school

ugh. :( This is the first time I've ever been upset with myself this school year. My grade in Algebra 2 is down to a C. Even though all my other classes are at an A (except english which is at A- for some reason...) anyway now my GPA is down from a 4.0 to a 3.5. I am so upset with myself for not handing in those assignments. Luckily, I can make up work because I was sick and those assignments I'm missing are the ones I missed when I was sick. So tonight I guess I won't be going to the football game either that or I'll bring my algebra 2 with me... woo! I am a party animal :/
I am just so proud of myself for having a 4.0 for this long! That has NEVER happened. In 7th grade the best GPA I had was 3.25 or something like that and I was on the honor roll. This is my best GPA streak ever! It's been so long that I've had GOOD GRADES! That's not about to stop now! I'm going to bring that C up to an A by monday and bring that A- in english up to an A by the end of next week!
I am so excited to take the SAT too, because I've been doing the practice and practice test online and I asked for the study book for this years test for my birthday which is in less than a month and I'm taking the test sometime in December. I think on the 3rd.
SEMINARY GRADE IS BAD TOO! D: I haven't passed any scripture mastery off yet at all! Plus, since I've been sick so many times, my attendance is down to 65%. That'll change from makeup work this weekend. I'm really striving to keep my grades in school up though, so seminary will have to come second to high school until the grades go up.
I'm very proud of the progress I've made this year. I am going to graduate!!! :)

Art

I have to be honest. Other than my painting for divine nature, I really haven't done anything artsy at all. I stopped drawing a while back because I thought I wasn't good at it anymore. But, today I feel like I want to start back up again. I know I'm not going to be as great as I used to be right away, but it's so sad that I just stopped because I thought I wasn't the best.
I love art and art history is pretty much one of the only things about history (besides church history and my family history) that doesn't completely bore me.
Soooo here we go. I'll try again. Let's see what I can do this time :)

Finished Divine Nature!

Hey look at what I got this last sunday! :)
I finished Divine Nature all the way through :) I am almost completely done with Personal Progress! I'm trying to beat my goal of finishing personal progress by October 18th.

Oh, happy day :)

Tomorrow I have my second ever talk in sacrament meeting. I'm pretty excited about it. I get to talk to the congregation in my new ward! I really like this ward a lot. There are some extremely nice people and I'm making so many more new friends of all ages.
I'm a little nervous because I put the talk together kind of at the last minute. Ever since last school year I really dislike putting things off like that. But I think it's going to be a pretty good one. I'm going to go over it tonight a few times and make sure it says everything I want it to say and all that jazz. I'm pretty happy today. I talked to a really good friend of mine for an hour on the phone. We only recently got back in touch with each other and I am so happy we did. I missed talking to her about everything and nothing at the same time and laughing about the most random things. It's good to have a female friend to talk to.
There's only 41 more days until I turn 18 and I am so excited! I was going to spend the rest of this High School year in Young Women's but I am almost done with personal progress and I really want to move on to relief society. I think it's going to be a fun and interesting transition. It will be different since I came in to young women's only about 9 ish months ago. I am going to a "craft and chat" with the relief society in october. I am really excited about it. Only 6 more sundays in Young Womens.
Life is good. I have nothing bad to say. There's a cold sore on my lip and I don't even care! Usually I would be freaking out and annoyed because of it. But today I just don't have anything to complain about. I am blessed and I am happy.

hmmm

I learned that I need to take it easy on the studying all the time. I went a little extreme, but so far I have great grades and I am really motivated to keep doing well.

Anyway I have a talk this sunday and it's a pretty broad topic... well, not broad... not as broad as the book of mormon. That was an interesting topic for my first talk.
Should've seen this coming when I told my new bishop that I love to talk in front of people at church and share my ideas and testimony of the gospel. But I'm not complaining, actually I am kind of a freak. I love talking in front of people and leading people, etc. I used to be so terrified to speak in front of people, let alone share my personal beliefs or a testimony of those beliefs.

I feel like I've grown a lot :) Can't wait for sunday! Hopefully people love my talk... I haven't started it yet. Just got the topic yesterday. Starting with something now though. It'll get there :)

interesting experiences today

1.) stake conference. Sat alone but really enjoyed the conference.
2.) missionary (attempted) experience. Opened up my eyes and sort of prepared me for the future.
3.) talked to my college friends about their new wards and college life. I miss them.
4.) hopped into a huge truck wearing a pencil skirt (that, my friends was a challenge)
5.) emailed an old friend. I really pray that she reads it.
6.) class tonight at the stake center.

:/ I haven't even gotten a response back from my friend and I already feel like I have failed. I really hope she reads it. I would've liked to have talked to her in person but that's the only way I have to contact her is email.
Well, we shall see. Hopefully I'm not as much of a failure as I feel like I am right now. I can't change the past so I guess I should just pray and look to the future.

worldwide views!

It makes me so happy to read the stats on my blog! In the stats it shows me where all my readers live. So far there are readers from 9 different countries!
United States 532
Malaysia 26
Germany 9
Spain 2
United Kingdom 2
Hong Kong 1
Indonesia 1
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Sweden 1
Thank you to all my readers! I love that my blog helps you all. Maybe I'll enable comments... if I do, please comment! Thank you so much, I love you all!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

So tired.

This week was the first day of school and seminary. I am just so completely wiped out from getting up so early. Here's my schedule this last week:
4:15 am: wake up and shower. eat breakfast. Do hair, get dressed etc.
5:25 am: walk to seminary.
6:00 am: Seminary starts.
6:50: first bus from seminary to High School
7:45: choir
8:35: second bus from High School to continuation school
8:45: Algebra 2
9:50: Spanish/ASL
11:35: lunch
12:05: advocacy
1:35: English 12
2:15: third bus back to High School.
2:40: fourth bus at High School to home
Ay Carumba.
Then when I get home I study ASL and spanish for a while and make sure I absolutely know everything. Then I read my scriptures and do some scripture study. Then I have to sweep the floor and this week when it was my dishes week. By the time all that comes around and done, it's about 7:00 in the evening. On tuesday I went to mutual and by the time I got home and had free time it was 8:30. So I just went to bed. I am now elated to get to bed early.
But I want to make sure you know that I'm not complaining. I love having a hectic schedule. I'm just really tired. With all my studying and hard work in seminary and doing my chores at home I feel really accomplished at the end of the day. Every time someone asks me how i'm doing i say tired. Yesterday in English, my teacher asked "How are you" and I said "tired." as usual. She replied "Do you always have such a huge grin on your face when you're tired." I didn't even realize it, but I was smiling a huge smile. It made me laugh when she said that. My friend laughed too and said "she's always happy and cheerful no matter what." It's sort of true I guess. When I'm at school I smile every second. I don't know why. I really don't like my school and I'm so tired I have to take 10 minutes applying makeup in the morning to conceal the bags under my eyes. On top of that, everything in our house is falling apart. I mean, everything. So far (since last saturday, September 3rd keep in mind.) the air conditioner broke, the garbage disposal broke, the garage door is still broken, the dishwasher broke this morning, the floor under the hardwood is rotting, the washing machine is only working part of the time, there are a few cupboard doors that have broken. So they have to redo all the hardwood floors and fix whatever else needs to be fixed.
There. I've vented all the worrisome things. Now I'll get back to the happy.
I have a talk on the 18th (invitational sunday), just sang at a cute little kids baptism this morning, have my missionary prep class tomorrow at the stake center, meeting an inactive girl in our ward tomorrow. There's something else but I forgot. I know there's something else....
I can't remember.
I'm gonna go play video games in my hoodie and sweats and then nap. :)
I've been thinking a lot about the hymn "Be still, my soul" this week. I think it's because I've been trying my very best to be patient about going to a school where I am feeling pretty alone and like a sore thumb. Every day since sunday I've been wearing my YW torch necklace. I did it to remind myself to make good choices and stand for truth and righteousness while I'm at school. There's a lot of people, almost everyone who makes really bad choices there. Don't get me wrong, they have good hearts. I have met most of my graduating class (of 20 people, maximum) and I have seen that they all have good hearts. They are just making a lot of bad choices. So I wore it to make myself remember to not be pressured into making the same choices. On thursday in spanish class I learned a phrase that I really like.
La constancia hace milagros.
It translates to "Constance brings miracles" It means that when you are patient and when you are determined and consistent that miracles will happen. Just something to think about.

finished divine nature today

I completely finished divine nature today. Project and all. I get my scripture ribbon next sunday. I'm really excited for tuesday because we're having a food fight type activity. Then on Saturday I am going to sing at a little kids baptism (with 4 other girls. There's no way I would do a solo). And on sunday I'm going to the missionary prep thing at the stake center. They said all 17 year olds planning on serving a mission can come. I want to serve a mission. I'm only 17 now so maybe by the time I turn 21 I won't want to or maybe I just won't be looking to go on a mission, but for now I really want to and I'm really excited.
Also, today I stayed after church to practice piano in the chapel and talked to my new Bishop. He is really nice and we talked about my Baptism and my joining the church. He also asked me if I would like to speak at invitational sunday. I love to speak at church and talk about the gospel! I am always so nervous about talking in front of people. I've always kind of had a hard time looking people in they eyes or looking out and seeing large crowds (thats why I don't do solos) and it's really helping me a lot to learn how to face my fear by going up in front of people and talking. Which means I have to put off visiting the ward in washougal another 2 weeks :( I miss them already.
I don't know what the topic is that I'll be given but I am really excited to put together a talk for invitation sunday. Maybe I'll even bring my friend Nick along again! He came with me last sunday and i think it went pretty well. The next time I see him I'm going to give him a Book of Mormon.
It was really funny, today when I asked our Bishop for a Book of Mormon, they had hardcover and softcover and they had a bunch of them. Here's the conversation:
Bishop: Brother L, we have a budding young missionary here who would like a Book of Mormon to give to her friend.
Brother L: Well, we've got hardcover and softcover. Which one do you want?
Me: Softcover is fine, and just the one I guess.
Bishop: Oh no! Give her two! Give her a soft copy and a hard copy! One to give to her friend and an extra just in case.

So, yeah. I have no idea who that second Book of Mormon will be for, but I took it anyway. I'll give Nick the softcover one and save the hardcover.
Hm what else? Nothing really. I tried to see my friend before he leaves for college on wednesday. But he had meetings today, I understand. I'm just disappointed. I wish I would've said this in person sooner.

"friend" if you're reading this (you know who you are)
Remember how at my baptism you said "you did it!" and I just started crying? I was just so full of emotions I wasn't used to feeling and the spirit was really strong. I forgot to say Thank you. I wanted to give you the biggest hug out of everyone there. But it didn't cross my mind. That's one of the biggest mistakes I've made. I've caused problems and made mistakes and I've gotten mad at you for things you didn't do. I may have thanked you once or twice but not sincerely as you deserve to be thanked. Today, I just wanted to give you a big huge hug and say "thank you." I still want to because I feel like it's something that should be done in person instead of over text message or email or because you read this blog post.

And, I'm tired. It was really hot and uncomfortable in church today and I have kind of a headache. One more day of summer and then school starts on tuesday. Seminary starts monday. I'm going to graduate this year. I'm so excited.

GETTIN BUFF!!! :)

For knowledge, I've finished all of the erquired value experiences and now all I have to do is upload them to the online thing to turn in to my leaders and get them passed off. However, I have already chosen a project! Gettin buff. :) I'm making my own fitness and eating plan and I'm calling it "run and not be weary" in reference to the revelation given by Joseph Smith in section 89 of the doctrine and covenants (aka the word of wisdom). I'm writing out the program and I've already started implementing it! I'll include my fitness plan for 2 weeks and a journal on what I eat each day and goals for the week, etc. It's going to be really cool. I'll start that program officially on Monday because I have to write the packet for my project still. In addition, since this is my personal progress blog, I'll post my project in it's entirety so you can follow my progress. Oh, and you may ask "Ashleigh, why do you title your posts on fitness as 'gettin buff?'" Well, good people let me tell you. One time I was doing squats in the weight room fourth period because I had weight training that period. I was on 5 out of 10 of the reps I was going to do when I heard to boys behind me on the benches. One was benching and the other was spotting the guy. The spotter was yelling at the guy benching. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" and each time the other guy brought the bar up he would shout back "GETTIN' BUFF!!!" It cracked me up so much that I had to put the weight back on the rack otherwise I would've tipped over. My spotter was laughing too hard to help me too. Anyway, it just made me giggle.
I'll find a creative way of posting my project on here and I'll do that by monday morning.
So far today I have done tricep extensions, yoga poses, and a bunch of other things. Hm, maybe I should post instructions on how to do these exercises so that you get the picture of just exactly what I'm doing... hm... :)