sun it rises!

This is what I'll miss bout summer.

Hello to high school in the morning.

Pray I won't die.

ah... look at all the lonely people.

Well, summer is almost over. It hit me when I actually got my schedule for high school.

(HIGH SCHOOL!!!)

There was a lot I wanted to do this summer.... and a few things actually happened!

I had tea parties! Just one, actually. Last week. So fun.

DRIVE. I have 14 hours now. Horrah.

Swing on the swings. I actually did this quite a bit.

See a view like this during a hike. I wish I did that more.

+I wanted to bike a lot this summer, and I did, in fact. It was probably the highlight of the season. Getting around on my bike.

+I wanted to go to the library with Lexi a lot. I wish that happened more.

+I wanted to go to Lagoon once more, and hooray, I got in for free! Thanks Kami :)

Now a few things for fall:

Make 2 prom/fancy dresses (I just got the fabric!)

Finally see Erin

Make less-jumbled blorg posts

Ride my bike still.

Adam's Canyon

Megan, Alan, and I went on a hike up Adam's Canyon. This is the 2nd time I've ventured up here, and it was a lot better the 2nd time through. It's kind of a hard hike! It involves more climbing over rocks and getting wet and big up-hill secctions. Alan totally made the hike hilarious and bearable. It was so entertaining, even if Megan was embarrassed by him.. heh.

The waterfall was gorgeous, but I couldn't help not getting this random old Asian in the picture. He reminds me of Locke on Lost. Same facial expressions and mystery about him.

Jon & Kenzie's Wedding

I wish I could have gotten more pictures, this was all we had time for.

It was the funnest/most labor intensive wedding I've ever been to.

I decided I really like weddings.

IT'S SUMMER.

And I honestly am having a hard time adjusting. I just don't what to do with all the time! But that is the great thing. Yahoo!

all over and done.

I wanted 9th grade to end on a good note SO badly. I didn't want to have to go to high school and still feel awkward around those friends that decided not to be friends anymore. I just wanted things to be good between everyone.

So it was Yearbook Day. Last day of junior high, and this is the day it had to happen. I was more praying that things would work out, since I couldn't do much about it. I just needed to have the guts to ask certain people to sign my yearbook.

There are these two guys that made it quite clear they did not want to be friends, but heck, I wanted to let them know if they ever want to be friends, I'm up for it. So I asked the first to sign it, and it went well! The second guy was hard though. It actually took a lot to walk up to him. But I did, and it was kinda funny. In his yearbook, I wrote thanks for all the good times, you're really great. That was simple, and I wrote it fast, just in case. But he kept writing, so I stood there awkwardly, and freaking out inside. It was funny. But he finished quickly and we said goodbye.

A few minutes later curiosity beat me and I found what he wrote. It said "sorry for being such a jerk. If you want, I think we could be really great friends again."

I RAN to my friends and had them read it. The most embarrassing thing: I started to cry. I was SO happy that things were gonna be okay, I cried! My friends freaked out cause they were so surprised. I was too.

But I love surprises.

And I'm happy.

home is wherever i'm with you

She's graduating. And leaving me!

It's okay, she's ready to go, but I'm seriously not ready to be alone.

I do have more family living in the house, but still, she's my best friend.

Every time we start talking about how weird it will be when she is gone and how it will be hard for me.... I start to cry! Geez, I'm such a girl. But what will it be like when she actually leaves?

This is her last week. She graduates. She parties. Then she leaves.

And I stay here, trying to get along without her :)

I am going to be one of those girls who wants to call every time any funny thing happens or there is a story to tell. (Like when Colton called Karlie to tell her there is a pineapple on every Psych episode. Funny.) But she will be at BYU studying and hanging with the hot Englishmen, so I will have to be careful not to bother her too much :)

I can't even say how HAPPY I am that she is going to a university in Utah. She can drive home for Sunday dinners and I can go down there and hangout on weekends. Ha. Its like comfort food.

This is my latest creation.

They are pretty easy to make, and it only takes a few hours!

I love this sunhat. When it was finished, I wore it until I was forced to take it off.

I love being able to make stuff for myself.

And if anyone wants one, just let me know! (maybe at a $6.50 price?)

haha. just paulin.

Anyways, I can't wait for summer so I can wear this all the time.

The Big 100.

Today is my 100th post! How exciting is that? It really just tops of the already fantastic weekend I have had. So I celebrate tonight my making cupcakes. Well, I finally opened up my blog, my friends were miffed about their invitations being expired. Actually, now that I think about it, they are probably just being courteous and read my blog to be nice.




In any case, I like my little blorg. Some history behind it:


I started this blog in August 2009, which seems like forever ago. I did a little introductory post, and planned on having this as a photography blog. But I really didn't post anything until 9 months later, and that post was about Matt and Kim. Whose song, Daylight, is still one of my favorites. Besides that, here is a list of a few of my favorite things from this weekend.



I felt like this all weekend. It was so warm outside. It was really only 40 to 50 degrees most of the time, but it felt completely like summer to me. I opened up my window all the way, jumped on the tramp with my friends, tanned my legs with magic lotion, and thought it was summer. I don't mind it's only February.

These two books are best friends. And I am their best friend. We fit, like the Three Musketeers, or something. I have such a testimony of what I read and find in them, because they help me in every day life. I am reading D&C for the 4th time right now, and reading Luke with my family. These are for sure my favorite books.

I played with my favorite people in the world this weekend. It actually was the best weekend I have had in ages. It was like happiness shot through the roof. My friends and I played the Beatles Rock Band, and it was awesome. We all sat there singing our hearts out. It was a bonding moment :)

P.S. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!

Summer 10

Lots going on this week. Lots.

Its the last week of summer (where did it go???) and I am trying to make the most of it. That includes lots of sleepovers, fluffy pancakes, boys, bike riding, trek reunions, shopping for clothes (ugh), fires, Gilmore Girls, tanning lotion, dancing in the rain, Star Trek parties, and we even have plans to build a spaceship. But that is happening Saturday, so I will report on that later.
But I have not wasted a minute of this week. I love summer. I wish it would never end. If only it had a couple more cool evenings and rain.
Anyways.
I hope everyones' summer was VERY satisfactory. Mine sure was.

Thanks, Summer.

Listening to: Paper Plain by MIA. Its my new fav.

If you're partial to the night sky....

Whenever the drama stops, you better enjoy it because it will start back up again the next day. I should just get used to that. But between more love triangles, silly boys, and feelings, I got a major overdose of drama. And I just got sick of it. I was getting stressed and couldn't really focus on anything else.

Ugh.

But I have this great and wonderful sister/best friend/cousin, Erin, who really helps me too much. She drove us in our car to my favorite place and let me do my favorite thing to do.

Yup. We went to the Smoot Park swings. I can just think. With nothing to distract me. The stars were starting to come out, and there I felt like myself again.

We drove around our little town through streets we have never known. We rolled the windows down, let the music play, and let our hair fly in our face.

Thank groodness for cool cousins who do that for you. And then, even better, we slept outside and watched the meteor shower.
It was awesome! We probably saw about 16 meteors before we feel asleep. We saw a REALLY big one right above us, and it was gorgeous.

Anyways. Just an update of boys that are taking a toll on me. But it is all okay, luckily I have amazing parents, family, and friends to talk to.

P.S. more to come about my sister's mission!

GFACT 2010

Grant Family Annual Camping Trip. 2010.

I really look forward to this grand event every year. We normally work on meals and packing for weeks before, but we ended up packing everything the day before. Crazy. Then we had some really frustrating car troubles. Even more crazy. So when we finally got to camp, I was so happy to be there.

The cold air. It felt so good after being in 100 degree weather. And our campsite was right by the lake, making it perfect for fishing and canoeing all the time!

view from our campsite.

we were happy campers.

Matthew. He ruined Erin's dinner. But the fire was great.

tent time. we laughed too hard.

Ava liked posing. Ha. Can you see Aspen's face between Ava's legs?

Awesome.

My very favorite part. The fog over the lake.

It rained about 82.7% of the time, and this fog was so mysterious and majestic!

Erin was an expert fisher woman. After about an hour.

And a better fishing pole. But she really caught 3 fish! Then I continued to kill, de-hook, and tie them up. I can kill fish, but still squeal when I have to split a worm in two.

Provo River Falls.

Panoram of this beautiful look out of Jordanelle.

Even though we had immense trouble getting to and from camp (our car eventually quit and it had to be towed. But I got to ride in the police woman's car to Carl's Jr. It was great) and even though it rained a bit too much, this is the highlight of my summer. I love spending all that time with my family in the prettiest part of Utah. I am probably going to be one of those girls who stays in Utah the rest of her life. But how could I leave? I am way too attached to the mountains. But I have a brave family. Cameron and Kirsten came up with their two month old, Sam, and even stayed for two nights. They are stellar.

But really my whole family is. I love them too much.

chickpeas.

Ah trek.

I went on an LDS Pioneer Trek last week. It was probably the greatest experience of my life. It tried me in so many ways. It was very mentally and physically hard to keep pushing every day. But every moment was worth it.

It was very hot. It got up to 102 degrees on the second day, and obviously there is no shade. Anywhere. We drank a lot of water... but it got warm quickly and mixed with little amounts of Gatorade... so it tasted pretty bad. We had plenty of good food, though.

My family was the coolest family in

our stake. The only person my age was Ben Peterson, and we had a blast. [ ;) ] We had the best time together, and really grew as one. We have way too many inside jokes and little things to laugh about.

We were such pioneers. We dressed like them (I hate blooomers) and danced like them, too. The hoedown was the highlight of the week. I gotta dance with some good friends. I loved meeting all these people.... and everyone looked like crap so it didn't matter.

Notice in every picture I took, I only have half of my glasses on. That was totally my trademark. It wasn't bothersome, so I kept wearing the other half of my shades when they broke. Some say I was a pirate. But I was really a pioneer. Silly people.

But people knew me for my glasses. So they deserved this paragraph. Thanks, old $1 shades.

Anyways.

Trek was the most fantastic thing I have ever done. If you get a chance to go someday, please go. You will love it. (People in Pictures from Top to Bottom: Ashley, Mason Sutherland, Erin)

Love and Rockets,

Maddie

APRICOTS

mmmmmmmhm.

This is my new favorite thing. I can go out in the early monring when the sun is just coming up over the mountain, and pick a few apricots for breakfast. Anything home grown tastes amazing, right? Well. These are exceptional. It is my new favorite thing to do. Summer fruit is so so tasty.

Pure Melted Gold.

Last week, Erin and I attended the Peruvian Festival. It was a blast. Amazing food (Ever since 4th grade when I was introduced, I have been deep deep in love with Peruvian food. Or anything foreign for that matter...) Great music. Lovely people. Gotta love culture.

Our natural ice cream bars. Mine was coconut, Erin's was mango.

May I say it was the best thing I have ever had?

Inca Kola. It truly is pure melted gold. Although it has a whopping 39 grams of sugar, it is the best thing I have ever had. We even bought some to take home.

The lovely place we bought our delicious food....

Gotta love culture.

Bliss.

Saturday at the park. This is bliss for me. Erin and I will go to the park Saturday afternoon to finish homework, read, take pictures, sleep, and just talk. I am loving aproaching summer with the warmer weather. So here are some

pictures of the beautiful day.