Day 4. Mono. October 14, 2011
Well... I'd say today has been the best. Headache is durable, fever has come, but not too bad. Throat isn't hurting nearly as bad, and.... I'm not feeling completely exhausted. BUT... I did just take a 2 hour nap....So I guess the exhausted part is there, just not as bad as other days! Slow progress even though it probably isn't much...Positive thinking!! :)
Looking outside today, the leaves are finally changing on the mountain I live by.... and ohhh the bliss! It is beautiful!! The pumpkins on the front porch, the trees color, the leaves on the grass. I love fall! I don't think it gets much prettier then this!
Day 3. Mono. October 13, 2011
Well... I've lived knowing I have mono for 3 days! And every day.... I wish it would go away! Today's new symptoms are dull roar headache, and dizzy. Along with back pain, loss of appetite. Miserable and SO exhausted. Of course I get it my first semester of college, right when I need to keep my game face on! Goodness. But come what may, and learn from it!
If I can handle having mono, and pass 16 credit hours worth of classes....I can do ANYTHING!
Too bad it's true wildcat this week for homecoming. I definitely won't be participating!
OHS girls soccer game.... SO GREAT!! My little sis is great. Truly. The guts and the nerve. They, as a team played SO great! Bring on the State Champs!
That is all. For now comes a nap.
Me
My name is Kaitlyn East(like the direction). I love Peace Signs, Glitter, and the color purple. I'm passionate about music. Especially singing. It's my forte. I play the piano and am learning the guitar. I'm also passionate about photography. If I can capture a good picture....Pure.Bliss. I have a passion for living! I Love love LOVE to read! My favorites are the Children of the Promise Series, and Nicolas Sparks books. I love winter! My favorite holidays are as followed: My birthday, Christmas and Halloween. I just learned how to play the african drum and am bound and determined to learn it well! I absolutely LOVE to dance!! Especially African Dance! My favorite drinks are water, Orange Juice and Hot Chocolate. I love, love stories and sappy movies. I love pioneers and genealogy. Favorite value is Integrity. I stand for what I Believe in and am open when it comes to how I feel about something. When I set my mind to some things... I go and don't stop or let anyone get in my way. Watch out world! I love musicals and performances. I love performing on stage/ performing in general(especially singing) I don't get nervous talking or singing in from of people. I have loud vocal chords and talk ALOT. I love camping and riding four wheelers. I love graham crackers and frosting! I already have my wedding planned, just waiting for mr. right to come along. I LOVE weddings. I love shoes! especially high hills. I love zebra stripes and owls. I love meeting new people! I don't like peanut butter and I like to playfully banter with people. I love to stay up late and sleep in! I love quotes! The people I know best are the ones that mean the most to me!
Now.... that. is . all. :)
Hey Mom.... my throat has hurt for 5 days... and I'm still not sick....
About a week ago.... My throat started getting sore. I was WAY bugged because not only had a just got over a attempted cold, but I have a choir concert in a week. 1 week!! If my throat gets sore, and I get sick, I loose my voice therefore loosing notes to sing!! Agh. Much to my surprise though, I never got more sick. My throat just kept getting worse and I started getting unusually tired....I'm young, that's not normal. After watching and paying attention to the details, I got online and looked up some options of what I could have. The first one I looked up...Mono. I had a funny feeling that it could be what I had, but I didn't want to believe it and kinda hoped it would just be a virus or some weird cold. As I read over the symptoms, it was way too much of what I was experiencing. Then I considered Strep. But I didn't feel the usual Strep symptoms. So... after telling my mom, we checked out the back of my throat. And....EWWWWHHH!! GROSS! It looked exactly like the mono pictures. So.... next day. Trip to the doc. Strep Culture=Negative. Then I got my blood drawn for the first time EVER! I was way nervous! haha weird... Then to wait....wait....wait. 8:56 they called this morning(October 11th) and said that the blood results for Mono came back positive. MONO! I have MONO!!! Ugh.
Let the adventures of lots of sleeping, taking it easy, and No kissing(haha ew. I think kissing gross anyways....) begin. I definitely didn't kiss anyone that had it. Mono is not cool. It can spread just from someone touching their mouth and then another item. Then someone else touches it, and it's transferred. Mono doesn't show up for about 4 weeks after you've been infected. And for me....it's slammed all at once! My mind is ready for anything, and my body wants to sit and sleep all. day. long. I worry the effects it will have on my classes, but it should be ok. I hope.... I have only felt this tired once before, and that time was when I had Swine flu....2 years ago this week!! Fall is not my season for sure!
for now.... lots of rest, water, and being chill. Mmm how am I going to do it? This girl is Go Go all the time! Maybe it's a clue that I need to slow down a little or something!
May whatever comes my way, rock. :)
It's Cancer.
Sometimes, the things that happen in life leave me breathless. Often times, we don't know the meaning as to why things happen. But with hope, faith and courage, we can come out on top. My sweet grandmother was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer. What seemed like a small lump in her abdominal areas, turned into a hour glass of time, quickly running out.
How to feel, think, what to say, and knowing that in 1 year she more then likely will not be around. Knowing she won't be at my wedding, or see my kids, gives me a new look at everything.
Our relationship hasn't been one of a grandmother to granddaughter type, but with lots of prayers and positive thinking, hopefully we can both put away our stubbornness and be grateful for the little time we have left.
I can not imagine, one day finding out that you have 6 months to live. 6 months to live a lifetime. Being so young. I NEVER want to have that happen to me, or anyone else I know. Let death come at old age, not because of cancer.
“Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life.”
Happy Birthday! Day of Birth! Day of Age change!! MY DAY!!
Well.... Every year, I celebrate...ME! it's my day!!
This year was quite dandy! September 8th marks 19 years I've been alive! As Phil Russell would say..."that's more year you know you're alive!" haha true!!
This year, all I wanted was a camera to call my own. A fancy one to say the least. And so... giving up birthday and half of christmas.... A camera came! :) I LOVE that camera, yes I do! :)
I also had my African Dance class then night of my birthday! Which is ALWAYS a treat!!
I had cookies and ice cream as a pre-curser to my birthday cake on sunday with all the fam! Chocolate with Vanilla frosting! YUMMY!!! :)
1 year older and feeling wiser too! Great days to be alive and young!! and.....free! :)
Park City
Adventures in Park City include the following:
Beauty.
Watching part of Fiddler on the Roof(for the first Time!!)
Riding on a bell and basket bike, through some of the most beautiful places in park city!
Taking pictures... hmmm LOVE!!
Bliss.
Love adventures, love life!
College friends.
Despite the fact that almost ALL of my "friends that I want to remember from high school" went away to school, I have had the great chance to meet tons of new people!
But. (which I learned that when you said but, it means everything that you just said up to that point is canceled out. So..be careful how you use but. For instance, A guy walks up to a guy and says..."You such a great guy, and I totally had fun last night on the date but, I'd rather just kept this to a friend ship." BUT! so what she basically was saying... I'd rather just keep this to a friend ship. It's a love/ hate thing. Especially since I noticed I use but, often!
To continue, at Weber, I have learned how hard it really is to make friends, instead of just acquaintances. Everyone here has their high school group of friends already there. Which is great! I'm so happy for them.! Except that I'm here. Pretty much alone, new to everything, and looking for people to hang out with. Then it becomes almost an annoyance. I will say though, I have met some great people, especially at institute! I make it a goal every day to meet someone new, or at least smile and say hi to random people. It seems to make all the difference!! :) College can either rock or...not rock. And I'll make it rock! :)
Institute Retreat
I love institute!! Seriously, it is one of the greatest programs I have ever been a part of! We had a retreat up in Eden, and it was truly incredible!! I wish everyone could partake in it! There's a different feeling there. While out on the sidewalk helping pass out popcorn, we watch as people walk by. Those who haven't ever really been inside or know about it, their reactions are priceless. Instead of just walking by, you see them turn their head, and have a questioned look on their face. They feel something!!
Love love love the gospel!! :)
College & Everything else.
Graduation.
Summer.
College.
The events of my life in the past 4 months.
Since I last wrote, ALOT has happened. The most important thing is COLLEGE!! Yes!! I made it to college! Of course I made it, but remember when you were little and being in high school or college seemed so far away and not even possible, even though it would happen? Yup we felt the same way. After talking with some friends they all said the same thing.
Summer was wonderful. Probably the best summer ever and the one that I grew the most. Not in length( I'm still a stunning 5'2) But in learning about myself. Change is hard. Not matter how it happens. But Change, Happens. And we can either take it and run with it, or huddle up in our ball and wait for things to be normal again. After MUCH change, I picked the higher road, run with it. It has been a blast learning to love this change called growing up! To begin explaining my journey, might I just add, sometimes, people see things in us, we can't seem to see in ourselves. Once found, a great change takes place, and a great person is formed.
August 15th. I still hadn't registered for college. Part of me wanted to, but then I would psych myself out. I finally sat down, after being super confused, and figured it out. Turned out I had more credit then I thought and if all went well, I would have all of my generals done(Except math...) by Fall 2012. AWESOME! But no bueno for the math part. That made me determined to just powerhouse through it, and finish strong and fast! Learn the stuff and move on! As the great Coach Russell calls it. "Bone Head Math. You take it and move on" Amen to that!
Registered. SUCCESS!!
Excitement finally makes it's way in! I was THRILLED for college. Nervous none the less, but I felt confident and able to conquer this thing called college! BRING IT ON!
College. Day 1! I was late for my first class. But besides that, it was fantastic! I was WAY overwhelmed and was secretly terrified! Yet deep down, I knew I had a chance of kicking college butt!
My classes are as followed.
Intro to Criminal Justice
Intro to Human Biology
Institute
Concert Choir
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Sociology
African Dance.
= 16 credits
Over loaded? YES!! But, I picked those classes because I WANTED to take them(which for me makes the class easier already!)
So far.... my professors are so great!! We'll see how it goes!
3 Weeks down. A whole heck of a lot more to go!
Yeah for growing up!
To Be Continued.
:)
Camping With the Fam!
Every August, my mom's WHOLE family packs up and we head to the Utah side of the Uintahs(Lyman Lake) It is A BEAUTIFUL place, not to forget...it's REAL camping! It rained everyday that we were there. We had great lightening and thunder storms! Including one of the days that my dad and I decided to ride out to the Lyman Dam. We left, thinking nothing of the rain. As we left, the rain came and went barely sprinkling. We got to the Utah-Wyoming Border. My dad had to check his phone for work messages and that was the ONLY spot for miles that had service. While I waited, I noticed the clouds moving fast and close. The thunder started... and after hearing the stories of those scouts being struck by lightening I was a little nervous. Thunder again. Hmm...should we leave? or keep going. Then... Lightening. Close. and jagged across the sky. We jumped on the fourwheelering and hit the gas. We were going as fast as we could. I was running on adrenaline. The rain came and POURED!! We were soaked! So scary, but so so fun!! :) We ended up making it to the Dam after the rain passed! YEAH!! The rest of the trip was FABULOUS!! My aunt brought her nephew(from ALABAMA!! Return Missionary!! BOOYAH!) and we hung out THEE WHOLE TIME! SO FUN!!:) I love ALL my family!! :)
Atticus William Sparks
I finally got to meet my sweet new cousin Atticus! His parents are living in Boston(my uncle is GENIUS! He has a full ride scholarship to Harvard) Atticus was born in April and they decided to come in July! They blessed him on July 4th at my house! It was a sweet day! I fell in love with that baby! Miss him SO much!!
Visiting Great Grandma
My Beautiful great grandma is...getting old. It was her birthday and we had a party for her! She was such an Amazing lady! Unfortunately, old age has caught up with her. She is someone I want to be like! She was classy, elegant, sophisticated and just...the definition of a woman. Love you Grandma Ozella! <3
10 RaNdOm things about....ME! :)
NOTICE: this is not a brag post. Just information.
1. One of my all time FAVORITE sounds is... right before I movie starts, when the sound runs down the walls(and then shows the sound company name)...gives me chills. :)
2. I'm really good at the song guessing game.
3. I LOVE Cotton Candy!!
4. I love to sing. It's my passion. It's something that I can do forever. It's how I express myself, and One day...I'm gonna be good!
5. I think people's feet are DISGUSTING!! YUCK!!
6. I don't do well with change, but I'm learning to love it.
7. When I was little, my life goal was to be Ms. Rodeo Utah.
8. I listen to music while falling asleep.
9. I LOVE shoes! You can NEVER have too many shoes!
10. I believe in having a voice. We all have one, USE IT!
THis is a pathetic list. Buuut....It's a start!
More randomness to come!
"The future is not someplace we are going to, but a place we are creating. The paths to it are not found, they are made."
- Jane Garvey
An American Hero
A kid I got to know a few years ago, joined the military. On July 2, Seth was involved in an accident...and buried IED explosion. He is in DC at the hospital, recovering. I pray that some how, things will turn out better then expected. He is such a neat kid, with lots of potential. It was right before the 4th, and what more to do then be grateful for the soldiers that serve our great country! I have 3 uncles in the military, and troops hit close to home for me. My family is grateful that nothing too serious has happened to any of them, and that they are alive and well. I think of those soldiers, like Seth, that in just a moments notice their lives are changed. How grateful I am for the power of prayer, and the medical advancements we have to be able to provide a way to live for those injured soldiers. After visiting Arrlington Cemetary last summer with my history class as well as the great sights of DC, the small things affect me more then I realize. After learning the things I learned and hearing the stories...I'm forever changed. May we never forget. Grateful for this great country we live in. Grateful for those troops. And grateful that Seth is alive.
To read Seth's story, go to
www.sethnewmanpack.blogspot.com
"Our country is not the only thing we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." -James Bryce
"Ev'ry heart beats true, neath the Red, White, and Blue."-George M. Cohan
Best graduation card...EVER! :)
"If there's anything I've learned in my sixteen years on stage, it's that stars are rare, and when they're found, you have to let them shine." - Rachel Berry
inside card...
"Shine on, you star, YOU!"
Thanks Rob and Jerry!! :) <3
Tents, Bug Spray, Fire... OH MY!!
FINALLY went camping for the FIRST time this summer. And I must say, I forgot how much I love it!! It's something completely different, and yet you can be just a couple miles from home or several hours away. I love the smell of camp fire, I love roasting mellows, I love waking up to the sounds of nature, and I Love the fact that it's make up FREE!! :) Over all, camping for me has become a must. As often as possible! We went just up Logan Canyon and stayed at a cute little camp ground close to a VERY FULL river! It got a bit chilly, and of course I forgot my hoodie... but my blanket did justice and it was a great adventure... literally. Some pictures of the adventures! :)
Trek: Part 1
Just a few weeks back I had the great chance to go on trek. It truly was one of the most amazing things I have ever participated in. Not only was it a great experience, but I also learned so many life lessons.
To begin. We met at the stake center at a bright and early 6:30(I was of course LATE because some stupid teenagers thought it would be funny to turn off our power...ask me about that one if you want to know more.) We were fed a good breakfast then it was time to go! Totally excited to get going and anticipating the adventure that lay ahead, we left. While driving, we were almost to Morgan when a Highway Patrol came cruising by. The driver of the car I was in, without hesitation said "I hope that's not for any of us". Little did we know what was ahead. We got a little closer and noticed a HUGE line of cars along the side of the road....then...our trailer...hauling all our buckets and sleeping stuff....on it's side. I have never seen a trailer that damaged! It was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. We pulled over and then we saw just how bad it was. They had people lined up checking our bags and buckets for leaks/breaks...AND gas cans that were in the trailer were spilling down all over our sleeping bags. Luckly, not too many people were effected by the gas spill. The bags that had gas on them were taken out and put into a new bag and the name put on it. It was awesome team work. They then brought a tow truck and had to flip the trailer up on all 3(lost a wheel...) and tow it away. The reason they say that the trailer flipped is because it was loaded incorrectly. Was it? who knows! This is what happened. The trailer started swaying...really bad. The driver tried to out run it and then slow down, over and over. It finally just flipped, smashed a corner of the truck. The truck then drove off the road. The trailer just rolled across the freeway and stopped in the middle. The truck driver took control of the situation and drove the truck back up on the free way and got a chain and hooked the trailer up to the truck and drug it to the side of the road. The highway patrol was then called and.... then the beginning of this post. It was later said that if the driver had put the pin in, when the trailer flipped...it would have taken the truck with it. What a blessing. And a miracle. We were protected. Faith Builder! :) Then they sent us all back to our cars and we were on our way. The rest of this story.... To be continued.
Trek: Part 2
Finally I have a second to write the rest of my Trek experience. As much as I want to say all that happened, it's hard to explain, because you kinda have to be there. But I will give a general idea of what happened. So... after we got to the site to start the Trek, we loaded up our handcarts, and set off. We saw Brighams Arrow(which was quite the sight), and the got on a flat, LOOOOONG dirt road and walked. Walked. Walked. We were walking on the road next to the HUGE windmills, and often we made jokes that those were definitely there when the pioneers came. We had a FABULOUS lunch(costa vida salads, MY FAV!!). Back to walking. We walked until we reached gravel hill(the whole time before trek they had talked about how hard it was going to be....) At lunch the main guy had every company get 2 pieces of rope. At gravel hill, the guys(or stronger girls) were to tie the ropes around their waist and then pull/lean back so that the handcart wouldn't roll forward down the hill. We were nervous, but had a extra boost of confidence(I'm sure the pioneers had LOTS of that. You almost have to.) Gravel Hill was...somewhat easy. We were quite shocked how not hard it was. Confidence boost! At this point we could see camp in the distance. We got to the river that we were suppose to be crossing to get to camp.... and it was a flowing danger zone. There was NO way to cross it. So.. we set off to go around the river. Extra couple miles the first day were no big deal. Sure, it was tiring, but it was doable, which is what was most important. Camp that night was at Muddy Creek(Johnson's army was stationed there, as well as the Pony Express, the first rail road, first telegraph line, and water).We ate another amazing meal, the pony express riders came and delivered mail(a letter written by our bishops), square dancing, camp fire, and off to a much needed sleep. Woke up at 8:00, breakfast and we set off again. On the way, we stopped at graves and different sites. We walked a little farther and we stopped in a small canyon(it had a name but...not so sure what it was). At this stop, the pioneers stopped because they found water. It was the only water since Muddy Creek. The water was a blood red because of the minerals, and the journal say that it had a bitter taste, but it was water so they drank it anyways. We saw some of the graves(including the man who the canyon is named after). And then... the annoucement was made. Women's Pull was next. ALL the guys were to leave with the leaders, and the girls were to go back to the handcart and get ready. I was a nervous wreck. I was totally ok with the idea for a while, but when the moment came, I was terrified!! Almost in tears, we began walking. It started out on a slant(which any time there was a hill, or slant of any kind.. those were always THEE hardest parts) and the adventure began. Right from the beginning, it was hard. Really hard. We were all SO tired, and emtions were rollercoastering all over. But, we continued, helping each other along, encouraging and each saying a prayer in our heart that somehow, we could finish strong. We got to a small, but steep hill. When we looked up, we saw all the men, with their hats off, standing there. It was the most heart wrenching thing(I get teary just thinking about it) To think, some pioneer woman had to do this their WHOLE journey because their husband was off helping with the war, part of the Mormon Battalion, or dead. We keep pushing forward. A larger more inclinded slope came. I about lost it. I was so hot, tired, and my body felt like it was going to collapse. At moments it felt like the burden got lighter, I would turn around to see if there were more people, but there wasn't. I knew we were being helped. We finally got almost all the way to the top when the guys showed up, put their "shoulders to the wheel"... and helped us finish. We stopped, and as a group, we talked about it alittle bit. I got really emotional and was so touched by the experience. I realized why the men were SO important, and how grateful I was that they were there. We walked on, hearts full of gratitude.
We got to the top of a slope, and looked down. STEEP hill, ahead, figuring it was just like gravel hill, the guys roped up, and we set off. Little did we know, the runoff had come through and made huge marks down the path. There was also HUGE smooth rocks that would slide out from under you making it really hard to keep your balance while trying to pull the handcart up to keep it from rolling down. We finally got to the bottom. SO MUCH HARDER than gravel hill. Confidence boost! We stopped and played the stick pull game, and then gathered around for a dueling game of which "end of the stick touches the ground first" :) Our guide told us camp was still 6 miles away(the bad thing about him was you never could tell if he was kidding or serious, if you should laugh or not, be offened or make fun of him) JK!! Less then half a mile to go! We set up camp, had dinner, Testimony meeting, then we had a fire, roasted mellow, had a marshmellow fight and sung every popular 2011 song you could think of. Haha! Early morning. I forgot...the women's pull is now. INSERT here.
After that... we keep walking. We get to a stop for lunch.(P.S. throughout the 3 days... we sang songs, talked to each other, laughed, ate snacks, juggled oranges(I won!! :) ) and passed off different things in our book of accomplishments(like name the 12 apostles in order, etc. We also had envelopes that told stories at some of the places we went.) Also most of day 2, we were walking through NO TRAIL sage brush. If you don't know what that's like... you best have sympathy. We had to dodge them, and the roll over them, and try not to let the ticks get on you...one of THEE hardest parts.) After we ate, they had us walk up a small trail to the top where there was sandstone rocks. There, a solider from the mormon battalion had carved his name in the rock, the year, and what group. The owner of the land then told us stories. The reason that name was there is because when the mormon battalion was created, they knew Johnson's army was coming. They didn't want them to reach the Saints, so at night they would gather around the smaller groups of Johnson's army and burn any sort of transportation(their wagons) and then disappear into the night. So while waiting, he carved his name in the rock. Also... when Brighman Young brought over the first group, they came through those rocks(the marks are still there from the wheels). It wasn't until after the had come through he decided he was going to find a different path and create a easier trail. She then told of a trek group that had come to a site close by. Instead of a Woman's pull, they did a dead/alive pull(if you get a alive card, you pull. Dead card, not pull) It was down to 2 small girls at one handcart, the stake president and 4 boys with another. The men got theirs going. One of the little girls had a breathing problem, and had a attack. The Stake presidents and boys came to the rescue and assisted the little girl. They didn't know what they were going to do. Suddenly they looked up at the ridge and there was a bunch of young men coming toward them. The guys came up and said they were a camp over and heard them coming. They asked if they could help. Together they pulled the carts, and the event was over. After the pull, they talked to the guys and asked for a picture with them. The picture was taken, and the guys said they needed to get back. The trek was over and the stake president went to get the pictures developed. In the pictures... only the Stake President, and the 4 boys were in the picture. All those guys that came from the other camp... weren't there. Chills. Probably my FAVORITE story, ever!
We set off again for the last 4 miles of trek. At mile 3 we were asked to open the last envelope. It told of a story that it was winter and a family's feet were so numb their feet were bleeding, and they had no more shoes. The letter said, "They walked miles without shoes. You are to take off your shoes and walk for 10 minutes barefoot." So... Off went the shoes. After the 10 minutes, they said put your shoes back on. But Alas! I rebelled! No shoes!! 3 miles with no shoes. We hit a mud puddle right before we got to the end, and I walked right through it. Muddy feet, a grateful heart, dirt covered body, and lessons learned... I finished trek. I walked every single mile and pulled the handcard the WHOLE way. I'm so grateful I finally had the chance to go on trek. What an experience. I will never forget all that I felt. I love the pioneers, and I'm forever grateful for all they did. If you haven't seen 17 miracles... see it now. It will change your life. Just like trek changed mine.
Graduation.
Graduation=Bittersweet.
Here's my day.
Wake up late...LOVE! Go to school... because of course I couldn't get enough! One of my best friends asked me if I wanted to go to lunch and of course I agreed! We jumped in the car and drove to the end of Harrison and ate Chinese Food. DELICIOUS!! It was so nice to sneak away for a second especially since my nerves were running wild. I was SO nervous for graduation!! We went back to the school and I saw someone and talked to them for a little bit. The time had come. It was 3:15...Graduation call was 4:00... Not cool. Rushed home not knowing what to wear or how to fix my hair. I become really emotional and kept crying. The attempt to finish my make up didn't work out so well. I finally pulled myself together and finished getting ready. My sweet neighbor came over to wish me the best as I frantically hurried out the door. Graduation was held at the Dee Event Center at Weber State. It was 4:15 when I pulled in. Frazzled and really nervous I walked in and found where we were suppose to go. I quickly went and got my medal to wear and said hi to some people. It was the weirdest feeling standing there, seeing everyone I've seen every day for 4 years all dressed up in their cap and gown...waiting for the biggest moment in their life up to that point. We were then sent to line up. Waiting in that tunnel NEVER seemed longer! Time seemed to stand still but the future was a run-a-way train heading right toward us. Class Of 2011. This was our moment. It was time. With tears coming and going, I felt ready. Scared to death, but ready! We walked out and I went up and sat in the Choir Section. We performed, they talked(it's all kind of a blur...) They had a ceremony for the head secretary in the office that was retiring. She is one AMAZING woman and deserves every bit of attention. After, our principal, Mr. Wilson, got up and spoke. I never in my life thought that he would be at our graduation(He was moved from my jr. high to my high school) But he was! and he spoke. It was probably one of the best speeches I've ever hear. No Joke. It was bittersweet and I teared up as did most of us. One of the bits of advice he was was"learn math now so you don't look like a fool" Funny...math is my WORST subject. Diploma time. We got into the lines that we practiced the week before... butterflies bigger then ever.... we walk up to the table, gave them the paper with our name on it, waited... and..."Kaitlyn East". The longest walk I've ever been on. First hand to shake...School board member...2nd School board member...3rd Mr. Mendenhall(Assistant Principal)....4th Mr. Wilson. Picture. Walk along shaking the Senior Class Officers hands then to our seat. Big Sigh. A member of the Senior class officers got up, explained the moving of the tassel... we moved it. The excitment hit like a brick wall. Thrilled to be graduated!! Best. Day. Ever. :)
Scholarship Breakfast!
There was a Senior and Parent Scholarship breakfast that was held the tuesday before graduation. I had the privilledge of getting 2 scholarships. One scholarship is $2,500 from the Rotary Club and the 2nd is from the Alan Hall Foundation for $1000. That's $3,500 toward Weber State!! So Blessed. I worked so hard to get those scholarships! I'm so grateful it paid off! It makes college pay so much less of a burden!THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Senior Reflection
In an effort to try out to speak at graduation... I wasn't successful. But I did get to speak at Senior Reflections which was quite the treat! It was scary, amazing and THEE best!! I'm grateful I got the chance! The senior girls from Chamber Choir also sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." with the ukilele(??) Great evening! After the performances and speeches we watch a video. Yup... Cried through the WHOLE thing! Oh the wonderful mixed emotions of graduating. :/ / :0/ :)
