Pioneer Children Sang as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked...

Recently on a Venture 'campout', enjoyable experiences were had by all. We got to go up to our Bishop's 'cabin' and snowmobile the next day. It was a lot of fun, starting with many of the boys in my crew flirting with girls on the highway that ended up going to the same cabin community as ourselves. We then hiked up to the cabin on what was supposed to be a fifteen minute hike that turned into a 45 minute hike. We'd gotten there later then expected, and it got dark as we hiked in snowshoes. The result was that we walked past the cabin in the dark, and when we asked them to turn on the lights, we were fifteen minutes off course and had to hike back. It was worth it for the cabin alone however. The house was completely furnished and decked out with ever modern convince including a huge flat-screen and remote-control fireplaces. We had a lovely dinner of chili-cheese dogs and ended it with a night of hot-tubing, karaoke singing, and Mario Kart Wii that ended at midnight. The next day we went snowmobiling for a few hours, and had an incredibly enjoyable time of it. We were incredibly sore the next day for church and it didn't help that mom got me up at 8 and had us all go out to shovel driveways. It was way fun though, and I suggest watching this.

The Game of Public Education

The story of my life for the last two months was incredibly boring. Nothing except school week after week and Debate on some weekends. Not to say I didn't enjoy it. I learned stuff, including Chinese and the definition of Proletarian. I played Magic and Munchkin with my friends at school. I did average at 3 debate tournaments and am slightly looking forward to regions this weekend. I am reading a good book though, 'Life and Death in Shanghai'. It's a true story about a woman who lived through the Proletarian Revolution in China and the atrocities and afflictions that beset her through the reign of Communists. I'm glad I read it as it shows exactly those behind Occupy Wall Street are idiots. School though, is a game. Its about playing your cards right and keeping vigilant to get that little blot of ink that says you're smart to the world. It determines your fate and career and how you will be treated by those above and below. I think its broken, flawed, and biased against those who don't quite fit the system, but I'm not sure how to fix it. I just hope it will be some day.

On that happy note, look what I can do!

LAST FUNDRAISER!

Hey everybody! As you may or may not know I'm am in A'Capella Choir this year and as you may or may not know Choir Tour comes with it. We are going to Seattle Washington and that costs a lot of money for the trip and Hotel. Fortunately we are taking orders for buckets of Cookie Dough and Carmel Corn and other delectable treats for 14 or 15 dollars. This is the last Fundraiser we're doing and if you could contribute it would be extremely helpful! All profits will help us on our way.

The choices are:

Cookie Dough 14$:

Chocolate Chunk

Peanut Butter

Oatmeal Raisin

Snicker doodle

Cookie Dough 15$:

White Chocolate Macadamia

Triple Chocolate

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

White Chocolate Oatmeal Raspberry

Lemon Drop

Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Bits (yum!)

Churros

Pumpkin Rolls

Carmel Corn (all 14$):

Chocolate Delight:

Chicago Style:

Buttery Carmel

Cherry Delight

Mint Delight

Peanut Butter Delight

If you can help us out, then please e-mail me at coy@jrchristensen.com. If you're worried about quality, don't be. I've tasted this stuff and it is very good (especially the Oatmeal Raspberry, that stuff is like Heaven on Earth!).

I'll never forget

Today will be in my memory forever. It started about a month and a half ago when Annie asked me if I would like to baptise her (How can you say no when someone asks that?). Last night I took her on a date to Carl's Jr, discussing what would happen this morning. It was truly amazing to be a part of her ordinance. We'd been practicing the baptism for about a week and, with the water barely reaching past the top of my thighs, I nearly had to double over to get her completely in the water. This was also because she's just about half my height. Overall, the experience was amazing and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Happy Holidays

I love this time of year. Besides the fact that we didn't get school off until after Christmas, it has been the perfect break from everything so far. For the last two years my Dad has been unemployed, which has been hard for us in varying ways throughout, but it has only served to strengthen our love for each other and our savior as he has blessed us with every challenge that came our way, not only with miracles but with the help from countless friends and family members. This Christmas probably wouldn't have happened without Him, but with him it was literally the biggest and greatest Christmas we've had to date. My Dad was able to get employed about a month ago, which helped enormously, and the community we have has shown us so much love that its still sitting on our counters as we eat it slowly throughout the days. We were able to receive and give so many amazing and fun gifts that we've been often brought to tears. I will remember Christmas 2011 for the rest of my life.
In closing, this video is what we gave my Grandparents on my moms side for Christmas.

My Recent Life (last few weeks) in a few carefully chosen pictures and sentences.

Hey everybody! So much has happened so recently that I could do 3-4 separate posts, but I unwittingly decided to jam it all together! While reading this, stop the playlist music above and have the following link playing in another window/tab!You Won't Regret it!

1. My Birthday: Last Nov. 2nd marks my 17th year being alive on this earth. My presents included a new Kindle (my old one was stolen), the Son of Neptune book, and a Fluttershy model. Here's a picture of my cake.

Yes, that be Doctor Who in the background. JUST REMEMBER I DIDN'T MAKE THIS!

2. Two Debate Tournaments: Being L.D. captain is fun yet hard, and these tournaments were pretty average except for this sign.

3. I joined an Acapella Group: I saw a sign on the whiteboard in the Choir room at school advertising an acapella group for the battle of the bands in two weeks. Were practicing now and we'll probably get an official recording I'll show you later.

4. Book club: Yay! They chose the book I suggested! Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons! IT"S AMAZING!

5. I did a recent presentation in my Language Arts class on this article that appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

6. Just watch this for like three minutes!
7. And Read This!

You can stop the music now. I should do these to music more often. I was listening to what you were while writing this, so you can tell me how it turned out!

I look out the window, and what do I see?

Chocolate Carmel Popcorn? That's unexpected. Anyways, whether you're here of your own free will or not, here's how its gonna go down.
We're going to Seattle Washington for Choir Tour in January and we're doing a fundraiser to help pay for it. If you would be willing, we have some holiday treats (in the form of Carmel corn) that will greatly help us on our way.
If you are interested, we'll be delivering in about 2 1/2 weeks. The Carmel corn comes in 10'' by 3'' circular tubs that are filled to the brim. The objects in question are listed below.
 Everything below is 14$.
Chicago Style
Chocolately Delight
Buttery Carmel
Cherry Delight
Mint Delight
Peanut Butter

Another delicious option is that of Cookie Dough Bites, chocolate covered balls of cookie dough, in 21oz buckets for 15$ if you so choose.
 For orders or questions, you can reach me at coy@jrchristensen.com.
Thanks!

First Date: Check. Now Mom might get off my back about it for a while!

No seriously, it was way fun and I'm glad I did it (finally). It only took me more than nine months after turning 16 to think about it, then another month to do it! Drew Hunt called me on Wednesday and asked if I wanted to bring a date to Space Camp. Of course I said yes, but by Saturday it fell through. He asked if I still wanted to do the double date and I agreed. My Mom caught wind through her motherly instincts and took it upon herself to plan the entire activity and worked on a list I wasn't allowed to look at until the date started. It was a picture scavenger hunt where we drove allover Bluffdale and Riverton doing crazy random things my mom thought up. It was me with my date, Jacqueline Webb, Drew Hunt with his date Whitney Saunders, and another couple Drew invited whose names escapes me at the moment. It was way awesome. The paper we went off of and some pictures follow this paragraph. The evening ended with delicious brownies, ice cream, and a game of Curses.

Picture Scavenger Hunt…race against the clock…..

You have a 90 minute time limit, or you will be punished in 10 minute increments by being forced to play Fear Factor with activities of the parents choosing.  Avoid this at all costs. Think cayenne pepper whipping cream and gummy worms……..

The following pictures are required, and all but one of you must be in every single picture or it doesn’t count. Take turns taking pics.

• Playing Ninja on a walking overpass (put the hazard lights on the van J)
• Singing “Happy Birthday” to a  McDonald’s employee
• All of you on one slide at the park..
• In a car wash (it doesn’t have to be on J)
• Pretending to propose with string cheese in hand.
• In a meditative pose in front of an Arby's billboard. 
• Everyone on a merry go round-must be moving (Bluffdale park type)
• Swing dancing in a parking lot
• In Walmart with something that represents each of the four seasons in the picture
• Walking through a drive through and asking for a straw with moustaches (provided..save the moustaches)
• All of you in one bathroom stall..anywhere
• Upside down
• All on one couch in the Riverton Hospital foyer acting like you’re choking
• In one tree
• By a fire hydrant..boys flexing, girls pretending to be amazed
• All the girls on a swing going super high, parallel with each other
• Writing “No new Taxes!” all over the windows of the van (marker provided)
• Running around a track in slow mo with lots of feeling
• In a cemetery acting like zombies wearing the black cloaks provided, a headstone pictured must include the letter “J”, “Z” or “Q”
• In a pyramid with something yellow in the background

Here's Drew when he almost died! He choked on his mustache!

Here's the creepy part. ALL THOSE ROBES WERE BLACK.

We took turns proposing with String Cheese

Swing Dancing in the parking lot.

It still says that.

Ninja on the overpass

 

Would you have some Cookie Dough, sir?

Hey everybody! As you may or may not know I'm am in A capella Choir this year and as you may or may not know Choir Tour comes with it. We are going to Seattle Washington and that costs a lot of money for the trip and Hotel. Fortunatly we are taking orders for buckets of Cookie Dough and other delectable treats for 14 or 15 dollars. All profits will help us on our way.
The choices are:
Chocolate Chunck
Peanut Butter
Oatmeal Rasin
Snickerdoodle
White Chocolate Macadamia
Triple Chocolate
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
White Chocolate Oatmeal Rasberry
Lemon Drop
Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Bits (yum!)
Churros
and Pumpkin Roll
If you can help us out, then please e-mail me at coy@jrchristensen.com. If you're worried about quality, don't be. I've tasted this stuff and it is very good (especially the Oatmeal Rasberry, that stuff is like Heaven on Earth!).

1 week completed, a crapload more to go.

I thought it would be good to do this now. I just finished my first week of High School, junior year, and I've got to say that it was pretty satisfying. I have eight classes that stay the same all year round, and I can't say that I resent that (mostly). I'm really looking forward to it and I think that it'll be a lot of fun.

1st period: College Prep Math: Might transfer out of this if the need arises, the teacher isn't necessarily bad, but she's not fantastic either. Also the material is so ridiculously easy that my brain is numb trying to listen to it and I just want to get the assignment over with.

2nd: A Capella: Very fun. I found it a bit difficult to read the parts at first but It became easier and I like the people in the class and the teacher. She does what she does well and you can tell she enjoys it.

3rd: Chemistry AP: I probably wouldn't be taking this class except that I took Chemistry last year and loved the teacher. He's Mr.Melville and is fantastic. Luckily he's teaching this class also and I still have all my notes so I think I'll be able to do well.

4th: Debate: I'M CAPTAIN AND TEACHING THE CLASS with the other captain Melissa. I'm so excited for this year, we have about 30 novices we get to teach and I think we'll do well.

5th: Seminary: I have a good teacher and we're studying the Old Testament. No other comments.

6th: Mandarin Chinese: The teacher is great so far and I think the class will be fun. Woohoo.

7th: U.S. History: I have Mr. Briggs and I've heard legends of his amazingness. He is awesome so far so I think that class will turn out well.

8th: Language Arts Honors: This was the only Honors class I got for some reason. The teacher seems more focused on 'current event' assignments and other trivial matters instead of teaching Language Arts, so if needed I'll transfer out of there also probably.

(P.S: The timer at the top of my blog is counting down to the start of the My Little Pony Season 2 Opening!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!)