Blogger Secret Santa

Hey y’all! This is a scheduled post, but it is scheduled for CHRISTMAS! So Merry Christmas!  Also, this whole thing was Teenella’s idea, so go check out her blog!

And without further adieu, the blogger I had was Courtney from LoveCourtneyx! 

Dear Courtney,

Since I have a WordPress blog, I’m very rarely exposed to any blogs on blogspot, so when I got the link to your blog I was curious to see one! After stalking your blog for a few days I really liked all of your blogmas posts. Especially the nail art one (because I can’t do anything like that, and was very impressed). I also agreed with your taste in movies! But then I wanted to know more about you so I went all the way back to your first post. And that’s where I found most of what we have in common!  I was also giggling at all the times you’ve gotten hurt (not masochistically, I swear xD) but I am also very accident prone.

Although I have to say that the one thing that made me gasp and literally want to text my friends about right away, was the fact that you’ve broken a phone in a car door. Whenever I tell people that I did it, they also ask me how it’s even possible. And now I know I’m not alone!  So i.f someone ever asks you that question, I got your back. Although I am curious as to how it happened to you… (I  had my phone in my jacket pocket which was tied around my waist, and it got caught in the door which I had slammed shut).

Another thing that we have in common is The Vamps. I’m not usually a big boy band kind of person, but when my friend exposed me to their music in 7th grade I really liked them! So when they came to concert with Austin Mahone and Shawn Mendes, back when they were little and not super popular (over here at least) we went to go see them in concert! They were really good, we still listen to their CD in the car. What are some of your favorite songs? I’ve always loved Jack for some reason.

But enough about things we have in common, and more about you! When I saw that you lived in Scotland I thought it was so cool! I live in plain, boring (not really but still) old America, and Scotland seems so different! Also good luck with your classes and exams (I sound like a creep talking about you when I haven’t talked to you xD) I hope they’re not too stressful (who am I kidding its school)

The other thing that I noticed is that you haven’t been blogging for too long. I really like your posts, and I hope you continue to write. I think you could grow your blog into something really neat! If this is something you enjoy right now, you’ll grow to love it. Even if it is stressful sometimes. I look forward to reading your next post!

Merry Christmas! Love, Aspen  AKA The Author

 

 

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Blogmas 2016! – Day 23

Hey y’all! So today I’m going to be writing about what I’ve been doing with my winter break so far!

The first day of break (technically) was Wednesday, we only had a half day. So Ryann, Emily, Lauren, and I came back to my house to make lunch and open presents! We watched some movies, drank hot chocolate,and just had tons of fun!

I got some bubbles from our Spanish classes’ White Elephant gift exchange, so we played with those outside.

I love getting gifts from people, not because of the gift, but because I can see how much they know and love me. And I love to get them gifts, because I love making them happy!

 

This next picture is the watch I got Emily

Then I got Ryann a Sherlock Holmes scented candle, which turned out to smell AMAZING. And I also got her a snow windshield cover for her car, so she doesn’t have to scrape it off every morning.

Then Ryann got me a super soft blanket with football plays and footballs on it and it has barely left my side since then. She also got me this really cool kit thing that came with an actual oyster that I got to rip open to find a its guts (well and a pearl) but the guts were pretty cool. The pearl was white which stands for wisdom, and like I didn’t even have to say it, even nature knows how smart I am.

 Then Lauren actually made me something- it’s one of those string art things, in the shape of the leaf on a Quaking Aspen tree. But get this- she drove like downtown to find the wood from an Aspen tree.

Then on Thursday, the only thing that I really did was go to the temple for baptisms of the dead! If you want to know what that is, just leave a comment below and I’ll happily explain 🙂  I had a lot of fun, and it was really nice to feel the spirit in that way before Christmas.

And then today was my Uncle Richie’s birthday so we threw a party for him at ze church. But my cousins got a new puppy for Christmas named Thor and he’s the cutest thing ever. I also got to see the baby again finally, and she has grown up so much. She LOVES to jabber on and on (wonder where she got that from…) When I carried her to the car as per usual she was screaming and sobbing because she wanted “Momma to take her home” aka me, not her actual mother. She kept telling me I was going the wrong way because she knows what our car looks like, and needless to say my heart is broken, and I want to see my baby asap.

 

Comment down below what you guys have done so far over winter break! Love y’all! -Aspen AKA The Author

Blogmas 2016! – Day 22

Hey y’all! Can you believe it? Christmas is right around the corner! Today’s blogmas post is showing y’all some of my past Christmases through pictures!

P.S. I forgot to link my Christmas Photo Diary that I posted on The Artistics earlier, so here it is! Be sure to check it out, I put a ton of work into it and really like how it turned out.

This is a picture of my first Christmas, and I can tell that its super old because not only is it in my old house, but the carpet is still silver blue. Now all I want for Christmas is to sleep like I did back then.

I’m not positive, but I’m going to assume this is the year after. These pictures were actually taken at my grandma’s house, and that’s my mom holding me. Aw, we were so cute.

From here on, I have no idea what year the picture is from xD This one was also taken at my grandma’s old house when I was still the only grandchild (oh, the good old days…) My mom is holding me while I’m sitting on my aunt Julie’s shoulders. And then my uncles are around us (and yes, they still act like that).

This is one of my favorite pictures, because first off my dad looked older then than he does now (and pretty creepy actually), and because he has socks on his ears. He’s a dork.

This Christmas was great because I got a trampoline. And it was also my first Christmas with my brother, back when I wanted him around if you can’t tell by the way I’m holding him.

So this picture was taken up at my uncles ex-wife’s parents cabin. My parents obviously decided to take me sledding (I think I was about 3 or 4) and I clearly did not like it. From what I’ve heard I was just crying the whole time because I was freezing.

This picture is me with my new beach set and my uncle Richie posing so… well that’s just him in a picture. It’s actually his birthday tomorrow so we’re throwing him a surprise party! When I was younger we were best buds. And he’s actually still my favorite, shh…

For Christmas in 2011 we (My family, Amy, David, and Summit) drove to Wisconsin so our parents could watch a Bears vs. Packers game- and us kids went to the world’s largest indoor water park- The Kalahari. On the drive home we stopped in Chicago and got a tour of Soldier Field (Go Bears!) This was by far one of the best Christmases ever, I’ll have to try and find the picture of us with the tiger cub at some point…

This was Christmas of 2013, and also our first Christmas in our new house! It was really cool to make new traditions and have new experiences 🙂

This picture was taken at my grandma’s new house in 2014 (I can tell because the baby is crawling, and that would make her 8 months old at the time) This is how we spend Christmas Eve at my grandma’s house, in a big circle with kids on laps and wrapping paper everywhere. Just the way I like it.

This is the last Christmas I have a picture for, and was also 2014 actually. I remember that Spencer was psyched to get a phone, but that was also the year I got my cowboy boots, so I was more excited for them xD

 

This year is going to be weird- we’re not going to be with my mom’s family on Christmas Eve since we’re doing the birthday party for my uncle tomorrow. And we usually have my dad’s family over on Christmas but they’re not coming over til the day after. So our 2 main days are basically free!

I hope y’all liked this! Comment one of your favorite Christmases below! – Aspen AKA The Author

 

Seeing the Utah Symphony!

Heyes y’all. So today instead of a “blogmas” post I’m just going to kind of talk about what I’ve been doing lately. 

Today I went with Bex to see the Utah Symphony play some Christmas songs. I had a lot of fun, they’re obviously really good. They played a Suite from the Polar Express and it was beautiful. Those songs are what Christmas sounds and feels like. They also played Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, which my orchestra played in our winter concert so that was pretty cool. Here are some pictures of where they play, Abravanel Hall. 

After the concert we want back to her house to watch national Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and laughed super hard. If you haven’t seen that movie you need to, it’s hilarious. 

But speaking of my orchestra Winter Concert, it was Wednesday night but I was so sick that I didn’t even hear what we were playing. Thankfully before the concert Lauren took me to go get ice cream, made me pasta, and then we took a nap before going so I could somewhat function. 

And I’m feeling better now, but my throat is still really sore. 

I have 3 more days of school til Christmas break, and lots of hw to do tomorrow that’s due Monday and Tuesday, wish me luck xD  

Love y’all! -Aspen AKA The Author 

Blogmas 2016! – Day 15

Hey y’all! I’m back with another blogmas post, and today’s theme was Jesus Worshipped through Song and So Can You. 

So I decided to make a  Christmas playlist full of songs by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They sound amazing, it’s a all volunteer choir and they’ve won both Emmy and Grammy awards and done concerts around the world! These are just a few of my favorites:

1. The Wexford Carol. This video is about a father who has had some type of fight with his own brother and how he learns the lessons he’s been been teaching his own sons.
2. What Shall We Give? I think this one was my favorite. This one is about a father and his two sons (again) who all do something kind for someone around them.
3. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly I really liked this video since it was a bit different. It showed a man during his last day in Prison which just happened to be Christmas, and him meeting his family again.
4. Hallelujah Chorus . If you haven’t heard their version of this song, then click it NOW. DO IT.
5. What Child Is This? This one is a classic Christmas song you’ve most likely heard, but it’s still one of my favorites. And when I listen to this version I literally can’t do anything else but just listen.
6. Angels We Have Heard on High  Again another classic that sounds amazing with a cute video.

 

I hope y’all liked this! I’m hoping to have my post about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert up by this weekend!

Love y’all! – Aspen AKA The Author

People Like Them

Hey y’all! I’m sorry I’ve missed like 4 days of Blogmas, I’ve had so much homework and apparently I’m sick now. 

But today I’m back to share what I did on Sunday! 

Me and my family  (plus our family friends) drove up to a place called  Candy Cane Corner to volunteer. Candy Cane Corner is where homeless parents can go to pick out clothes and presents (all of which have been donated) for their family during Christmas time. 

In previous posts I’ve mentioned how we spent a ton of money (about $17,000 because of Amy’s work) and all of the things we brought came to this “store” which is actually a warehouse. 

So as volunteers our job was to sort through all of the donations and then to stock all of the shelves. Put things in the right places, mark off barcodes  (so they can’t be returned), etc. The other job is to wrap the gifts that have already been picked but I didn’t do that this year. 

At one point a manager lady came to the back to bring more donations and was talking to my little brother  (he was marking off the barcodes) as I was walking past to get a box. Turns out the family that had just came in lost their little boy who was about 5 or 6 and donated all of the Christmas presents he would have gotten this year. 

Goosebumps immediately covered my entire body as I just stood in shock for a moment. I couldn’t even imagine going through that. And these heartbroken parents were so kind to donate those gifts. And no matter how sad this may make me, I am so glad to know that people like this exist. And I wish the best to them. 

I hope you all can take the time to recognize those who do good when struggling themsleves. And if that is you, know that it does make a difference. 

I love y’all! -Aspen AKA The Author 

The Ultimate Blogging Ship

Hey y’all! So earlier today I was talking to Inf, and we have this ship name Infspen  (Its purely magical, not romantic btw) and I was just thinking about who you all ship in the blogging world.

So, we’re going you find out. You’ll all comment as many ships as you want and then we’ll take a vote and see who the Ultimate Blogging Ship is (except Infspen because like we’re #1, so got to keep this fair and all)

You can include us the creators, yourself, or any other bloggers you know.

And you guys should already know this is all fun games so don’t be nervous to comment people or anything because that’d be LAME.

I’m counting on you guys to comment, don’t be a silent reader, this won’t work if you don’t! I know you all have an idea of who you’d want to ship, don’t lie to me. I can smell lies.

NOW LET THE SHIPPING COMMENCE!!

Sidenote: The featured image is one of the models we have in my medical anatomy. The picture was just too good to not post….

Love y’all! -Aspen AKA the Author

2016 Blogger Awards – My Nominations!

Hey y’all! Sorry I’m so behind on posting this, life is crazy and it’s taking forever to pick people for each category. However, I’m super excited to write this, I love the idea! To nominate your favorite bloggers, everything is on this page.

Sidenote: Just because I don’t nominate you does NOT mean I don’t absolutely love you with all  my heart, as I mentioned above this was really hard in the first place.

P.S. My little brother just told me he thinks I have the blog of the century (like awww)

Okay sorry I’ll stop rambling, now onto the nominations:

Blogger of the Year: Elm from Just Elm. Elm has been here ever since I first started blogging, and she has also always been here as my friend since then. She’s just overall a great person who sometimes tries to help other a little too much  😉 It has to mean something if virtually everyone around here knows who she is, right? Plus I connect with the whole tree thing… (P.S. I am definitely NOT her ex-boyfriend xD)

Blog of the Year: The Artistics. Okay so this is kind of cheating since I’m part of it, but shh. I just think that it’s grown so much in the past year, and has a totally different element than other blogs that are around. Different people sharing different ideas, but all in the same place! Plus we have a magazine because we’re like totally cool, and the other people are great.

Kindest Blogger: Gioia from My Crazy World of Books Blog. Absolutely, 100%, no questions about it. Gioia is the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met in my entire life. She’s always there for me with a pick me up and a smile. She apologizes for talking about herself, and always makes me feel special. I am so grateful to have a friend, and an example like her.

Most Approachable Blogger: Fibit from well,  Fibit.  He’s so easy to talk to and always willing to offer up what seems so simple advice. You’ll definitely want to add him to your arsenal of friends if you haven’t already. He’s really funny and just great in general 🙂

Best New Blogger: Edge from Edgy Concept. His blog is really cool guys, it’s really different. Plus he’s a pretty okay person even if he doesn’t like pineapple on pizza. Nah, I’m kidding he’s really great. I love being able to have out of the norm conversations with someone, and  he’s definitely a good person for just that.

Most Positive Blog: Teenella from uh, Teenella. I haven’t talked to her much, but I’ve always known of her and seen some of the things she’s done. She just seems super sweet, and spreads positivity. Especially with her new Secret Santa project!

Most Helpful Blogger:  Liv, from the  Inspirational Dreamer . She’s not blogging anymore and she used to always be here, so it’s a little different to not have her around. But we still talk almost daily and she’s still amazing and willing to help with anything. Just knowing that she still cares is enough to make me feel better 🙂  So even if there won’t be any new posts, the old ones are definitely still worth reading.

Best Looking Blog: Colby from Dreams and Movie Screens. I don’t know how she got the cat to do the thing it does, but it’s SO cute. And I don’t even like cats. And the colors just compliment each other really well.

Most Relatable Blog: Allie from The Wondrous Life of Allie M. I always find myself relating to what she says whether its just talking to her or reading her posts!  She writes about things that I can connect with which is really cool! Go check out her blog!

Most Creative Blogger: Jerrod from Its Jerrod. This past year he created a joint blog called The Artistics which is based on creativity. He puts so much work into this blog and his own it’s crazy! I’ve loved being a part of the joint blog, and have got to see up close how much devotion he has to blogging.

Funniest Blogger: Abi from The Punk Butterfly. I always find myself laughing at the randomest things she writes because it’s totally something I would say! She’s just funny in general, and I love a good mix of sarcasm and humor.

The Wildcard: Liss & Dani from Life of Teen Girls. It seems like they’ve been around forever. I always look forward to seeing their posts. I’ve always thought it was cool that they started a blog together, and I’ve loved becoming good friends with the both of them 🙂

 

 

 

Blogmas 2016! – December 9th

Hey y’all! It’s currently 10:41 pm after a pretty long day, and I’m trying to not fall asleep as I write this xD 

Today’s theme was, Jesus Visited the Lonely and So Can You.

So for today I did 2 small things. 

First, I babysat some kids who live up the street. They’ve been begging for me to come over. We watched the Angry Birds movie and then played Tickle Monster- a game I made up with them and other stuff like Hide and Seek. 

I had a little of fun, and it was super cute to see their faces light up when I was playing with them 🙂 

And secondly, I just sent a few texts to some friends that I haven’t talked to awhile just asking them how they’ve been. 

Happy Blogmas day #9, only 16 days till Christmas! 
Love y’all! – Aspen AKA The Author 

Blogmas 2016! – Someone/Something That Made A Difference To You

Hey y’all! So in light of the Christmas season, I wanted to do a post on things that people have done for others that made a difference to them. Christmas is about giving and loving others, so I asked my two best friends, Ry and Laur if they would help out.

All three of us have typed out situations we’ve been in (coincidentally around Christmas time) and how someone helped us. (The experience is in italics and my comments are in bold). I hope you read til the end, I’m honestly really proud of this post.

First up, Ryann.

         It was this time two years ago and I was going through a really really hard time. I had  very bad depression, and it was to the point where I was hurting myself regularly. I had stopped on my own, and it was really hard to. My mother was getting me help with my counselor at the time and I opened up to her about what was happening to me. She told me to do things such as fix my chakra and look to my unconscious. I finally told my mom that I wanted to go to an actual doctor and get a mental evaluation. She and my step dad told me it was all in my head and I could fix it if I really wanted to. She talked about it as if it wasn’t a real thing. I didn’t know what to do, I was extremely suicidal, but then Aspen talked to me and asked if I was okay. Her asking me if  was okay was enough to help me push forward because I didn’t know anyone cared about me. I’ll always be thankful to Aspen, because in a way she helped me save my life. -Ryann 

At the time I was honestly terrified to say anything. We had only been friends for a year, but I already knew I couldn’t let something happen. I didn’t know how bad it was, but guys, I promise, please just say something even if you’re scared.Just speak up, you being scared will never amount to the feeling you’ll have if you know you could have said something.  You have no idea how many times I’ve looked at her and thought that there was no way I would be okay if she didn’t exist. But I can also say it wasn’t me that saved her, it was her. And no matter what she says I’ll always know how extremely strong she is, and I’ll always look up to her for that. So… thanks Ry. I love you. 

Next, Lauren.

         Last December I got a major jaw surgery. After I got it Aspen and her parents came to visit me in the hospital. She wrote me a super sweet card! Once I went home from the hospital Aspen would come over pretty much every day. We would do a lot of puzzles and she would just come over to be with me. My jaw was wired shut so I could not tell her how much it meant to me that she would be there for me even though I could not say anything. My mom swore that we had some kind of secret language because she knew exactly what I was trying to say. Anyways just the fact that she was there for me and to help me meant the world to me!     -Lauren (the favorite)

  Haha, oh Laur. You guys have no idea how much pasta we ate in those like 6+ weeks since she could only swallow food and not chew. And as I’ve mentioned in a post before, my parents actually weren’t going to take me to see her in the hospital that night. But I started full out bawling, I was so worried. I just HAD to make sure she was okay. And even though the whole thing sucked, I think it actually strengthened our friendship. We didn’t need words… we were just together. I hope I’ll always know what you’re trying to say 🙂 I love you Laurenzo. 

And now my turn.. wow I’ve struggled so hard to pick a situation where I’ve received help, there’s so many.

          So, everyone is probably assuming that I’m going to be talking about my health problems, but I’m not. Not today. Don’t get me wrong, I have received SO much support with it and am so extremely grateful for that. However, there is one time that came to mind when thinking of something that made a difference to me: my cousins.

          As I’ve mentioned before, I’m the oldest of all of us, 10 girls and 3 boys. And I know they love me, and want to be with me, but I’m still a teenager, so sometimes I feel like I don’t connect with them. But they always brighten my life. Each time I see any of them I can’t help but smile as wide as possible.  They teach me simple things like unconditional love, and how to laugh at stupid jokes. They show me what family really means. They’re some of my favorite people on this planet, just ask any of my friends how much I talk about them.

         But there was one night in specific that we were just rough housing in my grandma’s back yard and laughing our heads off. I don’t remember exactly what was happening but we were all showing off our purposely embarrassing dance moves. And then all of a sudden one of them goes, “This is so fun. Aspy showed us how to be ourselves and not be embarrassed” and another one goes “Yeah I’m happy when I can be crazy” and then one by one they all just go, “Yeah!” And keep dancing. But I’m just standing there tearing up. I’ll never forget that. I’ll never forget that I the ones I look up (well, down) to most look up to me. 

Okay, that was it! How did you like it? I actually really like this idea, and think that I am going to do another one, but this time featuring stories from YOU! If you have a story of a time that someone/ something made a difference to you (short or long) comment down below! I need enough to make an actual post, so don’t hesitate to comment 🙂

Love y’all! -Aspen AKA The Author