So good, I can see us on a beach down in Mexico.

As quoted by B.o.B.

I followed his advice, and went to Mexico.

Cancun, to be exact.

Playa del Carmen, to be more exact.

All eight of us Mangums took the 7-hour flight to Cancun to lie out on the beaches,

to discover what Mexican culture is like,

to get outta town,

to get a tan,

to watch Hunger Games with Spanish subtitles,

to discover Mayan ruins,

to play volleyball and water basketball,

to eat lots and lots of Mexican food,

to shop,

to explore.

There will be pictures later.

But I will say now that I had the time of my life.

Yeeeuh.

♥ Abigail ♥

P.S. It's been almost four years since Truly Abigail made its first appearance! Holy.

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 ♥

Florida Bound

Hello.

It's 10:10 PM.

In exactly 7 hours and 50 minutes, I will be waking up to go to the airport.

At 6:55 AM, I will fly to Phoenix.

From there, to Orlando.

Yes, that's right.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

Home of Walt Disney World and Epcot,

Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom.

Am I excited?

Heck yes!

Partly because I get to show off these babies:

partly because I get to go to Disney World and all those other places,

partly because I'm going to Tanner's All-American football game,

and partly because, well, it's FLORIDA!

Never in my life have I been to the east.

I think the farthest east I've been to is Denver.

That's just sad.

I got a spray tan just for this special occasion.

And boy, do I look tan! And completely non-orange!

Yesssss.

Well, next time you hear from me, I'll be in Orlando rocking short shorts, tank tops, those beauties up there, and sunglasses.

Ohhhhh yeahhhhh.

♥ 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 ♥

Splash Mountain Terror

Classic.

♥ 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 ♥

On Harry Potter

I was lucky enough to witness this movie on Saturday afternoon. My family, deciding that it was time we all see a movie together, was amazed by how much the actors have grown up. Just seven or so years ago the first Harry Potter came out, and they were such young kids around my age. Now, they've all (definitely) gone through their puberty and are looking more like adults. 

Like many, I was disappointed that they put the movie into two parts instead of one. I am too impatient to wait until summer 2011 to find out what happens to Harry once and for all. The end of the first part leaves you wondering what is to occur, and that just made me even angrier. I don't think I can make it six months without drawing conclusions. I am hoping that there is a twist to the end, like, "It looks like Harry is doomed until Voldemort trips over a rock and dies." But that is not possible. Voldemort isn't that clumsy, is he? Besides, that would ruin the whole story.

I think I am in the middle of one of those celebrity crushes again. Daniel Radcliffe has turned out to be a surprisingly attractive hunk, and you can't help but drool over him, even with the glasses he wears in the movie and how he always seems to get dirty right after he showers. Are your feelings the same for me, Mr. Potter? 

I cannot wait for the next episode to come out in summer 2011. Until then...

♥ Abigail ♥

P.S. Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!

P.P.S. My birthday is in less than two weeks! WAHOO!

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 ♥