All About Annie

Ready For More

2012-01-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Okay people!

Current Scores are as follows!

Tied in first with 3 points:

Annie, Chelsea, David

2 points:

Chris A., Dustin, Cameron, Jacob, Stephanie, and Marie

1 point:

Kelda, Chris W., Travis, Allen

0 points:

just Micah

Now what you need to do is submit your guesses for the rest of the games!!

Round 1 you are choosing between:

- 1) Broncos vs. Patriots

-2) Texans vs. Ravens

-3) Packers vs. Giants

-4) 49ers vs. Saints

Round 2 you are choosing between:

-your predicted winner of game #1 vs. your predicted winner of game #2

-your predicted winner of game #3 vs. your predicted winner of game #4

Superbowl pick:

-winner of round 2 picks

or just refer to my lovely chart, probably easier and my explanation was probably superfluous since I know you all know how this goes!

BEST OF LUCK!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

2012-01-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!! this year I am in charge of making sure we all get a little competitive and see who can predict this years super bowl champs! Sorry it is last minute, so we need quick responses. You will need to comment on this post 2 times. The first time you will need to pick winners for the 4 wild card games. After those games are all played you will need to come back and choose winners for the next three play off rounds.

Scoring will go as follows:

correct picks for

-the wild card games= 1 point each

-1st round (division playoffs)= 2 points each

-2nd round (conference champions)= 4 points each

-3rd round (super bowl)=8 points!!

And there is talks about prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place contenders, so choose wisely and may the best man/woman win!!

refer to this chart to make wild card selections!

I will return every week to add up scores so we know where everyone is at!

4 states in 3 days

2011-12-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend I will be in (like the title says) 4 states in 3 days. 4 is my lucky number, so that is fine with me. Friday I will start in Logan UT, and drive up to Boise, Idaho with the Van Leeuwens and Brie for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl!! if you wanna check it out: http://www.famousidahopotatobowl.com/! The Utah State Aggies have won 5 games straight to get their 7-5 record and a bid to their first bowl since '97! After the game, I will rush to the Boise airport, and fly to Los Angeles, California (thanks a million to my parents for the early christmas plane ticket so I could make it to the game :] ) After spending the night in LA, my parents, Micah, and I will head to New York City the next morning at 7! So Utah, Idaho, California, and New York that makes 4. (and this excludes all the states I am flying over, because those included it would probably be like a billion different states). I am so excited, and this is such a great way to start my winter break, and I cant wait to experience new york with some of my favorite people!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2011-11-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Well, it is almost thanksgiving!! I go home Saturday for my turkey day break. In the spirit of thanksgiving, I am posting how thankful I am for everything I have! I know I am so incredibly blessed and fortunate, and always have been. So thank you everyone who is there for me and gives me so much to be grateful for!! I am so thankful for my mom and dad, brothers and sister, my sisters-in-law and my brother-in-law, all my friends, Travis and his family, my education, my health, a roof over my head, clothes and food, and much more! I would say my life is pretty good to me when the worst part of my week was when I ALMOST hit a kitten (traumatizing). So looking forward to going home for the first time since August, and going to New York for the first time on December 18th with my parents and Micah!

I spared your life!!

Thank you Pilgrims for getting on your ships and making friends with the Native Americans so that I can go home and eat turkey with my family!!

Hair

2011-08-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Today I am happy for hair. That might sound weird, but it is just true. Two years ago I had all my hair chopped off, and I did like it. But I finally have long hair again, and I feel like a girl again!! Baha!

Driving Up to Utah State in Fall of '09. Freshman!!

Me doing the Ring/Cousin It.

The First Day of School

2011-08-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of school-of my junior year of college. When did that happen? I have no clue. My earliest class on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays is 1:30. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have my first class at 3. It will be interesting to see how I like afternoon classes. Today I have 3-D design and ceramics and tomorrow I have a natural disasters class and art history class. Should be a great semester I am excited. Travis had a scrimmage Saturday, and his first game of the season at Auburn this Saturday. It will be on ESPN, so watch! Woo, go aggies ;)

My People

2011-08-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in little old logan town just thinking about all the people I have had in my life and love so much! So I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been a positive part of my life :)! I get to go back to California again before school starts on Friday and I am so excited!!! So to my people, thank you and I love you!

Summer Breakdown

2011-08-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Helloooo from Logan, Utah. I have been back in the states for about three weeks now! What a few crazy fews they have been. Right after my plane got into salt lake city I went straight to sun valley for a couple days with the Van Leeuwens for a fun weekend of bike riding and swimming and hanging out. I don't think my body was quite ready for the bike ride because the uphill part made me wretch ;). This past week I got to finally go home for the first time since May and I had so much fun!! Me and Travis drove down Tuesday and had to leave saturday :( it was a short trip but it was definitely needed. We went to lamppost pizza, hollywood, universal city walk, saw my new baby neice Sadie Elizabeth, went to the Ventura county fair, saw Crazy Stupid Love, Snapper Jacks, went to the beach, saw the new Planet of the Apes, and ate at Wood Ranch-all in four days!! I had so much fun with my family, trav, and my ali girl! I can't wait to go back home in a couple weeks one more time before school starts.

Ich bin ein Berliner

2011-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hallo from Germany! I really need to start blogging a little bit more. I've officially completed 3 out of 5 weeks of my stay here. It really is very interesting. We are staying in a neighborhood of Essen called Steele (pronounced shtay-lah..i think.) It's a cute little town full of old people, little shops, and creeping Lebanese men. There always seems to be a festival going on of some sort, and I even had the chance to attend the concert of a man who was the equivalent of a German Elton John. I forgot the guys named but I don't think he was quite Elton famous, they just dressed similarly..although I did see many middle-aged people flocking for his autograph. I've had many bratwursts, baguettes, gyros, tons of bread, and too much gelato ;) Although currywurst is the food of choice, I still haven't tried it yet. We've visited many art museums, including a Josef Albers museum, the Folkwang museum, and many more I can't remember because the names are all German. Two weeks ago we went into Dusseldorf, and went to a museum then walked around town there. It is beautiful because the Rhine river runs right through it. This past week Monday through late Thursday were spent in the city of Berlin. It is just a tad bit different then our little Essen-Steele. But I have to admit it is a pretty incredible place. We had the option to visit many museums there, but I can't say that I did. Our teacher took us to the Bauhaus archive but other than that I was more interested in the city and landmarks. We saw the Brandenburg gate, parts of the Berlin wall, and all along the city on the ground you can see where the wall used to be and is now covered in cobblestone. Also had a chance to see a memorial for murdered Jews of Europe which was really depressing but good to see. The East Berlin gallery also was so cool-it is a huge wall in the city where artists that had painted on the original Berlin wall came back and recreated some of their pieces so people could see them. Had some incredible food-definitely the best food I have had was in Berlin. The nicest weather experienced so far was also in Berlin-because now I am missing it in cloudy rainy Essen. Oh, well :) Other Berlin adventures including sleeping in Pizza Hut for 2 hours, getting kicked out of a store for reading their magazines too long, and riding a six person bike. Today I went to church here in Essen. It was fun, the people were really nice and many spoke english, but the actual testimony meeting was in German-so I found myself watching the entertaining child sitting on the counselor's lap making funny faces and noises. There were translators but we chose to listen to the German instead and try and figure it out...yeah, right hah. Overall, I have had a really awesome time so far. I've been getting lazy with my artwork based on the fact I have a hard time motivating myself to draw and paint buildings all the time. But I need to suck it up.We live on the third floor of a civic center type facility. They have classrooms, a theater, and a restaurant on the other floors. Monday through Friday we get to eat dinner at the restaurant called El Patio. The owners are Italian, so it is a lot of pasta. They made the best lasagna I have ever had for dinner one night (second best to Nana's lasagna of course). We have classes on and off 9 till 4:30 everyday and they are painting, drawing, color theory, and some art history class we must not talk about often, hah. That is pretty much the gist of my trip so far! I have a good group and have met some really cool people and am liking it here. Although I will admit there are some things I am missing back in the states, especially free refills!! I think in two weeks time I will just about be ready to get back to friends, family, and the boyfriend. But until then, Tschuss!!

p.s. I have refrained from posting a ton of pictures because they are all on my facebook, so if you would like to see them go there!!

Summertime

2011-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

School has been out for more than a month already! I went home for a few weeks and had a great time. Spent a lot of time with friends and family, including a trip to Catalina Island and Disneyland :) Then at the end of the month I flew into Baltimore then drove up with Travis and his family to spend a few at Outer Banks Beach in Corolla, North Carolina. I had so much fun! It was my first time on an east coach beach. The water was warm and shallow, got some good sun, swimming, and boogie boarding in. Definitely think it is something my west coast beach going family should check out ;) Now I am back in logan, UT until I fly out to Essen, Germany on Saturday. I am getting very nervous and I do not know what to pack..oh well I will figure it out!

6)A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

XENA!! warrior princess!!

The End Is Near

2011-04-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I think I might be suffering from exhaustion. Just kidding.. I do not have a child so I know that is not possible. My life this week was papers, papers papers, and drawing, drawing, drawing. I drew for probably 20 hours this week. My final project was due- and I would post it but its a secret for a couple more weeks...but if anyone is dying to see it, shoot me a text and I will send you a picture :) Today will soon be spent in the library studying for my math 1050 final and my population and society final. But thankfully those tests will be done the first two days of finals and then I am home free and a junior in college :) This fall so far i am signed up for an art history class, natural disaster class (dont ask; it fulfills a grad. requirement), 3D design, and intro to ceramics..this is good because these are all classes I need. I really need to get into a 2D design but it does not fit into my schedule and the only one that does is an art major course but the art advisor said that if come august there is room she will let me in. At the beginning of the semester I was really skeptical of whether or not I was really okay at drawing or good enough to major in art, but after my drawing class I have gotten so much better and have gotten so many compliments about my work (not trying to brag! just proud) that I think I might have a shot getting into the program next February. And if I don't, I can always try again. Getting random compliments from strangers for some reason is so nice. A kid in my art class looked at something I was drawing (that no joke looked like crap and was frustrating me) and he said he was impressed and could tell I had a really cool style to my drawing and could see me doing really well illustrating (which is what I would love to do). He probably did not think much of it, but it is something I won't ever forget. On thursday we all put up our final projects on the wall and people start saying which ones they liked the best and mine was first. I was surprised because I saw some amazing drawings up there. Even though you do not need other people's approval to feel good about your work, I don't know why with art it just makes you feel good to know you are not the only one who enjoyed what you drew. I am a lot less skeptical and really think I can see myself being an art major, despite the fact I do not dye my hair weird colors, pierce everything, and put "artwork" all over my body haha. I always thought art was something that was hard to learn and you just naturally had to be amazing..but I learned so much this semester just in one drawing class, it makes me really look forward to the ones in the fall.

Anywho, I do not know if anyone read all of that. I am just proud of myself I guess, makes me happy :)

Andddd blog challenge #5 :A picture of your favorite memory

I have a ton of good memories...but for some reason this is the first one that stood out.

Last fall I went to Vegas with my mom, sisters, and cousin Steph. I look up to them all so much and had so much fun with them!! Even though I am far away from them (besides Steph), I know that if I ever needed them they are always there for me :) love you guys.

School Is Winding Down

2011-04-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

It is half-way through April already!! I am done with school the first week of May. Why does time fly by so fast?! Well since my sumer vacation starts in just a few weeks, I want to talk summer plans. Right after finals are over we are heading to Arizona to meet the family and my grandparents! Then I will be heading back to California to unwind. The weekend of May 20-22 will be a family girl's trip to Catalina Island. (If this one is half as fun as the last trip it is sure to be a good time). Then May 27th I will be heading off to Boston and the beach in North Carolina to spend time at Travis's grandparents beach house. I have never been to the beach on that side of the country so I will have to see how it compares to the west coast ;) I will be there till June 5th and then head back to Utah because I am flying out around June 13th to Essen, Germany where I will be studying art abroad for a month. I am so excited, but pretty nervous!! I will be drawing and painting all month living in an old school house and studying the art of the Bahaus school that was shut down during WWII (i think that's right..i'll do more research when the trip gets closer). Maybe after the month is up i'll hit up the eurorail and do some adventuring. The rest of summer after that will probably be spent in Logan looking for a job :) I have so much going on this summer and I am so pumped! Thank you to Mommy and Daddy for all the fun they are helping me have!

And blog challenge #4: A picture from your favorite night

I have so many favorite nights, but this one stands out. Junior prom! I love and miss these girls so much, we had so many good times. Who knew a group of 10 girls that are completely different from one another could be so close?

April Showers

2011-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Blog Blog Blog Blog!! It has been almost a month since I blogged. my bad. Today was cold cold cold. And it rained. I do not mind snow. But rain just stinks. stinks. stinks. There is only a month of school left..since when am I almost done with my second year of college?! I'm going to be a junior..and only 19. I'm so confused..is that normal?! haha Oh well. This past weekend one of my best friends Kim came and visited me from Rexburg, Idaho. We had way too much fun baking, doing P-90x and dressing up and taking pictures. I would say even though she could only stay a little over 24 hours it was definitely the best weekend this semester!! Love my Kimmah.

I am going to keep this short because I do not have too much else to say. I need to work on a project for art, that I will post depending on if it looks good or not when it is finished :)

Blog Challenge # 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show..

Oh man this is easy...although I am watching Grey's Anatomy right now and lovinggg it, I can't claim it as a favorite yet. So these two will tie for my favorite casts:

California Dreaming

2011-03-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

FUN STUFF!!

So I let some time pass since my last blog post. My bad! But I am happy to say I have greatly enjoyed my spring break in sunny southern california :) it is so nice to be home. I do not think I have ever appreciated it more than last saturday when I woke up and was able to go on an awesome hike with my dad (it ended up being a bit longer than expected when we went off the trail and trespassed on multiple farms instead and eventually made our way back after probably 5 or so miles) then I got to go swimming and lay out with Micah and Katie. Now that is something I can NOT do in utah at this time of year. Then I finished up the night babysitting Chloe and Lilah..they are just too cute. Sunday we all went to Chris and Stacy's house for dinner and it was so awesome seeing everyone. there really is nothing better than family :) Monday I saw Rango with mom! (apparently reviews from anti-smoking groups said it should have been rated 'R' for all the smoking baha but we thought it was great). Tuesday my Dad and I made a trip to the Spectrum, natural cafe, and home depot! Wednesday was disneyland with Micah, Chelsea and her girls, and Stacy and her kiddos. It was an awesome, hot sunny day. Kids went on their first rollercoasters and all had a great time and behaved very well. Thursday included dentist appointments with Doctor Brown (no cavities for me or micah!) and playing volleyball for hours with dad that night. Friday was lunch at the habit with mom, michaels and trader joes stop, then a little bumming out in front of the tv. (mom is recovering from being sick :( )And today, Saturday, Chelsea, Chloe, Lilah, Kelda, Izzy, and I all went to the Santa Barbara Zoo. We had a great time, it was princess day!! The authenticity of the princesses was debatable but it made for a good laugh. Afterwards we went to an excellent cupcake bakery, wayyyy too good. Now I am preparing to make the long drive back to Utah tomorrow with Micah, eeeek!! Had such an awesome week hanging with the family, love you all!

andddd day #2 of the blog challenge: (these obviously aren't consecutive days)

2)A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Well this was a tie between mom and dad. But I think mom has an extra nine months or so on dad ;) But oh well. I am so lucky to have amazing selfless parents. They are incredible examples and I feel so blessed to have them in my life!! They always put everyone above themselves and care so much for their family. Glad I got to spend a lot of time with both of you guys this week!

I Do Believe in Fairies

2011-02-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

ignore the title-I was at a loss for ideas and I am watching Peter Pan right now..

So, I don't know if anyone has seen this on facebook/other blogs and such. but I decided this could keep me blogging and give me inspiration on what to post.

SO i will be doing this for the next 30 days.

You are supposed to post a picture everyday according to the descriptions below!

Here's the list of what to upload during the 30 days:
...
1)A picture of yourself with 10 facts2)A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
3)A picture of the cast from your favorite show
4)A picture of your favorite night
5)A picture of your favorite memory
6)A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
7)A picture of your most treasured item
8)A picture that makes you laugh
9)A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

10)A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
11)A picture of something you hate12)A picture of something you love13)A picture of your favorite band or artist
14)A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
15)A picture of something you want to do before you die
16)A picture of someone who inspires you
17)A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
18)A picture of your biggest insecurity
19)A picture and a letter
20)A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel21)A picture of something you wish you could forget
22)A picture of something you wish you were better at23)A picture of your favorite book
24)A picture of something you wish you could change
25)A picture of your favorite day
26)A picture of something that means a lot to you
27)A picture of yourself and a family member
28)A picture of something you're afraid of29)A picture that can always make you smile
30)A picture of someone you miss

Day one:

A picture of yourself with 10 facts

1. My favorite food is peanut butter. it has been that way for years, and I think it always will be.

2. I want to major in art with an emphasis on education, and ideally would love to write/illustrate children's books (I think a collaboration with my mom on this idea would be fun).

3. I am the youngest of five children, and absolutely love being the last. I love having older siblings and obsess and talk about my nieces/nephews to anybody that will listen to me.

4. One of my favorite places to be is the beach, because I LOVE warm weather and being tan. I do not like being pale.. I accept it during the winter time, but I am not a fan.

5. Volleyball is my favorite sport, and I loved playing school/club for six years. Sometimes I wish I had tried to play somewhere after high school because I never get to play anymore. But oh well =]

6. Youtube means way too much to me. As does facebook, I let them take up too much of my time. It's something I need to work on.

7. Being alone to me is not fun. Not relationship wise..I mean I physically do not like being in a room alone. I think it is because last year in the dorms I got so used to being around at least one other person 24/7 so now when I am alone it feels weird. If I am alone too long, I will go to wal mart and just wander =] People watching there is a good hobby!

8. I love disney and child-ish things! I'm still a kid at heart that's for sure.

9. Weird. I think that is a fact about me. I am weird-I guess everyone is weird in their own way. But I think that is the most common adjective I have received growing up when people describe me. Weird, but in a good way I have been told haha weird/crazy/outgoing. Yeah I agree, I think I am crazy as well.

10. I am messy. messy. messy. messy. No explanation needed haha

Something that makes my life great:

These do not make my life only great-but also manageable I would say. You appreciate these more when you live in the snow. NOT when you live in Southern California and wear them because they look great with your short-shorts in the middle of summer..what??! These have gotten me through one and a half legit Utah winters and are the reason I make it through puddles,rain, and snow. So thank you mom & dad for this christmas present in junior year, they are still making my life great =]

This is textbook procrastination.

2011-02-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

"I realize that a sense of humor isn't for everyone. It's only for people who want to have fun, enjoy life, and feel alive."
-Anne Wilson Schaef

This made me laugh. I hope that means I have a sense of humor. Today I am feeling silly, hence the quote. This is textbook procrastination (so punny, right?) because I won't even mention the things I am supposed to be doing at the mo

ment, but instead I am doing this.

Monday was Valentine's day! It makes me sad when people don't like this holiday. I can't even begin to fathom what there is to hate about a holiday that's central message is recognizing all the love around us. I think the major

ity of people who don't like this holiday are lonely and think they are missing someone romantically from their lives. That is crazy talk to me. Sure it is great to have a boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/mistress/etc. for this day, but that is not what it should be about!! I have always loved valentine's day bec

ause it reminds me of my mom making heart-shaped meatloaf, the valentines day themed serenades/dances my brothers have giv

en, see's candy from dad, cute cards from sister. I would say the majority of the valentines day presents/advances from boys that were interested in me romantically are mostly repressed memories somewhere in the back of my head, that I can maybe bring up if I think of them hard enough. (Not to too

t my own horn, but trust me there were advances!!) Anyways, bottom line: spread the love, all day everyday!!

Something That Makes My Life Great:

-Feel Free to judge me. But i am shamelessly in love with The Jersey Shore. I have been watching since the first season, and haven't been able to stop. Yes I know it's reality t.v. at it's worst but like a train wreck-I can't look away. The drama never stops, and unlike the Real World where only one roommate is completely nuts, they all are. Sure, it might be a waste of my life/time, but everyone has to have a guilty pleasure ;)

Today Is A Good Day

2011-02-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

"Every day is a good day."
-Yun-Men

This is officially my new mantra. I don't know if it is the weather, but sometimes it is so easy to get down in logan. Maybe it's just doing the same things and having the same schedule all the time that can get you in a rut. So starting today, I want to try my best to try and find fun, spontaneous things to do to make this place a little more exciting. I am open to suggestions-just nothing too crazy haha

Sometimes you are in such a good place and so fortunate it is hard to see how good things are. Like people always say, "there is always someone who has it worse". I think I have it pretty darn good, so I think I will try remembering that everyday when i wake up.

Someone who makes my life good:

Ali B. "she's a G" Mahterian. I think the picture below pretty much explains everything. That smile she has could make a sociopath break down in tears of joy. Never have I met someone like her. And I think anyone who knows her knows there is not another person like Ali on planet earth. (that is a huge compliment). Despite adversity through her life, this girl is a ray of sunshine to anyone's darkest day. I am so proud of her and all her recent accomplishments. Thanks for being there for me 25/7 and making my life good =)

Take Two

2011-02-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is called "Take Two" because this is my second blog. The first one was created in 2007, and it is so old I refuse to even continue to post on it, so I will start over instead. I never really kept up with my old blog because I thought blogging would have disappeared into oblivion by 2009, but apparently it has not. So, for anyone who wants to read about my thrilling life, here it is. February 9th marks the day in which the most captivating blog to grace the internet was created. (That would me mine).

February 9th, 2011.

Something that makes my life good:

GECKOS!

Let me begin by telling you about my geckos. I own exactly one-and-a-half geckos. The half of the gecko refers to Gordon Gecko, whose other half is owned by my boyf Travis (who, on a sidenote, just learned he is Academic All-WAC for this last semester...something I just want to take partial credit for. Not because I really helped him with school, but just because I am an academic inspiration to him..kidding! proud of him though =] ). Back to the geckos. I own a whole gecko whose name is still in the works. Suggestions?? She is a little special. Sometimes, she likes to walk around in circles for long amounts of time. The breeder says her special condition is caused by genetics and is one she can in time grow out of. But even if she does not, I still love her. One might wonder if you can love a gecko, because they are not cuddly and sometimes they smell funny..but yes you can. And if you do not care about my geckos that is understandable. But until I have children, I need something to talk about.

This is me. Clearly excited to be holding a gecko!! This one is Travis's and I am not sure she has a name yet either. My cousin Stephanie suggested E.T. because it's got quite the creepy stare on it, and sometimes when you pick her up she looks like she is trying to phone home. I'll keep you posted on their growth...dun dun dunnnn

SCHOOL.

Utah State University. Logan, UT! What a wonderful place, right? One might wonder why I would brave the freezing cold here when I'm so used to wonderful Southern California weather. Truth is-I have no clue! But I'm here, so let's roll with it.

Today I had my first tests. Bowling and Math 1050. Hard to say which one was more challenging. I did bowl a 139-that's decent I suppose! School is cool, I like it. My academic plans-as of right now..they are always changing-are to try and major in art with an emphasis on education. My drawing class is awesome..it's not too easy and not really as care-free as you might think an art class would be-but nonetheless, it's great.

Well it is time for me to do some laundry with my brosef Micah. I will try and think about more exciting things to write about for next time!

XOXO gossip girl