Ups and Downs

I've got two hard tests tomorrow, so I'll keep this brief.

Today was a LONG day.

At school by 6:30 for seminary, worked all through lunch and after school then went straight to SIAC making my total hours at school 11.

Why????

Two words:

Blood. Drive.

It's on Thursday, and since we don't have school Wednesday, everything has to be done by tomorrow.

Pray for me.

(Btw, if anyone in Mesa wants to give blood, stop by Westwood on Thursday from 8:30-12:30! Or leave me a comment and I can schedule you an appointment.)

Now for the high point in my day:

I made Cantori!!!!

For years at Westwood, it was a tradition to have an extra choir of 16 called

Cantori de Madrigals.

It consisted of four people from each part. They sing mostly a cappela pieces and get to sing at the concerts and other performances in the community. They stopped the choir as a class several years ago but Mr. Harris decided to bring it back this year!!! Any members of honor choir interested just signed up and he chose four from each part. I was worried because almost ALL the altos signed up, but he posted the list today and my name was on it!!!

I'm super excited!!!

Brings a Whole New Meaning to the Phrase: Trick or Treat

Picture this: It's late Sunday, circa 11 pm. I need to go to bed so I'm walking past my kitchen to get to my room when I see this:

Mmmm cupcakes! "But the frosting looks a little funny," I think to myself.

"Oh who cares! Just eat!"

So I do, and look at what happened.

THEY WERE TRICK HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES!!!!!!!!!!
Special huh?

Homecoming Happiness

Homecoming is over!

It was absoloutely fabulous!!!

The assembly went well, our float looked great, the parade was awesome, the half-time show was peachy and the dance was SUPER fun!!!!! For me, the highlight of the entire weekend was having my bff Julie, come down from Texas for the weekend!!!!

(She flies for free.)
I hadn't seen her since August and I was a little worried that things might've changed...but of course they didn't!!
After 10 minutes of being together, it was like she'd never left!!!!
Julie and I have been dreaming about our first dance FOREVER so it was BEYOND FABULOUS to get to go together!!!!
Kim was our hair goddess and Emily did our makeup!!!

I love how awkard we look!

I love us!!

It was so cute, a couple hours before the dance I get a text from Alex that read:

"Glasses or contacts?"

I opted for the glasses, but he's adorable either way!!!

Since it was Halloween, we all got scared!

Then things got solemn.

Macho-Men, Star-Struck Girls!

Our handsome fellas!!

Steven, Alex, Tim and Jack

Cute story:

As Alex walked to my door to pick me up, my mom was in the front yard passing out candy.

He goes up to her and shows her the flower, "Is this okay?"

I LOVED the girls we had in our group!!!!

The boys were jealous of our corsage picture and wanted a flower pic of their own!

Dinner at Steven's Gma's house!!

They ordered in Olive Garden and it was DELISH!!!

Not pictured, is our da activity at Amazing Jakes!!!

Super fun!!!

All you can eat buffet, lazer tag, cosmic bowling, bumper cars, go karts and an arcade!!

But my absoloute favorite part was our three rides on the carousel!!!!!

After the dance we went to QT, Wendy's and Tim's house.

Julie and I got home around 1:15 but didn't go to sleep until 4:30!!!

I just had to take advantage of the time I had with her here!!!

So basically, I had the best first dance anyone could ask for!!!

Next Up??

Winter Formal in less than a month and this time it's Girls Choice!!!

Sammy, I'm a Slacker, Don't Slap Me!!!

Happy LATE Birthday to one of my most favorite people in the world!!!!

Sammy turned 17 like two weeks ago, so this has been a LONG time coming!!

Since this is so late, I knew I had to make it special.

And so, Sammy, you are not only going to be hearing from me, but from another very good friend!

Sammy!!!!
Hello my Favorite second cousin once removed!!!

Happy 17th birthday! I hope you had a great one. I miss you soooooo much you have no idea! I’d just like to take the time to tell you just how much I love you and why:

1. You are so motherly! I love it! I always know that I can count on you to tell me what to do and when to do it. And you know that I need that in my life!
2. You are ALWAYS there for me. And now that you have a phone, it makes it easier! Don’t you just love technology??
3. “We must be related!!!!!!!!!”
4. I love that I can always be myself around you and even though you think I’m a nut, you know you love it!
5. Lastly, can I just say that you are FLIPPEN AWESOME???? And I miss you to DEATH!

Love ya tons!
Happy Late Birthday!
Julie
(Your favorite second
cousin once removed.)

Okay, my turn!

I love how Sammy is so blunt and honest!

Sammy is so good at planning and organizing!

Her parties are the greatest and having a class with her is the best cause she keeps you on task and on top of things!!!

Sammy and I have always thought that we are clomplete opposites, and in some ways we are:

She's: Tall

I'm: Short

She's: Athletic

I'm: Uncoordinated to the max

She's: Calm, Keeps her cool

I'm: a Total Spazz

She: Likes to stay in the backgroud

I: Crave the spotlight

But the longer we're friends and the closer we get, the more I realize just how similar we are!!!

Sammy is the best listener!!!

I could go on for hours to her and she just listens and gives GREAT reactions!!!

Sammy is so supportive!!!

I tell her about my dreams and she gives me tons of encouragement!!

Sammy is an awesome story teller!!!

Her facial expressions and choice of words are BEYOND HILARIOUS!!!

I can't be around her without smiling!!!

I love how she's not afraid to be herself!!!

I sure do love ya girl!!!

Sorry it took so long!!!!

Happy Birthday Sammy!!!!

*Coming Soon*

Homecoming pictures!!!

When Life Hands You Lemons, Chuck Them at Someone's Face

This picture illustrates my feelings for this entire week.
Why???

*Homecoming week + Stuco members = ULTIMATE STRESS
*My dear friend, we'll call her Beauty, is back in the hospital.
*I'm trying to pull up some horrible grades and its proving to be alot harder than I thought.

Now some reasons to be positive:
*Come Sunday, Homecoming will ALL be over!!!
*Long lost sister-friend Julie, is coming TOMORROW!!!!!!!!
*I have the best guy friends in the world!
*My girls take care of me!
*I have the power of prayer on my side!
And with the Lord's help, I can do anything!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Prayers Needed

Your prayers right now would be greatly appreciated.
A dear friend of mine is in the hospital right now.
Please pray that she'll be alright.
Thanks.

Burdens

I have a testimony of what this picturing is portraying:

The infinite and supernal love that my brother Jesus Christ has for all of us.

It makes me think of this song:

Who can know the burden, you're carrying inside?

Who can know the heartache, the heartbreak, the times you've cried?

Where is heavens answer, when it seems her gates her closed?

When your heart is broken, who knows?

So many ways are calling, promising, pleading.

And still their is an emptiness, an aching a needing.

He'll help you with your burden and give you peace inside.

He'll take away the heartache, the heartbreak, the times you've cried.

He is heavens answer, when it seems her gates are closed.

When your heart is broken he knows.

He waits with open arms, come and stay.

We're given trials so that we may grow and become stronger.

But we're never alone through our suffering.

Our Savior is there, and he knows what we're going through, because he already has.

He knows pain and heartache like nobody else does.

But he also knows joy and happiness, the likes of which we can't even imagine.

When you're struggling or hurting or feeling alone, go to Him.

Things will always work out when we put our trust in Him.

Have a beautiful week!

*Edited to add*

My amazing sister Rebekah wrote the beautiful song above for a friend of hers.

Her talents never cease to amaze me.

I Feel Like Dr. Jekyll

Whilst driving to California, I started and finished this book:

The Lit Report

By Sarah N. Harvey

Loved it!

It's about these two girls who are best friends and both of their parents are religious nut jobs.

Well one of them (Ruth) gets pregnant and her friend Julia (who's also the narrator) concocts a plan to hide the pregnancy and deliver the baby without anybody even knowing.

I know, unrealistic, but that's not what I want to talk about today.

You see, Julia is a total english nerd.

At the beginning of every chapter there's a quote from a book that she's read.

But not just any quote, its the first line of the entire story.

Only the first line.

Then, Julia goes on to talk about the line and the book and she talks about how the first lines of books can tell you so much about the story, the mood, tone, quality etc.

In her own words:

"My thesis was that the first sentance of a novel whether its written for four-year-olds or fourty-five-year-olds, sets the tone for the whole book and reveals much of what is to come."

After reading this, I got curious about whether that's true, so I've decided to test Julia's hypothesis and you, my faithful readers will be the judges.

I feel like a mad scientist in a Literary Labaratory!!

Here's how we'll roll:

I've taken seven books off of my shelf.

I'm going to tell you the first line of each book and talk a little about it and in the comment section, you will tell me whether or not you thought Julia was correct.

*Oh and to help you out along the way, I'm going to give each line a rating one to ten. It will be rated on the effectiveness of the line. *

1-Not effective at all

5- It's aight

10- Brilliant

Got it?

Great!

Let's go!
1. The Report Card

By Andrew Clements

"There were only about fifteen kids on the late bus becuase it was Friday afternoon."

Short sweet and to the point.

But if someone read this line only, like you just did, they'd probably feel jipped, left hanging.

I think, however, that that is what makes it brilliant.

You know that the line is there for a reason and you're itching to find out why!

Ratalie's Rating: 7

Play to the Angel

By Maurine F. Dahlberg

"'Greta, stop that noise."'

Interesting, making the first line a quote.

This line is filled with information!

It tells you about a character: Greta

It tells you something she does: Makes noise

And it kind of throws you off because after you read the title of the book and see the picture you know that a piano is involved and generally piano music isn't referred to as "noise."

Rat's Rating: 7.5

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

"What does it mean to truly love another?"

YES YES YES!!!

I love it!!!

It gives nothing away, and yet spells it out!

Asks and answers!

Oh I love this one!!!

Makes my heart go pitter patter!

RR: 9

Breaking Dawn

By Stephenie Meyer

(the most loved book on my shelf, seriously, the cover has been ripped off!)

"I'd had more than my fair share of near-death experiences: it wasn't something you ever really got used to."

Uh can you say FORESHADOWING!?!?!?!

Something wicked this way comes!!

RR: 8

The Host

By Stephenie Meyer

"The Healer's name was Fords Deep Waters."

This one leaves you guessing even more than the report card did!

Probably because it gives more away, but not.

1. Who is Ford's Deep Waters?

2. What's he doing?

3. Why does he matter?

4. Is a Healer a Doctor?

RR: 8

Today I Feel Silly

By Jamie Lee Curtis

"Today I feel silly."

No?

Really!?

Perfect for it's genre, doesn't tell me anything I didnt' already know though...

RR: 5

Okay readers, it's up to you now!

Does the first line of a story
"...set the tone for the whole book and reveals much of what is to come?"

Talk to me!

P.S.

Yes I know, I'm just as big of an english nerd as Julia.

Classic Questions From the Silver Screen

Movies ask some great questions!

They're humorous, introspective and everything in between!
Today we shall be examining some classic movie questions and answers, and I'll throw in my two cents as well!

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerors's Stone

Harry: What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Dumbledore: I see myself holding a new pair of socks.

Of course, we find out in book seven that his true desire is to see his mother and sister alive.

Ratalie's Answer: If I looked into the Mirror of Erised, I would see myself holding hands with my Prince Charming. On my hip would be a baby and on Charming's shoulders would be another child, with kids running around at our feet!

2. A Walk to Remember

Landon: What's your number one?

Jamie: To marry in the church where my mother grew up.

Ratalie: To marry in the temple.

3. The Notebook

Noah: You wanna dance with me?

Allie: No.
Noah: Why not?

Allie: Cause I don't want to.

(One week later)

Noah: You wanna dance with me?

Allie: Sure

Ratalie: YES!!!!

Yes, I would dance with Noah Calhoun in a heartbeat!

But honestly, I don't think I could ever say no to a boy who asked me to dance.

Three reasons:

1. That's just the what I was taught, a boy asks, you say yes.

2. He had the guts to come ask me, I'd be a jerk if I shot him down and busted his confidence!

3. I LOVE to slow dance!!!

4. You've Got Mail

Frank: How do you sleep at night?

Patricia: I take this great pill, Ultradorm.

Don't take the whole, just a half and you'll wake up without the least bit of hangover!

Ratalie: Melatonin!!!

A gift from heaven above!

It's a natural supplement,

but it's strong enough that I don't lie awake for hours like I used to!

And my personal favorite!!!
5. What a Girl Wants
Ian: Why do you try so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?
Daphne: *speechless, let's make out instead!*
Ratalie: I don't!
Conformity is, in my humble opinion, the last legal form of slavery.
Too many of us are slaves to fashion, popularity and desire.
You need to find happiness inside yourself.
If you're you, then nothing else matters.

Casa Sweet Casa

Yes yes I'm back.

Refueled and replenished!

California = Just what Ratalie needed!!!!

We stayed in a house RIGHT on the beach.

Like seriously you step out of the back door and you're walking on sand.

This castle was there when we first got to the beach.

Bless the children who built it, it gave me a great picture!

Annie looks like a Gazelle.

I love it!

I swear, the guy should be in GQ.
My fat feet.
I love sand!!

Yes we were freezing!!!!!!

I have so many more pictures, but unfortunately I think I may've left my USB cord in Cali and I'm extremely disgruntled, so we'll just have to wait and see I guess....

In other news, tonight was fabulous!

Jess and I went to a quincenara (SO FUN, I wish I was hispanic!)

Then we picked up Rusty and went to Dairy Queen.

Then I had to pee so we went to QT and I got a Mt. Dew.

Then we went and laid on Jessica's trampoline until Ciara

(who we haven't seen in forever)

called so we went and saw her and it was simply peachy!!!!!!

I love my life!

Haunted Homecomings-Courtesy of Canada

Hello Readers!

Today is your lucky day!

I figured that since I'm off enjoying myself immensely on the beach and in Disneyland that I should give you all a little treat.

And what a treat it is!

The famous Camille from

Archives of Our Lives,

has graciously agreed to grace us with her presence!

So without further ado...Camille!

Hi, I'm Camille from Archives of Our Lives.

I'm delighted to write this guest post for Natalie---it seems especially fitting, since she just got asked to her first Homecoming dance, and the topic I'll be discussing today is MY first Homecoming dance. Which just so happened to be the first in a long, looooong line of really awful dates I was subjected to during my lifetime.

But Natalie has better prospects than I ever did.

See, I, like Natalie, got asked to my first Homecoming dance during my Junior year. Luckily for Natalie, though, she got asked by someone she not only likes, but actually KNOWS...

...I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. In fact, the guy who asked me to Homecoming when I was a junior in high school had GRADUATED the year before. From high school. We'd never spoken to each other, never really even seen each other's faces---in short, and to the best of my sleuthing to get to the bottom of it, he was suckered into asking me by some of his friends who were going who wanted another couple in the date. They probably just wanted one more person to split the cost of gas, and they'd heard that I hadn't been asked yet, so they were all like, "Hey, Charles*, you should ask that poor pathetic awkward girl who lives on Elm Street. What's her name again? Oh, yeah, Camille." And he was all, "Well, she's not very pretty, and I've never actually met her, but surely she will be so desperate to go to the dance that she won't turn ME down. You know, because I'm so cool that even though I already graduated from high school, I'm still hanging around with high school kids and taking them to their first Homecoming dances."

Bitter much?

Anyway, not only was this my first DANCE date, but it was my first DATE date, period. See, again, Natalie is luckier than me---she turned 16 during the summer and has had months to work her way into the dating scene. Me, I turned 16 on September 25th, and Homecoming was a month away. I really had no idea what to expect. I was a dating virgin, if you will.

So there I was, barely 16---the age I was legally allowed to date in my family---hoping, wishing, waiting to get asked to Homecoming, and...nothing. For weeks I was left disappointed, until finally, the very day I had come to terms with not going to the dance [because, you see, it was only ONE WEEK before Homecoming, and surely no guy could be DAFT enough to ask a girl to a dance just ONE WEEK before---surely he would know that all the good dresses would be gone by then], and that day? That very day I decided to be HAPPY about my dateless fate, and made plans with friends to drown myself in chick flicks and Papa John's and buckets full of Halloween candy, and I was actually LOOKING FORWARD to the evening?

That day, I got asked to Homecoming. By Charles, a guy I had never seen or met, who was two years older than me and had already graduated from high school.
Here is a picture of my face, courtesy of my ever-loving sister, at the VERY moment I put the letters of his name together and made my mom explain what was happening (because, as usual, she was in on the scheme and knew exactly what was going on, while I never knew anything) and finally, at long last, realised what was to become of me:

Does that look like the face of a giddy 16 year-old girl, tickled pink to go to her first high school dance? No. It does not. It looks like someone who wishes she could just have her Papa John's pizza back with extra garlic butter for dipping, and forget all about the dating scene altogether, for the rest of her life. It also looks like someone who could use a good eyebrow waxing, but that's a different post for a different day.
And you know what? My facial expressions only got worse during the course of the following week...

...but you'll have to visit my blog next week for the rest of the sordid tale!
*Names changed because you just never know...

Reasons that Ratalie is Real Happy!!!

1. Who could wear these and not be happy????

Oh my gosh they are so comfortable, I'm IN LOVE!!!!

I may never take them off! 2. Yellow + Dress + $8 = Ratalie Love!
3. I love my friends, they are so fun!
I am seriously so blessed to have such good influences all around me!!!


4. This hat is AMAZING.
My shades that don't belong to me but are now mine make me smile.
And I love doing "the lips!"

5. Track number 16 on my playlist, its called Thug Story, go listen to it RIGHT NOW! Funniest thing I've ever heard!

Stay tuned!
Since I'm currently in Cali partying like it's 1999, we're going to have the pleasure of welcoming a VERY special guest poster!!! You're not going to want to miss this!
Have a Marvelous Monday!!!!

Two Million Dollar Answers

Thursday was the night that we put those poor boys minds to rest.

First, we answered Mary's boy.... Then we headed to Alex's house.

Yes those are almost all of my shoes, plus some of my sisters.

Those are all left shoes except for one.

All the left ones had post-it notes with random words on them.

The one right shoe had a post-it note on it that read:

Yes!!!!!

P.S.

I need my shoes back!

The paper reads:

Alex,

You're just like Prince Charming,

I know that it's true.

To discover my answer,

find the RIGHT shoe.

Now all that's left to do is wait until Homecoming!

October 31st!!!!

Everyone have a fabulous week!!!

Comment Candy Part Four

Okay I know I've dragged this out forever, my apologies!!!!

Okay, Miss Kristen!!!!
She's an beautiful, newlywed student!
I love how she shares a little piece of her bliss with the blogworld!
A great post by Kristen:
My Happy Place
I loved this!!!
It inspires me to look for the simple pleasures!
Go visit Kristen!!!

Next we have Amy!!!
Wife, stepmom and student, Amy can do it all!!!
Love this post:
Dear Kidlet
Kidlet is the blogname of Amy's step daughter.
This post shows just hard Amy tries to make things all good for her family!
Also, all of her Stepmom Confessions posts are excellent!
Go read!!!

Our next recipient has the greatest name ever!!!
Natalie is GORGEOUS, talented and goofy!!
ALL her posts CRACK ME UP
but this one:
Oh, it is Love
is especially entertaining!!!!
(Btw, those were my questions she was answering!)

Go read her blog and be prepared to laugh your booty off!

Last but not least we have Melissa!
She is an amazing single mother!!
This post:
Date With My Little Love
really captures the essence of mom and Jack.
Go Read Now!

Well we've finally reached the end of Comment Candy!!
And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted!!!!
Hmm I know!!
I'll reward myself with a trip to California!!!!
Awesome!!!
Love love love!!!

NATALIE'S NEWS FLASH

WE INTERRUPT OUR USUAL PROGRAMMING TO INFORM YOU OF AN EVENT OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE!!!!!!!

I got asked to Homecoming!!!!!!!!!!!

I come home last night and this map is on my doorstep wrapped around a red rose!Along with this:
And the hunt began, I followed the map to my shed and found this L wrapped around another rose!!!!


Then in my pool area was this A along with ANOTHER rose!!!

Then finally in my playhouse, I find this, along with a vase FULL of roses!!!!!!

Can you figure out who asked me???

Yes!!! It was my dear friend Alex!!!!!!

So you all know that my middle name is Rose and that I LOVE LOVE LOVE roses!!!!

Definately my favorite flower!!!!

I've always dreamed of a boy giving me roses!!!

Of course, he chose to do this on a night where I looked like CRAP!

Awesome....

As you can see from the picture, I'm VERY happy and excited about this!!!!

Stay tuned to see how I answer Alex!!!!

Have a Thundering Thursday!!!!