My Journal Jar

     As my family cleaned up my brother's old room (our guest bedroom that is now our office,) Dad came across a strange jar filled with papers. If I hadn't spotted it a few seconds after it came into his hand, it probably would have been tossed away like all the other junk.

The paper-filled jar wasn't just any old jar, it was my old journal jar that I'd made almost a decade ago. It is filled with tons of questions, some of which I had jotted down in my little pink diary years before the jar was lost altogether.

     I realize that this is a unique opportunity to answer the questions in the jar somewhere more permanent than a journal! Any questions that a reader could have about me are about to be answered. Enjoy my little piece of mind!

"Preserve your memories-seal them up well. What you forget, you can never retell. But a journal that's kept fresh on the shelf Will help someone through rough times-- Maybe even yourself!"

1. What are my goals and dreams?
~ For starters I just want to survive high school without too much injury. I've made it a goal to get good grades and try to help other people feel happy.
     In the long run, I want to go to college, go on a mission (to a foreign country hopefully,) and I want to marry Prince Charming of course! Eventually I'll get a good paying job so that I can really save up money, just in case.

2. List all the costumes you have worn or characters you have been for Halloween.
~Oh dear, that's a fun question. Well the earliest that I've seen pictures of was when I was the "Pumpkin Princess" at about age two. Almost every year after, I was always a glittering, pink, princess of some sort. My favorite color was pink growing up until about fifth grade when it became too "girly."
I also remember being a Furby when I was like five (those things are so creepy, I don't know what I was thinking.)

     Another year I was warrior Mulan, and when I was ten, I chose to go punk rock and be "Josie" from "Josie and the Pussycats." From about 11-15, I was always Hermione Granger. To this day I'm still a total Harry Potter nerd; honestly, if it weren't for dances, I'd probably continue my trend of being Hermione every year. The past two years I've been Elizabeth Swan (from Pirates of the Caribbean,) and Mulan once again (this time wearing a kimono style costume.)

3. Tell about your favorite pet-what kind of animal? When did you get him/her? Why do you like them?
~I love Dusty and Shadow to death, but I think one of the happiest moments of my life was the first time that I saw Dusty.
Dusty was our family's Christmas present when I had just turned seven. I can still remember how excited I was; it feels like yesterday.
Dusty was this tiny, bright, white puffball with black eyes that could barely be spotted through all her puppy fuzz. She was so cute, amd she was constantly running around the furniture and chasing her tail.

Dusty is really old now, (nine in our years, pomeranians are supposed to live until about age ten.) She's not quite as energetic as she used to be, and she barks like her life depends on it if anyone knocks on the door anymore, but growing up, she was the best dog I ever had.

4. What is my favorite thing to do at home?
~Piano, piano, piano. I could play that instrument all day long and not get bored. The little sitting room upstairs is like a second bedroom to me because of the piano. I like playing and singing to myself when nobody's home, and I like playing pop and rock when anybody's listening.

5. Describe your favorite fall activities.
~Well for the past two years, I've pretty much lived for one activity in the fall. Marching band. I love playing soccer in the fall too, but I end up missing half of my games because of the marching competitions.
Although I don't admit it often, I love my section (even though they tease me like I'm their little sister a lot.)

6. What do you want to be when you grow up?
~My dad has always really wanted me to be a lawyer, and only recently did I become rather interested in that idea. I really like psychology, and it would be awesome to be the one to shut down the weak minds of petty criminals.

7.What can you remember about the day you were baptized?
~I remember feeling like a princess standing there in my little white dress. I just felt so special, and everyone I cared about was there to support me, from little Johnny to my cousins who used to lived more than two hours away.

     I'm really fortunate that my dad was converted to the church when he was eighteen.
Unfortunately my baptism wasn't all good memories, my brother ended up tripping and hitting his head really hard on the corner of a church bench while running around with the cousins.

     He ended up having to go get stitches, and I remember crying my eyes out because I was so scared when Mitch's light blonde hair was dyed red with blood. That was not good!

8. Tell about the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you.
~Gee whiz, there are so many. Well, my friends from Fairfield were probably the best thing that ever happened to me.
They really know how to help me when I'm feeling sad or overly stressed from school. My friends are really funny, but not usually in degrading ways.

9. Write about something that drives you crazy.
~Hmm...
Well for starters, it drives me crazy when guys that I really don't like can't take the hint that I don't like them, because then I have to be mean. You know what though, it's not just any normal guy that I'm mean to, they have to be exceptionally overbearing. Eek.

     It also drives me crazy when people don't tell me the truth, good or bad.

10. What is your favorite color, and why?
~Wow, the first truly embarrassing question. My favorite color is red. It honestly all started with my Harry Potter obsession. I associated red with Harry Potter, so that, (and thinking that it was an awesome color in general) helped me decide that I liked red the most.
Not to mention that I just couldn't let pink be my favorite color anymore, because I became a "tomboy." Tomboys can't like pink, it's too girly.
Fortunately, I'm not too much of a tomboy anymore... Well maybe a little; I love sports and I have always hated shopping.

11. What do your parents say that can drive you crazy?
~Hmm... Well, specifically when Dad says that I couldn't handle being in the military.
That really annoys me... Just the thought that there's something out there that I couldn't do frustrates me. I'm one of those people who likes to believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to.
It also bugs me when my mom tries to ground me; the only thing that she can really ground me from is books or playing the piano. What kind of parent would ground their child from reading? Leave the nerdy side of me in peace!
But really, I'm not grounded too often anymore. I really love my parents a lot!!

12. What is advice to those younger than you?
~Don't have boyfriends or girlfriends while you're in high school, it's not worth it. Friendship is better than nothing, and all relationships end two ways: breaking up, or getting married... Let's just say  that high school is hard enough without worrying about a break-up.

     As a teenager, your focus should be to have the best grades you possibly can. Have a good set of close friends, that way you can have some self confidence along the way.

     Self confidence will totally help your grades, don't be afraid to break your shy shell, I did.
My grades in ninth grade soared through the roof when I found good friends. My best friend in eighth grade made me clean the table and chairs off before she sat down, I don't know why I stuck with that group. Don't put up with friends like that! Don't be afraid to find a new group of friends if you really need one.

     Lastly, don't cause drama over old friends and lost friendships, and DON'T spread rumors. Be friendly to everyone, even if they aren't friendly to you.

     On a separate note, listen to your parents the second they ask you to do anything. You may have lots of other things to do (aka:homework or "hanging out,") but being around angry parents is a lot worse than any load of homework...
You will make your parents so happy if you spend thirty minutes being with them or doing your chores; your parents take eight hours out of their day to work for you!

13. Who is your favorite cartoon character?
~I don't really watch cartoons anymore, but when I was little my very favorite cartoon characters were Simba and Nala from The Lion King. I would constantly crawl around on all fours and growl at everyone to immitate the Lion King.

     I'd get all frustrated with people for calling me Beth, because I wasn't "Beth" when I was roaring my fierce roar, I was a lion! I was such a funny little kid!!

     My favorite cartoon Disney character right now is probably Pocohantas... My little half-Chinese cousin watches it every time she comes over, and I watch it with her sometimes. Even though it's totally off historically, it has a really good message.

14. What's my favorite Christmas memory?
~Well the funniest by far is when me and Lexis (my cousin) watched Prince Caspian. She thought that Prince Caspian was really cute, and I personally thought that Peter Pevensie wasn't too bad either.

     So after the movie, we went and looked up the actors from Narnia on the Internet... We came to find that Prince Caspian was about ten years older than Lexis, and that King Peter was my older sister's age (five years older to be exact.)

     At first it was rather discouraging that our new "star crushes" were so much older than us, but I had fun teasing Lexis about her preference for grave robbing.

     Gift wise, that was the year that I gave my dad and Mitch fleece blankets that I had personally tied together for them. It had taken me hours to do the cutting and knotting, but it was worth it to see their smiles.

15. What is something that always brings a smile to your face? Why?
~Well some of the guys I occasionally see from my section from band crack me up! My section leader is especially funny, we have this little rivalry where we tease and make fun of each other a lot. Marching band humor >_< gotta love it!

16. What is my favorite food? Why? What food will I never eat? Why?
~My favorite food of all time is my Mom's Chicken enchiladas, I've never had an enchilada anywhere that even compares.

     All in all, I like spicy Spanish flavors more than almost any other type of food. I love pasta in all forms, (alfredo is insanely good,) and Chinese food is pretty awesome most of the time.

     Although I must admit, even though some Chinese food is good, some of the really authentic stuff is gross. The nastiest food that I've ever tried was chicken feet.

     I ate the feet for extra-credit, but I won't ever do that again. A few weeks ago, I tried squid for the first time at a Vietnamese place. Now I know that squid isn't my favorite food either, it was like never-ending seafood gum.


17. What are some of my jobs at home?
~Usually just kitchen clean up and dishes. I'm also supposed to clean the downstairs bathroom, my bedroom, and a part of the office.

18. If you could learn anything in the world, what would you want to know most? Why?
~If I could learn anything, I'd learn how to fly without the help of a huge machine.

19. Write about something you are grateful for.
~There's way too many things to just mention one thing. I'm grateful for my family, my friends, my pets, my school, and my country and those that defend it. I'm grateful that I can eat three meals a day if I want to, I'm grateful that I live in a safe environment, I'm grateful that I can read, write, cook, play instruments, play sports, and live. I'm grateful for God, and I'm thankful for all that his son Jesus did for us.

20. If you could have your favorite dinner for your birthday, what would it be?
~Chicken Enchiladas and fruit punch. For desert, we'd have peanut butter bars.

21. Am I a forgiving person? Is there anyone I need to forgive- and what's the game plan?
~Ah, another one of my flaws. I forgive people, but I have a good memory, that makes the forgetting process very difficult. Usually the only person that I can't truly forgive is myself when I do something wrong.

22. Tell about a family trip your family took that you particularly enjoyed. Where did you go? What did you see?
~Oregon. Without a doubt, I love that state. We visit my Great Grandma every couple of Summers. I remember the trips really well. We hike through Silver Pine Forest and see tons of beautiful waterfalls.

     My favorite thing about going to see Grandma, is our side trip to Seaside. The Seaside beach is the prettiest thing that I have ever seen in my life.

     The air there is so cool and fresh, and you can just feel all of the life around you. Seagulls fly high enough not to disturb people, and you can find jellyfish and seals playing far off.

23. What are things I love and admire most about my father?
~.Where to begin? I admire that he was able to aspire to a high rank in the army, even though he started out parentless and penniless.

     I admire the way that he can be friends with everyone so easily, and although his laugh can be really embarrassing, it makes me laugh too. I love how he works so hard all the time, but usually finds time to spend with us. I admire how he's so honest... Even though he can be painfully honest sometimes.

24. What is your favorite T.V. program? Why? What is your least favorite program? Why?
~Recently my family has been watching this series that I found on Netflix, it's called "The Seeker." It's kind of like a mix between Eragon and The Legend of Zelda.
~Probably my least favorite show is The Simpsons, I've probably only seen one or two episodes in my life... That series can be so foul, so much of the stuff in it is completely anti-Christian and is just really sarcastic. Sarcastic humor is not my favorite.

25. What is your favorite thing to do in the summer time? Why?
~Swimming. I used to be on the swim team for about five years, and although I'm not on the team anymore, I love being in the water. Don't ask me to race you though, I'm exceptionally slow now.

26. How much does it cost to go to a movie nowadays? Popcorn, drinks, and candy?
~Ah, depressing question. Movie tickets after six o'clock can cost up to eight dollars. If you add on popcorn, the popcorn itself ranges from about four to seven dollars. Drinks can range from around three to six dollars usually. All in all, going to the movie after six can cost about fifteen to twenty three dollars for just one person. And I forgot to add candy, sheesh.

27. If you could live in another country, where would you live? Why?
~Well, if I had to live in another country, I would probably live somewhere in Western Europe.
I would want a cool English accent!
I think it would be fun to live in Iceland because I have heard that it is amazingly pretty there. It's basically the same climate as Oregon, and I love the colder weather.

28. How many are in your family? Do you wish you had more brothers and sisters? Why?
~There are six of us in total. Growing up, I always wanted another little sibling, Mitch was too close to my age. I wanted another little brother to play with and teach how to walk and talk. Not only that, but I've always felt bad that Mitch never had a brother

29. If you could star in any movie, what would it be and why?
I always said that if they made a person Jackson movie, that I'd want to be Annabeth. Well, it's a little bit late now, isn't it? Oh well.

My second choice would be Stargirl. That story is so inspiring, and I can really relate to Stargirl.
I'm not really like everyone else, and I think it would be neat to be the one to send out the message that it's okay to be yourself.

30. What are my favorite holiday traditions?
~I love New Year's Eve. Although it's not my favorite holiday, it has lots of fun traditions. My cousins and I play board games until midnight: Risk, apples to apples, curses. Usually we watch the ball drop in New York and practically shatter our plastic sparkling cider cups while toasting each other.

31. Do you like school? Why?
~Every year is different. Last year, ninth grade, and sixth grade were my favorite years that I can remember. For the most part, I like school, I even like doing the homework afterwards because it gives me something to do.

32. Describe one person you admire.
I've always admired my aunt, she is the nicest and most patient lady I think I've ever met in my life. I love my cousins to death, but it's hard for me to believe that my aunt is raising seven kids! It's impressive. She is always helping other families, and she always makes people feel happier when she's around.

33. What is the best Christmas present you recieved? What is the best that you've given?
~Well Jesus's gift beats every other gift. He saved my life, and forgave me for all the wrongs that I've ever done. :)

     My parents gave me a keyboard when I was younger. For the next few years, I hated that keyboard with a passion and so I never practiced.

     As a kid, I liked making up my own rhythms; I didn't like the way that my elderly teacher made me conform to the pages and count out-loud.

     Now the piano is basically my soul. Not a day goes by where I don't practice... In the long run, my parents gave me a talent for Christmas.

     I believe I've already mentioned my favorite gift that I've given, that year that I spent hours tying of blankets for my family.



~~~~The End~~~~

Hey guys! Now you know a lot about me and who I am as a person, if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you (as long as they are somewhat reasonable!)