The Important Things

I was reading in my old journal and came across this entry. After some grammar and punctuation correction, this is going on my wall.

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

I've been reading a book called Secrets in Zarahemla. I just finished it a couple minutes ago. The love that Kiah and Jared share for each other and their faith in God is overwhelmingly evident.
That's how I want my marriage to be. I want my faith in God to be strong. I want to marry a man who loves me for me and who has a strong faith in God and the church.
I want to be worthy to enter the temple and sealed for all time and eternity to the one I love, and start a family.
I don't know right now what I want temporally, but spiritually...
I want to be strong in the Church, raise my children in the church with faith, and have family home evening every Monday, and scripture and prayer every night.
I want to visit the temple weekly, and keep God's commandments fully. I want to have a strong testimony of the church and of God.
And I want my kids to have that, too.

Sabrina <3

~La vie est belle, Bri~

HomeschoolED

Friend: Wait, you’re homeschooled?
Me: Yeah?
Friend: Huh. You don’t seem to have any trouble in social situations.

This past year I’ve made a lot of new friends, and when school started I realized that most of them are public schooled, and don’t really know anything about homeschool except the stereotype of “socially awkward” and “they don’t do anything but play”.

Let’s just get this straight; not all people who are homeschooled are socially awkward! And typically, home schooled people are more advanced in school then the average public schooler, and we have more time to do things. And we’re just plain awesome.

For those friends, here is a wonderful video explaining the difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQoSRfu5z_4

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Operation Flat Belly Skinny Legs

Check out my new project over at Dancing Day by Day

This week I didn’t work on anything steadily. I didn’t start swimming, and now my swimming buddy has left the state. I didn’t exercise or stretch. Can I have a redo? Can I restart? I didn’t even take a picture of my splits last week! Okay, well, here’s week two.

Dance-wise, I think the main thing this week was stamina. I haven’t been able to keep up with any of my dance practices in Eagle River. Every five minutes I need a break because I can’t breathe and by the end of practice a sharp pain is shooting through my right shoulder. I haven’t had trouble keeping up until about two weeks ago. Does anybody know why that is? Answers are mucho appreciated.

Life-wise, I just got some amazing new purple boots, new clothes from Helen, and I learned how to tie a tie (thanks to Mason). Go me!

Don’t judge too harshly, my splits really kind of suck, not to mention the fact that I didn’t stretch at all before taking these pictures.
Dance starts tomorrow; nervous? ME? Whatchutalkinbout? Heh…heh….
And you know...I somehow ended up losing my water bottle O.o

See ya'll next Sunday!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Just Life

Life...oh how I love you, and loathe you too. It has been so busy lately, I've hardly had any time to write anything. Girl's Camp and Youth Conference was last week. I'm kind of glad that's over, although I enjoyed the review of things that I learned in the past, not to mention the new things I learned.

I learned how to "throw" people, and all sorts of defensive moves from a retired Alaska Trooper. It got me interested in Judo, something a couple of my friends have been doing for awhile. Come to think of it, I always thought "WHY do they do that?" I got my answer; because it's FUN. It makes you feel kind of powerful. Of course, Renaye was the only person I could successfully throw, and she's only 115 pounds and two inches shorter than me...maybe I'll get Caity to teach me some of it. Hmmm...

I re-learned fire building, giving me just enough to realize my older brother positively fails at making fires to cook hot dogs on. Also, I'm pretty good at fire building, if I do say so myself (which I do).

I learned how to be safe on the internet, and how to present the Book of Mormon. I learned more about how relationships work, and re-discovered how important education is. I touched dry ice and nearly choked on my sandwich. I did CPR on a dummy, and turned red from laughing so hard.

Yes, last week was fun, despite some of the virtual rain clouds.

I'm nannying for one of my dad's friends this summer, and she gave me emergency numbers for a couple of her friends who are certified at one of the local clinics. Made me seriously consider getting CPR certified...I need to look into that.

I also need to fill my prescription for my glasses, and start studying for my drivers permit. I *have* to get it this month in order to get my license in December.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Samantha Koenig

Early February I heard that a young women was abducted in Anchorage. I didn't bother to find out her name or her story; it wasn't really important. I felt like I had too many things going on in my life already, and it was so far away that it just slipped my mind.
Today my Facebook feed was covered with statuses about a girl named Samantha Koenig; they said her body was found in the Matanuska Lake. I realized after looking up the story that the girl who'd been abducted was never found. The girl who I'd just dismissed because it wasn't my problem never got back to her family. I got to thinking...why do things like this happen? What could possibly drive somebody to do something so horrible? And finally...why does God let it happen?
You know, I've read lots of books where people are so angry at God for not preventing things like murders, and I always thought how stupid those people were, how silly and naive. But it's not stupid. It's not silly or naive. It's almost a rational reaction.
Who gave that man the right to decide whether Samantha would live or die? What gives him the right to take away someone's life?
God.
God gave us agency, the right to choose. But what happens when someone chooses to do something awful? What happens to the innocent people they hurt?

I decided to do something that my Sunday school teacher has been stressing all year; study, ponder, and pray. I went to lds.org and looked up my question "Why does God let bad things happen?" and came up with these answers from an article written by John Bytheway:

We Know That God Allows Evil to Exist in the World (Moses 7:26–33)


Sometimes our trials are a direct result of someone using their agency to do evil. Often when tragedy strikes, someone will say, “Well, it must have been God’s will.” What exactly is “God’s will”? It seems to me that God’s will is that we choose righteousness over wickedness! However, He also desires that we have a choice in the matter.
In the Pearl of Great Price, Enoch sees a frightening vision. “And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26).
Chains often symbolize bondage in the scriptures, and Enoch sees Satan looking up and laughing at the world in chains. Enoch also sees the Lord, who looks down on the sinful world and weeps. Enoch asks:


“How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29).
The Lord answers in what I think is one of the saddest passages of scripture:
“Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
“And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood” (Moses 7:32–33).
Clearly, what the Lord desires is that we love one another and choose to obey Him. But some do not. They are “without affection.” Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people. This scripture provides evidence that the Lord notices the tragedies on the earth and that He is affected by them.
Many of the bad things that happen are contrary to God’s will. But remember that man’s will is temporary, and ultimately God’s will is what will be done.
There are other questions in all of this, too. How many acts of premeditated evil has God prevented? How many of these tragedies could have been much worse? There is no way we could know. Sometimes we see things on the news and ask, “How could God allow this to happen?” Could it be that one day we’ll discover that God prevented much more than He allowed?
How many times has someone prayed that “we might get home in safety,” and we actually did? How many traffic accidents has He helped you avoid? How many times has He inspired you to do something that saved someone from injury? We will never know in this life.
The plan of happiness allows for agency, and therefore it also allows for evil. There is no flaw in the plan.


...Why did this happen to me? (or, why did this happen to them?)
Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people.
How could God allow evil to happen?
Don’t let tragedy define your life.
We may never have all the answers in this life.

The next step is to ponder and pray. I'll be praying for Samantha's family, that they will find peace and understanding. I'll be praying that I find the understanding I am looking for.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Adventures in Public Transportation

I went into Anchorage with Renaye on Monday for her orthodontist appointment among other things. You wouldn’t believe how fun that was. We were going to meet Beka Miller, my amazing wife, later that day, but see, Renaye couldn’t stay in Anchorage, so she just dropped me off at Helen’s after her appointment (and after we ate at Taco Bell and decided that the peach ish pink color on the walls is called bludgeoned salmon). So, Helen and I act all crazy and hyper, and we have an amazing time at Barnes and Noble with Beka and then Allister and it was just an overall fun day, right?

Right.

After getting back to Helen’s house at around 11:00ish, we upload some pictures, and then we go to sleeeeeeeeeep…at around 11:30. We wake up. We eat amazing food. We joke around. We’re silly and amazing. Just roll with it.

I can’t stay all day, because we have to drop Helen off at dance around 2pm. Exeunt Helen. Mrs. Lindamood kindly drives me over to my cousins house. Enter Kalayna. We act like idiots, of course. And we have fun, and joke around, and yada yada. Then, we go to see the snow sculptures. First, we stop at Uncle John’s office, where we split into two cars. Layna is driving the little car. Kalayna gets lost, and we all laugh at *cough* I mean, WITH her. We found our way to the sculptures at last, and we look at them. They were perty. And we voted. I liked the one with the polar bear playing the piano.

Anyway, to my point. I have to take a bus home.

I have three bags with me; my camera bag with super expensive camera, my green bag, and my backpack. So, my cousins drive me up to the curb and I grab my stuff out of the back. They tell me to call them if I miss the bus. Don’t even mention that possibility please, it makes me queasy.

Here’s the thing; I’ve been on one of these public transportation buses ONCE. And that one time I had Kimber to worry about the details. If I followed her, I was okay. But on my own? *gulp* I was more than a little apprehensive.

So, my cousins drive away, and I turn around to take in my surroundings. It smells like cigarette smoke and cold air, my nose is turning red from the cold air and my toes are freezing through my converse. I hear swearing and honking and every other city sound. People mill around as bus after bus makes its way to the curb. I quickly ask the first bus driver where her bus is going. She tells me she’s going around back, and pulls away.

Thanks lady, real helpful.

Then, I hurry to the next bus that pulls up and ask her which bus would take me to Wasilla. She said I’d need to take the Valley Mover (I know this already, but where IS the Valley Mover?), and tells me that they pick up around the corner and across the street. I look over that direction. I see a pink and white bus. Wait…THAT’S MY BUS.

I start running as fast as I can with three bags bouncing up and down on my arms. Right as I get to the curb, the bus pulls away and drives off.

So, here I am alone downtown at the bus station. I was totally not freaking out. At all. Okay, yeah, guess who started praying? I called my cousins and told them I’d missed my bus. Fortunately, they were just two blocks down looking at the ice sculptures. I walked over there. My feet were frozen, I was traumatized, and I was ready to be home.

Unfortunately, my mom thought it was too dangerous (?) for me to stay and wait for the next bus, so I ended up spending the night at my cousins.

So there you have it. I don’t like public transportation buses.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

All the Right Moves

So, here’s the thing. I kind of got myself invited to this informal ballroom class last month (completely intentional, since I’ve been trying to find a youth ballroom class FOREVER) that meets on Saturdays. I decided that I’m going to drag my brother, my best friend Renaye, and her brother to it because I won’t go alone. I’m not good with strangers, okay? The first week end I ended up babysitting for someone in my ward, and we obviously ended up skipping, right? Right. Disappointed, I eagerly awaited the next week’s class.

Doop doop doop…okay, here we are at the next Saturday.

So, my brother drives us up to the building that they said the class was going to be in. HEY, there’re people wearing prom dresses in there…ummm…are we in the right place? Renaye and I sidle up to the doors and peer in, and several girls look back out at us.

There’s a sign for Prom on the door.

Quickly, we hurry back to the car and tell our brothers that we think its prom. In slow voices, they calmly explain that prom is in April, and tell us to go back and check again.

(Insert attempts at not being the one to go back in and check here.)
(Insert failure here.)

Yeah, so, Renaye tells me that I have to talk because I didn’t want to be the one to go check AGAIN, like a total creeper. And the whole walk up to the building she’s whispering in my ear that they’re probably going to kidnap us and kill us. Yeah, in their high heels and prom dresses. I am so scared. *cough, ashamed look*

But I digress.

We go up to the door and go in, where I calmly walk up to one of the girls in a dress and ask what’s going on, at which point she goes, “Oh, are you the ones from Wasilla?” COMPLETELY freaked out now, I respond that yes, we are…why? Apparently, this is a surprise party for Mason (oldest son of the teacher, in case you were wondering). *blinks, panicked look* Well, I knew his birthday was soon, but could you have at least given us a heads up? I wouldn’t have told him, I swear! We’re so under dressed…

Again, I digress.

My friends better plan me a party like that. Needless to say (and yes, I am saying it), Ren and I were dead (i.e., drained of energy) by the time we actually left, which may or may not have been half an hour to an hour after it ended.

Yes, our awkwardness didn’t prevent us from being social butterflies.

I don’t think any one of them knew what they were getting into by becoming friends with Renaye and me. *evil chuckle* Too late now. Well, although the party was fun, and Mason taught us some swing dance and waltz, we still hadn’t been to a class *headdesk*

It took some conniving, but Renaye and I ended up being able to attend the next Saturday’s class. Arriving twenty minutes late, we walked in on them doing the cha cha. Yeah…everybody looked up when we walked in. As much as I love attention, it wasn’t exactly my definition of “comfortable”. So, we learned to cha cha, with a bit of trial and error, then, we got to dance for fun. Heh…yeah, I cannot swing dance as well as people may think. Say what you want, but it’s hard to get used to being spun this way and that super fast ::)

So, after dancing some swing dance, Sister Bennett asks Renaye and I if we could fill in for this dance they’re doing on Wednesday (if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that this is a Saturday, so we’d have four days to learn the dance). Me being me, I said that I’d love to. It took some convincing to get Renaye to do it with me, but because she is the most amazing friend in the world, she agreed to do it with me. This is kind of what I’ve been leading up to, by the way; the performance at the basketball game last night.

So, we get there a couple minutes earlier than she said we should because we’re just that awesome. Turns out she’s always late (Tanner’s, Emily’s, and Zach’s words, not mine). So, Ren and I decide it would be fun to explore the school, since we’re homeschooled we find schools somewhat fascinating and fun. We were galloping around on our imaginary horses, peering into windows (checking out our reflections; yeah, we looked pretty good), and found a couple bombs set to explode in fifteen minutes (turns out they were duds, since they didn’t go off…).Then the most amazing thing happened.

A lady with a British accent asked us to go downstairs. A BRITISH ACCENT.

Our minds? Blown.

It took mucho restraint not to answer her in a British accent.

When Sister Bennett got there, we were all sitting on this big stair platform thing eating popcorn that Ren made. At home…she brought it. She didn’t make it at the school. Anyway.

SO, we find our way into a back room place where we can practice the dance. We practice. We laugh. We start singing Phantom of the Opera. We rocked that place. Then, we go into the gym to watch the game. Renaye and I keep up a running commentary and cheer for whoever we feel like at the moment.

Then…we’re going to dance.

Dun.

DUN.

DUUUUUN.

*giggles* I had fun. I really did, I love performances. I really like attention, and I am always in my element on stage. Don’t get me wrong, I get super nervous all the time, but really? I love, love, love performing. Drama queen? In a sense. Not in the overly dramatic about drama at school, but in theater and the arts? Completely.
Yes, if they asked me to perform with them again, I would be jumping for joy. That’s how much fun I had.

Total creeper? Indeed.

And then, when we left, Ren and I took pictures with the most amazing St. Bernard in the back of this truck…like creepers *cough*

So, yes. I’ll have pictures and a video as soon as I can get them out of Renaye. She’s refusing to send them to me…or she can’t send them to me…or something.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

SMILE, it's good for you

1. There are two sides to every divorce: Yours and Stupid's.

2. I live in my own little world but it's OK, everyone knows me here.

3. I don't do drugs 'cause I find I get the same effect just by
standing up really fast.

4. Money can't buy happiness but it sure makes misery easier to live
with.

5. If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the 'terminal'?

6. The most precious thing we have is life, yet it has absolutely no
trade-in value.

7. Shopping tip: You can get shoes for a buck at bowling alleys.

8. I am a nobody; nobody is perfect, and therefore I am perfect.

9. Everyday I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive
days I've stayed alive.

10. No one ever says, 'It's only a game!' when their team is winning.

11. How long a minute is, depends on what side of the bathroom door
you're on.

12. Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing
section in a swimming pool?

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I don't need to flirt; I will seduce you with my awkwardness.

Talking on the phone with Renaye :D

This is the story of a brother by the name of Othello. He liked white women and he liked green jello. 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Mormons

Heh heh heh.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

The Land of Shortened Names, Sprinkles, and Coffee

In the words of my wifey, Beka;

Once upon a time there were four friends; Bri, Beka, Elle and Rora. They all had their own blog and on these blogs they each had their own daily challenge. Each of these challenges were different but the same, much like jellybeans. All of them will be differently flavored and yet they are all candy.
One of these bloggers, Elle, had the brilliant idea of putting all of the daily challenges into one blog. The others agreed and thought it'd be an amazing idea. In one day they created the blog "Bri, Beka, Elle and Rora" and it was amazing. This new blog is where they now posted their daily challenges and it made them happy.


The End!

So, I won't be posting my "I Will Survive" stuff on here anymore, but I will keep up with my random posts like before :)

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Contemporary

I wish I could do this. It's going to take a lot of work...

Anyway, I love the choreography and the intensity of the emotions in this video.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twenty-Four (and counting)

Day Twenty-Four

Lyric stuck in my head:
Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet.


Something making me happy:
We had pizza for dinner

Something I learned today:
There are two kinds of birthday suits ::)

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Friends.

11:11 Wish:
I wish I could sleep in.

Somewhere I want to be:
Sleeping.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Dances.

Some thoughts:
Being a teenager kinda sucks. Period.

~La vie est belle, la plupart du temps, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twenty-Three (and counting)

Day Twenty-Three

An applicable song lyric:
There ain’t no troubles that we can’t rise above, with a handful of faith and a heart full of love. Carry on, carry on; What don’t kill us makes us strong.

Something making me happy:
It's the end of the day.

Something I learned today:
Cleaning+high heels+no music=grumpy Sabrina

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Not having to wear heels every day.

My 11:11 wish:
PLEASE LET THE KITCHEN STAY CLEAN.

Somewhere I want to be:
Getting a massage.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Food. <3 food :D

Random piece of conversation:
"QUICK, STARE INTO EACH OTHERS EYES WITH MEANING!"

Some thoughts:
Life would suck without food. Food is amazing. Plus, we'd die without it. But whatever; I love food. <---period, the end.
Helen and Renaye are my bestest friends EVER. Yeah.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

The English Language

This creative teacher took the time to show kids how difficult English
can be for someone trying to learn it.

Read on below:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?


Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig..

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twenty-Two (and counting)

Day Twenty-Two

Memory provoking lyric:
Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully, across my memory.

Something making me happy:
Re-living last night through wall posts :)

Something I learned today:
How to make this.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Free time.

Somewhere I want to be:
Reading. Sleeping. Writing. Dancing.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Ginger ale.

Some thoughts:
Laughing is good for you. Unless. you're eating...

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twenty-One (and counting)

Day Twenty-One

An applicable song lyric:
She wants to party, she wants to get down. All she wants to do, all she wants to do is dance.

Something making me happy:
I got to dance. More than I expected :D

Something I learned today:
A different way to swing dance, waltz, and the people in Eagle River are awesome.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My veddy patient older brother who didn't just up and leave me even though I kept talking and talking until  around 10:30 last night.

Somewhere I want to be:
Shleeping; it was a tiring night :D

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Parties.

Some thoughts:
Someone better throw me an awesome birthday party like the one I went to tonight. I mean...seriously...that was awesome. *hint Renaye hint*

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twenty (and counting)

Day Twenty

An applicable song lyric:
Think good thoughts,think good thoughts; imagine what the world would be if we would just think good thoughts. Stop the bad from feeding. I won't let the negativity turn me into my enemy,promise to myself that I won't let it get the best of me,that's how I want to be.

Something making me happy:
We're having pizza :D

Something I learned today:
Bad habits die hard.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Ibuprofen

My 11:11 wish:
That tomorrow will run smoothly.

Somewhere I want to be:
Sleeping.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Life. Weird, I know.

Some thoughts:
I ran out of days on my 14 day trial of Pixillion Image Converter...so pictures will wait until later tonight.
Pizza is yummy.
BFTD at the temple are the best.
Smile, it'll make you feel good :D

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Nineteen (and counting)

Day Nineteen

Applicable lyric:
I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above. They come to you and me, in our darkest hour. Show us how to live, teach us how to give, guide us with the light of love.

Something I learned today:
I'm good at side leaps :D

Something I'm thankful for:
My brother.

11:11 wish:
That I get a good spot in my jazz dance.

Somewhere I want to be:
Choreographing at the AK Club

Some thoughts:
I've got a head ache from blasting Stevie Nicks in the cr on the way home from dance. Today was a good day.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Eighteen (and counting)

Day Eighteen

An applicable song lyric:
Football, soccer and ballet; squeeze in Scouts and PTA.
And there's that shopping list she left that's seven pages long.
How much smoke can one stove make?
The kids won't eat my charcoal cake.

Something making me happy:
I have access to a computer with Photoshop. Hehe :)

Something I learned today:
How to decorate a cake :D

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Sleep.

Something I'm praying for:
That everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

Somewhere I want to be:
Shleeping.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
The Earth...and cake.

Some thoughts:
I can't wait to go to the temple this Saturday.
The snow needs to melt. <---period, end of discussion.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Ballet Notes

Barre

• Feet fully on demi pointe
• Stand up tall without compromising your balance (tighten your center)
• During tendu/degage/ronde jambe exercises, keep your hips facing forward, not turned out to the side.
• Relax your shoulders.
• Tendu/degage: extend all the way to the front and back (pointe your toes, girl!). Also, your side degage/tendu is more in front than to the side.
• Devellope: when extending out, your foot goes to wear you would tendu to!
• When in fourth position, your front foot’s toe should be level with your back foot’s heel, your center evenly distributed, and don’t lean back when you plié.

Center Floor

• Chaine turns
• Relax the shoulders (especially your right)
• Hold your center
• Relax your shoulders

•  Pique turns
• Higher on demi point
• Keep your working leg straight
• Pull up on your posse
• RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS

• Grand Jete
• Keep your legs straight
• Arms in first position for in between leaps.
• Lower your arm in third arabesque when leaping so as not to cover your face
• Look up higher so your leaps have more height

Vocabulary

• Frappé
• Frappé means to "strike". Hitting the floor or an ankle with a moving foot, flexed.
• Coupe’
• The working foot is placed on the part of the leg between the base of the calf and the beginning of the ankle.
• Retiré
• A position in which the thigh is raised to the second position en l'air with the knee bent so that the pointed toe rests in front of, behind or to the side of the supporting knee.
• Devant
• In front. This term may refer to a step, movement or the placing of a limb in front of the body. In reference to a particular step the addition of the word "devant" implies that the working foot is closed in the front.
• Pas de chat
• Cat's-step. The step owes its name to the likeness of the movement to a cat's leap.
• En croix
• Meaning "in the shape of a cross" or "the cross." This term is usually used when doing barre exercises such as battement tendu and battement frappé. The required movement is done to the front, then the side, then back and then again to the side (a cross shape) closing in either first or fifth position.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Seventeen (and counting)

Day Seventeen

An applicable song lyric:
And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, there you go and do it all again. I hope this feeling never ends, 'cause you, you make me happy. You, you make me happy.

Something making me happy:
Conversations with my friends :D

Something I learned today:
DON'T DRINK COLD WATER RIGHT AFTER BRUSHING YOUR TEETH!

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My family.

My 11:11 wish:
That I would do better in class.

Somewhere I want to be:
Shleeping.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
My cell phone.

Some thoughts:
 All the things I'm saying I'd miss if the Earth were destroyed are superficial...but I'm not saying "My family" because I know I'll be with them forever.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Sixteen (and counting)

Day Sixteen

An applicable song lyric:
I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling
I'll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I'm home

Something making me happy:
Food. Heh XD

Something I learned today:
I need to go to college.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Picnik *sniffle*

My 11:11 wish:
That he'd like me.

Somewhere I want to be:
Talking to Renaye.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Quasedillas.

Some thoughts:
Food is good. Dancing is good. Life is good.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Fifteen (and counting)

Day Fifteen

An applicable song lyric:
Cuz when you worry, your face will frown, and that will bring everybody down.
So don't worry, be happy.

Something making me happy:
We had roast for dinner. It was yummy. Hehe.

Something I learned today:
Patience is a virtue that I struggle with.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My dad.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I was prettier.

Somewhere I want to be:
In bed. Sleeping.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Cookies.

Some thoughts:
Don't worry, be happy.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Fourteen (and counting)

Day Fourteen

An applicable song lyric:
You can count on me like 1 2 3
I'll be there
And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4 3 2
And you'll be there
Cause that's what friends are supposed to do

Something making me happy:
I'm going home today *victory dance*

Something I learned today:
Watching children is exhausting!

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My momma.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish he'd like me.

Somewhere I want to be:
Hooooome.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Cars.

Some thoughts:
I need to get an iPhone stat. And a new laptop.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Thirteen (and counting)

Day Thirteen

An applicable song lyric:
And I'm juggling all the thoughts in my head
I'm juggling and my fears on fire
but I'm listening as it evolves in my head
I'm balancing on one fine wire

Something making me happy:
Fuzzy socks.

Something I learned today:
Boredom is so boring, it's not funny. Not that you said it was, but seriously.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My entertaining friends.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I could match Levi's awesome writing skills.

Somewhere I want to be:
Home.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
My 16th birthday. Heh.*Warning: Dry humor detected*

Some thoughts:
I'm going to destroy the movie Up. It can die in a hole somewhere. I'm not violent, just a tired teenager who's watched Up over five times in the last two days.

   

Yeah, my fuzzy sock looks like the carpet. 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Twelve (and counting)

Day Twelve

An applicable song lyric:
All we can do is keep breathing.

Something making me happy:
My brother's iPhone.

Something I learned today:
Add libs with Andrew after midnight is hilarious.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My house.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I had an iPhone.

Somewhere I want to be:
Home.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Movies.

Some thoughts:
Being addicted to Facebook sucks.
Being without Internet sucks even more.
Being bored sucks most of all.
Money is good.
So are books.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Eleven (and counting)

Day Eleven

An applicable song lyric:
I am trying not to tell you, but I want to. I’m scared of what you’ll say, so I’m hiding what I’m feeling. But I’m tired of holding this inside my head. I’ve been spending all my time just thinking about ya, I don’t know what to do. I think I’m fallin’ for you.

Something making me happy:
Renaye singing on the other end of the phone ::)

Something I learned today:
Work samples are not fun.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My mom.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish he’d like me.

Somewhere I want to be:
Not at dance.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Renaye. Wait….

Some thoughts:
I GOTTA GO BYE!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Ten (and counting)

Day Ten

An applicable song lyric:
'Cause I'm just a summer girl, I wear my flip flops, and when I let my hair down that's when the party starts.
And who needs a boyfriend? I've got my girlfriends, and when we get together the party never ends.

Something making me happy:
I look pretty. Hehe :)

Something I learned today:
Patience, patience, patience.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My momma.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I wasn't so awkward. 

Somewhere I want to be:
Getting a massage. 

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Cinnamon rolls.

Five random things about me:
I can cook. Excepting mac n' cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches.
I love sugar.
I like taking pictures.
I almost have my right splits.
I have nine siblings.

Quote of the Day:
"Pahaha yeah you married the female version of your father ;)"

Some thoughts:
IDEA asks too much of us, trying to get work samples. Helen makes me laugh so hard tears stream down my face. HURRAH! for new friends who know how to dance.  I can't wait until the next stake dance.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Nine (and still counting)

Day Nine

An applicable song lyric:

What if we were made for each other, born to become best friends and lovers?
I want to stay right here in this moment with you. Over and over and over again.

Something making me happy:
Helen's cute shirt. Hehe.

Something I learned today:
I didn't exactly LEARN this today...but I re-realized it. Music and dancing makes everything better, especially cleaning.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My curly hair.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish he'd notice me.

Somewhere I want to be:
Anywhere but here.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
All mah music.

Five random things about me:
I love to dance (lyrical, ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, ballroom...you name it, I love it)
My favorite color is blue.
I haven't gotten my permit yet (I need to do that soon...)
I have naturally curly hair.
I'm LDS.

Quote:
"Dating is the process of sifting through all the stalkers to find the one you want to stalk back."-Stephanie Nelson

Some thoughts:
My cellphone is seems indestructible. It's pretty amazing, and I've dropped it more times than I can count. Helen is pretty amazing, listening to me complain about random stuff that won't even matter in the long run. Renaye makes my days.
Picnik is so much fun to mess with. 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Eight (and counting)

Day Eight

An applicable song lyric:
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew; I was enchanted to meet you


Something making me happy:
I slept in. Heh heh heh. Oh, and we're having strawberry waffles for dinner. WHAT NOW?

Something I learned today:
Staying up til 1am doesn't help you get up at 7am.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Alarm clocks.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish he'd like me.

Somewhere I want to be:
Dancing.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Computers. They're pretty amazing, you know.

Some thoughts:
Dancing is so much fun.
Divine Comedy makes my DAYS...
I am so giddy I think I might accidentally hurt someone.
Also...I got a little carried away with the camera...

~La vie est belle, Bri~

7 Reasons Not To Mess With Children

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human, it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, 'When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah'.
The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'
The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him'.

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'
The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like'
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to 'honour' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?'
Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mummy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, 'Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.'
'Yes,' the class said.
'Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?'
A little fellow shouted,
'Cause your feet ain't empty.'

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Seven (and counting)

Day Seven

Applicable song lyric:
I just want to be strong at the end of the road, I don’t want to hold on, I want the strength to let go.

Something making me happy:
Renaye's going to the dance with me!!!!!

Something I learned today:
I need to write things down...to remember them....

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Being able to laugh.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I was more attractive.

Somewhere I want to be:
At the dance.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Hair straighteners.

Some thoughts:
Scissor cuts hurt. Like...a lot.
Helen's tank top looks good on me. Heh heh.
I love my friends :D And laughing.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Six (and counting)

Day Six

Applicable song lyric:
 "Today I don't feel like doing anything, I just wanna lay in my bed.
Don't feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone."

Something making me happy:
I have a Sprite. Not the magical creature...the kind you drink...and savor....and is bad for you....but you love it anyway....

Something I learned today:
Some children are veddy stubborn.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My brother.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I was prettier.

Somewhere I want to be:
In bed. By myself....sleeping....

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Sprite. Heck yeah.

Some thoughts:
I wanna do a duet to Set Fire to the Rain with Renaye, cuz it'd be epic. And, if I could choose, I'd want Shannon to choreograph it.  Cuz she's epic too.
Dancing is amazing and fun and epic and tragic and dramatic and just.....*brain explodes*

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Five (and counting)

Day Five

An applicable song lyric:
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Something making me happy:
I look perty :)

Something I learned today:
How to make Shepard's Pie.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
Jesus and all he's done for me. 

My 11:11 wish:
That this pain would just go away.

Somewhere I want to be:
In bed.

Something I would miss if the Earth were destroyed:
Ice cream. Yep.

Some thoughts:
I really need to learn not to get my hopes up. Maybe there's something to Helen's "expect the worst and don't be disappointed" theory thingamajig. Dodge ball is still amazing. Debating sucks like a bad kisser with chapped lips and onion breath. 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Four (and counting)

Applicable song lyric:
Cause maybe in the future, you're gonna come back, you're gonna come back around.
Maybe in the future you're gonna come back, you're gonna come back to me.


Something making me happy:
I just ate. Hehe.

Something I learned today:
I forgot how much fun dodge ball is.

Something I should be more thankful for:
Friends who don't freak out at me when I act like a total brat.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I could be an amazing dance RIGHT NOW. (<---period.)

Somewhere I want to be right now:
Getting massaged.

Thoughts:
I rule at dodge ball. Renaye looks gorgeous in her new leotard. Helen is my best friend and I love her. La vie est belle.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Three (and counting)

Day Three

An applicable song lyric:
If you ask me how I'm doing, I would say, “I'm doing just fine.” I would lie and say that you're not on my mind.

Something making me happy:
My daddy bought me creamy peanut butter <3

Something I learned today:
I never ever ever EVER want to be a single mom.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My dad <3

My 11:11 wish:
That I could rewind my life to last year.

Somewhere I want to be:
In Anchorage, hanging with Helen.

Some thoughts:
I am never cutting my hair again.
My jacket is super warm and cozy.
Cleaning isn't fun.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day Two (and counting)

An applicable song lyric:

"You're beautiful, every little piece love, don't you know? You're really gonna be someone, ask anyone.
When you find everything you looked for, I hope your life leads you back to my door. Oh but if it don't, stay beautiful."

Something making me happy:
My jeans. I'm pathetic, I know, but they're so comfortable! (and, I look pretty cute in them, if I do say so myself).

Something I learned today:
Twelve year old boys are the most immature things in existence.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My amazing, incredibly understanding friends.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I could be psychic.

Somewhere I want to be:
Soaking in a hot bath.

Some thoughts:
Note: Do not put red nail polish under gold crackle...it doesn't turn out well.
We need more butter.
It's great to have cars that work, even when it's -20 outside.

 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

I Will Survive: Day One (and counting)

So, I did steal this idea from my friend Helen, but in my defense, she said I could. There are 336 days until my 16th birthday, which is big, and it just so happens to be the year that the world is supposed to end. SO, I've decided to start this project and call it I Will Survive. Basically, I'll post a picture and answer these questions (and maybe occasionally switch them up) every day for your enjoyment.

Day One

An applicable song lyric:
"I'm tired of being what you want me to be, feeling so faithless lost under the surface, don't know what you're expecting of me."

Something making me happy:
My new tutu, hehe :D

Something I learned today:
That it's really hard not to talk over other people and just listen.

Something I need to be more thankful for:
My parents.

My 11:11 wish:
I wish I was in love.

Somewhere I want to be:
Lying on a sunny beach.

Some thoughts:
Some people need to just sit back and shut their mouths, because the rest of us have our own lives to worry about. Dance is altogether too hard and competitive, but I am so in love with it. Making biscuits isn't as fun as it sounds.

 

~La vie est belle, Bri~