Recovering Charles.

I picked this book up at Seagull Book the other day, because I really loved the photograph on the front. The book was only $1.99 so I thought why not? I'm about half way through it, and I love it. It's got a lot of information from Hurricane Katrina in it, and I totally love it. I don't like to read much, but I'm really glad I picked up this book.

Second Piggy Bankkk

Seriously... Jotting down the hilarious things that people around me say, has turned out to be one of the smartest ideas of my life. You should try it. New Years Res! Holls. Enjoy the hilariously stupid things that my friends, family, and I say.

You basically tore my hamstrings in half! - emily

I kissed Bella. Then she broke her hand. Punching my face. - JB. (hahahahahhah. not funny? I don't care.)

I'll hit you with my cane. My Candycane! - Emily


Why are they all from Hungaria? - Caity
You mean Hungry? - Nicole
I am. - Caity

Taylor... HOTNER! - Emily

Who was Joseph Smith with when he was baptized? - Mom
sa... I mean Scott. - Karson
Who's Scott? - Nicole
Well I was gonna say Satan, but then I thought... - Karson

Why doesn't he just move away from that town? - Nicole
Demons don't need cars to follow you. - Emily

Shut up, it was a hard ride. - Caity

Everything in your life doesn't have to be fun. Do something constructive. - Dad

That poor little penguin! - Nicole
He waddles. - Caity
Like Caity. - Emily

Twenty Ten

2010 Has brought me so many good times. I've loved this year so much! It's probably one of my favorite years of life so far! Here are a few photo spotlights of my year! (No particular order, just however blogger decided it wanted to upload them...)


^Sadies with my best friends! We seriously had so much fun that night.
Going to Lagoon not once... but TWICE in a row. Two weekends. :)) ^ This time with the Utleys. :))
Meeting Josh and Chandler! I'm so grateful for these two! They are awesome! We have had some bombin' Friday nights together, and I hope we have even more in 2011! Plus... HP7 was quite possibly one of the best nights of my life.
The Marathon! This year I gained the BIGGEST love for the St. George Marathon. I'm going to run it someday.
My Seventeen Forever! It was such a fun party, and I'm so glad all of my friends came! I've done the exact same thing for the past two years... and I'll probably do the same again. :))
Girls Camp! It was such an adventure... I LOVED being a YCL, I wish I could be a YCL every single year. I'm going again this next summer, and possibly for a few extra... I love my ward, and I love our girls.
While this wasn't the biggest highlight of my year... it was a ginormous part. Working at the plant was the most horrid thing of my life! But it taught me so much. It taught me to get an education... because I don't want to have to work there when I'm older, and it taught me to be responsible. I became a part of a team, and learned that "ditching out" on work, is a huge disaster.
Camping with the Richesons! I spent basically my whole summer with the Richesons, Bischoffs, and Werners, and it was SO much fun. I love their family, and I've become a part of it. :))
My second weekend in Lagoon. :)) Turns out that Lagoon is 20x scarier in the rain.
All of the amazing fun times that Caity, Emma, and I had. I'm so sad that Emma is gone, and now I hardly ever see her. I wish she would come back to D.H. but I'm glad that she's having fun at P.V.
Our Town! So. Much. Fun. I loved our town! I spent numerous days there after school, and megsy, ash, and I MEMORIZED that darn song. We had so much fun :))
Guarding Winter! I loved all of the trips up north, and spending time with Brandee, and the boys, and Lacee, and the twins. Winterguard kicked my butt, but it was so much fun. :))
Running for Stud.Co. This was probs. my favorite poster. :))

Going to Desert Hills of course! We are amazing. That's all I have, and need to say.
Quadding, and the Orange Traffic cone. Another amazing day of my life... seriously. hahaha. By the way, -- Caity, I went back to see if I could find the cone, because I wanted to use it as a target... SOMEONE STOLE IT! We hid that darn thing, and someone found it and took it! I was so angry. Gees. We'll just have to go find another one.

Some more Highlights of the year.... That I don't have pictures for.

• Starting my own Photography Business.
  
• Free Frazil Friday (I'm so excited for this next March.)
• Preference, with Cait, Zac, and Brandon.
• Becoming Laurel President.
• Getting my SLR
• Becoming friends with the B.G.
• Working at the Snoshac
• Getting my Braces off!
  
• Naphtali. Nuff said.
  
• Tubing down the river
• Save the Raccoons ( So sad, but so funny at the same time.)

Welp. There's my Highlight post. I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you're ready for some stokin' times this next year! :))

Bring it on 2011.

CHRISTmas.

"We are the Innkeepers, and it is our choice whether or not to let the savior in."

This statement is so true. It's Christmas time, and while it doesn't feel like it to me, the calendar insists. I love Christmas time, and everything that it brings, but this Christmas has just been different. I'm growing up, and I just have one year left to be at home. Just one year left to do what I want. I have to take on real responsibility next year. There are 6 days until the new year. In 2011 I will turn Eighteen years old. I will be accountable for my actions! No more hiding behind my Daddy. This Christmas has been different because I think that the magic of Santa Clause, and Jingle Bells, and Rudolph are finally gone. I need to find the magic that I know is there. The real reason that we celebrate Christmas. Hopefully that feeling will come soon, because I don't know if I can wait until next year.

Merry Christmas to you all!
I hope you have a lovely holiday.

P.s. There will be much less postage here, because I've created a new blog. One that only I can see to feed my unquenchable thirst for online writing. You won't have to look at my un-important thoughts anymore. I'll just post the normal things.

-Nicole.

Thought + Action = Story

An interesting subject was brought up tonight... With one of the only probably 3 people who read this blog. It was actually about my blog... Everything I say here, are my thoughts. It's totally true. It's kinda a... Think-Blog. haha. Whenever I get bored, or I want to remember something, or I want someone else to see something... I throw it out here. When you think about it... this is how the equation goes down. A Thought plus an Action equals a Story. I guess I just have part of the equation. I have A LOT of parts of the equation. My favorite hobby, besides Photographing, is thinking. I'm always thinking. Not only do I solve my own problems, but often times I solve everyone elses problems as well. I connect things that normally wouldn't be connected. I just think. I have a billion and one idea's, and most of the time I do nothing with them. This is my idea to fix my ample amount of Ideas:

Ever since the movie Bucket List came out, I have wanted to actually MAKE a bucket list. My only problem is I've been too afraid. My second biggest fear in life is failure (I bet all three of you who read this can tell me what my first fear is...). I'm even cautious when I make new years resolutions, to make sure I can accomplish them, because I feel sick to my stomach if I don't. My solution is... Making a Bucket List. I'm going to put everything that I have ever wanted to do on it, and I'm going to accomplish what I can. If I get it all done by the time I kick the bucket... then Awesome! If I don't... I'll just look back on all of the things I did do.

Dear friend who kick-started my Bucket List thought process, Thank you. I remember that one time that I helped you out, and gave you that lovely little 10 minute pep-talk. This is kinda the same... except for you only said about 10 words, instead of 10 minutes worth of words. I just filled in all of the blank spaces.

♥/ Nicole

Oh Blighme!

^ You can see where the water is hitting the bridge SO hard that it's starting to Bow!
^ Part of the river from the trail...
^ The Trail Bridge right by the freeway overpass.

2+2=4

Ohhhhhhhhhmygosh.
I am NOT FAILING MATH! hahaha.
So here's the story...

The last DAY of Pre-calc... we had a TEST! oh my gash. Talk about not fair... I studied, and studied, and studied, and did TONS of work to try and pass this test... and... I kinda-ish did! haha. The day that school ended, powerschool showed my math grade as a B- and that was without the test score! So I was completely freaking out... because If I got a horrid grade on my test, then I would have a C! ahhh. Not okay for me. Not okay for me at ALL! B's aren't even okay, but Pre-cal, and Chem. are hecka hard! Anyways... I just barely checked powerschool... I have a B in Math! Hol.ler! I am so completely stoked about this, when I really should be crying, because it's not an A... haha. But I don't care! a B is better than the B- that I got last semester! I'll deal! haha. Anyways... I just wanted to give you that little spiel about how proud I am of myself, when my grade really is barely substantial haha. Welp. Now I can go through the rest of my Christmas break without freaking out about math! hahaha.

Peace!

I am dying...

OF BOREDOM!

I have nothing to do... the past 2 days this is what I've accomplished...

• Went to the store
• made 4 hats
• watched all 3 Pirates of the Caribbean
• Made some salsa
• Went to the store again
• Picked my sister up from a movie

OH. MY. GOSH.
I'm dying of boredom. I hate being sick... my parents won't let me out of the house! I'm planning on being better... by tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. I'd really appreciate it if someone could like... text/call me to make plans, because if I spend one more day at home by myself... well then I might not make it until Christmas. hahahahaha.
Welp. Now I'm going to go do nothing... because that's all I have to do... so see ya 'round.

Pneumonia.

Awesome. I think I have Pneumonia. I tried to give my lovely talk in Seminary today, but I barely made it through with all of the coughing I was doing. I AM SO ANGRY! I better get better by Monday, OR ELSE! I'm so mad. Usually when I ignore a cold... and pretend I don't have one, then it goes away... but NooooOoOoooOoOo. PNEUMONIA just won't give up. Stupid sickness. I am just angggggry. I have a photoshoot today too! I don't care how much I cough... I'm doing this shoot. mmmmhmmmm. Well, now I'm at home, and I don't have anything to do... so I'm going to go do... nothing.
Kbye.

The TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Tomorrow, I have to give a talk in Seminary on what the "True meaning of Christmas" is... Seeing as I write the best when I'm blogging... I'm going to write my talk here. :))

Christmas is such a special time in my heart. I love being surrounded by my family, I love the warm smell of bread baking in the oven, and the cranberry candle that my mother always puts in our downstairs. Christmas is a truly amazing time of year. Too often, is the TRUE meaning of the Holiday overlooked though. The reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas is a time for giving, not receiving. We are all so spoiled with the things we have. A home, a car, food on the table, Christmas presents, school clothes, school supplies, and so many more things. There are so many people in the world, that don't have anything. Our Savior gave us everything. He gave us his very life, so that we might be able to repent, and live with him, and our Heavenly Father and Mother again someday.
My favorite Christmas Story is "Christmas Jars" It's about a family that saves up their spare change in a small glass jar every year, and at Christmas time they anonymously give it to someone who needs it. The family in this story does such a small thing, putting a few pennies, and maybe a nickel or dime into the jar every day when they get home from work, or School, but by the end of the year the amount of money in the jar ends up helping someone else who is in need SO much. One of my favorite parts in the book is when a man who receives a Christmas Jar says, "The money did not save my life, but it did save my faith in men."
My mom is one of the greatest examples of service. Whenever I come home and smell cookies, or bread that has just come out of the oven, I always know not to dig into it, because it's probably for someone that my mother knows needs it. My Dad is an amazing example of service as well, he knows how to do EVERYTHING. And I mean everything, and he is always the first person to step up and volunteer to help when someone is in need, whether it be fixing a car, building something, or moving to a new home.
Giving is such an important aspect of our lives, at least it should be. Service, and charity is one of the most amazing things in this world, and we have the opportunity to be surrounded by it. In our community there is always some act of group service being performed, and we have the chance to help out with it. I want to challenge you all to do something nice for someone else this season. Bake cookies for the elderly woman down the street, visit your young womens, or young mens leader that is sick, or even write a Thank you letter to your Bishop for all of the hard work that he does.
Service, and Family are what the holidays are about. It's not about the presents, the wreaths, the tree, the lights, the colors, it's about recognizing what the Savior did for us, and trying to pay a fraction of it forward to someone else. In closing I want to give this scripture, " When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. - Mosiah 2:17" When we are giving service to others, we really are serving our Heavenly Father. He wants us to help out as many people as we can, because he knows that we can impact their lives greatly. I hope that we all might be able to bless someone else's life with service this season. I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday, and I pray that you keep the Savior, and everything that he has done for us in mind.

Piggy Bankkk.

I've been saving these funny and inspirational quotes up!
Whenever someone... or I say something Funny/Silly/Stupid/Wise. I jot it down... and now I'm going to empty them... here. haha.
Breaking the Piggy Bank!

You know the world is a great place when Voldemort gives you cupcakes - Josh Barney

Wow, She's a loud dyer. - Caity

When you become president, can I be ambassador of someplace cool? (caity)
Like Taiwan? (me)
No, like Jamaica, or Hawaii. (caity)
You don't need an ambassador of Hawaii, it's part of our country. (me)

That was a really pretty polygamist lady - Caity

Lately that just happens a lot, i just get so excited, and it's only in your Kitchen. - Caity

If people really knew what we were like when we're alone, we would have no friends. - Caity

You can't have any of me, if you don't take all of me.

Our conquered trials strengthen us over everyone else. We can be the last ones standing, when the world falls.

It's the small things you do that show me you don't care.

You were going to conquer the world. What happened?

Night is a world lit by itself.

For every bad day, count the ten good days before it. - Me!



Why would you kill yourself if you looked that good? - Courtney

When nobody knows anything, somebody knows something. - Chief Brass (C.S.I.)

I know it's lame when you're doing it by yourself.... - don't remember who said it...

I'm basically the Chuck Norris of our family. - Me

You look like Butch Cassidy! - Caity

Boys are the scum of the earth... DIRTBAG! - The song I started writing for Taylor Swift...

The best present my mom could ever get for my birthday is, 3oh!3 to come perform - Caity

If I put that as my facebook status, everyone would like it. - Me

Most Eskimo's are Russian Orphans. - Dad.

Explore the Possibilities. - Caity

Hey Speedster Grandpa... - Caity

I just put my hand in something wet! Gross! - Nicole
Oh, it's just the sea-creature I keep in here. - Caity

We meet every monday in the alley behind the parking lot. Bring your knives and guns. - Caity

So I have these leaves... - Kim

Do you think that sometimes cowboys put their hats sideways to pretend to be gangster? - Me

It's all a circle of gayness. - Don't remember who said that one...

Wait, the frog had puppies? - Addie

Grandma did your pumpkin pie shrink? - me
Yes, because I ate it. - Grandma

Sometimes God calms the raging storm, and sometimes he lets the storm rage, and calms you.

Even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers

Every time of year is my favorite time of year, when I'm with you.

A word of advice...

NEVER.
I mean EVER
NEVER EVER, EVER!
Span 30 Gig's across 5 DVD-R's.

Honestly, talk about the largest headache of my life. The last time that I was cleaning my computer off... I decided it would be a good idea to Span my Disks, instead of individually make them. DO NOT DO THIS! I don't care how much organization, and time it saves. Don't do it. Seriously, the worst decision of my Photographical life. I still have all of my data, but I have to individually put in each disk to get ANYTHING off... it's ridiculous. I'll never do that again.

Don't just wait, and sit, if you have a problem, then find a way to fix it. You're not as perfect as you think.

I just can't wait. I can't wait for Christmas break anymore. I have a Pre-Cal test this week... totally NOT stoked for that at all...

Chem. should be a breeze, we're doing two way fun labs and that's it... haha.

Language Arts... I have NO clue what is in store for me... a Sentence Skills test, and possibly Vocab? I don't know..

Seminary... AHHHH! I have to give a talk in front of my WHOLE CLASS on Friday. Sooo nervous. But I can do it :))

Photog. is almost OVER! I am so glad. I hate that class with the burning passion of life. I am so ready to be out. I don't like having people tell me what I have to take photo's of. I hate limitations. Hate, Hate, Hate them.

Our Orch. Concert was this last week... I sucked up my duet in front of EVERYONE, but I'm over it. The rest was extremely amazing! I loved our Christmas music this year :))

Spanish... I miss Miss Thomas. Lots. I miss my last year's class. Cody, Josh, Leslie, Meghan, Monica, Aaron, we just had SO much fun. I just wish I could take my Spanish class back to those days.. hah.

Christmassss is almost here. I can't believe it. I am just so dang excited! I started wrapping my presents tonight... I have 6 wrapped... and about 5 to go. We went out looking at Christmas lights tonight, So much fun... seriously. I just want Christmas Eve to be here. I want it right now.

I've been thinking about Summer plans. I'm going on a trip. Me + Caity. We're going to go to all of the Temples in Utah, and do Baptism's. I'm making it happen. Some boys in my ward did it a few years ago... and I think it sounds like an awesome idea! We just have to figure out where we're going to stay everywhere we go... haha. Shouldn't be a prob. I have family scattered all across the nation. :))

Ocean. I want to go to the ocean. Every Owl City song paints me a picture of some part along the coast. Never the same part though. Saltwater Room makes me picture the Northwest Coast. Sunburn makes me picture California. I'll meet you there depicts Florida. To the Sky makes me think of the Northeast shoreline. The Ocean is so divine... I just need it. I love the smell, the colors, the sand, the seaweed. Everything.

New Years. I'm extremely excited for New Years. I need a new year. I need a fresh start. Goals are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. I love the feeling of reaching a high bar that I've set for myself.

Well... I'm going to sleep.
Bye!

NSW's Photog. Blog.

http://www.nswphotography.blogspot.com

This is the OFFICIAL Photog. Blog. For NSW Photography! hahah.
Stalk it up!

Eye Donn Currrrr.

Seriously... I know that I said
"Wow, I love Christmas. It's seriously one of the best times of the year. Let me just add 50 thousand Christmas songs to my playlist."

I'm sick of it.

I am so annoyed with Jingle Bells, and Frank Sinatra... my mom makes me listen to Christmas music in the car, and EVERY OTHER SONG on Kony is a Christmas song.... so I don't need it here. Goodbye Christmas music... Hello OWL CITY!

P.s. I'm seriously thinking about starting a Photog. Blog. (and as I wrote that... I just realized that, that would be a great title. "NSW's Photog. Blog."... ehh... maybe.) I don't have the time to do it right now... because it's 12:22 a.m. and I have 9:00 church... buuuuuuut. Maybe tomorrow, or something.
Alright, well I'm going to sleep... maybe... hahah.
Goodnight!

When I woke up beside the ocean, I realized I must be in California... DUH!

Oh California...
I want ocean. Now.
Could someone just take me? That would be Tote's rad.
hahah.

The busy life has made me really appreciate chill weekends like this. I have done nothing but playyy. Last night I went to my Gramma's house and slept over... and today I went to Basketball games, Hung with Skyler, and Went to a dance! NO HOMEWORK INVOLVED! hahah. I loved every moment of it. And when I got home... I didn't do any homework... I've been editing senior pictures... today has just been a dream! Oh goodness. Life was getting a little Sketchh there for a moment, I was quite worried as I'm sure you could tell! But... all is well, and I'm in love with life again.
Byeee.

Reminisce.

Oh my gashhhh.
I just went back to "Through the lense"
1. I spelled "lens" wrong... didn't know.
2. I had 439 posts on that darn thing!
3. I changed the name so many times...
4. the URL is ridiculously hilarious!

It used to be private... but since I don't really use it anymore, I figure... WHY NOT?! I opened it to the public again... so if you want to stalk my pastlife... feel free. hahahah.

http://www.nicolethegreat-winona.blogspot.com

Shy of perfect. Bold attempt.

I'm ready for change. Now. My heart is aching for it. I am so overwhelmed... with stress comes literal pressure. I am feeling it quite heavily right now. I can't believe that the quarter ends in one week. Half of the school year will be over. I don't have anything prepared for Sterling Scholar, I'm barely keeping my grades up. I don't understand pre-calc. at all... I am just overwhelmed, and I hope the holidays bring me peace. It seems like nothing is going right lately... and no matter how hard I try, it's not good enough. I feel as though I am always just shy of perfect. I feel like I always come in 2nd place... and I am sick of it. 2010 is all drained out... I need a new year, a new start, a new perspective, a new me.

Cascade vs. Dawn

Here's the Winona Moment of STUPIDITY for the day...

So, we ran out of Dish washing detergent right? My sister decided that Dish SOAP and Dish washing detergent were just the same thing! HA! no. So she loads up the dishwasher with Dawn... Suchhh a bad Idea. Liquid dish soap goes SO much farther than your regular Cascade. We had bubbles ALL OVER OUR KITCHEN! It was so ridiculous... when my dad walked in the door... he just turned right around and walked out. it was SO hilarious. I loved every minute of it! It was like something that you would see in a movie, only better... because it was my family.

The end.

Alls I want for Christmas is a Jonas Brother...

O.M.J.B.
CHRISTMAS IS COMING!
Only 20 days left until one of the very best days, out of 365 days, in a year!

To Do List

1. Invent the most incredible cup of Hot Chocolate that has ever touched the lips of a human being.
2. Go Ice Skating.
3. Get a Christmas present for my Dad, and my Grandma. (Everyone else is done... haha.)
4. Look at Christmas lights!
5. Caroling with the B.H.1st! Holls!
6. French Toast party with my miamaids, beehives, and laurels!
7. Make my Christmas presents for the B.G. , Sarah, and all of my other friends!
8. Go snowboarding? Possibly? I really want to! How fun would that be?!
9. Find my Christmas ornament for the year! (I want a camera this year... dont' know where I'll find one.. haha.)
   
10. Take Family Christmas photo's...
11. Bake cookies for Santa!

Oh good golly gosh, I have so darn much to do before December 25th gets here! I'll be exhausted! ohhh... but it is SO worth it. I love this time of year so much! I love every time of year lately... Life is just... good! hahaha. I'm so stoked now that the season is finally kicked off! There are only... 12 days left, until school is officially out for Christmas break! I can't wait to walk out of the classroom saying "See you next year!" hahah. I'm so excited for New Years too! I have had SO many good New Years Eves... so many, and I know that this one will be grand too! I love my friends right now... and I'm SO stoked to see what we'll plan for New Years Eve... it has to be great haha.

Well, I've ran out of things to say at the moment... and I have some homework to do. hahah.
Arrivadercci!
-Nicholieolieolieolie.

One One : One One

Today I'm going to discuss my favorite time of every single day. 11:11 p.m. OR a.m. ! Did you know it's one of the only magical times of the day? Well it is... You can make a wish, and generally... it comes true! Did you know... that 1+1+1+1=4? Well, actually it does! 4 is my lucky number... thus making 11:11 my lucky time of day. Next time you see the quad ones up on the clock... be sure to wish for something great! :))

P.s. I have to correct my "Inverse Christmas List" ...

Chandler - A Barnes and Noble of his very own, that if he chooses could be changed to Barnes and Jensen, or Jensen and Noble... or something. You can go read brand new books all day, and you don't have to be subjected to the icky library. :))