2012 in a nutshell

once upon a time about a year ago (or maybe it was exactly a year ago), I was reminiscing about how the last year had flown by so freaking fast. so, a great idea crossed my mind, that I would grab my journal (Emma, you would understand this), and write down the key happenings of each month. so after writing it all down, I decided to take what was in the journal and blog about it. so, because I've been sick ever since Christmas was over, I've been in bed a lot, coughing my brains out and sneezing out my eyeballs and losing my voice. somehow I managed to stay at the party last night. but once again, a year later, I have been reminiscing about this year and how it had flown by so freaking fast. 2012 has been a pretty adventurous year, the biggest I've lived through. a good 4 1/2 months, or 1/3 of the year was spent in Japan. another good 4 1/2 months was spent preparing for it. not easy stuff there. and a good 3 months was spent re-adjusting to the States. (it didn't take that long.) so, I've learned so many things this year that I'll never regret! i learned how to be grateful for all you have, not needing more, and not taking everything for granted. I learned how to survive in a foreign country. (pretty much sums that part up.) I have gotten so much closer to my little brothers. I've learned who my friends are, who will support me, and how to be a better friend myself. I survived junior high okay. I've learned how to survive high school as a freshman and get perfect grades. (that statement was a lie.) let's look at 2012, one month at a time.

JANUARY- I turned 14 and had an awesome party with all my awesome friends! I started a new semester and got pretty decent grades for the last semester. I met a lot of 7th graders that month because I had electives with them, and looking back, they had it easier.

FEBRUARY- no matter what, February is always my least favorite month. crappy weather, tons of homework, and Valentine's Day, my least favorite holiday. (must I even explain?) so I thought this picture of me snogging a giraffe was quite appropriate, as he was the closest thing to a Valentine that I could get. and this picture was actually taken in February, on one of my adventures with Callie. but that was a rare occasion- I found out that I had made Seussical the Musical,so I was booked with stupid rehearsals each week.

MARCH- I don't think I ever stopped singing. Not because I had play practice everyday (which I did), because I only sang in 4 songs, but because McCall and I were in Centennial Idol! because it began in March, we sang on different days, so our friends could vote for both of us to make it fair. funny how that all worked out. other things.... The Hunger Games came to the theaters! such a great movie. 

APRIL- General Conference, my cousin Savannah's baptism that I had been asked to play piano at like 5 minutes before it actually started (a little disorganization there), going to the temple with Raquel and other adventures, Easter celebrations, One Direction Infection, more Centennial Idol, and Seussical pretty much summed up the month of April. Rachel and I obviously didn't take it very seriously. I mean, I was a Who in Who-ville. how serious can you get? not very. 

MAY- Big Going Away party for Japan. Packing for Japan. Flying on an airplane to Japan. Arriving in Japan. Utterly terrifying month. we had some major adjusting to do, so we saved all the super cool stuff for later on and went to like 100 museums and the Imperial Gardens. I was literally in shock for the entire month of May. Living in a foreign country can be pretty scary, especially the first few weeks.

JUNE- June was a lot better than May, despite a few emotional breakdowns here and there. (I was homesick, okay? don't judge!) but this was when we started to really do stuff. we went to Sendai, where the earthquake was. it's amazing what a years difference can make. the city looked as good as new! the biggest highlight was our trip to Kyoto and Nagoya, where we saw many shrines and temples and learned about the history of Japan. we ran into a few geisha and samurai while we were there. after being here a month, I had gotten the Asian Peace Sign pose down pretty well, as you can tell. we also ate several interesting foods, such as octopus, raw fish, calamari, sesame ice cream... not too tasty.

JULY- Terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad month, if you could tell by the gross looking picture of Wes eating something disgusting and me looking disgusted. for one thing, it was so bloody hot, we were all sweating profusely. the AC didn't do much help. everyone in our ward had gone back to the States so it was very lonely. but the worst thing that happened was Wesley getting sick and going to the hospital. And that's all I'm gonna say about July.

AUGUST- things got much better and a lot of stuff happened. beware of the long post. Olympics, Kamakura, Yokohama, Monkey Park, and Youth Conference and hiking Mt. Fuji is what we did. I made tons of friends and had the time of my life hiking it with my mommy! what a painful, awesome experience. all my friends came back from the states to start school, so I wasn't as lonely anymore! however, in Provo, all my friends started school while I was crying at the top of Mt. Fuji, so that meant homeschooling, which meant death. can I just say, never do homeschooling. it sucks. also, There are 2 kinds of fools in this world: those who never hike Fuji, and those who hike it twice. some words of wisdom here.

SEPTEMBER- (okay, I lied. this one is longer than August). let's get this over with. Girls Camp! Hokkaido! Hakone! Tokyo Disney! Shopping! Early Morning Seminary! Friends! Went home! School! More friends! Homework! Missed all my Tokyo friends, but happy to see my Provo friends. k there that was quick.

OCTOBER- Possibly my favorite month that wasn't spent in Japan. I just love everything about it. General Conference and the new missionary ages, we're kind of settling in school and getting used to it and making more friends, Halloween falls at the end of the month, the weather is still pretty nice, and football, football, football. I went to tons of games with my friends, and we won every single one of them. Go Thunderbirds! 

NOVEMBER- My parents went to Hawaii and left us with our grandparents, and it snowed. I was stuck at a football game with no gloves or handwarmers all the way in Salt Lake, but the best part was that we won the semi-finals. the next week, my parents come back, it doesn't snow, and Timpview wins state champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no big deal. okay, that's kinda a big deal. for Thanksgiving, we went down to Phoenix to see our adorable cousins. the end of the month I had my dance concert, which I admit, I was pretty sad when it was over. 

 DECEMBER- obviously, football season ended, and basketball season began. I went to one Timpview game with my friends, I went to the BYU vs. Utah one with my family, and the Jazz game with Wesley and Dad. both Timpview and BYU won, but the Jazz lost. (why don't we have Jimmer?) It snowed a ton, and we ended up having a white Christmas after all! I've been pretty sick for like the whole month with a cold, so it's been kind of miserable. but last night I was able to get out of the house and go to the multi-stake youth dance! perhaps the best part was seeing 2 of my best friends who I hadn't seen in forever. Emma (the tall blonde Aussie with curly hair) just moved back to Provo from Maine, and I have missed her more than I can explain! So glad she is back!!!!!!!! I knew that Emma would be there, but if things couldn't get any better, my friend Rachel (the tall brunette with perfect silky hair) from California came and surprised me! she left for California before I left for Japan, so I hadn't seen her for even longer. I was so happy to see both of them! we partied until after midnight.

as for new years resolutions, mine are to get only A's and B's, get a Learner's Permit and pass on the first try, serve people, get on the Timpview Tennis Team, maybe try out for cheer but that's probably a no-go, and to be a happier, more positive, and (yes, I'm actually saying this) quieter person. I live out loud, and sometimes it would be better to not have all the attention. so I'll work on that.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

Christmas came way too fast this year. none of us were prepared. I wish it went slower, but.. oh well. So, each year, my parents always ask what we want. wait. that's how it's supposed to work. it works with my brothers. with me, i just start asking way before Christmas. and the conversation is kind of the same every time. let's rewind back to 2011 and listen to the conversation.

Me: hey Mom, Dad. I'm almost 14 and a lot of my friends have iPhones. and since I've had my phone for a year now and no one has that kind of phone anymore, could I please get an iPhone?
Mom: well an iPhone would be nice. I'm okay with it. go ask your dad.
Dad: You haven't even had a cell phone for a year yet actually. and actually, most of the year you've had it, you've been getting grounded. How will having an iPhone change this? and smart phones cost money that I don't want to pay.
me: well all my friends have iPhones and they don't have to pay for their phone!
Dad (the classic pissed-off parent response): Well, I'm not your friend's dad. I'm your dad. You're fortunate enough to have a phone. some people in your ward don't even have a cell phone and they're in high school.
me: well, my friends have iPhones. and with an iPhone, you can do so much more than just call and text. there's Instagram, FaceTime, and you can play games. and it's just so much better. and if I get an iPhone, I promise I won't be a brat! I won't get grounded.
Dad: Miriam Elaina Castle. You are not getting an iPhone. end of story.
me: well could I at least have an iPod touch? it's not an iPhone but it's almost as good.
Dad: No further discussion.

so I got the iPod touch, which I love dearly. I was so happy that I got something I wanted. but fast forward to a year later, and I have the same conversation with my parents. the only difference is
me: dad, I'm in high school now. I need a new phone
Dad: I don't want to pay for it. it costs money. name 5 friends who don't have to pay--
me (names all my friends)
Dad *sighs*, same pissed-off parent response, but this time adds: You need a job to pay for it.
me: that isn't gonna happen.
Dad: Miriam Elaina Castle, if you ask for an iPhone again, you're grounded. end of story.

so to make things simple, I asked for clothes and nothing else. on Black Friday, I picked everything out. but how fun is it knowing every single present you got? so, I hoped my parents would slip in some surprise (er, an iPhone 4S).

we got a Wii with Just Dance 4, Zumba, Mario and Sonic Olympics, and I don't remember the other games. Just Dance 4 is really fun though. Justin is the high-scorer, even though he's sick with the flu. We all enjoy our new Wii, I love my new clothes, and I admit, getting on Facebook and Instagram and seeing endless posts of "new iPhone!" did make me jealous. but hey, at least I have an iPod and a phone and that will do for now.

Christmas is about more than just...... stuff. it's about service, it's about Christ, it's about celebrating His birth. this year, I made a ton of Christmas cookies. it took a whole weekend, but it was sure worth it! I took a plate to the Special Ed class at Timpview that I peer tutor in. they were all really happy! and since I had leftovers, I just randomly handed them out to my friends. they all looked really happy! it felt good to know that I made other people happy. also, our elderly neighbors needed people to shovel their driveway. normally their next door neighbors do it, but they were out of town, so our family volunteered. Let me tell you, my whole body kills from shoveling their driveway. but after I finished, heck did it feel good.

so, I hope you all had a merry Christmas. new post coming soon. and I'm sorry if this one was full of complaints!

overheard from the bros

 these two stud muffins are my brothers. they're the cutest, right? I love each of them unconditionally and they make me smile everyday, and they say the craziest things! Sometimes, I pee my pants laughing! (that doesn't really happen, but I've cried before). so, for your enjoyment.....

"Miriam, is it normal for girls in high school to like boys? It seems kinda strange to me."
-Wesley

"Sure, girls have drama and stuff, but boys get hurt more because we play sports!"
-Justin

"I love One Direction. They are my favorite band. I like all their songs and I love singing. But I don't want to be a singer when I grow up because... I'd rather do sports."
-Justin

"So that one Skrillex music video with that magical 2 year old dancing and doing magic.... what's that song called again?"
-Wesley

"Guess what I did? I watched the Utah Valley Sympathy Orchestra at Timpview!"
-Justin

"Why do I have to dress up to see the sympathy orchestra? It's not like they're gonna see you in the audience? They'll only see the first 2 rows or something! It's too dark to see me anyways."
-Justin (later on)

"What goes up.....must come down. Miriam, I had no idea!"
-Wesley

"Imagine Dragons are Chinese, right?"
-Justin

"Cookie soup is the solution to everything."
-Wesley

"One Direction took Human Biology because they're singing about anatomy!"
-Wesley

Justin: DUH, everyone likes Subway, Wesley!
Wesley: You don't.
Justin: Yeah, I don't. Everyone but me.

"Sometimes, I feel like I'm the only normal one in my family. Everyone's too goofy for me."
-Justin

Wesley: Justin, why are you screaming in the shower?
Justin: I'm singing a song about cleaning my feet!

"We aren't eating at McDonald's! That place is for losers!"
-Wesley

"Miriam, everyone likes boys. I like boys. I am a boy!"
-Justin

"If artichokes are chicken, how can they be a vegetable?"
-Justin

'tis the season for decorating your house and wearing ugly sweaters

December came way too quickly. actually, right after we returned from our Thanksgiving break in Arizona, it seemed like Provo had transformed into Wonderland. all the lights were up on the houses, Christmas music was playing everywhere, trees were coming up, and it was just crazy. I really like fall, and sometimes, I wish it would last until November actually ended. I'm not saying I don't get excited for Christmas (I really do), it's just that I don't usually start getting in the mood until after November ends. But on the other hand, it did snow in November, and it hasn't even come close to snowing in December!

Ya I know, we're pretty cute :) anyways, we started decorating the last week of November. I love decorating, even though we don't go crazy on the outside! but we do have some pretty cute things!

 my favorite, the lollipop tree! (with fake lollipops!)

our front door

.......the inside is where all the magic happens. (again, we don't go all out for it, but at least it's something! I'm actually quite proud!)

 our Christmas dishes and every single Santa picture we've ever taken

 the tree

 Mom embroidered this cute little snowman family a few years ago. can you guess who's who?

and then, comes my favorite part. crazy socks and ugly sweaters.

"That is some beautiful ugliness you got there!"

".......and you still look gorgeous, even though it's ugly!"

"Wait...... that's supposed to be an ugly sweater?!"

"You better be wearing that everyday!"

"NO WAY. Did your mom really paint this?! This is the greatest thing I've seen all day."

"That is one sexy sweater! It's so ugly it's beautiful!"

so yep, I have some pretty great friends. before stag, I had to go to a ward party that I didn't want to go to, and then, I went back to Timpview to go to the Basketball game! We won, and I was able to see all my friends and hang out before the dance started, which was pretty great. Everyone had some pretty....beautiful sweaters. and really, who doesn't want to show Christmas spirit by going to an Ugly Sweater Dance? 

sometimes, I just want to go back.

I just had to choose the silliest pictures to put on here. we went a lot of places this summer, and we were able to really enjoy ourselves and just have a great time. and I just miss it. so much. and that's all I'm gonna say.

Thanksgiving in the desert

so........... there once lived a girl named Miriam Elaina Castle and she was a freshman in high school. in spite of starting 6 weeks late because of an extended vacation in Japan, life was going great. there were cute boys, football games, good friends........nothing was better. then, when 2nd term started, all of that changed. all her teachers would be giving her credit from that point on. and that's when all the homework started piling up like crazy. not just in academic classes, but electives as well. the dance concert (which is tomorrow and saturday in the THS auditorium at 7, please come!) was approaching quickly, so after school rehearsals added to the stress. in addition to all this, piano practicing (which sadly, she has neglected on the most part) was taking up a majority of the time. so, in the rare free time, it was spent resting and sleeping and being with friends. so, that's what's happened to the blogger here. but hey, she's back for a little while!

somewhere in the middle of all this stressful business came thanksgiving break. so, the Castle crew packed their bags with......... 3 outfits because this wasn't tokyo where you had to pack 1/2 your closet, snacks, CDs, and the eldest girl was forced to bring the Utah Drivers Handbook (at the rate this is going, I'm not going to get my permit until I'm out of the house. most boring book in the world!), a 100 pound math book, the Japanese Vocabulary notebook, and other stuff that she didn't accomplish over the break, and we headed down to Phoenix to see our cousins! sure, there was a 12 hour drive, but we were too busy sleeping and blasting the new One Direction CD! (The first one is way better.) I'm not saying that we had fun in the car. I, for one, get a little queasy when it comes to long drives. my brothers get restless and either try to kill each other, or try to kill me. and I can never fall asleep in a moving vehicle unless it's a train. but where are you going to find a shinkansen (bullet train) in the desert? see, that's the question. (I want to go back to Tokyo i think right about now.) but we arrived in Phoenix without too many problems.

we stayed with my dad's sister Emily, her husband Cody, and their 2 beautiful boys, Jackson and Tyson! it was our first time meeting 8 month old Tyson, and we hadn't seen Jackson ever since he was 18 months, and now he's almost 3. how do these kiddos grow up so fast? that's the question. Tyson is adorable and was so close to crawling! once, we were both laying on our bellies and I decided to try to get him to crawl. he was trying to imitate me, pulling himself into position and kicking his feet, but he never made it to crawling. but he was so close and it was darling watching him imitate me! Jackson.......what can I say? he's crazy and energetic and never gets tired. as soon as I came in, he said, "Hey Hey! You're my cousin right? Guess what? I have all these toys! This is my car! Oh, and you guys are sleeping in my bedroom! Look at my bed! Look at this, look at this!" he has the cutest laugh, and gives the sweetest hugs and kisses. I miss them so much already!

on thursday, we went up to Uncle Cody's brother's house in Queen Creek. our grandparents drove up from Sierra Vista, Arizona to come see us. but the only people I really knew were my Mullenaux cousins, my grandparents, and my family. everyone else was related to my cousins, but not me, so they were my cousins cousins. they already knew each other, so it kinda felt a bit awkward, but I made some new friends and we had a great time stuffing ourselves, playing soccer, and having Wesley kick the ball over the fence! and it was our first time seeing Grandma and Grandpa Castle since before we left for Japan, so we had a lot to tell them! and the food was amazing. after settling down, at around 10:30 pm, I was hungry again so...... more turkey!

 me, tyson, and justin. ya i know, i don't look my best in the mornings!

 grandma castle and me

 our closest attempt to a family picture..... my brothers don't know how to smile.

 tyson and me!

 Jackson and me!

wesley and Kennedy, his new girlfriend who happens to be 4 years younger...... ;)

Friday, the girls went shopping and the boys (besides Tyson) went hiking. Tyson came along with Mom, Grandma, Emily, and me. we didn't wake up early, so our Black Friday shopping started at 11 am. at Kohls, we had to wait in line for at least an hour just to get to the cash register! after that, we needed a break so Mom met some of her cousins at Pita Jungle. not really my type of restaurant, but it was fine. when we finally got full, we headed down to the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe. I got a lot of stuff there, but I didn't have any money, so they're all Christmas presents! finally at around 6, we pretty much shopped til we dropped, so we headed back to the Mullenauxs to eat turkey sandwiches, play games and bond with the cousins.

unfortunately, on Saturday, we had to leave sunny Phoenix and go back to freezing cold Provo! our cousins were probably really confused when we left, and we will all miss those cute boys! I am so thankful that we were able to see them. and to end this post, I will now state things I am thankful for.

family... all of them. my mommy, my daddy, Wes, and Justin, and my cousins and grandparents!
every single one of my lovely friends!
music
shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
clothes!
crazy socks
my house
my school (because all my friends are there)
dance
tennis
the church
our adventure in Japan
FOOD!
sumo wrestling
One Direction (even though their old style is better)
my iPod
my phone that I wish was an iPhone
everything

it all started with a pair of socks.

{photocred to Justin C. Castle, aka Boobear, aaka the best photographer ever}

this picture says a lot about me, without even showing my face.
i love crazy socks more than anything in the world.
so much that when i grow up, i might want to be a sock model.
red is my favorite color.
i love lacy things.
i love stripes.
orange is my other favorite color.
october is my favorite month of the year.
fall is my favorite season.

I just really love fall. it feels so cozy. for me, wearing jeans, a sweater, boots, the occasional scarf or crazy socks thrown in, is the best. I love walking home from school and hearing the leaves crunch underneath my feet. the colors of fall, red, orange, and brown, are my favorites. the smells of fall are delightful. Halloween..... let's just say, I love it, even though I'm keeping things simple and probably just dressing up as a hipster or something like that. oh, and football! 

must I even explain? I love fall so much it's insane.

but mostly just wearing these socks again.