Not only do I attend church dances, but I also try to go to school dances. Oct. 6th was homecoming for Galena along with our marching band competition. Just to give a little extra information, I wasn't planning on going. I knew I would be tired and I didn't feel like dancing. Also, it might have been because it was Sadie Hawkins and I didn't have the guts to ask anyone. =) That being besides the point, I did end up going.
After getting back from McQueen, I was helping unload the band trailer. I helped put instruments and equipment away with my friend, Eli. After we were done and about to go home, he asked if I wanted to go to homecoming with him. I was a bit shocked but ended up saying yes.
We were both excited but it was 8 and the dance started at 8:30. Instead of going home, Eli came over to my house and we quickly got an outfit put together. We were supposed to match and so we did. We wore white shirts with ties over khaki colored bottoms. We went as "people".
Mom and Dad were amazing! They helped us so much! And took me and Eli to dinner at McDonalds! Without my parents, the evening probably wouldn't have happened or have gone so smoothly.
So, Eli and I got to the dance and met up with another couple, our friends. We danced until 10ish before we got tired. We decided to leave the dance and head up to my house. There, we made chocolate chip cookies and watched "The Avengers"! The other couple left at 11 and Eli left at 11:10. It had been a great night.
Homecoming was a great evening and a perfect way to end the day. Thanks again to my mom and dad who were so kind and helpful! And thanks to Eli and my other friends for such a fun evening!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Marching Band
One of the best things schools have to offer is marching band. Yes, the education is important too, but THE most important part is the band. My season has started here in Reno and this past Saturday, I had my first competition. We met at Galena at 10am sharp to practice for an hour. We then left for McQueen at 11:15am to arrive at noon. We had an amazing lunch provided by our loving parents. We feasted on spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. After a filling lunch, we went and watched all the small bands perform.
Not because I'm biased or anything, but they were pretty weak compared to University High School and Galena. =) It was fun to watch them and to cheer for our favorite moves.
We then went and got into our favorite uniforms! We helped each other zip, button, and squeeze shut our jackets and fit our hair into our hats. We then had breathing gym for 45 minutes before we could warm up our instruments. After a short warm up, we headed for the field.
We marched on, got set, and started. The beginning was kinda shaky due to miscommunication, but aside from that, we performed well. I felt good about my performance and so did Nathan along with other friends. But, even with good feelings, there is room for improvement.
Overall, we scored an 82 out of 100. Brass and woodwinds individual scores were a point off from the leading bands. There were three bands in our division(large bands) and we were third. The other two bands were amazing, so losing to them wasn't too bad. That said, this next week, we are going to kick their butts! Saturday, Oct. 13th, Galena is hosting a band competition. We won't officially be judged against the other bands, but we still get scored.
I'm hoping that this one goes well! Wish Galena luck!
Not because I'm biased or anything, but they were pretty weak compared to University High School and Galena. =) It was fun to watch them and to cheer for our favorite moves.
We then went and got into our favorite uniforms! We helped each other zip, button, and squeeze shut our jackets and fit our hair into our hats. We then had breathing gym for 45 minutes before we could warm up our instruments. After a short warm up, we headed for the field.
We marched on, got set, and started. The beginning was kinda shaky due to miscommunication, but aside from that, we performed well. I felt good about my performance and so did Nathan along with other friends. But, even with good feelings, there is room for improvement.
Overall, we scored an 82 out of 100. Brass and woodwinds individual scores were a point off from the leading bands. There were three bands in our division(large bands) and we were third. The other two bands were amazing, so losing to them wasn't too bad. That said, this next week, we are going to kick their butts! Saturday, Oct. 13th, Galena is hosting a band competition. We won't officially be judged against the other bands, but we still get scored.
I'm hoping that this one goes well! Wish Galena luck!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
STAYcation Day 5
That whole week, we had been going and going. Friday, we decided to slow down a bit...who am I kidding? The morning was spent ripping mom's old dresses apart, cutting them into small squares, ironing the squares and sewing them together. We're still working on that quilt. Mom wasn't wearing those dresses anymore and they were so out of fashion, we couldn't donate them. The next solution was to make a quilt out of them. Not the first idea I would've had, but it was still fun. It gave us all a little while to relax.
That evening, we all packed ourselves into the van and went downtown to see an Ace's game! Mom was able to purchase tickets on the 1st base side of the field, near the park in the back of the stadium. Many flyballs were hit towards us, but none were within catching proximity. The littlest ones weren't happy about that, but we all had a good time. We cheered on the Aces, participated with the big screen activities, and watched the fireworks at the end of the game.
The entire day was a lot of fun! I love baseball and I enjoyed being with my family.
Overall, the whole week was amazing! I loved being with my family and doing fun activities. I think it was almost better than a vacation! Maybe next year we'll do it again!
That evening, we all packed ourselves into the van and went downtown to see an Ace's game! Mom was able to purchase tickets on the 1st base side of the field, near the park in the back of the stadium. Many flyballs were hit towards us, but none were within catching proximity. The littlest ones weren't happy about that, but we all had a good time. We cheered on the Aces, participated with the big screen activities, and watched the fireworks at the end of the game.
The entire day was a lot of fun! I love baseball and I enjoyed being with my family.
Overall, the whole week was amazing! I loved being with my family and doing fun activities. I think it was almost better than a vacation! Maybe next year we'll do it again!
STAYcation Day 4
To continue the fun, my family and I went up to Lake Tahoe for the day! The entire day was spent exploring the mysteries of Sand Harbor. The first time that I had been to Tahoe, my friend took me rock jumping. I had had a great time so I wanted to do that again. Anna and Dad were the only ones brave enough(or stupid enough) to go with me. We jumped off of rocks for a little while and then we went exploring. We found caves, cool rocks, and little swimming areas. Nathan joined us later in the day and helped us find new paths through the rocks.
Besides exciting rocks, we spent a lot of time catching crawdads. They're little lobster like things that can JUMP! I almost caught one but then it jumped off the rope at me! Not surprisingly, I screamed. Anna and the younger kids laughed at me. I then in return splashed them. =)
I also enjoyed making a sand castle with Sarah. I got really sandy but we both had a great time! The original idea was a traditional castle but that didn't work. We then transformed the would-be-castle into a monster. It was really cute, especially when Sarah went to war with it. Sarah won.
It was a really fun day!
Besides exciting rocks, we spent a lot of time catching crawdads. They're little lobster like things that can JUMP! I almost caught one but then it jumped off the rope at me! Not surprisingly, I screamed. Anna and the younger kids laughed at me. I then in return splashed them. =)
I also enjoyed making a sand castle with Sarah. I got really sandy but we both had a great time! The original idea was a traditional castle but that didn't work. We then transformed the would-be-castle into a monster. It was really cute, especially when Sarah went to war with it. Sarah won.
It was a really fun day!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
STAYcation Day 3
Previously, on "Rachel's Blog"! STAYcation days 1-2 are finished. Our heroes, the Lindh family, must take on their next challenge...Day 3! So, day 3 was our large event. We had the choice between Wild Island Water Park or a zip-line/rope course. The vote was 8-1; 8 for the zip-line/rope course, 1 for the water park. Want to guess who that 1 was?
There are many clubs up along Lake Tahoe. One of them has a zip-line/rope course and Mom was able to book a time for us. We left the house early so that we could buy lunch before our appointment. We then swung, climbed, jumped, and played our hearts out for 2 and a half hours.
Here are the kids in their harnesses. There were two types of harnesses; one was meant for the small course and the other was meant for the adult course.
Even with my doubts in the beginning, I had a great time along with everyone else. We all enjoyed challenging ourselves and overcoming our fears... okay, my fears. I hate heights and really struggled when we first started but I pushed myself and kept going. Looking back, I'm really glad I did it. Also, I was able to show off to mom. Her upper body muscles, or the lack thereof, had a hard time. =) But she made, I made it, we all did it!
We then went home to relax for a little while before we were off again. If it weren't enough to try a new, physically exhausting activity, we then go and roller skate. We were sore the next day, to say the least.
Roller skating was a lot of fun though. The music was loud, fast, and a lot of bass. What more could I want? Oh yeah, having my family there made it that much better! All of the older kids and the parents helped the younger ones to get their feet under themselves. By the end of the evening, Sarah and Caleb were pros! It was a great night!
Some needed a break though.
It was a great day! The first half of the vacation is over and the next couple of days will be just as exciting!
There are many clubs up along Lake Tahoe. One of them has a zip-line/rope course and Mom was able to book a time for us. We left the house early so that we could buy lunch before our appointment. We then swung, climbed, jumped, and played our hearts out for 2 and a half hours.
Here are the kids in their harnesses. There were two types of harnesses; one was meant for the small course and the other was meant for the adult course.
Even with my doubts in the beginning, I had a great time along with everyone else. We all enjoyed challenging ourselves and overcoming our fears... okay, my fears. I hate heights and really struggled when we first started but I pushed myself and kept going. Looking back, I'm really glad I did it. Also, I was able to show off to mom. Her upper body muscles, or the lack thereof, had a hard time. =) But she made, I made it, we all did it!
We then went home to relax for a little while before we were off again. If it weren't enough to try a new, physically exhausting activity, we then go and roller skate. We were sore the next day, to say the least.
Roller skating was a lot of fun though. The music was loud, fast, and a lot of bass. What more could I want? Oh yeah, having my family there made it that much better! All of the older kids and the parents helped the younger ones to get their feet under themselves. By the end of the evening, Sarah and Caleb were pros! It was a great night!
Some needed a break though.
It was a great day! The first half of the vacation is over and the next couple of days will be just as exciting!
Friday, August 24, 2012
STAYcation Day 1-2
Everyone has heard of a vacation. You go away, get as much crammed in into a short period of time and then go home. Fun, right? Well, you don't always have to go away to have fun. My family, mostly to save on money and time, decided to go on STAYcation. Instead of going away, we STAYED in Reno and had a great time! For one week, the first week of August, we did fun things in and around Reno.
The first day, we left early in the morning to go camping. We packed a day's change of clothes[you know, just in case someone falls into the fire or some mud =)] and went to Winco to pick up the greasiest and yummiest food possible. We then drove 45 minutes to Donner Pass National Park. Apparently, there's a campsite along with the park. We got into our campsite, unpacked, and decided to look around. We took a hike through the "woods" to the visitor center and read about the history of the Donner Company.
It was all very interesting...well, the parts that I got to read. Sarah decided that instead of reading, I would enjoy running between exhibits and the gift shop with her.
We missed the movie but we did get to see the monument, the site where the original cabin was, and the magical WEATHER STONE! Guess what; the stone can predict any type of weather you could think of. Is it going to rain? The stone says, "If I'm wet, it is raining." I can't think of anything better to predict the weather with! It's genius!
Besides the history of the Donner Party, camping was a lot of fun! We went on hikes, picked up sticks, climbed impossible rocks, and got dirty.
What better way to spend time together? Monday went by too fast; we were in bed... in the same tent... all together... way too soon. =) Tuesday was fun too. We packed up early in the morning, again. We then went to the lake. After about 10 minutes in the water, everyone decided it was time to go. Coincidentally, a glaciar fed lake is pretty cold. Especially in the morning. Luckily, mom and I decided not to go swimming. We were the happiest of the bunch for the time being.
On the way home, we stopped for ice-cream at McDonalds and the kids were fairly quiet for the ride. Bliss! When we got home, we were all tired. No one wanted to make dinner, so what's the solution? No, not making mom make dinner. We went out to Panda Express and had a lot of fun. We were then supposed to go to the drive-in theater to see Ice Age-Continental Drift but unfortunately, the movie wasn't showing. To make sure the night wasn't a total loss, we went to Walmart and bought candy for everybody and two new movies; The Secret World of Ariety, and King Arthur. We all just collapsed and enjoyed our movies and candy.
What better way to end our first two days of STAYcation?
The first day, we left early in the morning to go camping. We packed a day's change of clothes[you know, just in case someone falls into the fire or some mud =)] and went to Winco to pick up the greasiest and yummiest food possible. We then drove 45 minutes to Donner Pass National Park. Apparently, there's a campsite along with the park. We got into our campsite, unpacked, and decided to look around. We took a hike through the "woods" to the visitor center and read about the history of the Donner Company.
It was all very interesting...well, the parts that I got to read. Sarah decided that instead of reading, I would enjoy running between exhibits and the gift shop with her.
We missed the movie but we did get to see the monument, the site where the original cabin was, and the magical WEATHER STONE! Guess what; the stone can predict any type of weather you could think of. Is it going to rain? The stone says, "If I'm wet, it is raining." I can't think of anything better to predict the weather with! It's genius!
Besides the history of the Donner Party, camping was a lot of fun! We went on hikes, picked up sticks, climbed impossible rocks, and got dirty. What better way to spend time together? Monday went by too fast; we were in bed... in the same tent... all together... way too soon. =) Tuesday was fun too. We packed up early in the morning, again. We then went to the lake. After about 10 minutes in the water, everyone decided it was time to go. Coincidentally, a glaciar fed lake is pretty cold. Especially in the morning. Luckily, mom and I decided not to go swimming. We were the happiest of the bunch for the time being.
On the way home, we stopped for ice-cream at McDonalds and the kids were fairly quiet for the ride. Bliss! When we got home, we were all tired. No one wanted to make dinner, so what's the solution? No, not making mom make dinner. We went out to Panda Express and had a lot of fun. We were then supposed to go to the drive-in theater to see Ice Age-Continental Drift but unfortunately, the movie wasn't showing. To make sure the night wasn't a total loss, we went to Walmart and bought candy for everybody and two new movies; The Secret World of Ariety, and King Arthur. We all just collapsed and enjoyed our movies and candy.
What better way to end our first two days of STAYcation?
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