Birthday 2007

In three days, it will be my birthday. As amazing as this sounds, it also brings about some questions... such as, What happened to this year and where did it go? Am I ready to keep moving on? and Why haven't I improved at all in the past year? 1. I have no idea. It went by really fast, unlike last year, which was incredibly painful. Even though this year had a lot of tears and pain in it, I actually enjoyed school and could appreciate the good in life. 2. YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! 3. I think I have improved in some areas and "de"proved (is that a word?) in others. But, you know that triangle in life - social, mental, and physical?, well, I think my triangle (which should actually be a rectangle, considering spiritual health) is looking more equilateral. Except on the physical side, where it is lacking. We have to improve on that this year. There is an amazing amount of stuff I need to do in the next week and I can just feel those little energy-filled molecules flooding through my blood around in my body. They're pretty much shouting, "COME ON RACHEL!" For example, because of the age I'm getting to, I feel like I'm more in charge of making my birthday as interesting as possible, which involves kidnapping my friend Amanda on our birthday (same day!) and taking this blindfolded person to any resturant of my choosing. Whoopee! That sounds amazing. Of course, I also have two midterms that day... so we're going to have to work that out. I also think that on my birthday I should heart-attack my friends and family members of the house, which also sounds amazing. I'm so excited! I'm old! So many things this year that are worth mentioning --- 1. Mom, Dad, Peter, Bek, and I went to Rome, Italy for a week in February where we walked millions of miles and ate lots of gelato. 2. We went on, yet again, another Cross-Country Trip Extravanganza. 3. I had Girl's Camp and the Youth Trip in the Summer. 4. Em had her wedding and we celebrated Grandma's birthday. 5. We celebrated Easter at our cousins' in Pittsburg (you rad people, you) - Sadly, my Aunt died in September. We love her very much and I miss her a lot. I need to learn to show my love and appreciation for people before it's too late. 6. Thanksgiving, the cousins came to our house and there was so much fantastic chaos, I felt really empty when they left and life had to return to life as we know it. 7. School. 8. Jacob went on his mission to Arizona. 9. The family went down to SC for Christmas, which was absolutely... absolute. Family is the most amazing thing in this universe. 10. I READ TWILIGHT AND NEW MOON BY STEPHENIE MEYER AND CAN NOW NEVER LIVE WITHOUT EDWARD CULLEN, WHO IS THE MOST PERFECT GUY IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD AND IT'S A SHAME THAT HE'S FICTIONAL (AND NO, I DON'T MIND THAT HE'S A VAMPIRE. THAT'S PART OF HIS PERFECTION). I also have a lot of goals for this year: 1. Become more healthy by running early in the morning (and losing ten pounds at the least) 2. Read many more good books, such as classics (Jane Austen), fantasy, and realistic fiction (like Chasing Redbird) 3. Start a journal 4. Actually study for tests and do my homework and projects in advance 5. Read my scriptures and pray every morning with a full heart 6. Be grateful 7. Don't take offense 8. Be more out-going, confident, humble, and loving. BE CREATIVE 9. Spend A LOT of time in Utah with family this summer. I want to go hiking or spelunking or just bask in the Utah Sun. You Utah-ians 10. Write a novel 11. Be good 12. Watch good movies 13. Talk to extended and close- friends and family 14. Be an encouragement 15. Set goals that I mean to achieve (HEY! I already did this one) I want you to know that, whoever you are, you are an amazing person and there are people out there who care about you. Don't forget how amazing you are, but don't stop trying to improve. Hey... that's why I'm here. "To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."