Blessed with the Best

It was while hanging out with my cousin Rachel and talking it out with her that I realized how blessed I was. I know I've been worried over my friend situation a lot in the past and recently, but all because I value my friends so much. Rachel had friends who lied to her, decieved her, were fake to her face and stabbed her in the back, hurt each other, kissed each others' boyfriends, lied about liking her and a whole slew of other terrible things. Her closest friends of course were closer to her than that and wouldn't do such things intentionally. But those are few and far between. It made me look at my own friend situation in a whole new light. My friends are honest with me, loyal, dependable, non backstabbing and retain countless other wonderful traits. When I look at this I wonder how I ever saw a flaw! Because while of course everyone has problems, everyone makes mistakes, my friends are dependable to the end. We've been through a lot, and I know they'd always be there for me with the same certainty that I know I'll always be there for them. There's genius Zach, loyal til the end. Hilarious Brenten, very brave. Dramatic Madison, squealy and there when it counts. Wild Emily, dangerously loving of the tackle. Honest Morgan, you always know where she stands. Friendly Andrew, who loves to chat. And many more! God has truly blessed me in my number of trustworthy and amazingly talented friends! I have friends whose talents range from hacking a computer to modeling. From hotwiring a car to chrocheting to playing drums to cartwheels - we've got quite a range of talents! I look back and have to be thankful and sort of ashamed at my typical ungratefulness. My friends are crazy and loony and evil and inumerable other adjectives I can't even pronounce. Thank you, God. I am truly blessed!

I Bowl Better In The Hallway

On Friday I went to Rachel's house. Her house was packed with teens, which she proceeded to introduce me to each of. "Of course I'm going to remember every face and name now," I told her grinning. There were kids eating at the table and laughing, and the other half of the group were in the living room playing Wii sports. After awhile we all sat down, squeezing into the couches (And one guy on the floor!) to watch a scary movie. It was one with Kristen Stewart in it when she was younger called "The Messengers". As usual it failed to frighten me, although once I accidentally gasped and didn't realize it was me until I heard the gasp!! Since I was late the numbers dwindled down fast after the movie ended and only Rachel's closer friends stuck around when we switched the Wii back on and began the tournament! It was Rachel, (who was the only one I knew there) Kiley, Rachel W., Sylvn and Aaron. Aaron kept running into the hallway to throw his bowling ball for the Wii each time, and every time he did it he got strikes! He was convinced his technique was the secret and insisted on doing it every time! We switched off playing bowling mostly until Sylvn and Aaron's mom picked them up. Kiley and Rachel Whiteley were the only ones staying the night aside from me! Kiley wanted to buy a pizza so she called Domino's, but the guy didn't tell her the prices until she asked after he'd already spouted off a bunch of other facts. She was so surprised when she heard the price she hung up on the poor pizza guy!! Then she called Pizza Hut. This guy talked a million miles a minute, she could barely get a word in edgewise, and had to try to keep from laughing as she also tried to talk and order. She had to have Rachel give him the adress as she collapsed in a fit of giggles! Then we had to call the guy back to ask him not to ring the doorbell since Rachel's parents had already gone to bed. We hung out and Rachel made a powerpoint for her sister. We watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The poor pizza guy had to knock on the door and stand out in the cold with the pizza while we came and paid him. And this was after he had driven an hour to deliver it! We all fell asleep around 2 AM eating several boxes of candy (We'd been expecting more girls to stay the night)! The next day Kiley and Rachel Whiteley left around noon and Rach and I hung out until her dad drove us to her sister Kirsten's. We all three went to Belair and got a couple sandwhiches to share and some drinks. We ate them at her house and went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. We went back to Kirsten's and she did an ab workout! Then we took her dog Honey, and her pit bull/white lab mix puppy, Maya for a walk. I took Maya from Rachel and tried running, until Kirsten took Maya and left us to drag Honey along, the smaller, less energetic dog. Rach and I stopped at some metal benches long enough to top our jokes about being attacked by hobos as it got darker. "Some hobos will probably sleep on these tonight," she said, sitting on a large metal bench and looking down at it. "Lay down on it and pretend to be a hobo sleeping on the bench!" I told her laughing and standing back with my camera phone on. She obliged and I took a dark, less than perfect but hilarious picture of "Rachel the Hobo". I hadn't seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 yet, so on the way back to Rachel's, Kirsten drove us to the 7Eleven to get it from Redbox so I could see it. 7Eleven didn't have a certain ice cream treat they wanted me to try to Kirsten said she'd drive to Walmart if Rachel bought. So we did:). Several aisles of makeup, an accidental spanish magazine and a box of ice cream through the self checkout later we left Walmart and went home. We ate ice cream on the way home, but by the time Rachel's parents finished their movie it was late. Kirsten and I ate bowls of cereal before she left and we started the movie. It was super early by the time it ended and we, half asleep, pried ourselves off the couch and went upstairs to roll into her bed and sleep like logs. I ended up going to church with her this morning. It was a lot of fun and I gave out a lot of ice cream gum (they all loved it for the record for all you mint chocolate chip ice cream gum haters!). Mom picked me up a little before the service ended though, and Rachel walked me out. Then it was off to the airport to pick up dad, then to the gas station to pick up Abbie and Lexie. For the first time in a long time our whole family is home at once, and now in a couple days we'll be leaving to go camping for two weeks! Wowza I am tired and I have a lot of packing and helping to do tomorrow so I better go wash the dishes and go to sleep!! So tired! Love you guys, peace out!

Hey, Remember Me... Halie?

Everyone hears the stories about friendships coming and going in high school. Nothing stays the same they say. When I was littler of course I heard my fair share, and it scared me. I would get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and think "You have to LET it go to lose a friendship!" I hated it when people would discuss how they'd lost friends and how it hurt, but it was meant to be. Not meant to be. Again the words would strike fear in me. I imagined losing a friend, and it hurt. But then I imagined losing a friend who was still around, that I ALLOWED to be around on a regular basis without acknowledging the history and camaraderie between us and it seemed unbearable. I shook my head at the people who allowed their friendship to be neglected and corroded and I knew I'd never allow such a thing to happen myself. My friends were too valuable to me. 5 or 6 years later and I'm in high school, the dreaded time by many. High school is reputed for many things: dirty minds, drama, obsessiveness, texting, and mood swings to name a few, and I've managed to avoid only a few. I don't have a dirty mind, am not obsessive... obsessively, and am not TOO terribly dramatic (I think?). But friends still mean a lot to me. And lately I miss two of my friends especially. Zach and Emily are undoubtedly my oldest friends. They're amazing, honest and good people. Lately, though, suckishly I haven't really talked to them much. We don't seem to get online at the same times, my facebook-phone connection is bad and let's face it - I don't get online as much as I used to. I can see the wear on the friendships show and it pains me. I love them, and last I checked they loved me too, so I know it has to be just a rough spot. It has to be! I don't want to lose them... I don't want it to be one of those friendships where you meet years after the friendship has slowed to nothing in some grocery store and they stumble over letters trying to remember your name. It reminds me of when I first remet Zach, he'll never live down his first "Do I KNOW you?" But in this case it would worse, will I have to hear those words again from my best friend? "Do I know you?". I dread the day I'd have to say to them "Hey remember me? Halie?" I love them so dearly, they're more family than friend now, and their youngest Jeni of course, she is adorable. I love the girl to death and her addition to their family makes them an incredible and unbelievable group. I pray that our friendship never errodes. It's a rough spot now, but my feelings and love for them are undiminished! I miss you guys. I love you, Zach and Em :D.

La La La La Looossseeeerrrrrrr

Tonight is the most boring night I've experienced in a long time... Maddi is camping in the yard with her siblings and a couple of mine. Brenten went to bed early. Zach and Em have a friend over. Everyone else: Derek, Megan, Trenton, Morgan, etc... None of them are online!! What is this terrible fate that I have to actually go read all the books I've been wanting to read but "haven't had time"?! It's one thing to choose to spend a quiet night reading, it's another entirely to be forced into it by the absence of one's friends' company. I suppose this is God's sense of humor coming to strike me. I haven't been getting online to talk to everyone and now the one night I do everyone's gone. Very funny. Well I suppose I'll go read then... Hopefully I can talk to everyone later! Love you guys,
Halie

Gold Sox and Mr. G

Oh gosh, Brenten managed to find my old blog that I made in 2009. Just in case anyone missed it 2009 was the beginning of 14 for me and for awhile at least, I became very girly, as some describe it. I was pink and Twilight obsessive and goodness I can't believe he found that. So to start off, BLAH. On a better note last night I got to go to a Marysville Gold Sox game!! I went with most of my siblings, my mom and my grandma Barbara and grandpa Lowel. It was so fun! Their mascot was a gecco and he was hilarious! He went and sat next to people randomly, high fived, hugged, autographed, danced, and even danced the YMCA on top of the Gold Sox dugout with all the players on the side dancing too! The players were really funny and joked with each other a lot you could see, one guy was partial to sticking styrofoam cups over both ears! The Big Horns started off batting since they were guest of course and their second batter broke the bat! These guys play only with wooden bats, to prepare them for the next level up but sure enough, the guy took a good swing, hit it, and set off running at the front part of his bat cracked off and flew into the air a good 2/3 of the way to the pitcher. The Gold Sox didn't let any of them on base, they worked efficiently and got three up three down. The rest of the game was pretty funny and great too, I loved it and can't wait to go back! The Gold Sox played them 9 innings and won solidly! I would love to see them play a more difficult team that's more of a match for them! The bleachers, admittedly are killer, we sat there eating crackerjacks and peanuts :D so next time we need a seat in the back! We got Mr. G, the mascot's autograph and there was even a Mrs. G, although it was a pathetic attempt sadly, they could've made Mrs. G with more effort! Anyways it was really awesome and great and I can't wait to go again! We were going to take the O'Neills but forgot they were out of town camping! It would've been nice, Lex and Abbie are out of town with Madison, but I would've loved to take all their time myself! Anyways, there'll be more baseball games! It was amazing.