ABQ Academy and Nauvoo, Illinois

I did a whole lot of things during this past Summer, but my favorite things were ABQ Academy, Nauvoo, Illinois and Taylorsville, Utah.

I went to ABQ Academy for summer classes.  I took Ceramics, Pixels and Pictures, Steel Drums, Digital Dimensions, Cartoon Relief, the Works and Chess Club.  My favorite teachers were Mrs. Walthall, Mr. Corbin, Mr. Gabe, and Mr. Sedillo.  Mrs. Walthal was my Cartooning Relief teacher.  She was super goofy and crazy like me, and loves art; especially cartooning!  She reminds me a lot of the Quack!  She’s so AWESOME!  Mr. Corbin was my Steel Drum teacher and I loved him!  He played steel drums (duh), regular drums, marimba, and I don’t know what else.  He is so talented, has perfect pitch, and has the enthusiasm of me * 2; and if you know me, that means a lot! 

Mr. Gabe and Mr. Sedillo are my Chess teachers, and they are so awesome.  I have been in their summer class for three years now and I learn so much every time.  They are both REALLY NICE GUYS!  Well, anyway, I had a lot of fun at ABQ Academy and I made a lot of friends. 

Now on to Nauvoo, Illinois.  For those of you who don’t know, I am Mormon (LDS is the proper term).  Nauvoo was the city that the Saints traveled to after being chased out of Missouri by Governor Boggs.  The Prophet of our Church, Joseph Smith, named the town Nauvoo, which is Hebrew for beautiful.  This is ironic because Nauvoo was all swampland.  But, the Saints drained it and built it up in seven years to be one of the most populated, prosperous, beautiful towns in Illinois.  The Saints were so dedicated that they melted down all of their valuable china, and every thing important to them, they gave away freely to aid the building of the Nauvoo Temple.  Now that you have some background information, I am going to talk about when I went there this summer.

I went to Nauvoo, Illinois for something called EFY (Especially for Youth).  EFY is a program for Mormon youth ages 14-18 to come together, feel the spirit together, and grow stronger testimonies together.  EFY Nauvoo is a special session, meaning we get to do things that other EFYs around the world don’t get to do.  We get to go to Carthage Jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, and we get to walk on the Trail of Hope and Old Nauvoo.  We even get to do baptisms for the dead in the Nauvoo Temple.  I went to EFY Nauvoo last year and I went again this year.  This year I was in the Browning Company and they were amazing!  We became a family, and after the first day, I came to love them so much!  The people in my group were Kim, Kat, Kayla, Avery, Aubrey, Mitchell, Austen, Chris, Kaleb, Ben, Jason, Wilson, Jase, Sam, Gretchen, Riley, Meghan, and that is all I can remember. There were a few more.  Oh, and Adrian.  He was my COW (Crush Of the Week)!  Anyway, we got really close and had a lot of fun!  Well, that is a rap for this Blog!  Dingbat out!

 

Nauvoo Temple

Trail of Hope

Browning Home and Gunsmith

Beyonders (Cont’d)…

Blog Entry for August 25, 2011

He went in the room with a candle, and he started reading the books and realized why the room was forbidden because the room contained unwholesome, dark literature.  In the middle of the room he found a book lying on a pedestal bound in human flesh.  It seemed to be alive and had veins in it.  He could see the blue of the veins when he opened the book.  Many of the pages of the book were empty.  A man named Salazared wrote the book and he talked about how he was a servant for Maldor.  He was betraying him by giving a hint as to the only word that could destroy Maldor.  You could only say it once, it would go from your mind and you would remember it no more.  Therefore, there was only once chance to defeat Maldor.  The first syllable is the letter A and the knowledge you now possess for prompt execution, and there was a caution to not let his sacrifice be in vain.  Jason walks out of the room, and is shaken.  The Lore Master asked if he found what he was looking for.  Jason said he was looking for information on how to get home.  The Lore Master said Jason’s life was in danger and Jason was then going to try to get to the Blind Prince.  The funny thing is, in the very first pages of the book, the Blind Prince is in Prison and is in a dark cell, that is dirty and Maldor walks in  The Blind Prince says the word and Maldor was expecting the word to be told to him, so he sent an image of himself.  Once the word was spoken, the Blind Prince was not able to use it again because it leaves the memory of the person who speaks it.  Jason walks through; the Lore Master gives him a coat, mushrooms, berries and a bed roll.  Jason goes on his way, walks a day and then midday he falls asleep.  He awakes and starts walking where he meets a man named Aster.  Aster is dirty and covered in gross clothing.  Jason says he is going to the Blind Prince to steal some pies, so he goes to a house that is colored with bright colors.  A woman by the name of Frannie walks out and she gets upset and asks what Jason wants.  He says he is looking for the Blind Prince.  The woman is apprehensive and doesn’t want to give the whereabouts of the Blind Prince (Blind King).  Jason asks for directions.  The woman has a dog that looks like a mix between a Boxer and a Bull Dog and they are called Bore Hounds.  The Dog’s name is Puggles.  Jason tries to win her trust and says there is a man that wants to rob her house.  She asks if it is Aster.  The woman actually gives Aster things to let him think he is stealing.  The woman gives Jason directions and then he goes.

Independent Writing for World Literature

Blog for August 24, 2011

“How much more of this must we endure Gerald?”  Henry muttered in a high pitched whimper, tears streaming down his face.  His naked torso was covered in blood from a lashing he had received just moments before.  His nose was filled with the smell of filth, blood, and death.  That was the third lashing session that day, and it was only 1:00 p.m.  “A few more days of this madness and we’ll both be dead,” said Gerald, grabbing Henry tenderly about the arms as if to not hurt his wounds and pulling him towards his clothed chest.  Henry’s tension eased, and his muscles became weak as he willingly fell in his brother’s arms.  Since their imprisonment, Gerald had often showed a concern and love for him that Henry believed a mother could only possess, lying like a sick helpless crying baby in the arms of his mother, and he was content.  “Now don’t move, I’m going to check your wounds,” said Gerald.  “How can you?” said Henry in a rather relaxed, disinterested voice.  “It’s as dark as a cave in here.  I can’t even see my boots.  Just forget about it chap.”  “Well, if I don’t do something for them, they’ll get infected,” said Gerald.

Choir

Last Saturday I started back with my Choir.  The name of the Choir I am in is RGYC, Rio Grande Youth Choral.  I am also in a group that is a part of the Choir for freshmen and older called River Voice.  We are thinking of even getting a group for boys.  We still do not know what they would be called, but I am thinking of the name Ocean Roar or Fire Roar.   The boys would be the same age as River Voice girls; freshman age and up.  I counted 69 kids in our choir; whereas, we used to have only approximately 25-30.  This year the requirements are super rigorous.  For regular kids, there are about 20 different songs.  I have another 20 songs in River Voice, so I have 40 songs in total.  It will be more rigorous and intense this year. 

This summer we are talking about traveling to New York.  Other destinations we are considering are Ireland or China.  New York will cost $1,400.00 per choir student.  If we want to see a Broadway play it will be $100.00 additional per student.  A nice hotel will be an additional amount of approximately $100.00 per night.  We are doing three performances.   We would like to be able to perform at Julliard.  Also, we would like to have a tour of Julliard.

If we go to New York, we will spend a day on the Jersey shore on the beach; which will be a lot of fun. 

My favorite people in my Choir are Sara Nannemann, Heidi Schneider, Emily Anderson, Nick, Kelly, Caitlin, Dory, Luke, Juliana, Miss Sue, Miss Flamm, and Jeff.  Some of my favorite songs I have sung in my Choir are “Down by the Myra,”  “Jai Ho,” and I also liked a book of traditional Christmas Carols that included songs such as “This little Babe.”

A word from the Beyonders

Saturday, I read the book the Beyonders for two straight hours.  I had a dance Saturday night that I missed, that wasn’t really a big deal because I didn’t plan on going anyway.  Then I realized my friend Josh, who never goes to dances, went to the dance just to see me and I wasn’t there, so he was bummed. 

My book is rather boring right now and is not as exciting as Fablehaven.  Basically, right now, it is covering how Jason went to a river when he followed a boy.  He and the boy were watching a raft that was floating down the river that was full of musicians.  The musicians were trying to make a point by going over the waterfall; which was pretty much committing suicide because their director talked them into giving their lives away.  Jason thought it was terrible and he did not believe in what the musicians were doing.  One of the musician’s sisters was at the river and Jason didn’t want to see her suffer so he went to the rescue crew.  Jason wanted the rescue crew to rescue the musicians, but they did not want to rescue them.  Jason pushed one of the rescue guys in the river to get them to help.  Jason then took the bow and arrow tied on to the rope, which he had not shot in two years, and he accidentally shot a musician in the shoulder.  It caught the ship and one of the musicians got out and cut the rope loose.  The musicians fell off into the waterfall and died. 

Then Jason runs because he is afraid he is being followed.  There was a large crowd of people watching from some bleachers.  Some of the people were sad and some were cheering.  Jason then runs into a library of knowledge.  He runs into a Lore Master.  Jason happens to be the first visitor in 10 years to the library.  He meets the boy that he saw at the river, who is the servant to the Lore Master.  The boy’s name is Hermie.  Jason starts looking through the library and the Lore Master tells him to not go upstairs because it is restricted.  Jason finds the upstairs after hours where he finds it almost impossible to solve the lock on the door (made up of columns of holes where pegs are placed to open the door).  The Loremaster gives Jason a book with a clue in it on how to get through the door and Jason looks in the back of the book where the moon dial is.  He copies the symbols from the Sundial from outside and the Moon Dial in the book.  Jason gets the solution to the columns and the rows where he places the pegs on the door.  The door opens and the room is musty and dark.  There is a pure white dog that will not follow Jason in to the upstairs part of the library of knowledge.  Jason is determined to get back home from Lyrian so he continues……