Live, Laugh, Love.

There are just some things in life that make me smile even when it seems impossible to grin and bear it. But my family is one of the few things that I love with all my heart, mostly because they've always been there for me. They support me in most decisions I make and I wouldn't want it any other way. They are just as obnoxous, loud, quirky and silly as I am. My family has gone through a lot together, but its made us closer and more loving in the end.

"What you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful"

-Goo Goo Dolls

"Well, I'm what I am and I'm what I'm not

And I'm sure happy with what I've got

I live to love and laugh a lot

And that's all I need..."

-Kenny Chesney

The beach =)

There is something about the beach that just calms me down. Takes my worries and crushes them with the flow of the tide. Make my heart, mind and soul light again. Whether it is the middle of summer and the sun is shining or the end of November and the sun is just begining to rise. I love to feel the sand beneath my feet, hear the waves crashing the shore, feel the mist on my face, and often the warmth of the sun. It's just relaxing. It gives me inspiration and makes me wonder. I think the best when I'm at the beach. It's just my idea of a perfect place. Here are some of my favorite quotes about the beach and what not:
“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.” -Isak Dinesen
“My life is like a stroll on the beach...as near to the edge as I can go.” -Thoreau
“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.” -Anonymous
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” -Mother Teresa
“At the beach, life is different. A day moves not from hour to hour but leaps from mood to moment. We go with the currents, plan around the tides, follow the sun. We measure happiness by nothing we can hold... nothing we can catch. Everywhere…Life is jumping and elusive and momentously momentary. We want to [stretch] the days, distill the memories, make them last. At the same time, we know that the beauty is in the evanescence. Every wave comes in, then retreats. Every day promises, then turns its back and slips away. Every joy has a little tease in it, a give and a take, and leaves a wake of longing." Sandy Gingras

Relaxed!

So, to make a long story short my family has gone to New Hampshire a few times without me. It is due in large part to the fact that I have no time for myself, so there was no way I could drive for 12 hours and not get much accomplished in my valuable days. Haha. But, yes. I finally relaxed this weekend. I drove up to New Hampshire on Wednesday after school and got there around 8-ish. It was just my sister and I going to visit our Uncle, Aunt, and cousins. I had such a good time. I almost forgot what it was like to just sit around. We hung out with my cousin's friends (who are all my age), road quads, ice skated, played spoons, and just a lot of fun things. The ride was a bit brutal, but worth it. I got to sleep in and just completely relax (especially cause my phone broke!). They live like 35 minutes from any store, so it was like a slice of a different lifestyle. A very plain and simple one. And I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to go back again =) And my family is coming down for Thanksgiving! I am so excited!

Sound Story

“No, no. You really don’t have to. You, don’t have to go. It was just a joke. We were only kidding,” I shouted through the crisp air of the night.
“It was your idea. And I ain’t backing out now, that’s for sure!” Benji replied.
I could hear the rest of our friends scampering around the room, shouting. Neither they nor I could believe Benji was actually going over there. I looked back up at Benji’s bedroom window, and made a noise so they knew we were ready. They pressed their faces so hard against the glass that red circles began to appear on their noses, and fog began to appear.
I threw his body against the fence and sucked in, hoping that if my best friend was caught, I wouldn’t be seen. I could see Benji squinting his eyes and really trying to concentrate. He couldn’t really see all that well, but I’m he could see the figures and shadows of what laid in the room on the other side of the window. He held his breath, closed his eyes, and began knocking furiously on the pane. He must have thought that I left him, cause he kept looking back repeatedly. Again, he focused on what was inside.
“I think there’s a ghost,” he shouted.
“No way. There can’t be… Just go for it again,” I heard myself whisper. What was I thinking? Did I really just tell him to do it again? A knot began to grow in my stomach. Benji closed his eyes again, took a deep breath and began to raise his arm.
All of a sudden, alarms started going off. Or maybe they weren’t alarms. I listened in again. It sounded like a bunch of clocks, coo-coo clocks to be exact. Benji jumped out of fear, and his hand thrust through the glass. We rushed around my fence, through the back door, and up the stairs to my bedroom. Our hearts were racing. They were racing so fast that we could barely breathe.
“What happened? What was that crash?” our friends questioned as they lay on the floor, hoping no one saw them peeking through the window.
“Well, there were cats. Lots of them. And a bunch of old people things. Everything looked like it was covered in dust. At least I think it was dust. And I saw a bunch of clocks. All against one wall,” Benji tried to explain.
My mom barged in my room, “What was that? Did you hear that ruckus? What were you all doing?”
“Mom, I can explain. We were playing truth or dare... And well, it was my turn. I chose dare. And they wanted me to knock on old Mrs. Smithson’s window. So I did. But my fist…”
The doorbell rang. We all looked around the room. My mom sighed and walked down the stairs. She opened the door. I peeked my head around the corner of the top of the stairs. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was old Mrs. Smithson standing at my doorstep.