can now go to church dances, even though waiters still ask me if I want a kid's menu =)

Hope you guys have a great week!

2009-03-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post on my new laptop!!! My grandma gave it to me for a birthday present. Well, I love it and am so glad that I don't have to fight with Mom for the computer anymore.

Spring Break is over; I am sad. I was really enjoying the break. At least I will be positive on Monday since it is my birthday. I won't let anything bring me down from my good feelings. I will be very optimistic!

Grandma came into town and we had a lot of fun together. The week was full of botanical gardens, shopping, eating out, and hugs. I miss her already. It is so fun when she is around. Another happy face in the family. Well, I have already spent too much time on this laptop, so got to run!

Mixed Thoughts of this Month

2009-03-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well, last week I won my second singles match of the tennis season and my first doubles! This week, it was too cold and rainy to play. Plus, the team we would play is really good, so I have mixed feelings of not playing them.

Ohhh, the TAKS test. Even though it was two weeks ago that I took it, I still have nightmares. The reading is the most boring because the stories are anything but interesting. I believe I did well, though.

Spring Break is finally here! My grandmother is supposed to come into town and I can't wait! Hopefully it will stop raining and get a little warmer. And to start the break off right, I just bought tickets for the Coldplay concert this summer! I am sooooooo excited. It will be my first concert.

Only 8 days until my birthday!!!!

A Victory, A Flooded Bathroom and A Countdown

2009-03-01T08:49:00.001-08:00

I made the tennis team, as I think I have already mentioned. Well, last Thursday, my school played our No. 1 rival and I was pretty scared. However, I pulled through and won my first singles against another school! I am ranked #3 on the girls' side now and am excited for next week's game.

Last night, I was babysitting Josh when the toilet flooded. Josh freaked out and would not stop crying! Well, I remained calm, called my dad, and went over to my neighbor. She came in, stopped the flow, and helped me to vacuum up the inch of water on the floor. Now the foot of carpet in the entryway to the bathroom is ruined. I feel bad, but it wasn't my fault. There was not nearly enough toilet paper inside to flood, but who knows. It seems everything in our house is breaking; the fridge, oven, microwave, printer and other things. Hopefully this stops!

Only 23 days to my birthday! I turn 14!

Too Much to Do!

2009-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

It's been forever and I am sorry that I haven't been able to write, or at least it seems that way. My Valentine's Day included a box of chocolates from my parents, a cool new T-Shirt along with the treats, a couple Valentines from friends, and a whole day of watching my brother. Josh claimed to be ill yesterday morning, so my parents went on errands with out us. 2 seconds after my parents walked out of the door, Josh said, "I'm not sick anymore!" and ran all over the place. After 3 hours of this, Mom and Dad came back, but only for an hour since they had to go on their date. Their date you ask? A BYU vs TCU basketball game. Not fair!!! So, my Valentine's Day included a lot of me time, which in that time, I, with the permission from my mom, created a Face book account. Yeah!!!!

Great News and Great Wolf

2009-02-07T14:49:00.001-08:00

Yeah! My dad is home from India for good! And he couldn't have come back without bringing gifts. ☺ He gave me a Pune Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt and a couple others with cool designs.

Tennis tryouts went great. I made first cuts, but had to miss the next practice since my family decided to take a little vacation:

Thursday morning my mom picked Josh and me up early from school and the family drove to Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf is a large hotel with an indoor water park, O.K. restaurants, relaxing spas, and over-expensive gift shops. It was fun to play in the water and have all the fun in the sun without, well, the sun. The water room was kept at a balmy 84 degrees, which isn't that warm in Texas. We're used to 94 degrees. Overall, though, it was a relaxing getaway.

Josh and I spraying each other on little, immovable jet skis. I couldn't wait to escape to the huge water slides in which it is impossible to stay dry in.

Playing Bingo in the CubClub. The card I am holding up only had two markers on it the first round, but ended up being a lucky winner the second!

I love Steak'n'Shake milkshakes. This one is a yummy banana split flavored.

At Great Wolf, there is this game called MagiQuest. All around the 8 floors of the hotel are chests, crystals, and jewels which you wave your magic wand at to become a Magi. I am a nerd, so I loved helping Josh (aka Magi Surfer Dude) win gold and experience points. I read from The Ancient Book of Wisdom for clues and hints. As a family, we won all the quests and adventures, except one. We could not beat the dragon and save the village! Oh well! Dad and I were ready to give up after the fifth try, but not Mom (Josh was too scared to even enter the room with a TV displaying the dragon). Mom made us stay for another 30 minutes that ended in failure. Better luck next time.

Josh had a meltdown after the fifth attempt to slay the dragon. We sat down and ate ice cream, but Josh wandered into the MagiQuest gift shop (have I already said that they were over-expensive?) and found a stuffed dragon. "I need it!" he cried. As Josh sobbed, Dad pulled out the camera and started taking pictures. Having received this treatment when I was younger, I had sympathy for Josh and tried to convince my laughing parents to stop.

2009-01-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've had a ton of fun this week! Well, here in Texas, we were released early from school yesterday because of the terrible ice. Another winter wonderland hit North Texas! Today, there is no school! This is great, but this week we were supposed to have tennis tryouts. Darn! I was all ready to show coach all that I have learned this year.

I went to my friend's house a couple of days ago for dinner and Guitar Hero. Both families had a blast! When it was time to play Wii, my friend, Andrew, had an unfair advantage. He has been practicing since he heard how good I was at Guitar Hero. I haven't played for a while, so he beat me the first couple of times. Then yesterday, his mom was sick, so he came over to my house. This time, it was my turn to win on Super Mario Kart. My brother has a blast playing with Andrew, too. It's fun to see the two guys play Thomas the Train.

My dad comes home this Friday! I am so excited to see him! I can't wait to have him home for good.

This Guy is Fantastic!

2009-01-25T06:59:00.001-08:00

Can you believe the image above is only chalk on the pavement? I couldn't. Julian Beever is an amazing artist who draws on the streets and his images, from just the right angle, look very real. For more of Julian Beever's masterpieces, click here.

Exhausted

2009-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry, again, it's been forever since I have written. School, projects, and the recent exams have taken over my schedule. I have had some time for fun. Let's start from the beginning. Finally, after two weeks of constant frustration, I completed a 1000 puzzle, pretty much by myself. The rest of my family gave up hope and stopped working on the tropical scene, but once I start something, I have to complete it. I love the challenge. However, dismantling it almost broke my heart.

The completed masterpiece. Look at all of that sky that looks exactly the same. The trees were what took the longest to figure out though.

I am still practicing the piano, every morning for half an hour. I have been pushed back though. Now that Josh is learning to play, he gets the 15 minutes before me. Right now, I am learning my first cross hand piece. It is ranked a 1 difficulty (the highest) in UIL. It is pretty hard and for the most part, both hands are playing right on top of one another.

Look at me, a real Beethoven.☺

I passed all of my exams! Not only passed, but made all A's except for one B. The Athletics test was made up of easy questions, but I don't know anything about the coaches or basketball and volleyball. Of course, there were no questions about tennis.

Last Monday, I was able to play at Putt-Putt, a dirty mini golf course with an arcade inside. It was fun and I even made a hole in one! However, my score did not show that. I know what I need to work on for golf season!

Waiting for Josh to come up to the green.

Watching Josh swing like a maniac. I don't know why, but my mom didn't take any pictures of me putting!

Inauguration day, January 20th, 2009. Where was I when the first African -American president was sworn in? In science class, learning about waves while every class around us was watching Obama on the big screen. When we asked our teacher, she said that, "It wasn't a part of our curriculum." Well, obviously it was a part of everyone else's "curriculum". So I wasn't able to watch it live, but thank goodness for the Internet.

Mom took this picture on the T.V. It's going in her Project 365 scrapbook. Did you know that the same day as the inauguration was also National Penguin Awareness Day?

On that note, yesterday was National Pie Day. We celebrated by eating chicken pot pie for dinner and our own pies for dessert. Dig in!

Stress Galore!

2009-01-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a very busy couple of weeks. Let me start from the beginning. It iced a couple of days ago. All of the trees, fences, and buildings were covered in icicles. Of course, all of this happened while we were in school. When we walked out of the school doors, nature had been transformed into a world of ice. Ice encased trees and branches, turning them into thick spears. The world was quiet, as if appreciating this rare moment in Texas history. The next day, the 80 degree sun had melted all of the frozen drops and the world was back to normal, for Texas standards. The weather has been like this this passed month. Texas is a wonder!

Then, I had a relaxed weekend, but had to work on my new book report. Let's not forget finals this week! Why do they make one test so important? I'm not worried about what I'll make. I'm just sick of studying and having the teachers put so much pressure on us kids. I believe that the teachers are responsible for making the students stressed out in their classes. On top of all this, tennis tryouts are in a couple of weeks. So much practice. It's hard having to juggle all of this!

Mom has been cleaning out all of the photos in the house and putting them into albums. So many embarrassing moments brought back to my attention. However, I did discover an old movie my friends and I made. It was a project in Science where we had to make a commercial for our homemade window cleaner. It's great! I can't really figure how to put it on the blog, though.

I am so proud of myself! In Science today, we graded papers. I received my paper afterwards and found a mistake; the guy said that I missed 1 when I really missed 2. Many people complained how students mis-graded their paper and their grade was really higher. My partner told me not to say anything, but I knew I would feel so guilty afterwards. So I told my teacher that I needed a grade change. She asked me, "So you made a 100?"

"No, I made a 90," I replied.

My teacher was shocked, said, "Oh!"and quietly replaced my grade. The class responded by saying how stupid I was and how I should have kept my grade, but they don't understand how terrible I would've felt after class. Go me! ☺

Honesty really is the best policy!

A Warm Welcome, a Couple of Sad Goodbyes, and Some Goals

2009-01-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

2009 is here at last. To celebrate the coming of the new year, I first had a nice fondue dinner with the family, including my cousin Aubrey and her husband. Next, I went to my friend Alexis' party. There, we talked, played Wii, talked, took a nice stroll, and talked some more. I left at about 10:00 because I didn't want to sleep over with the girls. I had a bad experience at a sleep over before, so I don't usually stay the entire night at those kind of parties. No offense to anyone. So my dad picked me up when he was coming home after dropping off Aubrey and Curtis at their hotel. They had to fly early in the morning, so they didn't stay up. Then, at home, I played Yahtzee with my mom and dad. I had to wake them up for the count down because they ended up snoozing!

My dad left back to India for the next month. For those who are wondering, he comes back for good on January 30. It was nice to have him over for the holidays.

I am dreading having to go back to school. For one, finals are coming soon. Second, I am getting a new Spanish teacher. I loved my old one; he was so relaxed and we didn't have to do a lot, but we still learned a ton. Mr. P (this is abbreviated) had to go to Mexico to help his dad with his business. We'll miss him! I don't know who my next teacher is going to be, but they would have to be very good to beat Mr. P.

For this year, I have a few goals to help me succeed. My top ten are:

Keep my room clean.
Be grateful.
Go to bed early (on school nights).
Watch less T.V.
Practice my piano and guitar.
Hang out with friends more.
Eat healthy (like everyone else).
Play tennis and golf more.
Read 5 new books (The Jungle Books, The Power of One, Life of Pi, Friday Night Lights, and The Last of the Mohicans).
Actually keep my goals.

If any of you see me slacking on these goals, help me get back on track! ☺

Christmas is Come and Gone

2008-12-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! Christmas was fun. This was the first year, however, that I realized that I didn't get a lot of "playing things". Yes, I got to unwrap, but I didn't get to open up the box and then play with the toy. That's what you get when you get older. I guess that the only reason why I noticed this was that as I am leaving the excitement of Christmas, Josh is just entering. I'll miss those toy days.

I did get a lot of presents for Christmas. In this post, I will do less writing and let the pictures tell the story. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures will start on the night before Christmas and end on the day after Christmas. Hope you enjoy my little bit of Christmas cheer.

Opening up this year's Christmas PJs.

Listening to Dad reading the traditional Christmas story, all in our uniform pajamas.

We got a little bored, so decided to have a tickle fight instead.

Nala, my cat, decided to just stare at us immature kids in disgust.

The perfect family photo, except for Josh's funny face. We didn't even realize he was doing it until we looked at the photo.

On Christmas morning, Josh and I jammed out on our new guitars.

I was excited to get my Dr. Pepper lip balm.

Examining my new, delicate earrings.

One of this year's favorite presents for me... new games for my DS.

I played Kirby all day long. Thanks Nona!!!

This puzzle was supposed to last us all week. Instead, the family finished the 300 piece in 30 minutes. We bought a new 1500 piece puzzle the next day.

Josh and I played Jenga the day after Christmas. He won of course.

Countdown to Christmas

2008-12-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Well, last Saturday my family and our neighbors went to Six Flags over Texas, an overpriced amusement park that makes its money off of $9 chicken nuggets. It can be fun, though. The only reason why we went is that my mom won two tickets at an auction. Those tickets, along with some other coupons, got us in. Six Flags is doing Holiday in the Park, where there are Christmas lights galore and Santa hats everywhere. I went on my first actual roller coaster, well, I've been on many that go upside down and shoot up quickly, but this was the first that I was actually scared to go on. The Titan begins with a 45 second ascent that descends in 4 seconds. After that first hill, the rest of the 85 mph ride was great. For the majority of the coaster, my bottom was not touching the seat. Next I rode the Super Man which is a tower that shoots you straight up, then down, then back up, over and over. It's fun and really gives you that weightlessness feeling. I've rode it before, but the ride is still intimidating. The experience would have been more fun if it was 70 degrees like it was supposed to be. Instead, the temperature hovered around 33. I was wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, a light jacket that Mom forced me to wear and a scarf I stole from Mom. It was a bit chilly.

Riding the Holiday train at Six Flags.

Shivering in line for the Super Man.

Strapping in to the dirty but warm seat of the Super Man tower.

On Sunday, the family went caroling with the missionaries at our church. It was fun, especially the dinner served before and the chocolate fountain afterwards.☺Then on Tuesday, we went to see Santa and a train display at the mall. The Santa was great and very nice. The trains were okay; it was the largest display of vintage trains in Texas. The exhibit was cool and traversed through America, from San Francisco to New York. I was getting sick though (I have a cold) so I left early. It was too crowded and hot for my comfort.

Sitting on Santa's lap. His hand looks like a thumbs up, but really he was motioning for the helper to turn on the fan.

The Dallas part of the train exhibit.

The Holiday scene in Washington D.C.

Imagine This

2008-12-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

O.K. So imagine this: You walk into the airport after your mom picks you up from school early. You are expecting your cousin, who is coming from Toronto. So you sit at the exit for international baggage claim and your cousin just won't call your mom saying she had landed. You stare at the stark white walls, wondering and getting a little suspicious. Why did your mom keep bugging you about getting flowers for a cousin you saw just a couple days ago. Then, Mom says, "There he is!" He? What? Where's Aubrey? That's when you see him, your dad. At first, you think it's a dream, that can't be him, he's in India. Then he gets a huge smile and you run up and give him the first hug in weeks. You try to hold back tears of joy, but they come loose. That was my situation yesterday. Yes, Dad's home for the holidays! I am so happy, but mad at Mom for keeping it a secret for 9 days! I asked why and she said it wasn't final. I responded, "What about yesterday, when he was on the plane. You could have told me then?" I don't like surprises, if you can't already tell. We took him home, updating him all the way on all the happenings and finally you reach home. We were at home for about 5 minutes, and then Josh came home from school. The first thing he did was pull out a cookie that had frosting died red from all of the sprinkles and M&Ms and handed it to me. Earlier that day, I told Josh I wanted a cookie from his Christmas party (I did actually eat the thing, though hesitantly). He was so absorbed into giving me the cookie, he didn't notice Dad. Finally Dad said, "Hey Josh!" Then my brother looked up and cried, "Daddy!" as he rushed into his fathers open in arms. Mom, my neighbor who dropped Josh up, and I held back tears as we watched the scene right from a sad movie.

Dad reading Josh a story from a book that kept him sane in India☺

It is Christmas Break! I spent pretty much all of yesterday afternoon looking at the rupees (Indian currency) with Dad. They are sooooo cool! That is how I spend my free time (along with solving the Rubik's cube☺). Anyway, I hope you all have a Happy Christmas Break!

A sample of Indian currency.

The back of the ten rupee bill.

Getting Back to the Cube

2008-12-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

A couple summers ago, I could solve the Rubik's cube in under 2 minutes. I spent a couple of weeks memorizing the moves off of a solution on the Internet. Well, two years later, everyone at school is trying to solve the cube. You are "super smart" if you can solve one and "super cool" if you own one. Well, I decided to re-memorize the steps. I'm doing pretty well; yesterday I solved the cube in under 5 minutes with some help from the instructions on the hardest step.

My cousin, Aubrey, and her husband flew in today, Tuesday. My mom picked me up early from school so I could spend some time with them. It was so cold! About 25 degrees. I had fun hanging out with them; they are so funny! Anyway, Aubrey is supposed to come back on Friday (Curtis, her husband, is a pilot and Aubrey is a flight attendant. They fly to Dallas sometimes). I can't wait to see them again!

Aubrey and my brother, See the Rubik's cube in Josh's hand?

Let them eat Cake!

2008-12-17T05:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I made a cake, if that counts. A couple days ago, I baked a cake for my mom's birthday. We went to see a movie (Bolt, it was actually pretty good), and went to eat lunch at Red Robin's. It was a fun day. The cake was awesome, though we still have a ton of left overs. I think my mom had a good time.

Frosting the first layer of the layered cake. Afterwards, Josh went nuts with the sprinkles.

Mom lighting her candles. This picture turned out good, unusual with me behind the camera☺

Last Sunday, we went to Bethlehem Revisited, a place where everyone dresses up like in the time Jesus was born. You can see King Herod as he talks with the wise men, and walk with Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, or the wise men as they journey to the star. It is really cool. After you see the play, you can go look at a village which is set up to take on the time's feeling. Josh and I scored some rosemary and two little hand made coins. We also got to pet the incredibly soft chickens, goats, and sheep. The chickens were the best. One actually fell asleep in a little boy's arms. It was adorable! Mom wants one, but I don't think we could take care of it.

Then, on Monday, I played at my Christmas piano recital. I messed up one song (my hands were to cold, I hadn't practiced very much, and I knew I was going to mess up), but did very well on my duet, O Holy Night, with my friend, Sammy. Afterwards, we went to Ci Ci's and I had a great time with all my friends in the arcade. Josh and his friend almost busted the air hockey table, Andrew and Kyle stole some basketballs out of the Hoops game, Josh almost hit Oliver in the face with a basketball, and we all had fun trying out the broken motorcycle game. It was a memorable experience.

Getting ready to play on the grand piano.

Hi Again

2008-12-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I last wrote and I apologize for that. It's been a crazy past couple of weeks with all kinds of school work, piano, etc. Well, my dad is doing great! He went to see the Pune Zoo and found that the tiger, if he really wanted to, could jump out over the railing. Pretty scary! He's lost a bit of weight, but he is healthy.

Life's been good. Yesterday was the Church Christmas party and, with my mom in charge, I didn't really get to spend the time with my family. It was fun though, chatting with friends and relaxing.

Thursday was a bit of a stressful day for me, not for anything really bad, though. In Science class, we had to build a mini roller coaster out of flexible pipe and tape. My group was doing great; the day before, we had practiced building the thing and were confident in our "Frostbite" (the name for our awesome coaster). However, we only had 30 minutes to build on presentation day, so we were a bit rushed. We were making great time when, suddenly, the marble wouldn't finish into the cup placed at the end. We kept at it, but by minute 29, we were pretty frantic. Why? If the marble made it through the roller coaster, you made an A; if it fell off, you received an F for the project. We responded in different ways: I was pacing the floor trying to think of a solution, one of the team members actually started praying, and everyone was a mess as we saw the teacher walk slowly towards are project. Finally, D-Andre said, "Put a piece of tape right there!" We were pretty game for anything, so we did as he said. We dropped the marble, Suzy, at the starting point and after 2 seconds, the marble landed safely in the cup. We tried again: it worked again. We were so happy, that when the teacher walked up to grade us, we were dancing together. My grade? 100! In my opinion, our roller coaster was the best after all that hard work; it displayed a paper tunnel, flags showing where inertia was overcome, where the speed changed, etc, and little signs saying things like, "Please enjoy your ride" and "Please exist to the left" (I was rushed so I wrote 'exist' instead of 'exit'). I was very proud of my group; we worked well together.

So that pretty much sums up the past week, fretting over little school projects, papers, and benchmarks. How was your week, Be Happy readers?

A Busy Week

2008-11-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

My week started with pictures on Wednesday, 241 to be exact. We went to Cedar Hill State Park and Mom took tons of pictures of Josh and I in many different positions. We played on the playground, hiked to this little farm, and found an adorable bench on which I spent 20 minutes posing. Josh and I were pretty worn out by the end of the day.

My favorite picture of me. This is the cute bench I was talking about.

Then, on Thursday, Mom and I cooked and cooked a meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, gravy, rolls, and berry cobbler. It was all so good; we have a ton of left overs, though, especially with Dad being gone. To those who are concerned, he is safe from all the turmoil in Mumbai. He is pretty nervous, but his company will keep him safe. He said he was going to force himself to relax by ordering a massage from his fancy hotel☺! Anyway, when asked to say what he was thankful for, Josh said, "Turkey!"

We responded with, "But you don't like turkey, Josh!"

"I don't like turkey, but that doesn't mean I can't be thankful for it, " the five-year-old answered. Mom and I laughed and laughed.

Me cutting the turkey. Notice my awesome apron, made by my Sunday School teacher. She is so nice! Also notice my glasses. The only reason why I am wearing them is I ran out of contacts; my last pair tore when I tried to put them in. They're cute, my glasses, but since my prescription is so big, the lenses stick out of the frame about 1/2 cm.

Me dishing up my dinner. The gravy was sooooo good.

Wednesday evening, we went to a family friend's house and decorated gingerbread houses. I think mine is pretty cool. Josh had a blast, though didn't go overboard with the decorating like I thought he would.

The finished product. A Masterpiece!

On Friday, Mom and I pulled down Christmas from the attic. We did pretty well, but had to call a friend to pull down the tree and a couple of boxes that were too heavy for Mom and me to carry. We spent the day positioning all the knick-knacks and putting up lights on the bushes and trees. Since Mom wasn't willing to get the lights on the roof herself or have me do it (I am not afraid of heights and have seen Dad do it before, so I was ready to attack the lights!), we just threw the net lights over the front bushes. However, I was not satisfied, so I spent all evening decorating the little tree that we have in the flower bead. I twisted the string lights around the trunk and maneuvered lights through the branches. At last, after multiple cuts and scrapes, the tree looked as if it were glowing; my work was done. Now, all that Mom and I have to do is put up the tree and decorate it. Then, we can sleep well.

The beginning of Operation Glowing Tree. I haven't even put on a band-aid yet in this picture.

I'm Famous!

2008-11-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

A family friend is a graphic designer. He drew the Indiana Jones Monopoly cover, the Star Wars III video game cover, etc. Well, his new assignment was to create an ad for a new adventure park in Tennessee. He took pictures of me pretending to be on a zipline, looking over a balcony, and pointing at someone. Then, using the photos as a guide, he drew me into the scene. Pretty good if you ask me. Yes, the pictures below are drawings, not photographs.

There I am up front! And if you click on the pic, you can see me two more times in the very back.
My mom also had the opportunity to model. She accepted reluctantly.

The other day, I applied for the Bobby Bragen Youth Foundation scholarship. I found out that my teacher picked me to go onto the school finals, where a boy and girl are chosen. Then, 32 out of 242 students are chosen to get the $2500 scholarship. We had to write an essay about our role model. I chose to write about my 6th grade teacher. He was really a great teacher and I had a hard time keeping to the 700 word limit.

Good Luck, Bad Luck!

2008-11-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

I found a little handout that I thought I might share with you.

There is a Chinese story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?"

Then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, the fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" (Man, I would be very frustrated with the farmer)

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck?

Who knows?

Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems to be good on the surface may really be an evil. Things may be more than they appear! Be careful and do not judge what is good fortune and misfortune.

TWILIGHT!

2008-11-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

So I have read and loved the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I wanted to see how the movie turned out, so on Friday, Mom and I went out, leaving my brother with a babysitter. First of all, we got to the theatre an hour early and, since it was so packed and there were no other seats to be found, had to sit in the handicapped labeled chairs. We weren't kicked out, so I guess it was O.K. I believe the movie wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. They spent a bit too much time on Edward's face and the special effects were kind of cheesy, but that's what you get when you only have a year to make a movie. I also believed the makeup artists made the vampires' faces much too pale; the high school students would have to be pretty stupid not to notice the Cullens were different. Overall, though, they did a good job.

I am missing my dad (if I haven't mentioned before, he is in India). He's been gone for two weeks now and I'm sick of people asking me, "Are you O.K?", "It must be really hard,", "How is your Dad? Do you miss him?" All it does is remind me of him and I have to refrain myself from responding, "Do you want me to cry?" I'll get over it. Plus, he'll be back before I know it.

Bad News, More Bad News, and a Thank You

2008-11-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

Well, the results are in...(drum roll, please) my group did not place in the Winston Science competition. The thing is that the officials didn't even say if we got the solution right or if we just didn't explain ourselves enough. Oh well, better luck next time. I wish we knew how we did though.

On another note, athletics is shut down at school. A.K.A., no more P.E. Why this horrible tragedy? Well, the 500 students in athletics (7th and 8th grade, boys and girls) are failing a total of 740 classes (still straight A's for me). I am disappointed because unlike most who do well in sports and need help in academics, I am vice versa. I need the athletics, but am denied. Instead of helping our bodies to function and become healthier, we are enjoying a 1 hour and 30 minutes of Study Hall, a wonderful thing with no talking or comfort, just reading, doing homework, and secretly sleeping on the hard gym floor. I like the reading for so long, but I need the workout! Plus, the floor is making me stiff. This is supposed to last for three weeks, but we'll see.

Another thank you to Allie! I have had so many compliments on the bubble wrap. It was all your idea! Thank you! If you have any ideas that will make Be Happy happier, just comment and I will see what I can do.

Madi, CSI Agent

2008-11-11T16:29:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, a couple of friends and I participated in this huge science competition. In the competition there are many events: rocket building, root beer brewing, catapulting, cardboard armor, etc. Well, my group participated in the forensics competition. Together, we solved a robbery and murder in an hour and ten minutes. It was a lot of fun; we are awaiting the response to whether we reached the correct solution and if we won. We did very well, and took some pictures. Some are a bit fuzzy since I am a bad picture taker.

A table was laid out that had all kinds of things that we would need to solve the crime.

Fingerprints were hanging on the wall so all could see.

A ton of people showed up. Some groups were just arriving when we turned in our solution.

A suspicious boarding pass from the suspect's house is posted.

Madi, the Great Pinball Champion

2008-11-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago, my family and I went bowling with some friends at Alleycats. I love that place; we played a game of mowling, played laser tag, and tried some arcade games. I didn't do to well in bowling (I got 76 points with the bumpers), got 3rd place out of four players in laser tag, but did well in the arcade. First, I had a comeback from a 4-0 loss in air hockey, only to lose 7-6. Then I placed in the Need4Speed Underground game after totally flipping my car at 150 mph. Next, it happened: I started playing pinball and couldn't stop. I scored 15,678,940 points in one game. My friend tried next and only got 9 mil. Yes! I am actually really good at something I didn't think I was.

So you see the pin down in the background. Guess what? I miss it!

Trying out pinball for the first time. I actually had a crowd gathered around me.

Skippin School

2008-11-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I did skip school, but it was my dad who wanted me to, so is that considered skipping? Well, my dad and I drove to Houston yesterday morning so that he could pick up his visa to go to India. He is leaving on the 10th and will not return until January on work business. Anyway, we had a great time walking the trails in Memorial Park, reading in the warm 90 degree weather, going through the Japanese garden, and visiting the different parks. It was a fun day, especially since I spent it with my dad.

Sam Houston!!!!

Me sitting on a miniature Washington Monument. How cool! I actually visited a momument of a monument!!

The squirels in Houston were very fat. We couldn't resist taking a picture of one. He actually posed for us, while another ate right out of a kid's hand.

Yes! We filled up for under $2 on our way!

I hate to admit it, but I think I am catching my first cold of the season. Darn, starting out bad already. My allergies are bad, I'm coughing like crazy, and I have a bad headache. I'll try to toughen out though!

Preparing for Halloween!

2008-10-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my church had a trunk or treat in the parking lot where everyone dresses up and decorates their cars' trunks. This year for Halloween, I am dressing up as Judy Nails from Guitar Hero. I l♥ve my costume!!! I went with my friend and had a lot of fun.

Josh and I trunk-or-treating!

We also went and carved pumpkins. We found two decent sized ones and Josh and I carved some cool faces.

Me picking out my pumpkin. It was actually really chilly outside. Though yesterday was 85 degrees.

Carving my awesome pumpkin!

Like my pumpkin's hat? Josh's pumpkin is the one in the back. He actually designed the face himself.

My pumpkin on Halloween night. Later, I broke a glowstick and dribbled it all over my pumpkin so he was glowing. It was pretty cool.

On Halloween night, it was beautiful outside; warm at 80 degrees, but nice. There was a little crescent moon that gave off the spooky feeling. My family and some neighbors (I was the oldest by far, the next in ranking was 5 years old) went out around the neighborhood and received a lot of candy! People were cheap, though. I had little chocolate in my bag.

Me painting Josh's face before we set out.

My awesome costume. I was told by a friend that he copied me since his costume of card board armor broke before Halloween night.

Red Ribbon Week

2008-10-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Last week at my school, we celebrated red ribbon week! As many of you know, most schools have a different topic each day about stopping drugs! I helped pick out the topics; it's one of the only things student council can do. The topics are Crazy Hat Day (Hat's off to RedRibbon Week), Black-Out day (Black-Out Against Drugs), Tacky (Mix-Match) day (I'd Rather be Tacky then do Drugs), Groovy Day (Groovy Without Drugs), and Slipper day (Give Drugs the Slip). Mom decided it would be a fun idea to take pictures of me these different days. We started a little late, but we did get the most fun day: Tacky Day!

Me dressing mix-matched! Everyone loved my tights (as did I).

The State Fair of Texas

2008-10-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

We had Monday off of school (I love Columbus Day) so we went to the State Fair after we fixed the fridge I broke :). We didn't ride the Texas Star (the humongous Ferris wheel that is $6 to ride) but did have a ton of fun. We did pretty much everything, rode some rides, watched the dog show (I wanted to see the pig races), went to the petting zoo, and tried out the new fried food that Texas had to offer. This year's faves were fried pineapple ice cream, fried cookie dough (yummy), fried banana split, and the yummy fried s'more.

Me riding on a very expensive slide, but it was fun!!!

Wow! That's a lot of cotton candy!

This Thursday, my family and I went to the TCU vs. BYU football game. Of course, I was cheering for BYU. It was a lot of fun, but the final score, 32-7, didn't show it. Yeah, we were the 7.

My brother, me, and Cosmo!!!

Back to Tennis

2008-10-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went to play tennis with my friend. It has been a while since we've picked up a racket so the first few minutes were a bit messy. It was a lot of fun and a great start to my day.

Last night, my family was invited to watch Shrek 3 in a friend's backyard. The weather was perfect and we all had a great time! I think I might actually do the same, invite some friends over and watch movies for a Halloween party.

Me holding up a glow stick and chilling in a chair.

I received my report card a couple days ago. I am so happy; my lowest grade was a 96!!! I was also voted top cat, top overall person on my school team. =) My school divides the students into teams based on their classes. Each team has over 100 students. That same day I received a flu shot. So far I'm not having a reaction. I also finished A Long Way Gone and resumed Three Cups of Tea, an account of a mountain climber who builds schools for children in Pakistan. A really good read! Be happy, it's a three day weekend!

Finally, Vice President of Something

2008-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today I had a National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) meeting. During the gathering, we elected the officers. I decided to go for VP and the vote was unanimous, I was elected (actually, I was the only one running for the position, but facts are facts). I also made the yearbook staff but had to choose between StuCo or yearbook. My school had the brilliant idea that you could only be in one club (NJHS meets before school so I can stay), so I chose StuCo. Hopefully we do something this year. I have been doing well in school; I get my report card next week. I am having some problems with a couple teachers, but I can be flexible (maybe).

I got my haircut yesterday! It was getting a little long and the layers were long gone, but now, I feel great! I was needing one badly. I also had my braces tightened. The orthodontist replaced two of my brackets and added on another three. I hurt! They also said I wasn't finished. Oh great!On another note, I am reading a really good book now for the second time: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. I am using it for a biography in Language Arts. I recommend this book, but it is a little unthinkable.

Try Again Next Time

2008-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the results came in. I was sure that I was going to be elected VP, but the name on the announcements wasn't mine. So I didn't get VP, but I talked to the teacher in charge of StuCo about taking Historian, which no one ran for. She said yes I could, if Jessica didn't want it. I have no idea who Jessica is, but if she didn't campaign for the position, she must not want it. In other words, I might get Historian; if not I will still be in Student Council, but just as a represenative.

This weekend is going to be spent finishing my four projects that are due next week. Wish me luck!

Postponed

2008-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

So today was supposed to be the school election, but the teacher in charge left early today and took the ballots with her. I guess I will have to wait for the election. Here's pictures of what I'm doing. I made pencils, shirts, hair ribbons, and posters with my slogan pasted everywhere.

I mentioned in another post about attending a city meeting. Well, I looked in the newspaper and found the article about it; I wasn't mentioned, but my dad's friend was. The journalist got it ALL wrong. He said that "Bob" thought a dog park necessary; I heard "Bob" say the exact opposite. My dad's friend did not agree with "Bob", which genius put in the article as well. That goes to show, do not believe the news, kids.

The Race is On

2008-09-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

As I said in another post, I am running for Vice President of my school's Student Council. Little did I know that 4 other people are doing the same thing. The election is on the 23rd (my half birthday!!!) so I have a busy weekend ahead. I am making T-shirts for me and my friends to wear, posters to hang on the wall, and pencils to hand out that say "Vote Madi B. for V.P." I am just so anxious to get this over with. I am tired of students coming up to me and saying, "I'm not voting for you!" O.K., I don't care if your voting for me or not, but please get out of my way. On top of the election, I have to talk in front of my church, play piano accompaniment for a choir, do homework and projects, babysit, blah, blah, blah. Oh yeah; tomorrow I get to wake up at 5:45 in the morning to go to a party. It's going to be fun, but why not 7:00, or 8:00. This is where my handy optimism comes in. Hopefully it will be enough. I can tell already this is going to be a no-nap weekend.

Madi B for VP

It's Raining, It's Pouring

2008-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, college football team BYU beat UCLA 59-00. If you didn't know, I am a huge BYU fan, along with my dad. We are so happy that they won.

Because of Hurricane Ike, we received a little bit of rain yesterday. Nothing like we expected (it was supposed to pass directly over us and we were supposed to get 6"). However, we did manage to get a couple drops and some puddles. My brother and I went out and played in the rain; him with his umbrella, and me with my new rain boots. We enjoyed splashing and getting completely soaked. O.K, so I may be a little too old for puddle-splashing, but I say it's FUN!!! and you can never be too old to enjoy a couple puddles.

So Long No See

2008-09-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have been so caught up with school this week. I am so glad it is the weekend. My school is introducing all of their clubs this week; it is overwhelming. I am thinking that I am going to try for Yearbook Staff, Student Council (How do you like Madi B. for VP?), Peer Mediation, Whiz Quiz, and National Junior Honor Society, along with Tennis and Golf. Yeah, I'm a pretty busy person. I am so rushed with all these deadlines and stuff. I'm dedicating this weekend to me (hopefully that works out).

Today in Science we made our own salad dressing. My group aimed for a sweet, but tangy taste, so we used raspberries. All was well until we tried squeezing the berries. They didn't have any juice like we thought. So we mashed them and threw them in the bottle. Other than that incident, pouring way to much vegetable oil in the mixture, spilling the bottle, tasting the sample and almost puking, running out of salad, and other accidents, everything went great. The end result actually tasted pretty well. The teacher liked it! Our recipe you may ask? Well, we guess that we used:

175 mL of Red Wine Vinegar
15 mL of water
30 mL of vegetable oil
pinch of pepper
1 shake of Paprika
1 shake of garlic salt
2+ tablespoons of sugar
30 mL of lime and orange juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
And, don't forget...
20 or so mashed raspberries
*Results may vary!!!

Last night, my town had a meeting to decide what kind of parks and entertainment we needed in the city. My dad is an avid mountain biker, so I went to support him and to represent the USTA(national tennis association; my coach asked me to). Small town only has three public tennis courts that are in pretty bad shape. Anyway, I was the youngest one at the meeting. We were split into groups so I was away from my dad, but with one of my friend's mom. I spoke about how we need more mountain bike trails, more tennis courts, and how our activity center needs more fitness activities for young teens (the only ones are for ages 3-10 or 18+). A reporter started quoting me and eventually asked how old I was, etc. I'm guessing I'm going to be in the newspaper. Overall, I got to fight the man and eat cookies. Pretty cool!

Be happy, my friends, and have a GREAT weekend!

A Killer Workout

2008-09-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day at school. I had to turn in a project yesterday, and am working on another. It was absolutely beautiful weather; only 79, 20 degrees below normal. the wind was blowing and it was overcast. Thank you Hurricane Gustav. Though it was nice outside, in Athletics it was sweat, pain, and more sweat. A few girls came to class late, didn't dress out, or talked during Study Hall. So, as a group, we had to do 150 air raids (squat, push up, squat, jump; that's one), plus our daily workout, lunges, jump rope, crunches & push-ups, and hurdles. I hurt a bit afterwards. I like to be pushed hard, but couldn't we have done it outside instead of a cramped gym?

Anyway, my labor day weekend was a blast! I went to the water park, babysat (with a friend), and went to the water park, again, except this time with a friend. I can't believe it's almost fall! And with that, my mom is having a give-away on some of her necklaces to introduce her new fall collection. Trust me, there's some good stuff. Go to: www.alteredartdesigns.blogspot.com to get entered in. You won't regret it.

Another Week

2008-08-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

My first week of school was O.K, I guess. I've already been assigned two projects and have had tons of homework, but that's school I guess. I am so glad for the weekend, though, especially the three-day break. I'm hoping to go to the movies with some friends, and of course the water park that's near my house. It's been a pretty so-so week overall. I've had my highs and lows, but nothing too huge.

My dad is in Canada right now, attending my great-grandmother's funeral. She was 96; it was her time to go. I still miss her though; the family reunions just won't be the same.

On another note, my brother and I are hooked on the Mario and Sonic at the Olympics game for Wii. We can't get our hands off of it. It's hard though!!!

First Day of School

2008-08-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's here! Summer is officially over while school begins. My first day was O.K, not as disastrous as it could be. I can't believe I am actually in the eighth grade. My day started out great; I had my cute first day outfit picked out and got to school O.K. My first period: Spanish. I can tell I'm going to like this class because the teacher is so relaxed. Next was Algebra, then Language Arts. I didn't eat lunch until 1:45, though, thanks to the first day confusion. I like my classes, though one of my teachers kind of creeps me out. She's a little weird. Finally, Athletics, then the final bell. I was able to find at least one friend in each class, but not as many as I was hoping for. I wish I could at least eat with my friends at lunch; instead, we have to sit in the order we come into the cafeteria. Oh well, I'll deal with it. Tomorrow includes U.S History, Science, L.A., then Athletics. Hope I find even more friends.

How was your first day? Was it as great as mine? Leave a comment to share your experience. And don't forget to share "Be Happy" with your friends. Thanks!!!

A Day on the Lake

2008-08-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Summer went out with a bang. One of my friend's sister was supposed to go to this lake with all of her firends. When they bailed out on her, she asked my friend to invite a couple of people to go out with them. I was chosen. We spent the day on a lake, jetskiing, wakeboarding, and, of course, tubing. It was my first time jetskiing, so I had a great time. I've wakeboarded before and I got some air coming out of the wake (not a first for the superlight me). I questioned tubing, though. My cousins and I are some serious tubers. A couple years ago, I almost broke my nose twice coming down after a 6 foot jump. This ride wasn't that deadly. I had a great time holding on for dear life with two other people on a 5 foot tube.

So all this talk about tubing and some of you are wondering, "What the heck is tubing?" Well, it's a "sport" that uses a tube (looks like a big donut with the hole filled in) that one or two people can lay across on. The tube is pulled by a boat (or jetski) and the fun is all the twists and turns that the driver lays on the tube.

Anyway, a great end to summer. Hope the school year is just as fun. Have you had any tubing experiences?

Getting Ready for School (the good, the bad, and the ugly)

2008-08-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

As I said before, school starts next Monday for me. A good thing to get back into the routine of things, a not so good thing to say bye-bye to summer. Anyway, I haven't exactly had an easy-breezy preparation. I had to go to the doctor for my physical so I can participate in Athletics (P.E.). While there, someone brought up my shot record; the doctor realized I hadn't received a couple vaccines. So, two shots later (I still despise shots), I was in pain. The next day, I had a reaction to one, I mean fever, swelling, puking, and, of course, pain. The good thing: I was back to normal in a couple of hours.

If that wasn't enough, doctor's orders also included an x-ray of my spine to check for scoliosis. I'm not one to get shy, but a part of taking a picture of the inside of my body freaks me out. On top of it all, the scrubs they made me wear were a little bit too big for me. It was all I could do to keep the pants up. Overall, though, not a huge ordeal.

Today, I get my school schedule, and, don't forget, my orthodontist appointment. I finally grew in my last permanent tooth. I'm happy, even though it took five years to come in. I can just hope it comes in straight. Of all my problems with my body, my teeth are the worst. Not one came in right; a couple were a little crooked, but I've had a couple that either came in backwards or five teeth over or both. I had top and bottom braces for almost 2 1/2 years and have had my second set for a couple of months. Hopefully this phase doesn't last as long.

I hope your getting ready for school experiences weren't as bad as mine. But, if you have an exception, leave a comment. I'd love to be comforted that I'm not the only one.

VACATION!!!!!!

2008-08-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my vacation in Destin, Florida. It's this tiny little town right on the beach. I had such a great time. During my weeklong visit, I found some way cool shells. Some were over four inches long. I also caught a ton of crabs (with my bare hands =). My first day there, the ocean was black with fish. If you stood in the middle, there was a circle of green surrounded by black around you. It was pretty cool. I caught a ton of waves with my boogie board and was beat up by the 5-foot-tall waves. Overall, a happy vacation =)!

On another note, this is my first blog. I'm excited; yeah. Enjoy your last week of summer vacation, if you're not already in school. Be happy!