Canoe Trip

One of the things that I previously had on my bucket list was to go canoeing with some of my closest family and friends.  Today I was able to do that with my cousins and some of my best friends. It was an all-around good time and we made many memories. The drive there was supposed to be an hour and a half but with lack of preparation the drive ended up being closer to three hours. So after showing up late to the river we were finally able to get on the water at around 11 o'clock. The lady working informed us that it would be a 4 to 6 hour float and there were many things to do along the way. So we set off and began our trip. Some of those things that you could do included jumping into a freezing  Spring water cave also rope swinging and cliff jumping. In addition only two people flipped their canoes so we made it out just fine. The ride home soon about three times longer than the ride to the river but with occasional nap it was alright. Altogether the trip was around 11 hours a lot longer than we thought it would be but it was still a fun time.  It was a fun time and I will cherish the memories that I made. Getting to spend quality time with some of the people that I love is something that is always fun. It doesn't have to be spending a day on the river or just relaxing at home. Whenever you are with the people that you love it doesn't matter what you are doing. One of the most memorable things is one of my best friends came with me and I promised that I wouldn't make her row at all and so I got to row for 6 hours straight. Totally worth it to make her happy. Anyways it has been fun writing this blog, peace out.

Food

Leaving for Ecuador in 14 days I will experience a major change in the food I eat. Down in Ecuador some of the things that are popular to eat is rice, beans, and guinea pig. Not necesarilly exotic food but it is not something that I would eat on a regular basis or ever. With pizza, spaghetti, and ice cream in the United States there are many things that I am gonna miss.This last few days are gonna be filled with eating a lot because I will be in a good food drought for some time. So here is a list of the food I am gonna miss and all the food that I want to eat before I leave...
-Cosmic Brownies
-Honey Buns
-Dominos Pizza
-Korean Steak
-All the sushi that I can handle
-Chinese food like sweet and sour or general
-A nice hamburger or hotdog would be pretty good as well.
-Korean steak as well as regular steak
Honestly there is too much food to list. I am not necessarily a picky person when it comes to food but never before have a watch a live guinea pig get cooked and then expect me to eat it. One of my favorite foods is cosmic brownie. I've already told my parents that I am expecting boxes of cosmic brownies to be sent to me. This adventure will hopefully open me up to new things and allow my perspective to open up.

Disney World

One of the most memorable vacations I have been on was when we went to Disney world when I
was in 2nd grade probably around the age of 7 or 8. For most kids this want to go and they think
that it is one of the coolest places in the world. They see the characters from television and you
get to interact with them and take picture with them. The animated characters brought to life are
just one of the things that you can do at Disney World. There are many rides in the park. One
of my favorite rides was called the Rocking Rollercoaster. The Rocking Rollercoaster was part of
a group of a bunch of rides that we rode because it had a small line but was super fun. This is a
trip I will never forget. People from all over the world were there and from every continent all kind
of people. All the girls, including my little sister, waiting hours in line to get to see the Princess.
This vacation was one that I will never forgot and has an incessant affect on me. This is part of an
always entertaining memory. This sounds lame my favorite thing to do was going to bed at 11.
That sounds really dumb, but as a kid every opportunity you had to stay up late you were out
and ready to go. One of my other memories from this trip was the firework show. As a part of
the Friday night celebration they shot off a bunch of fireworks and we were definitely out past 10. 
All an all this was good trip and a memorable one as well.

Argument

Book or Movie? People always debate whether they think the movie is better or whether the book was. The book provides a cinematic experience of the book. This is why I enjoy movies more than books. Although, books can be good most if not all movies are entertaining. Plus I can watch a movie in like 2 hours and get out the same thing that I would if I would have spent a couple days reading the book. Now I am not saying that I hate books or never read them because I do read books. I like to read books that I choose not that are assigned to me to read like in school. Having read all the Harry Potter books I find the movie to be just as enjoyable as the books, although quite shorter. I can see the argument on those that say that movies leave out some important parts from the book or change things. If you have never read the book you couldn't tell the difference but if you have read it it can be a major role in how you judge the movie. For example, many things were left out of those Harry Potter books. While some people criticized the director for cutting certain parts others felt the additional scenes and the lack of scenes make the movies more entertaining.  The debate of whether the movie or book is better is one that probably will never be settles and will go on for a long time. In my opinion, I like the movies because I can actual see whats going on and it is entertaining to me but I also enjoy books. I guess if I can spend 2 hours doing something I could do in days it just makes sense to me to chose the 2 hour idea.

World Cup

After a long month, one filled with surprises, the 2014 FIFA World Cup is officially over. For United States fan our dreams lasted a lot longer than most thought but it still wasn't quite the finish that we wanted. After miraculously advancing out of the "Group of Death" the US found themselves squaring off against Belgium in the round of 16, who by some was considered a favorite to advance quite far. Soccer popularity exploded in the United States during the world cup and many hope it stays that way. Soccer being the 3rd or 4th most popular sport in the US could use any extra boast to rise in popularity. The real surprise, I thought, came in the semifinal game between Germany and Brazil. Brazil, who has won the world cup 5 times and was the favorite to win again, suffered a crushing 7-1 loss against the Germans. The 6 goal margin of defeat was the largest margin ever by the home team in the World Cup. Many were curious to see how the fans of Brazil would accept defeat. Riots in the streets and many crying fans showed just how much this meant to them. With Germany advancing to the finals they played Argentina for it all. Many considered this to be Messi's opportunity to solidify his rank as one of the best soccer players ever. The Germans were too much for the Argentinians who lost on a goal in the 113 minute of extra time. What an exciting game for the viewers at home. It was a fun month, filled with excited, heartbreak, or many more emotions. All I can say now is see you in 4 years.

Highlights of High School

High school is considered by some to be the best four years of your life. If this is true the events that took place must have been pretty extraordinary in order to be considered the best. Although I'm not sure if i would consider it the best four years. Still I'm gonna list the highlights of my high school experience...

-Playing both basketball and football for most of the years.

-Beating our cross town rivals every year in football 

-Being a member of cabinet, which is like student leaders of the school.

-Receiving all A's in my classes

-Leading the football team in receiving yards against Hillcrest and nearly scoring my first touchdown.

-Going to haunted houses and corn maizes during halloween time. 

-Prom, and the weeks and events leading up to it. 

-My best friend hitting a girl in the school parking lot. 

-Playing in recreational  basketball leagues with all my friends. 

-Having 4 killer halloween costumes. 

-Going to early morning church every day of school all 4 years. 

Listing off the things in this list made me realize that most of the memories I made were not made at school but made outside with my friends and on the field. So maybe high school was not the best 4 years of my life but I made tons of memories I will never forget. Plus, with like 60 years ahead of me, hopefully, the best is yet to come. High School is just lights in the rear-view mirror. Time is something that can get away from us so we need to treasure the time we are going and not take advantage of it. 

Bucket List

Everyone has a bucket list. Secret or written down people all has desires that they want to do before a certain time. Whether it be visit all 7 continents or go skydiving we all want to step out of our comfort zone and do something. As I prepare to live for 2 years for my mission trip I gave some deep thought as to what I wanted to do in the last month before I left. #1 was spend time with friends and most importantly family. #2 have a nice and enjoyable weekend at the lake (which I am currently doing right now). #3 was go on a canoe trip with my family and some friends. #4 was to go off-roading in some ATVs. I always thought that would be super fun to do. #5 was eat my favorite meals at home and restaurants. #6 watch a couple movies so I'm not so far behind when I get back. #7 was to finish out my classes with strong performances and maintain an A. #8 was live to were I don't regret what I did the last month. #9 play in a recreational basketball with my friends. #10 and lastly was to develop my relationships with those around me so after 2 years we can still be friends and be close. I know this 10 things aren't anything big but right now I'm trying to get all of these things done so when the time comes I will be ready to go. I think bucket list at almost a way to make sure you accomplish everything you want to. You always here people talk about bucket list for older people when they are close to the end but in reality bucket lists are for every one and every situation.

Time Travel

Imagine getting one chance. Someone walks up to you and tells you that they have a time machine that you can use but you can only use it once. Immediately ideas would race through your mind. Would you go see the Declaration of Independence signed, or maybe prevent something from happening that altered the course of your life. Many things come to my mind when I think of this. Things like going and watching the first Super Bowl or watching a pitcher throw a perfect game or what about the "kick 6" that happened just last year. All those are great but there is something I want ever more than to see those thing. I would go back in time and have my parents hold me back a grade. Technically I am the same age as most incoming seniors in high school but the rules were different were I grew up so I started early. This way I would have another year of high school sports. They were so much fun that I would do almost anything to get a repeat at them. Also, at that same time I would have some of my friends parents hold them back so we could all still be together. I do have friends that are a year younger so that would give me another year with them before I left. It sounds dumb and most people probably think it is crazy but my senior year in high school was one of the most memorable years I have had. I met one of my best friends and the sports teams were awesome. So, although, I am ready for college it is nice to look back on high school.

Future

Each and everyday I am faced with the task of deciding what I will write about on this blog. Sometimes I sit and instantly an idea pops into my head while other times I have to collaborate with my family to find something that I can write about. Although it seems like there is endless possibilities my mind can sometimes go blank when trying to figure out what to write about. Today, after a few minutes of thinking, I have decided to write about what my future plans are. First off, I will be going on a mission trip for 2 years to Ecuador. Once that time comes to a close I will be attending Brigham Young University where I will get a degree in the field that I so choose. It sounds bad that I am graduated from high school and still have no idea as to what I want to be when I grow up. Ideas like doctor, accountant, or maybe even a sports trainer are main options but I still have no clear cut winner. After completing undergraduate I plan on finishes my schooling either at BYU or some other school and get the remaining degrees that I need for my profession. During this time I hope to find a wife and settle down and start a family. It is crazy to think that in just a few years I could have a family of my own. I never thought this day would come but here I am about to stare it in the face. So with just a few parts of my future on paper things could change drastically. That is one of the things I am excited. I see myself going one place when in reality I could go somewhere much different and be even happier. The future is awesome to like at and to plan for but I am just taking it day by day and when the time comes I'll embrace it.

Free Agency

July is the period of time in the NBA where free agents sign with new teams or resign with their previous team. It is either a marvelous time for a general manager or it is a horror story. You can add a good player or you could lose the best player on your team. With names like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh the free agent market is unlike most years. I, like most of sports fans, have an opinion on where I think these players could potentially land and the results. First, I think Carmelo's decision is based off of Lebrons. Either they both sign in Los Angeles or Carmelo returns to New York in hope to be the hero they have been seeking for many years. That is exactly what I think will happen. Carmelo goes back to New York because they can offer him a max deal and plus Lebron will sign with either Cleveland or Miami. Before going to the Heat Lebron spent his first years in Cleveland playing for the Cavaliers. This was his home town he grew up here and I think it will be his final resting spot in the NBA. He wants to win a championship as a member of the Cavaliers and I believe there is a definite possibility that he can by going to the Clippers. With Kyrie Irving and the new draftee Andrew Wiggins the team has lots of possibilities. Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are commanding little attention. Chris Bosh will probably sign with the Rockets considering they offered him a max deal. Dwayne Wade has been a heat all of his career and I think he plans on remaining a heat regardless of what the other players decide. Plus with his knees and his age slowly catching up on him he only has a few good years left in him. I am no NBA analyst but those are my opinions on what will take place in the next couple weeks. No bets that that will take place because there have been more stranger things take place.

If I had...

The question is always asked, "if you had a billion dollars what would you buy?" This is one of the most important questions in life that you people rarely ever will get to find out. It is a small percentage of people that make a billion dollars, but if I was given the opportunity this is what I would buy...
-First off a would buy a totally rad mansion on the coast overlooking the ocean. I would personalize to fit my every need. It would have an indoor basketball court.
-Then I would have an extensive car collection. Most likely including a couple Mercedes, a white jeep wrangler, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Porsche, and if I am feeling really awesome I'd get them all personalized.
-Next, I would buy a summer house in Paris and Australia. If I had summer houses that means I would need a private jet. Private jet would allow me to go anywhere I want at anytime.
-Since I love sports I would buy season passes to the patriots and whatever team Lebron played for. The basketball tickets would be courtside and the patriots would be 50 yard line a couple rows up.

The list could go on and on. I would probably put half in a back account just for fun. Oh another thing I just remembered that I would buy would be a lake house, a boat, and a couple of wave runners. Also, I would have a personal butler and become an awesome superhero. All my life goals would be accomplished and I could live the rest of my life just relaxing and enjoying life to the fullest.

Everything is Awesome

For many weeks my parents have been raving over the Lego Movie. I was not interested in the slightest to watch it. After much pleading and begging from my family I decided that I would watch the movie to please my family and get them off of my back. I love movies. One of my favorites things to do is watching movies. Usually, I rarely complain about the movie because normally all are slightly entertaining. However, after 5 minutes into this movie I was seriously contemplated leaving. I decided to give it a few more minutes and after it all I was glad I decided to stay. It was no Avengers or Spiderman, but it definitely had a surprising level of action in it. Also, there were many life lessons to be learned from a childs movie. Without spoiling the ending for all you lego fans who haven't seen the movie yet I will explain to you what I learned...
-Working as an individual is way more difficult than working as a team
-Believing in yourself is more important than others belief in you
-The hero always gets the girl
-Plans will fall through that is why you need a backup plan
-Routines are boring, switch things up occasionally
-In order to achieve success it takes hard work
It is crazy to think that you can pick that many life lessons from a childish movie about a lego man who is trying to save the world. As a kid you just watch the movie for entertainment and don't necessarily look at the whole picture, but as an adult I realize that there is more than meets the eye in a lot of things. However, no matter how old I am nothing changes that fact that what takes place in movies doesn't take place in real life, however disappointing that may be.

The Struggle

Each day when I sit down at the computer I contemplate what I will share with the world on my blog today. Should I share with them the days details in full description? No, that won't reach 300 words and nobody cares to know what happened in my life on a casual summer day. Should I share with them a childhood memory or tell them a story I have heard? No, I have done that too many times already and people are probably getting bored of those. Maybe I should share with them some of my future goals and aspirations? That is actually not a bad one I'll hold onto that until a rainy day when I literally cannot think of anything. I am a huge sports nuts maybe  I can recall one of my favorite plays that has happened or share my predictions of what the future has in store for some teams. Then I think everyone has their own different opinions of what is going to happen, although mine is right, so why spend the time to write it all out. With limited resources and although we can write about nearly anything it seems, for some reason, that it is hard to come up with something to write about. As of right now I am trying to fill the void until I get to 300 words. That is the goal to make it to 300 words with a strong blog post. However, some are hurried and can get a little sloppy I take some pride in what is being written. Maybe one time I'll share with you my future aspirations, or what happened just recently that impacted my life in such a drastic way. Instead you get to read an article that practically said nothing in 300 words.

July 4th

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays of the year. What can beat it? You spend the whole day celebrating with friends and families and then we night come beautiful fireworks light up the night sky. The 4th of July is dedicated to the celebration of the independence of the United States of America. The time we spend together is spent having fun. All the negativity that is constantly around us during the other times of the year is squandered as we all gather to celebrate our nations independence. Some of my favorite things to do during the 4th of July are grill, swim, shoot off fireworks, and spend times with family and friends. When you spend time outside on the fourth you can smell the grills cooking the hotdogs and hamburgers around you. Whether you are at the lake or just head to the neighborhood swimming pool it is always nice and refreshing to take a dip in the pool. Friends and family surrounding you just complete the atmosphere. Being around those you love increases the happiness that you feel and allows you to enjoy yourself more and just rewind and relax. Presents aren't need, huge meals aren't needed either. It is amazing that such a simple holiday can bring such a serious amount of joy to those around the country who are celebrated the nations independence.

Mr. President

When you are younger every kid has the same dream. They want to be the President of the United States. I mean you are living in the White House. You have a bowling alley in your house, have all the food you want, and practically get to do whatever you want. As a kid you feel that you could change the world as the President. However, changing the world for kids and changing the world for adults is two completely different discussions. As a kid you would make recess all day long, school days would be shorter, and summer would be longer. Every kid would have a dog and parents would let you do whatever you want and have to buy whatever you want..This was the dream of every kid. Although there may have been some differences in their desires but they all wanted to be President.  Things that are so funny but in the eyes of a child they sincerely want those things. As the President you feel like you have no responsibility and that is job is just fun all day long.  Growing up you realize that the president has so many responsibility and they are the furthest thing from fun. So while it is a dream when you are little to be the President when you are little but growing up you realize you lose that dream and become more realistic. Sadly, I wish everyone could have a childish state of mind. One were we never let our dreams go and always hold on tight. No longer would people not be enjoying what they do as there profession. People would do what they love to do which equals them enjoying what they do.  We only have so much time in this life so we have to do what we want to do and what we like.

Summer = Lake

Something that I realized that I left off the list of my favorite things to do was going to the lake. Going to the lake with either friends or family is a favorite past time as well as something I immensely joy to this day. Some of my favorite things to do at the lake include tubing. Although I don't know how to ski and am learning how to wake board it is always fun to tube. However, boating is fun and all but nothing beats jet skiing. It is just you or maybe your friend with you and the open water. You can go as fast as you want and feel the wind in your face. Sometimes it can be dangerous if you are going too fast and you turn quickly it could throw you off. One of my most memorable experiences on a jet ski was just a few summers ago. We were at the lake and I was riding the jet ski. I was probably going a little too fast and made a quick turn and flew myself off. When riding a jet ski you are supposed to have the key wrapped around your wrist so just inn case you fall off the engine will stop. However, I was young and oblivious at the time and didn't put the key around my wrist so when I flew off the jet ski kept going. I was eventually able to catch up to it but I certainly learned my lesson. Being at the lake is such a relaxing experience. Whether you are boating, fishing, jet skiing, or just chilling on the dock there are fun times to be had. I look forward to going to the lake multiple times this summer and making many more memories that I can cherish for the rest of my life.

World Cup

Growing up I played soccer for a couple years but it was never my favorite sport. So when the time came to choose one sport over the other I choose football over soccer. However, just because I chose football doesn’t mean that I still don’t enjoy playing recreation soccer with friends or watching soccer on the television. So when the time rolled around for the World Cup I got a little excited. Being in the Group G, or the group of death as others called it, I was curious to see how we would play and if we could advance to the round of 16. With 3 close and energetic games that took all 90 minutes to play the United States advanced to the round of 16 for the 2 consecutive for world for the first time ever. So as I sit on my couch and watch the United States of America against play against Belgium, I realize the undertaking that is ahead. Belgium, being only the size of Maryland, has a very skilled roster and considered by many to be one of the favorites.  The United States has proved many wrong so far and they have the determination to do it again. So although we don’t have world recognizable players or breed the kids to be soccer players as they grow up but I still think that we have a chance. The US has the support of nearly 300 million people behind them. At the World Cup, in Brazil, the US in the most supporting visiting team.  Nobody may believe that we have a chance to win this game or even win the World Cup, but I do. 20 minutes into this game and it is scoreless. I’m going to set this computer down so I can finish watching this game without any distractions.