Halloween 2010

Wario!!
I am such a Nintendo nerd. Wario is my favorite character. I have used and kicked trash with him for many years! I was pretty dang proud of my costume this year! All that was missing were the green elf shoes. I tried, but couldn't find any. I had so much fun!

I carved pumpkins and watched Halloween movies. I was really in the mood.

I was quite proud of my pirate pumpkin. It didn't last long though. It started to wilt the next day and fell inward.

I had fun making these Halloween treats. They turned out pretty good!

I went to a single's Halloween activity. However, my ward was at a dance party so only 3 of us from our ward attended it. I am sad to say that mostly the weird people went and it wasn't very fun. I spent the whole time with a really nice guy in my ward, but we both were ready to leave.

On Halloween, I wanted to go trick-or-treating. I figure if you make the effort of dressing up, you are never too old to go. So I drove my cousin, Parker and his friend to some neighborhoods and we got some candy. We went back to Parker's house and did the traditional candy swap. I got really lucky, because the boys traded me their chocolate for my candy. The chocolate is the best! I had a lot of fun!

Utah Temples 2010

My goal when I moved to Utah was to attend and do baptisms in as many Utah temples as possible. I did really well for the first few months, but I must admit, I am guilty of becoming lazy in my temple attendance. I am grateful to live so close to so many temples and I love going to them. I really need to get back on track and visit the last few temples that are fairly close by.

Draper Temple - October 19, 2010

Oquirrh Mountain Temple - October 20, 2010

St. George Temple - October 23, 2010

I was so excited to have the chance to visit this one since it is so far away! I went down to St. George with my family and made sure to go.

Jordan River Temple - October 27, 2010

Mount Timpanogos Temple - October 29, 2010

Salt Lake City Temple - November 13, 2010

I got to go to this one with my dear friends, Linnea and Jerry Holbrook. Linnea came down from Rexburg to go to a concert with me that night, and her dad was down from Alaska to help his parents. So we all got together and went in the morning. It was very special to have Bishop Holbrook baptize me. It felt like the good old days.

I love temples so much! They are truly Heaven on Earth! The spirit that is there cannot be found anywhere else. All of life's worries, fears, concerns, and frustrations are left at the doors. The work done inside is so sacred and beautiful. I love seeing so many temples dot the Salt Lake Valley. I will strive to up my attendance again. I would like to at least visit Ogden, Bountiful, and Provo. I thought for sure I would get Provo in sooner, but I'm not down there long enough to fit it in when I go. I wanted to visit Logan and Manti too. Someday I will.

21st Birthday!

I laugh, because being LDS, the 21st birthday isn't that special. I see my friends from high school counting down the days till they can go to bars and I spent my 21st birthday at home with my old college friends and grandparents. I loved it!

My grandma has made these cakes for the grand kids forever. Her mom did it too. She worries that we grow out of them, but I told her I still wanted one.

I had my old college roommates come over for dinner. Here is Raquel, Kristen, Holly, and Carrie. It was so much fun to be with them again! I have missed them a lot and they are the sweetest ladies ever!

I had a very wonderful day. I am thankful for such wonderful grandparents and friends. I am also grateful and proud to say that I am sober. I know that my choices save me from a lot of pain, suffering, bad health, regrets, and addictions. I wouldn't have spent my 21st birthday doing anything else.

Brumby - September 18, 2010

My dear friend, Linnea Holbrook, goes to BYU-Idaho. One of her old roommates was the sweetest girl. Her brother is part of this band called Brumby. They are are from Arizona, but some of the band mates live in Salt Lake City. They decided to hold a small concert in their back yard and we were invited to go. Our friends from Alaska, Benjamin and Britney, were at school in Provo so they came too. There were maybe 50 people there. They had a stage and lights set up and it was really fun! They are great musicians!

I'm glad I was able to be a part of this. We got to meet them all after the show. They were really nice and I had a lot of fun with my friends.

Age

It was a little tough picking out a theme for Harry Potter book 5. It seems to take the themes of the previous 4 (love, family, choices, and good vs evil) and add a whole other layer to each one. However, I feel that there is a new theme that can be found in this book.

First of all, I want to briefly explain the greater depth of the previous themes. Love is very important in saving Harry's life yet again. When Voldemort takes over Harry's body and tells Dumbledore to kill him, it is Harry's thought of love toward his Godfather that forces Voldemort out. He cannot dwell inside him when love is there too. Then Dumbledore gives further insight to Harry on the powerful protection his mother put on him with her love. He explains that when Harry's aunt took him in as an orphaned baby, even reluctantly, the love that was in his mother's blood, is in her sister's blood and will always protect him. This is the reason he must return to his aunt and uncle's every summer. He hates it there, but it keeps that protection strong and has kept him safe all his life.

The theme of love goes even further as we gain a greater understanding of Dumbledore's feelings for Harry. He tells Harry how much he cares for him and how proud he is of his strengths and abilities. He kept vital information from him because he cared too much to burden him even more than he already was at such a young age (which will tie into the new theme in a minute).

Family. Harry learns new things about his parents in this book. He also learns a lot of about his Godfather, Sirius, who seems to be the only family he has left. Except for the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley call him their son. We learn about Neville's parents too and see the relationship he has with them.

Choices is a big one in this book too. First of all, Hogwarts becomes under the strict rule of the Ministry, who refuse to believe Voldemort is back. They don't allow anyone to talk about it and they don't teach how to perform defensive spells, saying there is no need. A lot of their freedoms are taken away, so it is up to those who do not agree with the Ministry to unwillingly obey or make their own rules. Fred and George flee the school all together. They have a business started and don't need to finish anyway. Harry, Hermoine, and Ron start a defense against the dark arts class of their own, teaching students how to perform defensive spells. Dumbledore flees the school instead of being arrested as well as Hagrid. One centuar decides to work at the school which results in him being kicked out of the herd. It seems like no matter what rules are set against them, they still made the choices they felt were right.

The other important aspect of choices is explained to Harry by Dumbledore. Before Harry was born, a prophecy was made about a boy who would be born the end of July to parents who had thrice escaped Voldemort. This boy would be the only one who could defeat him. This was all that Voldemort heard, so he made out to destroy this child. Here is where the choice was made that decided Harry's future. There were 2 boys born in the end of July to parents who had escaped Voldemort 3 times; Harry and Neville. The Dark Lord chose Harry, feeling that he would be the biggest threat to him. The rest of the prophecy stated that the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal and that the boy would have powers not known to the Dark Lord. Because Voldemort chose Harry and he was not able to defeat him, part of him was transferred to Harry, therefore making him his equal. The power he had that the Dark Lord didn't was of course, love. So, it was not merely destiny that made Harry "the boy who lived", but resulted from a choice made by Voldemort.

Since I'm sure you're getting rather bored now, I'll move onto the real theme that this post is about; age. Dumbledore explains a lot of things to Harry and uses age as his reason for waiting so long to tell him. He explains how there were times over the last 5 years that he could have told Harry these things, but kept telling himself that Harry was too young to be burdened with such information. He also uses the excuse "an old man's mistake" a lot when referring to things he did wrong. There is one quote that I really liked when Dumbledore is talking to Harry.

"'For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, beats all the hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young...and I seem to have forgotten lately...'"

A child cannot be expected to understand how an adult thinks and feels. It is the adults responsibility, however, to understand how the child thinks and feels, since they have had the opportunity to experience it themselves. I just thought that was a cool thought.

I'm glad I'm doing this, even if most of you couldn't care less haha. I have enjoyed these books so much more this time around as I'm looking for lessons and themes. I've gained a greater appreciation for the characters and I absolutely love the conversations between Dumbledore and Harry. I feel like he's teaching me too. On to book 6! There are only 57 more days till the last movie comes out and I'm right on schedule with my reading. Actually, if I read my 30 pages a day, I'll be done 2 weeks before the movie. Yay!

Good vs. Evil

So, I wasn't going to post anything until after I finished reading Harry Potter so that all of my posts about it could be together, but The Ready Set was too important. I will now resume my "Themes of Harry Potter" posts.

Book 4 is when the most prominent theme of the series really comes into action. Good vs. evil. Harry vs. Voldemort. The Order of the Phoenix vs. the Death Eaters. Dumbledore's Army vs. The Ministry of Magic. What side are you on?

The wizardry world was racked with death, terror, and the struggle to survive when Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort, the wizard who went further in the dark arts than any other. He has faithful followers who will do anything to find favor with their lord. They do his evil bidding of torturing and killing all those who are not pure blooded wizards. They are called Death Eaters.

The Order of the Phoenix is a group of wizards who do everything they can to stop the Lord Voldemort and save those who aren't pure blood.

When the wizardry world thought Voldemort was destroyed after the killing curse made for Harry backfired onto himself, they lived a comfortable 13 years free of fear. In book 4, Voldemort succeeds in regaining power, calls his Death Eaters back to his side, and narrowly misses killing Harry again.

Harry tells Dumbledore about Voldemort's return and his escape from death. Dumbledore tells the Minister of Magic right away and tells him what he needs to do to get a head start on stopping Voldemort before it becomes what is was 13 years ago. The minister, Cornelius Fudge, refuses to believe it. Dumbledore then tells him the following:

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, we have reached a parting of the way. You must act as you see fit. And I--I shall act as I see fit."

Fudge accuses Dumbledore of working against him and Dumbledore says, "The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

There are only two sides in life; good or evil. You cannot be in the middle. Either you fight evil or you are part of it. This is the most major theme of Harry Potter. The last 3 books are about this division in the magical world. We come to realize what side every one is on, and terror and death return again. Love, family, and the choices they make become ever more important for survival.

Have I mentioned that I love these books?

The best day of my life...

March 31, 2011
Go-karting with The Ready Set and his concert in Salt Lake City

Photos of the race and with Jordan by Justin Claypool
www.justinclaypoolphotography.com
Thank you so much, Justin!

The Ready Set is my favorite singer. He is an amazing person and a great musician. His name is Jordan Witzigreuter and he's 21 years old. I first heard of him in September 2010 and have been a huge fan ever since. His music is well written and very unique, he has a video series on Youtube called "The Ready Setisodes" which are hilarious, and he doesn't smoke, drink, have tattoos, cuss or say anything mean or inappropriate. He has had the same girlfriend for 6 years and has a cat named Wallace who's famous on Twitter. I love his personality, dedication, and style.

I saw him in concert on November 13, 2010 and got to meet him. He came back to Salt Lake on March 31, 2011. My cousin Mitch and I both won a radio contest and got to go go-karting with him before his show. We were each able to bring a guest, so my cousin Parker and friend Linnea came too. It was the most amazing day of my life!

There were 12 other people there. Here we are with The Ready Set. Mitch is behind the flag and Parker is behind his arm. We got pictures and autographs. He signed posters for everyone and I asked him to sign my CD too. He was so nice. He had fatty bruises on his nose and chin. He said he won a foot race, but face planted the pavement.

He brought his drummer and guitarist, Travis and Andy. I've seen them in The Ready Setisodes and was hoping they would come. Travis is my favorite one! He is so funny. Jordan is really shy in person but these two aren't. We had a lot of fun talking to them.

We had to wear these hairnets with our helmets. This is Andy. Travis was upset that they made him put his hair up. They didn't make Jordan.

We were split into 2 groups to race. Mitch didn't make it in this picture. He's in front of Parker, then me, Linnea, and 3 other people. Jordan, Andy, and Travis raced too.

Travis

Mitch and me

Parker with Andy hot on his tail.

Jordan (on the right) passing up Travis. Travis went really slow. It was funny. He said the workers kept telling him to speed up. Afterward, he kept cracking jokes about how bad he did. This one girl didn't race because of back reasons, and Travis said, "That's going to be my excuse." When we asked him to sign our stat sheets, he said, "I'm not signing that!" He did though.

Travis crashed into the wall. I didn't see him and crashed into him. Then Parker ran into me. We were all stuck and waited for that worker to get us going again.

Linnea

Jordan, The Ready Set

I love this picture! It's Jordan and me. I tried passing him for awhile. I didn't want to hit him, so it took awhile to get a clean pass. I wore my black converse because I know it's his style. Sure enough, he wore brown ones.

Mitch

Andy

I was the first to come in at the end and Jordan came in right behind me. I turned around and we gave each other a thumbs up. Then I asked him if it hurt his neck, because it did mine. It took him a minute to hear what I was saying, but then he said he felt fine, it didn't hurt.

We got stat sheets that showed our lap times for each lap. According to lap times, Parker got 1st, me 2nd, Andy 3rd, Mitch 4th, Jordan 5th, Travis 6th, and Linnea 8th. We went into the other room to let the 2nd group go and Andy and Travis came in saying, "Where's Parker?" They said Andy really won because he had one more lap than everyone else. So according to number of laps and lap times, Andy got 1st, Parker 2nd, me 3rd, Mitch 4th, Jordan 5th, Linnea 6th, and Travis 7th, because Linnea had one more lap than Travis. We asked Andy and Travis if they were going to race again and Travis said, "No way! I sucked." I'm so glad we were in the 1st group.

When it was over, we all headed out. They happened to be going the same way as us, so we ended up following them out of the parking lot and down the street. After a few blocks, we split up. They turned right to the freeway and we went left. We were next to them at the traffic light. Travis rolled down his window and yelled, "Is Parker in there?" Then he said, "The next time we race, I'm gonna win!" The light turned green and we split up, but I tweeted him saying, "Parker says bring it on!"

We ate at Sonic and then went up to the concert in the city. We waited in line for maybe 30 minutes before going in. I went straight to the merchandise table and bought the limited edition t-shirt that Jordan designed. He is only selling 10 at each show. I've wanted one since he announced it on Facebook and Twitter. I was so happy that I got one!

The venue was small, not even 100 people. We were in a small room and even at the back of the crowd, we were close to the stage. There were 5 bands before The Ready Set. We missed one at the beginning, but we saw You, Me, and Everyone We Know, We Are The In Crowd, Downtown Fiction, and All-Star Weekend. They were pretty good. The singer for Downtown Fiction was entertaining. He ended up stripping his shirt during the last song.

The Ready Set was amazing! Travis said that Jordan spent hours programing the lights with the songs and he did a great job. He sang an acoustic song, played the piano and drums, and they did this really cool part with big drums. I knew all the songs and sang my heart out (which I'm sure didn't sound too great for those around me). What I admired most is that he didn't cuss. All the bands before him cussed a lot.

Travis is really entertaining to watch. He makes the funniest faces and flings his hair around. Right here, he is puffing out his cheeks.

We got to meet Jordan last time because he hangs out after his shows. At first, he was outside, so we went out. Then he went in and met people by his merchandise table. They wouldn't let us back in, which made me mad. Although we got to see him earlier, I wanted him to sign my shirt and get a picture with it. Mitch took my shirt and snuck back in. He had Jordan sign the back of it for me. I was impressed because they needed to catch a flight that night and he wasn't feeling well, but he still took the time to meet everyone.

We saw Travis outside so we started talking to him. We talked for like 30 minutes! It was so fun and so serial. We chatted away like we were old friends. We talked about Twitter, past shows, the weather they've had this tour (the best being in Salt Lake), future shows and tours, Jordan's goals, music, the other band mates, and their episode of Silent Library on MTV that aired the night before. He told us about a scene of his that they didn't put on the show because he was faking it. I loved that I knew the people and events he was talking about, and it was interesting to get an inside scoop on some things. It was unbelievable how comfortable it was talking to him. We eventually decided we should leave.

Here's all my stuff from the night. I got 3 of Jordan's autographs, and one from Andy and Travis.

The shirt. I love it. This is the theme of The Ready Set. He talks about chasing your dreams a lot. The words are made up of pictures of all the people who have helped him in his career. It's a very meaningful shirt and I feel lucky to have one, because it's very limited.

Our stat sheet signed by Andy and Travis.

I came home that night so happy. It was unbelievable and I will never forget it. I love The Ready Set! His values, personality, humor, and style are amazing. I had so much fun and can't wait to see him again. He'll be back on August 6th for Warped Tour, which we know Travis isn't too excited about. They are very different from all the other bands on the tour, so it will be interesting. I'm excited though and I'm definitely going. I thank Mix 107.9 for giving me the chance of a lifetime.

Family

I finished Harry Potter 3 and have another amazing thought taken from a conversation between Harry and Dumbledore at the end.

Background information:

In book three, we are introduced to the horrible creatures called "Dementors". They are faceless, hooded creatures that suck the souls out of men. They suck all happiness and hope out of their environment. They are the guards of the wizard prison. The only way to get rid of them is by thinking of an extremely happy memory and conjuring a Patronus. A Patronus is a figure of light in the shape of an animal which is unique for each person. It is extremely difficult magic and Harry has not been able to produce more than a wisp of light so far.

He is by the lake with Sirius Black, an escaped convict from the prison. The dementors who have been searching for Black, come across the lake to suck out his soul. Harry comes to protect him but cannot produce a proper Patronus. Suddenly, he sees one come across the lake and chase them away. As he is fainting from exhaustion, he sees the person who produced it and thinks it is his dad who died when he was a baby.

After they are rescued, they go back in time to try and save Sirius (who is innocent of the crime he was convicted for and is Harry's Godfather). Harry goes to the lake to watch the events unfold hoping to see his father produce the Patronus. Last second, he realizes he saw himself across the lake, the future him. Of course, he wasn't expecting to see himself, so he thought it was his dad. His Patronus takes the shape of a stag, which is the animal his father was able to turn into. His father's nickname among his friends was Prongs because of it.

Harry later tells Dumbledore how foolish he was to think that his father could possibly have been there. Dumbledore says this:

" You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night."
"You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night...You found him inside yourself."

Along with love and choices, I feel that family is another major theme of Harry Potter. Harry grows up not knowing his parents but they are major parts of his life regardless. He is always told that he looks just like his dad, except for his eyes. He has his mother's eyes. In the first book, he comes across a mirror that shows the beholders greatest desires. Harry simply sees himself standing among his parents and countless ancestors. His deepest desire is to have a family. In book 3, Harry learns that he will always have his parents. They are in everything he does and can be there for him even though they are gone. I think that is amazing. His Patronus taking the shape of an image of his father is a beautiful way to show this concept.

Choices

That's right, another Harry Potter post. I just love it so much! Today, I finished Harry Potter 2 and again found a quote between Dumbledore and Harry that I love. This time, it has to do with our choices.

New students at Hogwarts get sorted into one of four houses, each with their own unique characteristics and skills. When Harry was sorted in book 1, he heard the Sorting Hat tell him he would do well in Slytherin, but Harry had heard that most of the wizards who come out of Slytherin house go bad, including Voldemort. So he thought hard, "Not Slytherin!" and the hat put him in Gryffindor.

For the next 2 years, this bothered Harry. He often wondered if he was meant to be in Slytherin and would become a bad wizard too. Then in the Chamber of Secrets, he came face to face with a 16-year-old memory of Voldemort who told him they have many things in common including the ability to speak to snakes which is a rare trait that the founder of Slytherin house possessed. This bothers Harry even more.

Later, Harry talked to Dumbledore about it and following is their conversation;

(I know it's kinda long, but to get the full affect, all of it was necessary.)

"'Professor,' he started again after a moment. 'The Sorting Hat told me I'd--I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while...because I can speak Parseltongue...'

'You can speak Parseltongue, Harry,' said Dumbledore calmly, 'because Lord Voldemort-who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin--can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure...'

'Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?' Harry said, thunderstruck.

'It certainly seems so.'

'So I should be in Slytherin,' Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. 'The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it--'

'Put you in Gryffindor,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue--resourcefulness--determination--a certain disregard for rules,' he added, his mustache quivering again. 'Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think.'

'It only put me in Gryffindor,' said Harry in a defeated voice, 'because I asked not to go in Slytherin...'

'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, beaming once more. 'Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned."

The part I have highlighted is the point I'm trying to make. Harry is in Gryffindor because he chose it, regardless of the traits or abilities or even circumstances he had. So it is in our lives. We sometimes think we have to be a certain way or become a certain person because that's the life we have been dealt. It couldn't be more wrong. Yes, there are things in life that limit us, but it doesn't mean we have to succumb to them. We have the choice in our lives to become who we want to be. We can choose who we follow and what life we want to live.

Love

I know it's a few days late to be making a post about love, but I have just finished reading Harry Potter 1 (again) today. You must be thinking, "What the heck does this have to do with love?" I'll tell you.

LOVE is one of the greatest themes of Harry Potter. Some people think these books are dark and don't approve of their kids reading/watching them. My remark to them is always, "Harry Potter is all about love."

There is one passage at the end of book 1 that sums this up perfectly. Harry has stopped Quirrell and Voldemort from getting the Sorcerer's Stone that will allow Voldemort to come back to power and live forever. Harry wakes up 3 days later in the hospital wing with Professor Dumbledore by him. He asked Dumbledore why Quirrell couldn't touch him without burning. Dumbledore says the following:

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give some protection forever. it is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It is agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

This is the very essence of Harry Potter. Love is what made Harry "the boy who lived", it is what protects him from Voldemort his whole life, and it is what keeps Voldemort from ever succeeding as a dark wizard. All the characters in these books love one another, risk their lives for one another, and do everything they can to achieve happiness and peace in their world. Love is the reason Snape kills Dumbledore in book 6, love for Harry's mother. That sounds bad haha but if you know the story, it's not. LOVE is the reason for everything in these books, as in real life.

I have started reading these books again, hoping that I can read fast enough to finish the whole series before the final movie comes out this July. I don't have high hopes for that. Those books get pretty large and I'm a slow reader. I love reading them though. I can read these books all day and be perfectly happy.

On a side note, it has been 6 months now since I moved to Utah. I still need to post pictures on here. I will soon, if I'm not reading ;).