High-Pitched Music?

My brain knows it's summer vacation, but the rest of me doesn't want to believe it. No more teenage drama, no more lockers, no more teachers, no more... anything. Life is so much more boring after experiencing Jr. High.
It's only been two days, but so far I'm not liking summer. I miss certain people so much knowing that I won't see them until eighth grade. And you don't have things to do.
"Mom, I'm booooooooored!!!"
"You could weed the garden or mow the lawn."
"Oh wait, just kidding, I wasn't bored in the first place."
Maybe I should say you don't have fun things to do. Especially if you are like me and never go on vacation during the summer. I know, lamesauce.

I keep trying to imagine myself as an adult who works all year long. Right now I'm not appreciating summer, but I bet when I'm an oldie who never gets a break I'll want it back. Just like elementary school. I hated it, but now I want it back. Humans are so stupid, we just always want what we can't have. Maybe we should learn to appreciate what we have in the moment, it makes everything a lot happier for us and the people we interact with.

Though, what started this subject of rant were the noises heard down the street... The high-pitched music and all of the neighborhood kids freaking out. The icecream man.
Uh huh, it's definately summer. The only question is what to do with it...

Random Pictures

I tend to do a lot of blog posts without pictures. I love writing, but I also love taking pictures, so I guess to even it out, here are some adventures with my camera...

The backyard is a great place for photoshoots.
I have many pictures such as these:

.

But sometimes we just get bored...

My dad's scriptures look like a face.

Shadow posing! (I'm on the right.)

And introducing...

MY CAMERA!

Jana is Back!

As some of you might have heard, my iPod, by the name of Jana, was having some technical difficulties. Some of which were "The White Screen of DEATH" so called by the Apple workers. We decided to send Jana in to the Apple Store to be resurrected.

One or two long weeks went by as Jana chilled in New York. One night I REALLY wanted to listen to music and my sister bestowed upon me a CD player. I hadn't touched one of these for two to three years. I inserted a CD, plugged in my headphones, and started cooking dinner. I'd forgotten how GINORMOUS CD players were. The buttons were in weird places and I couldn't fit it in my pocket. I carefully laid the huge music player down on the counter as I stirred my goop. Whenever it was time to make some different goop to stir into the original, I had to gather more ingredients. I started walking away from the counter when my earphones were suddenly yank out of my ears and onto the floor. I looked over and sure enough, the CD player was still on the counter. That thing is so heavy! I struggled with it for about ten minutes before surrendering. I really, really want my iPod, I thought dismally.

After morning after morning of "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" I was pretty sure I was going crazy. Then one day after school my mom said "Your iPod is arriving at FedEx today between 5:30 and 6:00. We can go get it then or wait for it to be delivered to our house tomorrow." "TODAY!!! Let's go get it right now!!!!!" I threw on my shoes and was out the door before you could say "Jana." I was hopping excitedly in my seat the whole drive. We finally pulled in to the beautiful parking lot... I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating. We had a card that had our package number and the name of the driver on it. Our driver's name was Chris Stone. Several people flooded in the small office. The postal workers would ask them who their driver was and each one would reply, "Chris Stone," and then the postal workers would roll their eyes and reply, "Ohh... Chris." Apparently Chris was frequently late. We waited in the cramped room until well after 6:00. It was silent besides the Mexican lady talking gibberish into her cell phone, and the sound of the doors opening and closing. The doors obviously had a problem because although no one was in the doorway, they kept opening halfway and back closed again. It was blowing in quite a breeze and making a really obnoxious noise. We heard a truck. Everyone stopped to look outside. It was CHRIS STONE! Packages flowed in and box after box I would wonder if Jana was in it. Then I heard my name. "Tessa Hatchett," droned a very bored-looking worker. I marched proudly over to the counter. She handed me one of those puffy orange envelopes and I clutched it in between my two hands, soaking in the moment. I wanted to remember everything about that office. Even all of the creepy old people who worked behind the counter. We got back in the car. My hands were on fire. I slowly unsealed the flap and slipped my hand inside the envelope. I pulled out a small white box... Finally. I unwrapped my precious iPod one layer at a time, the intensity growing. Finally, I folded out the bubble wrap and... Aaaah !The heavenly choirs in my head were singing. Jana was shiny, Jana was beautiful, Jana didn't have that little dent by the lock button-- Jana was a different Jana. The letter from Apple explained that my iPod was permanently dead and that they sent in a replacement for me. :))) What a deal! Why buy a new iPod for $150 dollars when you can replace it for $90?! This was turning out to be a good day.

Jana is doing very well now and once again sings to me at 6:00 in the morning. She keeps me company when I do the dishes and when I walk home from school. She helps me clean my bathroom and comforts me when I am sad. Whoever invented the iPod is my HERO!

when your world revolves around boys.

Maturity is a very confusing time of your life. One minute you are an adorable little kid, and the next your rubbing your face with funny-smelling medicine and going underwear shopping.
Along with all of the other lovely symptoms of growing up, there's boys. Sometimes I wish they still had cooties. These feelings of deeper affection are all of the sudden set in front of you like a slap in the face. Crushes were a funny idea before, but now.... I'm not even completely sure what it is.

I always wanted to be beautiful. Whenever I see my gorgeous sister with her "Disney Princess eyes," spidery eyelashes, and tiny little waist I burn with jealousy. I constantly put myself down, knowing I could never change the ugly person I would always be. I never enjoyed looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.

Then one day I got an email from a guy in my English class. I'd sat next to him but never had really talked to him before. I still don't know what gave him the urge to say hello to me that day, but I'm grateful he did. Our conversations started out mostly about homework, and branched off the more we knew about each other. He was funny, charming, and sweet to me. I started thinking of him as my friend.
One lonely day in March I was feeling rather down. I was upset and felt I had no friends. That day I went home and when I checked my messages, sure enough, there was his. He told me not to feel bad and said that I was "funny and pretty," and that he respected me as a friend. A different day I was feeling frustrated and concerned that I had angered my neighbor. I told him I thought my friend's mom was upset with me, and he said "i don't know what is wrong with her it would be really hard not to like you" This boy has been able to cheer me up even in the worst of days. I always have something to look forward to, and that is seeing him in English.
Another time when a different boy was picking on me, my crush totally chewed him out and said he wouldn't have him being a jerk to me because I was his friend.

Eventually I straight-out told my crush I liked him. He tried to say hi to me more often because he knows I love it. He's listened to me rant on about the days' dramas. He stopped by my locker to tell me he appreciates me and give me a high-five. I tried every day I saw him to say hi, but came across a dilemma. "The only problem is that when I want to talk to you I get my ugly, blotchy pink blush," I told him after school one day in a message. I could imagine an encouraging smile when he said back, "there's nothing wrong with you or your blush. i just want to be friends with you, i just need to find time to say hi" He had been saying hi. He'd been giving me more attention than I'd ever deserved in my life.
A couple days later he explained, "anytime you want you can come sit by me at lunch" (and I have!)

This amazing guy has changed my whole seventh grade year, and even my life. I've changed as a person because of him, and I hope we stay friends for a long time.

Happy Mothers Day!

So many posts, so little time. (for frequent followers of my blog, you can go back to the previous post, "Writers Block" for updates on recent events)

It seems today is Mothers Day. This morning I woke up to the sound of my mother knocking at my door and mentioning in a calm tone, "20 minutes until church starts." 20 MINUTES?!?! I quickly got up and urgently started to throw my Sunday clothes on, grumbling about how my mom should've woken me up earlier. Later I realized that she didn't have to have woken me up at all, and I wouldn't have made it to the church building at 8:30 when the meeting started and would have had to walk to the church and down the aisle to our front-row seats in front of the whole ward. Thank you mother. I'm such an idiot.

My mom became a mother in June of 1987, when my older brother and sister, Steven and Janell, came into her life. She is one of obvious skill considering she has never only had one child. Two years later in June of 1989 came my lovely sister, Kayla. Now my mother had three children under the age of three to watch, feed, and clothe. She nurtured and took care of these children until seven years later, one gorgeous day in December of 1996 when I entered my amazing family. The last of the herd was my not-so-much-baby brother, Braden, born in July of 1999.
My mom has been with us crazies for almost 23 years. I'm so happy to have her with us every day of the year, helping and guiding us along the way. I have an amazing mother. She always listens and is supportive in everything that her children do. She teases me, makes me laugh, and teaches me new skills every day.

I love you, Mom!!!

Sitting With My Favorite Boy

I left Spanish. My heart was racing. My brain was scrambled. I took three steps down the stairs and BAM! There he was, walking down the opposite staircase. My eyes couldn’t move away from him. He stood out like a bright yellow dandelion in a new mown lawn. He smiled his gorgeous smile and I smiled back… trying to be gorgeous.
I stumbled the rest of the way to my locker. I knew what was next. I was excited and giddy. What was I to say? What was I to do?
I entered the lunchroom and scanned the room for my friend, Alejandra. I spotted her, tray in hand, and we strolled coolly over to his table. Ale was almost as excited as me. We sat down at the last empty place at the rounded table. He looked me in the eyes for a brief second before saying to another guy sitting next to me, “Switch me spots.” My chest exploded as he got closer and closer. He situated himself by my side and a red-haired boy pointed out, “What are you doing?!” His casual reply was “Switching.” The boy inquired, “Why?” No one said anything and the red-haired boy eyed me suspiciously. I was as happy as I could ever be.
Nervous glaces were exchanged. I looked at him admiringly. We both blushed and looked back at the table. The more comfortable we got the more we talked to eachother.
I made casual conversation with the neighboring boys. I listened and commented, having a wonderful time. I turned back to Ale who was eating in silence. I tried to include her in the chat and sometimes whispered or giggled to her. He laughed at my comments and I laughed at his. We sat together for a long time. He’s perfect, I thought.
Once everyone finished eating we all stood up at once. Wanting to give Ale some deserved attention, I went over to him. The minute I arrived at his side he averted his eyes to me, pausing his conversation with another guy. “Thank you so much, -----,” I said, brimming with optimism. He nodded and smiled that winning grin of his, “Anytime.”
There will be a next time, I guarantee it. Today has been one of the best days of my life.

The Hardest Thing to Say is Goodbye

I think I'm a curse.
April started out with the "passing" of my iPod. Her name was Jana. Walking home is so much more quiet. Cleaning the kitchen is so much more painful. Singing without a professional in the background feels incomplete. I miss that thing to death and now wake up to the obnoxious "BEEP BEEP"ing my stupid alarm makes.
Shortly after this tragedy my parents informed us that we were going to Texas to see our cousins. "How is this bad?" you ask. Just a couple days later our dreams were crushed. We weren't going. This made me miss my cousins even more. They had moved out of our house in November and I hadn't talked to or seen them since.
Well, what do you know? About a week later I had the most terrible nightmare I'd had in quite a while. In it I lost one of my best friends. I woke up extremely concerned until I realized it was dream. All day I still felt very cautious and sad.

Then today, May 2, 2010, I really did lose someone. Not to death, but one of my Beehive leaders was released from her calling. She and I had a special connection that went back to when I first joined the Young Women. I cried at church. I certainly made a spectical of myself sitting there bawling. Several leaders and other Young Women came over to attempt to comfort me. My leader and I cried together. We hugged for what seemed like hours. I almost thought my tears would leave stains on her dress. I turned cherry red and shook all over... a pathetic sight. When I finally left her and strolled down the hall to find my mother, I could feel people's eyes on me as I passed. Mom and I drove home to the sound of my stuttered breathing. When we pulled into my garage, I told the story, even back to the first day that leader and I met. I cried more than I knew I could. I lay on my bed for a while, thinking how much I'd miss her and what it would be like without her love and support. I still have amazing leaders and friends, but I'll always miss her. Goodbye Sister Mason.