no trouble in paradise

Tonight I was at Kjarinda's house, just you know, chillin... watching some tv shows. (doesn't really matter what they were.)

And we got to talking about our amazing trip coming up in March for Spring Break.

Because, yes, that's right, we are going to HAWAII.

I have never been, so this is a big deal to me.

It was so exciting thinking about all the fun we have in store for our futures. And honestly, the fun doesn't end there. Both of us have amazing 2012's coming up. It's so great to have a plan for almost the whole year. 

The great thing is, we know that we start school next week. We know that we are going to Hawaii in March. We know that my birthday is in April (which we also know my friends are going to throw a HUGE party for... right friends?? :) ) We know that we will be on the same team for EFY this summer as BC's. We know that we will go back to school in the fall. Me, for my last semester EVER. And we know that Christmas will come, yet again. ;)

But the even better thing is what we don't know.

We don't know what our classes will bring, or who we will meet, or what choices we'll make. We don't know what is going to happen in our day to day lives.

And I think I've mentioned this quite a few times on this blog... I love the unknown. 

I love feeling on the edge of something new, and not knowing where life will take me.

So, bring on this new year. The fancy trips and busy summers.

But throw in a lot of unexpected surprises now and then too.

could this be real life?!?

p.s. mission impossible was so good. so. good. mmmm... i have SUCH a desire to be a secret agent you guys, it's kind of embarrassing.

winning at tetherball, and an assortment of other things

Well, this was a good weekend. For the most part.

On Saturday I spent a good amount of the day on adventures with some friends.

We may have gone to the Pepperidge Farm place.

And it may have not impressed me that much.

But I may have gotten some goldfish and cookies anyway.

(What? They were cheap.)

And then while there, Kjarinda and I may have had the idea to drive to Bear Lake.

And then we may have gotten chocolate milk at the Gossner's cheese factory (or whatever it's called).

And then we may have grabbed our jackets and driven to bear lake.

And enjoyed sights like this, on the whole 40 minute drive there.

that's just a sample.

And then perhaps we made it to Bear Lake.

And you could probably bet that we got dinner.

And you never know... Maybe we went to a park after that and played on the swings and dominated a tetherball court?

But I can neither confirm nor deny any of this information.

this doesn't confirm or deny anything.

Anyway, you never know. All of that could have been fun.

Not so fun? Saying good-bye to this lady. You can bet some tears were shed.

Just a little depressed... See you in 18 months!

p.s. why is it so hard/bad to say "we need to talk"?

are you entertained? because I sure am.

Hey, I'm back. Do you know what this means??

You got it. I have internet at my house. 

Do you know what else this means? 

I have a lot to catch up on!

This is seriously like having to catch up in your journal. I find it super annoying... but I'll do my best. Basically the past week has been awesome. 

And that's all you need to know.

ha ha. 

just kidding.

 I guess I'll just start by telling you what I did for Labor Day.

I went to Bear Lake.

With some awesome friends.

We had a talent show. Haley blew a bubble inside a bubble. Matt was impressed.

Matt built an awesome sand castle. It pretty much should have won an award.

So yeah, those were the highlights of that trip.

And then today at school, I watched this video. Which was hilarious to me. Has anyone else seen it? Do you think it's funny?

And then we did something even cooler after class.

That's right. We played Pogs.

Confession... I didn't know what pogs were until like two weeks ago.

How did I miss that?

No wonder I wasn't popular in elementary school...

p.s. what did you do for labor day?

these are the days that we'll remember

Oh, hello again! I'm so extremely sorry I didn't give you a fair warning before I took off on the BEST VACATION EVER. I got caught up in life, and forgot about the importance of telling all you lovely readers that I wouldn't be writing anything to entertain you for a week. Where have I been, you ask? Well, I've only been in the happiest place on earth. And yes, that means Disneyland! And California Adventure, and the beach, and Six Flags. But before I start bawling because of Post-Trip-Depression... I think I'll just give you some delightful Awkward's and Awesome's from the week.

Awkward:

- When you're walking back into someone's house that you don't know, making fun of someone else, and you run SMACK into the screen door. I'm talking slamming into it and bouncing off. Luckily your friends are nice enough to not bring it up again...
- When you're dying of thirst at Six Flags, and all you can think about is getting an ice cold cup of water. So when you get lunch, you ask the man nicely if you could have a large cup of water and all he says is "NO." And completely ignores you for the rest of the time until you get your food.
- When you are sitting on a boy's bed, and he is combing your hair while his roommate sleeps in the next bed. And then the roommate wakes up, and observes the situation, and then promptly falls back to sleep. Jaron? Do you remember that?
- Burying Matt in the sand, and then making the sand look like he's a mermaid. Complete with all the assets.

Awesome:

- Singing at the top of your lungs in line for Thunder Mountain, and having other random people join in. And then having the Disneyland workers tell you that you shouldn't sing anymore.
- Going to Ruby's Diner, and making friends with the Balloon Animal Guy. And when he makes you HEADPHONES out of balloons. Which is way random, but totally awesome. Not to mention the giraffe and penguin hats.
- Taking the most awkward family photos ever all over the park. And asking Disneyland employees to take them for you, and having them completely fall in love with the whole idea.
- Eating the most amazing hun cal fro yo you've ever heard of. (a.k.a. hundred calorie frozen yogurt at Pink Berry)
- Going to California for a week with the most fun people in the world, and never wanting it to end, and having no theater (a.k.a. DRAMA) the whole time.

p.s. don't worry... you'll get more pictures and fun later. prepare to be JEALOUS.
p.p.s. and also, don't be alarmed, but I changed my url to www.psmynameismadeline.blogspot.com, because i thought it made more sense. So if you have a link to my blog on your blog, you need to change the url, so the link will still work. Sorry for any inconvenience! 

abbreviations make me want to barf

this is the view from a lovely rock.

Finally, after months and months of planning and hoping and dreaming, I made my way down to the little town of Parowan in Southern Utah.

It was very nice there.

Land everywhere.

Friends everywhere.

Four-wheeling everywhere.

Disappearing on purpose for hours, hoping someone else will make the dinner.

And sitting on a log, looking at the stars.

And having a hard time stopping.

Because they'll be gone in the morning.

And so will I.

p.s. what's the record for longest conversation ever? I bet I can beat it.

hello seattle

This is me in Seattle. I stood next to the tallest man in the world. We chatted. It was hard to hear him from down here, but he was very kind. I forgot to go look at his shoe.

Anyway, Seattle got me thinking.

People.

We are everywhere. Human beings, everywhere in the world. Living.

I look around and I see people of all different types. Tall, short, round, thin, different colors, different languages, glasses, different fashion sense,

happy, sad, confused, worried, excited, angry, tired, bored...

Everyone has a different story. A different thing that makes them tick. 

All of them have a life they are living, just like me.

You never know what people are going through, or where they are going to. 

They just are.

Those people you pass by every day.

But to them, that's who you are as well.

And it's fascinating to me, to think that everyone is real. That we're all here right now, trying to figure out what life is all about.

And it's interesting to note, the innocence on the face of someone who is asleep.

That everyone is the same in that way. Vulnerable.

All looking for the same things in the end. To love, to be loved, to be happy, to have success.

To go to sleep at the end of the day feeling good about it.

Whatever it is.

And I love it. The fact that we're all... here.

p.s. i bought a shirt AND a bracelet for $8 today!! score.

i told you so

Yesterday, my family and I went to the loveliest place on the planet.

Cannon Beach, Oregon.

At least, it is MY loveliest place on the planet. 

All my life I have loved it. Dreamed about it. Wished I lived in it.

It's just downright beautiful.

The flowers, the ocean, the shops, the trees, the grass, the drinking fountain with the best water I have ever had...

For some reason, my fascination with the beach took over again.

And after shop shop shopping away (where I got some AWESOME toms) I begged my family to just please please can we walk over to the beach? We only have to stay 15 minutes max. 10 minutes. It's just such a perfect day! I just think we really should even just look at it. From a distance if we have to.

(my family was kind of tired from walking around all day, so they needed convincing.)

So finally, my dad said yes! fine! let's go to the beach.

So we walked up there, and down onto the sand, and instantly everyone's lives were brighter and more brilliant because of Cannon Beach.

And we stayed there for a lot longer than 15 minutes.

And my mom even had the nerve to say, "I think this was the best part of the day!"

You're welcome.

p.s. anyone want to go in on a beach house with me??

tell me something

Once again... check Abi's blog for more! Funny face... tan lines... what could be better?

All I wanted today. Yes, all I wanted. 

Was to go to the Beach.

I woke up this morning, and went with my family down to the docks.

This is one of my favorite places in the world, with the cute little shops and all of the boats and the never ending fishy smell.

So I bought a darling bag and shirt and belt.

And then wandered around some more.

But the family came over for lunch. 

So we spent a delightful afternoon playing guitar and singing funny songs and chatting about life and love.

And then more family came over for dinner.

 And the hustle and bustle became so much, and my cousin hanging on my arm became so stressful, and the little boy I had never met before poking my arm became so obnoxious, that I decided to peace out.

So I grabbed my little sister Abi's arm, and yanked her out the door.

And we walked up the sandy pathway passing the people with the big dog, up up up to the top of the ridge.

And looked down on the wide expanse of sand and ocean. 

And it was all I wanted.

p.s. if you read this blog, make yourself known! Comment, follow... whatever! I want to follow you too. I want to read your blog. I want to be your friend. Forever. ok? ok.

na na na na na na na na na na na na na

Today I was with my family in Washington.

 I only see them once a year, so it was kind of nice to sit and chat with them. 

Then my cute little 8 year old cousin climbed on top of me and demanded that she play Robot Unicorn Attack on my phone.

 She was pretty decent... And after that she got all of her my little pony unicorns for us to play with. They were called: 

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Flutter Shy, Pinky Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. 

Good evening? Yes.

Want more where this came from? Check out Abi's blog.

p.s. alwayyysss i wanna beeee with you, and make belieeeeve with you!

if it means a lot to you

Right now, I am sitting in a beach condo on the coast of Washington eating some fruit snacks. 

I can see the ocean from my window. 

And cheerful beach goers on their way up and down the sandy path. 

There are a few clouds in the sky, but the sun is shining brightly - a rarity for Washington. 

My sister is reading a book next to me. 

My brother is playing the wii on the other couch. 

And my other sister is blog-stalking on another laptop. 

My parents are in the other room sleeping. They drove us the whole way, so they are tired.

And that is a snapshot of my life right now. Wish you were here to join me!

p.s. remember my sister abigail? and how she is trying to be a photographer type of person? well, head over to her blog to check out yet another set of pictures of yours truly. sweeeeet.

the cave of doom

I have never climbed so many rocks in my life. I spent the majority of this past week scaling the red cliffs of St. George. I even fell down one. I have a huge battle wound on my left elbow from this terrifying time. Picture in your mind the scene of me trying to scramble up the side of a smaller cliff. My hands are straining, my feet are grasping for stable footholds. I'm already worried that I won't be able to make it, even though my friends are offering words of encouragement above me. Suddenly my feet are flailing, searching for anywhere to land, my fingers can no longer support my weight, and I slide down the remainder of the cliff. Arms stinging like crazy, I clamber down the rest of the rock quickly and stand on the ground, pathetically looking up at the good climbers who actually made it to the top, defeated.

It was lucky for them I wasn't willing to give it another try... I took great pictures of everyone instead.

After I got over the shock of sliding down a cliff, I spent the rest of the day spelunking, scaling more cliffs, and watching my friends cliff dive into the freezing turquoise waters at Sand Hollow. And as I stood there at the top of a petrified sandstone mountain next to my best friends, I couldn't help but feel a little bit happy. Happy to be free, happy to be warm, happy to be surrounded by beauty.

And that is just a snapshot of the trip... let's just say I never wanted to come back.

p.s. you're reading the words of a returning EFY counselor... bring on the summer :)

Take Me Away

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to Greece.

I would go to one of the islands with the white houses and the blue roofs, and go swimming in the ocean. I would sleep with the windows open. I would walk on the beach every day.

And I would probably never leave.

p.s. I'm really excited for this weekend.

Well, that was fun... NEXT!

Ahh... here it is. I've finally run out of time. Thank goodness my summer was so awesome! I'm so lucky I got to have all of the experiences I did, and to meet all of the people that I did. I have made some amazing new friends! I hope this next year brings a lot of great new experiences and a lot of fun. I hope I remember to be brave, and not let any fear get in the way of me making new memories. This year will be great! Let's get it started :)

And now... a tribute to the summer.

Nauvoo

EFY

Washington

California/Disneyland

p.s. I'm getting a 4.0 this semester. No Big Deal.

Look Out!

Disneyland... Here I come!

p.s. Pirates of the Caribbean is my favorite ride. Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me!

There's No Place Like Home...

Ahhh...

It's 1:05 a.m.

I've returned from Washington.

I can't sleep.

I think I slept too much in the car.

My brain won't be quiet. It keeps talking. Telling me things that I don't really want to think about, but I've been pushing them away so much lately, they have to come out right now.

Things like...

school. suitcases. goodbyes. driving. moving. dreams. wishes. goals. grades. future. boys. friends. money. jobs. lost things. oil changes. etc.

I've been on the move so much this summer. I've gotten really expert at packing a suitcase. I've been living out of a suitcase.

Slow it down. Give me a few more days.

I'm tired of being on the go.

Can't I just sit down with someone special and watch the leaves blow in a summer breeze for a while?

p.s. I love rainstorms.

All I Ever Wanted

This summer has been so great! And here comes August...
August always scares me a little... because it means the end of summer is near.
However, I have some really fun things happening this month.
So while I really really don't want summer to end, I can't help being excited for this month.
A lot of this month will be at the beach.
My favorite place.
Bear Lake, Washington, Oregon, California - Disneyland
and it all starts tonight!
VACATION

p.s. I will also be attending the John Mayer/Owl City concert on August 31st. Great way to end off the summer? I think so.

.glowing.

Haley Loveland, Rachel Hill, Carli Bahm, and me

This past week I traveled across the country with these lovely ladies.

Earlier in April, I got a text from Rachel, asking if I was going to go on the trip to Nauvoo with the singles ward in our stake. I hadn't heard anything about this trip, but it didn't cost a lot of money, and it would be an amazing experience so I said yes!

We left on May 9 and got back May 15. It was a long trip full of many events that I don't feel like writing down, and you would get really bored if I did. Not because the trip was boring, but because you'd be reading for the next hour.

All I can tell you is that this trip changed me.

When I got on that bus on Sunday night, I was old Madeline. When I got off the bus on Saturday afternoon, I was new Madeline.

It surprised me really, when I realized that I had forgotten who I was. When I realized that in the past six or seven months, I had become someone I didn't really want to be. When I realized exactly how unhappy I have been.

This trip changed me. I remembered how I used to be. I forgot all about old Madeline, and couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I met so many wonderful people, and they all made me want to be the best that I can be. I was so uplifted by this trip! The spirit was so strong all the time. Every place that I visited, I learned something new.

It was so much fun traveling across the country, seeing all the church history sites until we reached Nauvoo. Wow, Nauvoo is beautiful. I could spend weeks there and never get bored! The temple was so beautiful, and doing baptisms there was the best experience ever. I'm pretty positive that is my favorite temple now.

The bottom line is, Madeline is back. And this is going to be my best summer ever. My testimony has been so strengthened by this trip, and I am going to be able to share that with the youth at EFY in a couple weeks! This trip was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me.

In closing, I would like to leave you with some pictures of where I have been. I figured out how to put on a sweet slideshow made by yours truly, so check it out!

From Snow to Sunshine In a Matter of Hours

Ahhh.... SPRING BREAK! So satisfying. There is nothing I love more than a quick getaway to a warmer climate. No rules, no homework, no snow... Pretty much I forgot all my troubles, and melted away in the sun. Yep, I've got a cute little sunburned nose to show for it, but it was SO worth it! Please try to explain to me what on earth could be wrong with waking up at 11:30 in the morning, lounging by the pool until the late afternoon, great fun with great friends, In-N-Out burger, VEGAS, and hot tubbing at night??

Wait for it...

That's right, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!

Pretty much my whole Spring Break was spent by the pool, and I am totally ok with that. There was a great little trip to Las Vegas thrown in there however... yes that's right, THE Las Vegas. Our fabulous little group owned Vegas. It was my first time! Can you believe it? I just let Vegas do all the work, that was my secret. (Name the movie!) And I just have to say... no matter how dumb this sounds, watching the Bellagio fountain was probably my favorite part... Pure happiness in dream fulfillment right there. I am a fan of Oceans 11. Check one off my "things to do before I die" list... Now I just have to learn how to fly a plane! Woo hoo.

Mmm.... can't wait for summer. It's so close, I can smell it. All I have to do is ace the next 6 weeks of school and I'm FREE!!!

XOXO