Momma Bear.

This is Momma Bear. She's cap'n. And my best friend. She had a birthday last week, here are 10 things I adore about her.

1. She makes a snickering sound that I just love.
2. Whenever she starts something and she likes it, she puts her whole heart into it.
3. Whenever I need someone to talk to, she's always there with an open mind and helps me see the other side.
4. If it wasn't for her, my family wouldn't be in the church. She's the one who let the missionaries into our home and I couldn't thank her enough for that each day.
5. She is always helping our family grow spiritually, she's the one who gets us to read our scriptures and say our prayers.
6. She has mad dance moves.
7. She's gorgeous. I hope that when people say you look like your mom when your older, they're right. Because I sure wouldn't mind it.
8. She'll do anything to make her family happy.
9. She helps me stay calm when I get worked up about things, and she's always patient with me.
10. She keeps our family together and always reminds us that we can do hard things.

"Life is an awfully lonely place without your best friend."

Lately

The last few weeks my life has consisted of only a couple of things.

1. 
   
   
   
   

Studying. Like crazy. Mainly for AP US History, don't ask me why I'm taking this class. Because I question myself everyday when I walk in. But I know in the end, it'll be worth it. You know why? i'm determined to pass the AP test. I will study until the first Friday in May, and I will pass.

2.

Reading. I love to read, and sometimes I forget that. And then when I realize how much I love it, I just can't stop. Right now i'm reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, everyone needs to read it.

3.

Sadies! I know it's next weekend, but trust me. I've been putting a lot of effort into this dance. I was in charge of our shirts (which are going to be dang cute) and so I've had a lot to do. But last week we went to Castles n Coasters! Oh, by the way, this is Dallin. He's my best friend, isn't he so adorable?! But anyway, CNC was the best, I had the time of my life.

xo,

Allie Jo

Sweater weather is better weather.

I've learned

Recently, I've learned a lot. A lot a lot a lot.

I've learned that no matter what you do, your family comes first. Then yourself. Then your friends. Some might disagree with me on this one..

I've learned that you don't give half effort. If you're doing something, you do it the best you can the first time. AP History taught me this one.. and chemistry.

I've learned that people will disappoint you. You will get your heartbroken. But you know what? That's OKAY. It's how we grow. Not the only way, but it does help.

I've learned that some days are hard. Really hard. But just because you've had a bad day, doesn't mean you have a bad life. All you can do about it is say your prayers, go to sleep and know that tomorrow doesn't have to be that way. Learn from today's mistakes so you don't have to make them again tomorrow.

I've learned that I'm going to make mistakes. I'm human. But through the atonement, I'm going to be just fine.

And lastly, the most important thing I've learned is that forgive is the key to everything. People are going to make you angry, forgive them. "Holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent free in your head." You're also going to make mistakes, and the only way to fully repent of them is to forgive yourself. I never really thought of forgiving myself, until it was the only thing holding me back.

This is my rant. And I'm out.

xo, AJ

What you must know about me.

Holidays delight me, mischief, kissing while being tickled, and the sound of popcorn popping. I’m short, and I don’t weigh that much, my hair color is a bit on the dark side, and I don’t really know my political views just yet. I don’t take things that matter seriously, and I sometimes get offended by the little things, even when I know they aren’t anything to worry about. I’m known to break out into song/dance, so a boy who will dance with me anywhere I please is wholeheartedly welcomed. i am dubious of infomercials but I enjoy watching them as I fall asleep. My activities include making sounds, reading books, waking up early, and watching the young and the restless. The boy in the picture above is my everything and makes me smile like no one else. I have a slight limp, eerily tiny hands, and a preternatural love of autumn. i once misinterpreted being called infamous as a compliment when it was intended as an insult. I have a tan that very few can compete with, and my thumbs are short. I wiggle my feet in my sleep, wake up in the middle of the night to clean my room, am scared of the dark, and think that Penelope is one of the greatest films of all time. All i want is butterfly kisses in the morning, toe socks to sleep in, peanut butter sandwiches shaped like a heart, and to smile until it hurts.

Kayden Benjamin.

AKA Shug.
He's the apple of my eye. I didn't think it was possible to love something so tiny this much.

9/29/11

I am different.

I have brown hair.

And a so sweet nephew<3
I'll post about him in the morning, I'm sleepy.

"I am a great sinner, but Jesus is an even greater Savior."

Sumsumsummatime.

So basically, I'm a horrible blogger. I haven't blogged once about the best summer of my life. I didn't do much, it was more about who I spent my time with. It was definatly a summer of firsts. I'm trying to collect my thoughts about this summer but I'm just really overwhelmed. I guess I'll tell you about the few trips I went on. First was the trek. Let me just say, I'm weak. And I didn't realize how weak until the trek. I cried probably 13 times, in one day.. Yeah, that bad. I had a pretty gnarly fall, too. Trip over some rocks. I know, I'm so graceful. But seriously, the trek was amazing. I grew so much closer to my ward and I realized how much I really love them. Before I never wanted to go to church because Hannah was moved out of my ward, but since the trek, I now enjoy it. The day after the trek I left for California with my dad. We went to San Diego this year. I love San Diego. It's perfect. And the temple, oh my gosh. After California I stayed home for a few weeks and then went to Girls Camp. So amazing. This year, Tara Bodrero came to camp. She changed my life. Before camp I would get upset over little dumb things. But seeing the trials Tara is going through and how much strength she has, all my problems seem like spilled milk. I'm so grateful that she came to camp, she made this year worth going. The last trip I took was with my mom, Logan, and Grace. Last Monday my mom decided we were going to California. So we left Tuesday night. I love those trips, they kind of happen a lot in my family. We stayed with our cousins, the Colwells. Cassidy wasn't there so I hung out with Chase. He took me to Huntington for the US Surf Open. Sooo much fun. We saw Kelly Slater and Bethany Hamilton. We also went to Six Flags. There's a lot of other stuff I have to say about my summer, but I'll get to that later.
xo, als.

New Love.

I have a new love. Well actually it's a love-hate relationship. I've started running. I don't know why i started. One day I was sitting in my room and I just started putting my shoes on. I don't know why came over me, but I'm really glad it did. I feel so much better about myself now that I'm running. Before I wasn't doing anything and it was started to make me mad. But that's kinda it. I like it, I just have to keep telling myself not to stop.

Also! SCHOOL IS OUT IN THREE DAYS!! WHADDDDUP JR. YR.!?

This is what I looked like today.

It's May!

Can you believe it?!
May is my favorite month, only 19 more days of school. My only goal is to stay focused.

How can you not love a Ginger?! Seriously.

See these girls? They pretty much are my favorite. We like to go sunning in our bathers allll day and then swim and isolate ourselves from the other because we're hilar and ride our bikes to the party we weren't invited to.. and not go it.
"Why would you like the smell of it?!"

Gracie G.

WE SO CUTE.

Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.

The title pretty much says it all. I just need to be done with it all.
"The best feeling in the world comes when you realize that you're perfectly happy without the people you thought you needed most."
I'm not sayig it'll come easy, but it'll come and when it does- it'll be great.

"I've got 99 problems.."

Being in high school I think it's natural to feel like there are other people that are better than you. And lately I've been thinking this a lot, and mainly about one girl. She's adorable, she has the perfect car, the cutest clothes she's friends with everyone and no one has a mean thing to say about her. But tonight when I was talking to a friend she told me how this girl was having some issues, and I started thinking about how I pictured her to have this perfect life, when really everyone has their trials. Some just make it more known than others.


Don’t think when you have troubles
That your neighbor goes scot-free
Because he shows a smiling front
And battles cheerfully.


No, Man! He, too, has troubles,
But herein the difference lies,
While you go idly moping round,
The other fellow tries.

Don’t envy other people;
Maybe, if the truth you knew,
You’d find their burdens heavier far
Than is the case with you.

Because a fellow, rain or shine,
Can show a smiling face,
Don’t think you’d have an easier time
If you could take his place.

‘Tis hope and cheery courage
That incite one to retrieve
One’s past mistakes, to start afresh,
To dare and to achieve.

So smile, and if perchance you light
The spark of hope anew
In some poor sad and burdened heart,
All honor be to you.

-Anonymous

It's a twisted story.

It happens everyday. And it goes a little something like this:
We text right after school.
By dinner time we've already started fighting.
By 9 we've apologized.
He calls at 10.
We talk until one of us can't fight the tiredness anymore.
DO IT AGAIN THE NEXT DAY.

And you know what? I hate this. So Today I decided I wasn't going to text him because last night was bad. And I was doing soo well. Yeah, it was hard. Really hard. It felt like something was missing, a couple times I had to stop what I was doing because I thought I had forgotten something. But no, it was just because Brady wasn't talking to me. But right when I started telling myself I could do this and it won't be as hard as I think it'll be, he texted me. Trying to act like nothing was wrong, when we both stopped talking while we were angry last night. And I know that's the worst thing to do. My Dad will always tell me, "Alls, you can be mad at someone just make sure you forgive them before you say goodbye." But it just made me soo angry how he just texted me like nothing happened, it's like he knows I'll be holding on and that I'm trying to let go but he doesn't want me to let go because he likes that I care so much it does something for his ego. It builds him up knowing that he can take me down at any second.

"Please don't make me wait just because you know I will"

I guess it's a bit funny

We all claim to expect nothing from people, or atleast I do from a certain person, and in that sense we’re never disappointed. But who can really keep their hearts from hoping, even a little bit?

We all hope that someone will surprise us, that someone will be different, that someone will prove themselves to be above the heard rending pain we’ve had before. But in the end it just feels like its the same person, the same relationship, the same conversation and excuses… wearing a mask of a different face.

We fall, look around for someone to blame… then we get back up and do it all again.

Everything and Nothing.

He's annoying. He's hilarious. He's the world's biggest jerk, he makes me want to scream, he ruins my day and saves it at the last minute, he drives me crazy, he's out of his mind, I hate his guts and he's everything I want.

It's a problem.

I'm a girl obsessed. With getting a car. But you see, I have a bit of a dilemma. I don't have a job. So I can't pay for the insurance and gas. And you know what that means, No tengo el coche. But for now I'm stuck dreaming about a dodge nitro or a mini cooper. Love em'.