Mustard and Catch-Up

Hey.

It's already been a month since I last posted.

Does time fly or what?

To make up for my horrible lack of posting, let's play catch-up.

Madison is home! He came back on Wednesday, and it was the best reunion ever. I didn't think I'd cry, but when I saw him turn that corner to come greet us, there I was, crying like a baby. He hardly recognized me after two years of being away. It's so amazing having him back where he belongs. 

Florida was quite the trip. First and foremost, I rocked those Nike gladiator sandals like I've never rocked a shoe before (and after showing off my favorite pair of shoes, I became obsessed with these babies shortly after). Although some days were actually cold--as in, 44 degrees cold--I basked in the sun on the warm days. I went to Epcot and celebrated New Year's. I went to the Magic Kingdom and rode Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain for the first time. I had the opportunity to watch Tanner in his All-American game where he received the MVP award. I bought yet another pair of shoes. I stood 100 feet away from my celebrity crush, Cam Newton. One day, Cammy, one day. And boy, did I have fun. Ohhh yeahhh.

School is wonderful! Straight A's, cool teachers (with the exception of ONE), great social life, we're all good. I'm enjoying the easiness of middle school while it lasts.

Sports are going VERY well. I have a volleyball tournament next Saturday and the AAU season is in session. I'm gonna be honest, we have a lot of work to do, but I think we'll probably place about 4th or 5th this year. It'll be nice in high school when I get to play with older girls. I like a good challenge.

I'm growing my hair out. By summer, it'll be long and luscious and I won't have to worry about straightening it or making sure it looks good. They'll just be long locks of dirty blonde hair.

And, as always, I love ma best friend Zane(:

I'm obsessed with Temple Run and Sky Burger.

And that's about it.

Thanks for the great game of catch-up, y'all.

♥ Abigail ♥

Quarter One Down

These pictures are dedicated to Allie. She looks just great, doesn't she?

Oh Allie:)

Honestly, I don't know what to write. Lots of wonderful things have happened. Let's just go in a random sequence.

I love life.

I love ma boy Zane. ♥

I finished the first quarter with straight A's, all 95 and above!

I love my teachers.

I went trick-or-treating with that girl (above) last night. We didn't get very much candy, because half of the houses in the neighborhood were dark, but I loved my cowgirl costume. I wore a red and blue flannel with a red handkerchief around my neck, jeans that make my butt look really nice, cowboy boots, and a braid coming down the side. Beautimous(:

My basketball club is heading to Seattle on Friday! GO FUSION!

Tanner's team made it to state.

I grew a half-inch.

My braces are doing just fine. 

Jay-Z and I share the same birthday!

I wore these really cool Air Maxes to school today; people liked them a lot!

Club volleyball starts Thursday!

Cooper turned 5 four days ago! He's old!

My teacher's dog died today:(

I hate my natural hair.

When I move into Tanner's room I'm going to paint it pink.

My mom just left for a cooking class.

I had the best weekend ever!

I have a lot of clothes, and I don't wear half of them.

The sweatshirt I'm wearing right now is making me really hot.

In English I'm studying Nicolaus Copernicus! He invented the heliocentric theory. Ha!

The new iPhone 3S is awesome. Serie is amazing.

My first love from preschool came into town. That was fun.

I'm wearing pink socks.

My contacts kinda hurt right now.

I'm currently taking Spanish. We learned the alphabet today!

I am in loooooooove with Cam Newton. AHHH!

(Zane, I don't care if Cam Newton has Shrek ears.)

I recently came back from a tournament in Salt Lake. We played against sophomores in high school and we're 8th graders! Well, I'm the only 7th grader:) We lost in double OT in the championship. Heartbreaker.

I've been wearing a lot of my brother's clothes lately.

I have a disorder where I can't repeat outfits. It's terrible.

I like Apples to Apples.

I love Five Guys.

Girl, look at that body, girl look at that body, I WORK OUT!

I don't know what I should do for my birthday party with Jay-Z.

I'm going to Florida over winter break for Tanner's All-American game where hopefully I'll meet Cam Newton! :O

I want to move to Italy when I'm old and retired.

I eat Starbursts with braces. Woah.

When I walk in the spot, this is what I see. E'erybody stop and starin' at me!

I like writing notes to people.

I hate getting up at 6:30.

I just remembered that I'll miss the football game on Friday! NOOO!

I'M SEXY AND I KNOW IT!

I love Coldplay. And I mean it.

Guido's Pizza is the bomb diggity.

I strangely can't wait for track season.

Baby, it's cold outside.

Dolvett Quince is yummy. And I like his name.

I wish I could play lacrosse.

I wish I was good at soccer.

I want to be a real estate agent when I grow up.

I know someone whose house got hit by a hot air balloon. How sad.

Cooper is staring at me right now.

He just looked away.

Aww, he's so cute.

Look at those brown eyes.

And those cute wittle ears.

Okay, back to the post.

I wear a size 9 1/2. Yeah, I have big feet.

Cooper just looked at me again.

Okay, he looked away.

My favorite Gatorade flavor is Cool Blue. Yummy!

7th grade is fun. The year's going by so fast!

I'm about to take my dog for a walk, so see ya!

Hope life's great for you, people!

♥ Abigail ♥

The New Addition to My Metal Mouth

These ugly things.

Hideous. I know.

But I guess that's the price of beauty...

Suffer two years...

Get beautiful teeth for the rest of your life.

I think I can deal with it, right?

Let's hope so.

♥ Abigail ♥

The Green Grass Grows

Life has been a blur these past two weeks. I can't exactly remember anything, so I'm going to put events in a random sequence.

The common cold has been going around, and I caught it.

AAU season ended; our record was 7-3, which isn't too bad.

I feel sick after eating Pop Tarts.

Cooper's ear puffed up, so it looks like a balloon now. We have to pop it...gross.

I can't think of any story ideas.

Spaghetti and chocolate milk is all I want.

I have about 37 pairs of shoes.

I grew a quarter of an inch.

Meredith just got here.

I have my future planned out: I'm going to go to vet school, become a world-famous veterinarian, and write several books with my photography in it. And if I'm lucky, I'll get to play basketball in Europe. All four dreams in one job. Then I'll get married to a hot hunk, live in a mansion off of Homer Road, and have three kids. Two girls and one boy. I'll also have a beagle named Pookie.

Nani's funeral was very emotional, yet very comforting knowing that she's in a better place now.

I've gone skiing only once this year.

Justin Bieber turned 17 on March 1st!!!

I bought Pimple Popper for the iPad. That's some intense stuff.

I have a crush on someone...

I want the iPhone 4. So bad.

I just counted. I now have 38 pairs of shoes.

Cooper's getting fat.

I rolled my ankle the other day, so I wear a brace in games.

I dance around when no one is watching.

Meredith is sleeping.

I didn't get a valentine on Valentine's Day:(

Spring is coming; I can't wait.

We have 62 more days of school left.

I had an All-Star basketball game on Friday; we killed 'em. :D

Mom is baking a cake right now.

I have a short temper.

I can't sit still...I think I have A.D.D.

I'm getting braces in two weeks.

I trimmed my hair to get rid of all the split ends I've pulled. 

I get to go to Twin Falls for a basketball tournament!

I'm alive and I'm happy.

And that was my long two weeks made short. Thank you.

♥ Abigail ♥

12 Years Living

On Saturday, December 4th, I turned 12 years old. For me, this is a great accomplishment. It means I am given more privileges, I have survived twelve years of life, and, most importantly, I get to advance from Primary to Young Women's.

Primary, in our Mormon terms, is the place kids from ages 3-11 go for the third hour of our three-hour long church. You sing songs from the Children's Songbook, learn one lesson per Sunday, and suffer an hour of obnoxious little kids. By the time you're ten years old you're wishing to escape into the peacefulness of Young Women's. That's where girls aged 12-17 go for the third hour. Boys go to Young Men's. There you are surrounded by well-behaved girls who are always willing to help with any problem of yours. It is easier to focus, for it is quiet in the room. The only noise you can hear besides the teacher is the hum of the furnace. 

I got to go to my first lesson as an official Young Woman on Sunday. We learned about the Nativity and thoughts about Christmas. For the first time in years I actually enjoyed listening, whereas in Primary I would never pay attention. I am excited to be with these girls; this should be quite an adventure.

As a celebration for surviving twelve years on Earth, I invited five girls over and together we went bowling and watched a basketball game (well, we didn't exactly watch). We had so much fun laughing, eating until we felt sick, and failing in bowling. No one could get the right technique down, so no one got very many points...except for me. Although I used the wrong technique, I scored 98 points, which is my new record! :) Bowling definitely isn't my sport, or anyone's, for that matter. No worries. We took lots of pictures (the ones above are just a few) and had the time of our lives. If I could relive one night of my life again, it would be that one. I don't think I could have a better experience.

Now Christmas is just around the corner; the house is covered in red, green, and lots of bright lights. I can't wait to see what this one has in store!

Oh, how I love December.

♥ Abigail ♥

My Little Brother

Meet Cooper.

He's my four-legged buddy who is always there when I come home.

He gives me company when I am alone.

He's very good at making sure he marks his territory when we go on walks.

He never barks.

He loves people (and jumping on them).

He would do anything to get attention.

He's a quick learner; in fact, I taught him "shake" in three tries.

He likes to sleep.

He came from the Humane Society (or as I like to call it, the nasty pound).

He's single, lady pooches. ;)

But most importantly, he's my best friend.

Even though he can't respond, I tell him everything.

He is always there for me when I am in a bad mood.

He'll love me no matter what.

(Oh wow, I'm crying now.)

On Thursday, October 28th, Cooper turned four years old.

In my terms, he's one third done with his life.

Every day he grows older.

Every day I find a loose gray hair hanging around his fur.

Every day he grows a little bigger.

It makes me sad knowing he will live only to a minimum of 12 years old.

I feel bad not giving him all the attention I could.

Instead I stare at this computer screen when I could be throwing the ball with my dog.

My best friend.

The best thing I could ever have in my growing years.

We're going through this life together.

One step at a time.

Through all the tough times, a dog and a girl have each other's backs.

He may only be a dog,

but he has feelings too.

Probably just as many as a human does.

People take dogs for granted.

In my perspective, dogs are anyone's best friend.

They don't care if you're rich or poor...

Dirty or spotless...

Homeless or owner of a mansion...

Ugly or beautiful...

All they care about is that you're there with them.

Which is why I would do anything for my dog.

Even if it meant sacrificing something.

And that's a lot to ask for, considering he's just a dog.

So, happy birthday, my King of All Cutie Pies.

You've got a bright future ahead of you.

♥ Abigail ♥

Those Delicate Bones

Emma and I drove excitedly over to the high school. We were almost falling out of our seats, for we were so ecstatic for tonight's football game, especially this one. We were against our arch rivals, Rocky Mountain, a high school just down the road from our beloved school. Since my brother, Tanner, is the quarterback, these types of games were important to my family.

We got to the stadium early to claim good seats. We weren't going to be watching, because all the middle schoolers gather somewhere other than the bleachers, but Emma's father was determined to grab a seat before there wouldn't be any at all; after all, tonight would be packed. Home games were always packed.

I was impressed to see the large amount of 6th graders coming to the game. Back at Timberline, I was the only 11-year-old to come support the team. There was nothing to do except watch the game, so I was never pleased whenever I heard, "We're going to Tanner's football game tonight." Now, if I hear that, I perk up and get very excited. Everything is always better when you're doing it with friends.

Emma and I watched the kickoff, and then ran off to say "hi" to the many friends that were just now arriving. We hung out beneath the bleachers and didn't pay much attention to the game. We were so engrossed in our conversations that we didn't know or hear absolutely anything that happened on the field.

At the end of the first quarter I spotted Mom walking towards me. I merrily said "hello" to her and was about to introduce her to my friends when she whispered into my ear, "Tanner's hurt." That was the moment when all the glee and happiness inside drained out of me. I felt like crying all of a sudden.

"What happened?" I immediately asked.

"We think he broke his collar bone," Mom retorted. "We're all going to the ER right now, but we think you should stay here." I reluctantly agreed. Shortly after the brief conversation, I saw Tanner being wheeled out in one of those mobile carts. Mom hopped in and off they went. I cried to myself just then. Tanner's junior season: ruined.

Nothing seemed like fun for the rest of the night, although I did try to laugh and keep my spirits high. Soon I just had to go home and see how Tanner was, so right after the game our friends drove me home. Instead of worrying and fretting, I stared into space blankly, waiting for my family to get back.

Finally they came. Tanner wasn't in as much pain as he was before, but he still didn't feel all that well. It was confirmed that he had broken his collar bone. Our other friends brought ice cream over and before you knew it we were all in bed asleep. The day after that Tanner was already scheduled for surgery.

On Sunday morning I woke up alone. I was to be picked up by our neighbors to go to church. I worried about Tanner for the three hours I was at church. I stayed with my neighbors all day until I walked home to  see Tanner sleeping peacefully. Then he started experiencing pain. Lots. Of. Pain.

Now it's almost been a week since the injury; Tanner is recovering well. It could be less than a month until he'll be lifting weights and throwing again, which is a very quick recovery. I am so grateful that my brother is okay, and that he has NEXT YEAR to set/break records.

God works in strange ways, and this is just one of them.

♥ Abigail ♥

Why I Love Homer Road

Five Reasons Why I Love Homer Road:

1. It's located in the foothills, one of my most favorite places on Earth.
2. There are some pretty massive houses up there.
3. It has pretty views.
4. It's far away from the hustles and bustles of the city.
5. It's a very secluded area.

"What started this obsession?" you might ask. Well, that cloudy morning when I discovered Homer Road I'd just run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with other members of our LDS ward. As my mother and I climbed into our car after running three miles, she turned on the engine, paused a second before she pressed on the gas, and said, "Let me show you what's above Beacon Light Road, Abby." 

"Um, okay," I reluctantly agreed. I just wanted to go home because I had woken up early that morning and I had just run three miles, which is a lot for me because I have bad endurance and stamina.

So we made the drive past the wonderful road of Beacon Light to a street called Homer Road. At first I wasn't impressed; all I could see was a little blue house sitting there like it hadn't been lived in for years. I was thinking, "THIS is what Mom wanted to show me?" Then we started driving farther down the road until we approached a monster house. There were four kids out playing with their 4-wheelers. I later learned from my friend Savanna that there was a girl my age who made a living in that house. Anyway, my mother and I ventured up the hill in our little white Lexus and saw some beautiful houses. Finally we reached the end, and there was an even bigger house sitting there. There were two kids outside, and as I looked closer, I realized it was my friend Marin from school and her little brother. I was astonished. 

Mom and I made our way back to the flat road. We disobediently went up private streets to see some amazing homes until we reached the street that led to our home. And that's when I realized I was obsessed with a little place I call Homer Road.

Now, if you live in the area, you may have heard that there was a large fire in the hills, right where Homer is. It spread very quickly from Highway 16 (close to Emmett) towards Highway 55. Luckily it stopped not too far away from where it started. It got way back in the hills, though, too, so several homes up there were evacuated, including the amazing homes my mother and I had seen on that cloudy day. Only four homes burned down, but most of the spectacular homes stayed standing. I am grateful the fire didn't spread to where I live; the smoke was very high in the sky.

  

Here are some pictures from the fire:

A little place I call Homer Road...

...is still standing tall.

Stay strong, my friend.

♥ Abigail ♥

This is for all of my Boise friends.

Yes, he certainly does.

And so do I.

I love you and miss you LOTS, Boise people!

♥ Abigail ♥

Waka Waka

Being the child in the family that is usually on her computer while everyone else watches TV, it's surprising to see that I actually tune in on the World Cup. I like watching the players fake the goalkeeper out and kick in a perfect goal. It's amazing that there's actually talent like that in this world. 

I'm not a huge soccer player; I played for three years, and then I got started with basketball. My parents also didn't want to pay all that cash for club soccer, which is another reason I quit in second grade, the year before I'd have to play club. Today you can keep playing a basic league after third grade, but back then things were different.

The games are so unpredictable. You have no idea what they're going to do, so you're anxious as the players kick the ball down the huge field. The horns blowing in the stands, the cheering, the anxiety in the air is all so exciting to me. It's incredible how a game can be so nerve racking. 

Secretly I support Argentina, but of course I have to cheer on the USA. I mean, I'm a citizen of the United States. Wouldn't it be a little disrespectful to discourage the team's territory I live on? (If that made any sense.)

I especially enjoyed the song Shakira sang at the opening performance: Waka Waka, which obviously explains the title above. It has good lyrics that shows South Africa's culture. I am a picky music listener, and this song is definitely a plus on my list.

On another note, go Celtics!

♥ Abigail ♥


P.S. If you ever try the Template Designer, think before you apply it to your blog! It's almost impossible to remove the template. If you are having problems removing your template, let me know in a comment and I will give you specific instructions on how to get rid of those dumb templates!