Hey everyone!
I am so sorry I've been quiet the past two months. My life has been a little crazy lately, but it's good. Life is good! :)
Anyway, I have had a cool experience over the past few weeks. Ever since tenth grade, I have wanted to be my high school's English Sterling Scholar. For those of you who are not familiar with the Sterling Scholar program, I will explain! Each high school in Utah is grouped into a region, and each region has a separate Sterling Scholar "competition". Every high school in the region sends one senior nominee from several different categories to the region level. Each nominee is judged by their portfolio, interview, academics, leadership, etc. It's a lot of work, but the winners get scholarships, so it's worth the time and effort. To become a Sterling Scholar nominee at my school, you have to submit an application, be interviewed, and, in the English department's case, turn in a writing sample.
So, I applied! I was proud of my application and thought I might have a chance, but then I got the date and time for my interview. My parents would be out of town, and I would have no one to practice interview questions with. Then, on top of that, I caught a cold and had a cough. Needless to say, I was terrified.
Fortunately, my grandparents were staying with me and my siblings. They helped me run through a sample interview and gave me plenty of helpful tips. A wonderful neighbor sent me sample questions to answer. And finally, my grandpa gave me a blessing. In that blessing, he promised me that my cough would not be a problem during my interview and that I would have an answer for every question the interviewers asked.
The next morning, I headed off to my interview. I coughed all the way up to the doors of my high school, and then it disappeared. I was able to answer all of the interviewers' questions, and they even seemed to like some of my thoughts! I walked out of that interview knowing I had done my very best.
However, I wouldn't know the results for another two weeks or so. I prayed every night that whoever needed to be the English Sterling Scholar would be chosen and for the strength to be happy for whoever won. After a few days of stress, I decided I would just trust in Heavenly Father and let him figure out what was right. I wish I could say all my nerves went away, but they did decrease!
Finally, the day arrived. The principal called all the applicants down to the front office and gave a speech about how we were all great students and that the choice had been really hard. By this time, I didn't care who won. I just wanted to know and move on! Finally he let us go, and a few minutes later the winners were announced over the intercom. To my surprise, the intercom blasted my name!
While I was really excited, I also felt really bad. I had a few friends who also tried for English Sterling Scholar, and it was hard knowing that they were probably hurt. Luckily my friends are amazing sports, and I know that our Heavenly Father has bigger and better things than Sterling Scholar in store for them. They are too phenomenal to have anything less!
From this experience, I have learned one big lesson. Corrie ten Boom says it much better than I can, so we'll let her!
He knows what is going to happen. So stop worrying and let him guide you, whether you are applying for Sterling Scholar or making a major life decision! (Like which college to go to. Oh joy.)
Have a wonderful week, and thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Finding Triumph
I'll be brutally honest with all of you. The past month and a half have been probably the hardest month and a half of my life. Unfortunately for all of you reading for this, I'm not the pretty, heroic sufferer type, so prepare to read the good, the bad, and the ugly. :)
As I started my senior year, I expected one thing: normality. I thought that it would be much like my other years of schooling, with the exception of applying for college and scholarships. I looked forward to being with my friends again. I expected certain classes to be a challenge, but I felt confident I could keep up and do well. I thought my life would be (somewhat) calm.
How wrong I was.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, one of my best friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor on the third day of school. While I definitely was not the person who suffered the most through that hard time (she herself gets that award, closely followed by her family), I felt a lot of pain. Even now, realizing how crazily close I came to losing one of my best friends, I feel so lost. I thought I had "gotten over" it and moved on, but apparently, I have not. My school work has suffered. My grades have hit an ultimate low, and my attendance record is far from perfect. I have lost my former desire to excel in classes, to an extent, and it's hard to get up some mornings, knowing I'll have to go to school. The thought of applying for college and scholarships has become overwhelming. I stress out over ridiculously small things. I've had little or no desire to attend church meetings. In short, I've been depressed.
Just when I thought things could not get any worse, I received news of the unexpected death of a friend. This boy, Adam, was a member of my family cast from Nauvoo. He had really made me feel welcome and special during those two weeks. After the pageant, my family got to visit their home and spend a day with them again, which is a memory I cherish. Adam had the best smile and the kindest personality. It really hit me hard to hear about his death. I still can't believe he's gone.
I've entered a sort of dark hole, if you will, that I'm really struggling to get out of. I tried to do it on my own (silly me, I know), and when that didn't work, I got really frustrated. I was just kind of angry in general. I felt abandoned and unloved and lost. My Mom pulled me aside one night, and let me cry and whine on her shoulder for a good hour or so. She then counseled me to say my prayers more sincerely and to read my scriptures more intently. I did so that night, and ran across this scripture. It reads:
As I started my senior year, I expected one thing: normality. I thought that it would be much like my other years of schooling, with the exception of applying for college and scholarships. I looked forward to being with my friends again. I expected certain classes to be a challenge, but I felt confident I could keep up and do well. I thought my life would be (somewhat) calm.
How wrong I was.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, one of my best friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor on the third day of school. While I definitely was not the person who suffered the most through that hard time (she herself gets that award, closely followed by her family), I felt a lot of pain. Even now, realizing how crazily close I came to losing one of my best friends, I feel so lost. I thought I had "gotten over" it and moved on, but apparently, I have not. My school work has suffered. My grades have hit an ultimate low, and my attendance record is far from perfect. I have lost my former desire to excel in classes, to an extent, and it's hard to get up some mornings, knowing I'll have to go to school. The thought of applying for college and scholarships has become overwhelming. I stress out over ridiculously small things. I've had little or no desire to attend church meetings. In short, I've been depressed.
Just when I thought things could not get any worse, I received news of the unexpected death of a friend. This boy, Adam, was a member of my family cast from Nauvoo. He had really made me feel welcome and special during those two weeks. After the pageant, my family got to visit their home and spend a day with them again, which is a memory I cherish. Adam had the best smile and the kindest personality. It really hit me hard to hear about his death. I still can't believe he's gone.
I've entered a sort of dark hole, if you will, that I'm really struggling to get out of. I tried to do it on my own (silly me, I know), and when that didn't work, I got really frustrated. I was just kind of angry in general. I felt abandoned and unloved and lost. My Mom pulled me aside one night, and let me cry and whine on her shoulder for a good hour or so. She then counseled me to say my prayers more sincerely and to read my scriptures more intently. I did so that night, and ran across this scripture. It reads:
"But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me--but he will show that he hath not. For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
1 Nephi 21:14-16
I bawled after reading that. I was not forgotten. I was--am!--loved. I have a Savior who knows exactly what I'm going through, and He will not leave me. I took a lot of comfort and strength from this, and made it through a hard weekend and a few more days. . . and then lost it again. I struggled all through last week, and by the time General Conference rolled around, I was just done. I ached for something to be said during Conference that would help me, but when nothing came (probably because I was too busy wallowing in self pity), I felt alone and abandoned once more.
Finally, after going down into my room, I felt like I should pray. I knelt down and poured out complaint after complaint to the Lord, and do you know what? He listened. After I had finished my list of worries and fears and hurts, I felt such a quiet peace and love--something I have not felt in a month and a half. Those doubts, stresses, pains, and fears are still there, but I know that I can make it through. This month and a half of depression is not the end. I have a direction. I have an end goal. And it will be all right. With the Lord's help, I will be able to do anything.
My Lord has not forsaken me. And neither has my family or friends.
"My [daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment . . . [and] thou shalt triumph."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Girls' Camp 2013
So, I found my Girls' Camp Journal today, and I realized that my final Girls' Camp experience really needed its own post. So here it is!
As I mentioned in Summer Reflections, our theme this year was Brave, which was an acronym for Bold, Righteous, and Valiant Examples. (Get it? Get it?!) :) We had some amazing "solo time packets" this year. A solo time packet is a packet that each girl receives at the beginning of the week with quotes, talks, scriptures, questions, and a whole bunch of good stuff like that. Each day, we get to study one page and write in our journals. I love solo time! Solo time was the time where I had the chance to really think about what I was learning and to figure out how to apply it to my life.
On the first day, during solo time, we were asked to write down the Young Women's theme in our journals. As I wrote those special words, I remembered how much our Heavenly Father really loves us. We are His daughters, born with a divine potential to become just like Him! He wants us to have eternal happiness, and expects us in return to stand for Him and to be brave.
The next couple of days had amazing solo times as well! Here are some of my favorite quotes/thoughts/etc. from that week:
As I mentioned in Summer Reflections, our theme this year was Brave, which was an acronym for Bold, Righteous, and Valiant Examples. (Get it? Get it?!) :) We had some amazing "solo time packets" this year. A solo time packet is a packet that each girl receives at the beginning of the week with quotes, talks, scriptures, questions, and a whole bunch of good stuff like that. Each day, we get to study one page and write in our journals. I love solo time! Solo time was the time where I had the chance to really think about what I was learning and to figure out how to apply it to my life.
On the first day, during solo time, we were asked to write down the Young Women's theme in our journals. As I wrote those special words, I remembered how much our Heavenly Father really loves us. We are His daughters, born with a divine potential to become just like Him! He wants us to have eternal happiness, and expects us in return to stand for Him and to be brave.
The next couple of days had amazing solo times as well! Here are some of my favorite quotes/thoughts/etc. from that week:
"Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe."
-Thomas S. Monson
"Your strength will come as you strive daily to increase your testimony of the Savior by praying and reading in the Book of Mormon."
-Young Women General Presidency
"Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say "no," the courage to say "yes." Decisions do determine destiny."
-Thomas S. Monson
"Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
-Thomas S. Monson
Can you tell I have a slight obsession with quotes? Ha ha. Anyway, during that week, we were privileged to have the amazing Meg Johnson speak to us. Meg was paralyzed from the stomach down in a freak accident, in the middle of her dancing and leg-using career. As she told us her story and shared with us what she has learned, one thing she shared really stuck out to me. She related how after returning home from the hospital in her new wheelchair, she sat staring at herself in the mirror. As she studied her newly crippled body, she began to cry and wish that her accident had never happened. She then heard a voice say:
"Don't covet because I have given you more."
She went on to explain that she really has been given more. Through her experience, she has learned a lot and has been able to touch many peoples' lives. She has been able to feel so much love from Heavenly Father, both for her and for others around her.
This really touched me. I feel that I, too, have been given more, although maybe not as dramatically more as Meg has been given. But how many times have I watched a normal height girl walk by, and jealously wondered how easy it must be for her to find jeans, shoes, or a date for that matter? Or how many times have I stood next to my friends and wished that I didn't feel like an awkward monster? How many times have I coveted because I have been given more? Too many times to count, unfortunately.
On the flip side, how many times have I really appreciated the fact that I have been given more? I have felt God's love, more often than I can count. I have been complimented hundreds of times on how I carry myself, tall and unashamed. I know that I am a precious daughter of a King. I have promises of eternal happiness and glory. I know that I have a Savior, who suffered personally for my sins and my pains and my sadness. He understands and knows me better than I know myself. I understand my divine nature, and recognize that everyone around me has that same worth. I am stronger than I thought possible. I understand pain more than I thought possible. I understand love more than I thought possible. And my journey has only begun.
I am so grateful for my "more." I hope you, too, are grateful for your "more."
Thanks for reading, and I hope you come back soon!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
True Strength
So, once upon a time, three best friends started their senior year of high school. They survived through the first two days, and even had some classes together! They had a blast in Chamber Choir, and couldn't wait for what the rest of the year would bring.
Then, on the third day of school, one of the friends had an MRI that discovered a tumor in her brain. She was rushed to the hospital and put into the ICU because the doctors were worried she would have a seizure that could potentially kill her. She was scheduled for an emergency brain surgery the following morning, which also happened to be her 17th birthday.
Meanwhile, another one of the friends got home from school. She turned on her phone to find a text message from her best friend's mother, telling her about the tumor and asking her to let everyone know. An hour and a half later, this friend had to go to work after telling everyone what was going on, leaving a whirlwind of questions behind her.
That night, the two best friends couldn't stand to leave their other best friend alone in the hospital. They, along with four other close friends, drove in near complete silence for a half hour. Since their friend was in the ICU, they were not allowed to see her, but their cards and well wishes were delivered to her room by a kind nurse. The friends then returned home.
During the next twenty-four hours, countless prayers were said. Friends fasted. Phones were out between every class period, the owners desperately checking for updates on their friend. The surgery got postponed. Then she went in. Then she was done, and the tumor was out.
But she still wasn't back home. And her two best friends still hadn't seen her. And her two best friends desperately missed her. More prayers were said. She couldn't eat. Even more were said. And then, she was able to come home. Only four days had passed since her brain surgery. Her best friends went to her house at 7 that morning to tape posters and notes to her garage to welcome her home. And later that day, the three were finally reunited. One had lost some hair and a tumor, the other two had lost sleep and failed quizzes worrying about her. She was tired, but she was talking. And even though her two best friends still worried about her, they knew she was going to be all right.
Two days later, her miraculous recovery had only continued. Her two best friends marveled as she walked, talked, and acted just like her old self. The three stayed up late on a school night catching up and modeling wigs. They laughed. They smiled. They even cried a little bit. Everything felt almost normal again. Prayers of gratitude were said that night. All three knew there was still long road to reach complete recovery, but hope and peace were found.
I know that prayer and fasting works. Our Heavenly Father is watching over us, listening, and He will bless us. I owe the life of one of my best friends to Him. He loves us, and will not desert us. He will carry me and my friends, especially my friend who has suffered the most, through this trial. We are his daughters and sons with infinite worth. Miracles happen, and will continue to happen for all of us and for my dear friend. God is the true and only source of strength, peace, and hope.
I love you all.
Then, on the third day of school, one of the friends had an MRI that discovered a tumor in her brain. She was rushed to the hospital and put into the ICU because the doctors were worried she would have a seizure that could potentially kill her. She was scheduled for an emergency brain surgery the following morning, which also happened to be her 17th birthday.
Meanwhile, another one of the friends got home from school. She turned on her phone to find a text message from her best friend's mother, telling her about the tumor and asking her to let everyone know. An hour and a half later, this friend had to go to work after telling everyone what was going on, leaving a whirlwind of questions behind her.
That night, the two best friends couldn't stand to leave their other best friend alone in the hospital. They, along with four other close friends, drove in near complete silence for a half hour. Since their friend was in the ICU, they were not allowed to see her, but their cards and well wishes were delivered to her room by a kind nurse. The friends then returned home.
During the next twenty-four hours, countless prayers were said. Friends fasted. Phones were out between every class period, the owners desperately checking for updates on their friend. The surgery got postponed. Then she went in. Then she was done, and the tumor was out.
But she still wasn't back home. And her two best friends still hadn't seen her. And her two best friends desperately missed her. More prayers were said. She couldn't eat. Even more were said. And then, she was able to come home. Only four days had passed since her brain surgery. Her best friends went to her house at 7 that morning to tape posters and notes to her garage to welcome her home. And later that day, the three were finally reunited. One had lost some hair and a tumor, the other two had lost sleep and failed quizzes worrying about her. She was tired, but she was talking. And even though her two best friends still worried about her, they knew she was going to be all right.
Two days later, her miraculous recovery had only continued. Her two best friends marveled as she walked, talked, and acted just like her old self. The three stayed up late on a school night catching up and modeling wigs. They laughed. They smiled. They even cried a little bit. Everything felt almost normal again. Prayers of gratitude were said that night. All three knew there was still long road to reach complete recovery, but hope and peace were found.
I know that prayer and fasting works. Our Heavenly Father is watching over us, listening, and He will bless us. I owe the life of one of my best friends to Him. He loves us, and will not desert us. He will carry me and my friends, especially my friend who has suffered the most, through this trial. We are his daughters and sons with infinite worth. Miracles happen, and will continue to happen for all of us and for my dear friend. God is the true and only source of strength, peace, and hope.
I love you all.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Summer Reflections
So, summer happened. And guess who never posted on her blog? Jessica. So guess what she gets to do now? Sum up three amazing months in one post!!! Ha ha. Summer brought a lot of working, fun, and partying. My job finally took off, and I had some pretty crazy--but fun--shifts! :) So, on June 10th, I headed off to my last year of Girls Camp. :'( It was a really amazing experience, and I loved being around all the sweet and amazing girls that live in my neighborhood! I spent a lot of time with another "sixth year", and by the time Thursday night rolled around, we were a mess. We cried so much that night... I'm pretty sure we lost the younger girls' respect. And that's assuming we even had it in the first place... ha ha. :) But the thing that I learned the most is that our Heavenly Father is in charge. He has a plan for each of us, and even if it's hard, we are going to be all the better for it! Our theme for the week was "Brave", and each day we had a quote that went along with the theme. My two favorite quotes were:
"Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
-Christopher Robin
"Fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
-Thomas S. Monson
These quotes just made me so happy! First of all, you can NEVER go wrong with a Disney reference. Never. Secondly, they are so right! We are so much more than we think we are. In fact, we have infinite worth, and a God in heaven who will help us become braver, stronger, and smarter. :) And as we trust in Him, we will be able to see His plan and realize that our future is glorious! Our now may be hard--we all have trials--but our future is bright as long as we have faith in God's Plan of Happiness.
Then, in the middle of July, my parents took my family on a "mystery" vacation! They kept the secret of where we were going for over two months--isn't that impressive? When we got the airport, they finally broke the news. We then got on the airplanes and headed towards Pittsburg, Pennsylvania! We spent a day and half there at the zoo and aquarium. Then we drove to New York, and saw Niagara Falls! It was AMAZING. And.... I saw Canada! And I waved at some Canadians! :) Ha ha. Then we went to Palmyra, New York. While there, we visited the Sacred Grove, the Smith Farm, the Hill Cumorah, the John Johnston home, and a few other sites. We also saw the Hill Cumorah Pageant, which was pretty cool. (Nauvoo is still better. Just saying. :D) Then we drove out to Kirtland, Ohio. Kirtland was amazing. I actually felt the Spirit stronger in Kirtland than in Palmyra, as did the rest of my family. It felt like a little Nauvoo! :) It was so cool to see where my ancestors and the early leaders of the church lived, worked, studied, and worshipped. We were so blessed to have the chance to be there!
"Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
-Christopher Robin
"Fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
-Thomas S. Monson
These quotes just made me so happy! First of all, you can NEVER go wrong with a Disney reference. Never. Secondly, they are so right! We are so much more than we think we are. In fact, we have infinite worth, and a God in heaven who will help us become braver, stronger, and smarter. :) And as we trust in Him, we will be able to see His plan and realize that our future is glorious! Our now may be hard--we all have trials--but our future is bright as long as we have faith in God's Plan of Happiness.
Then, in the middle of July, my parents took my family on a "mystery" vacation! They kept the secret of where we were going for over two months--isn't that impressive? When we got the airport, they finally broke the news. We then got on the airplanes and headed towards Pittsburg, Pennsylvania! We spent a day and half there at the zoo and aquarium. Then we drove to New York, and saw Niagara Falls! It was AMAZING. And.... I saw Canada! And I waved at some Canadians! :) Ha ha. Then we went to Palmyra, New York. While there, we visited the Sacred Grove, the Smith Farm, the Hill Cumorah, the John Johnston home, and a few other sites. We also saw the Hill Cumorah Pageant, which was pretty cool. (Nauvoo is still better. Just saying. :D) Then we drove out to Kirtland, Ohio. Kirtland was amazing. I actually felt the Spirit stronger in Kirtland than in Palmyra, as did the rest of my family. It felt like a little Nauvoo! :) It was so cool to see where my ancestors and the early leaders of the church lived, worked, studied, and worshipped. We were so blessed to have the chance to be there!
Hanging out at Niagara Falls!
The E.B. Grandin Print Shop
My sisters!
My family at the Smith Farm.
The School of the Prophets, located in the Newel K. Whitney Store.
The Kirtland Temple... kudos to my sister Emylee for the cool photography!
And that's about all I did this summer! :) I had a wonderful time, and I learned a lot. Here goes my Senior year! :) Thanks for reading, and come back soon!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Suprises
So, I got on to blog today, and guess what? As of two days ago, Beautiful Heights has 1007 page views! Yay! I just wanted to tell y'all the good news and to say thank you for reading Beautiful Heights! I have lots of ideas to expand this blog and to make it bigger and better, and I'm excited to keep on blogging. Please continue to refer your "tall girl" friends here so Beautiful Height's message can reach more of our beautiful friends. Let's keep Beautiful Heights growing! The other good news is..... I got a new mattress! My feet don't hang off it, so I shouldn't have my "dead feet" problem. :) I'll let you know how it works out!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Happy Summer and a Smile :)
School is out! And with that, Jessica is officially a SENIOR. That's kind of scary. :) My summer bucket list will follow shortly.... but first, a laugh brought to us by some tall girl who really gets it! :) These made me chuckle, so enjoy!!!
(But they're SPARKLY flats.... have you checked out my favorite shoes?)
....because you'll have a bruise the size of a dinner plate on your knee if you even try....
I'm so glad other people have that problem. Sometimes I wake up with "dead" feet because of it... walking is always interesting for the rest of the day after that.... :D
And finally, my personal favorite.....
Well, I actually do play basketball. But still. :D
I hope y'all enjoyed these too. I giggled at some of these--they are so true! If you are not a "tall girl" and don't understand, feel grateful. For the rest of us, well, enough said, right? Ha ha.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you back soon! :)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Catching Up
In case you were wondering, I haven't died.
Although if you thought that, you had a lot of justification. I haven't blogged in a long time. Life has been a little busy for this high schooler, and between choir tour, AP tests, and big projects, my time has been stretched pretty thin! So, here comes a quick catch up on Jessica's life. :)
On April 17, some of my very best friends and I headed out on choir tour to Washington D.C. My Mom got to come along with us as a chaperone, and we pretty much had a party the entire time. We had some pretty amazing experiences, including a VIP tour of the capital building, singing in the Hart Senator Office Building, visiting Arlington, walking around the D.C. Temple, and just having fun with our friends! My friends Brianna and Breanna were on the same bus as I was, and we had the most epic bus driver--er, professional motor coach operator--ever. Basically, he was so awesome that I had to name my souvenir stuffed panda after him. (Dave the Panda is pretty adorable by the way :D) At our choir festival, my choir took first in gold, which was pretty amazing!!! We had a wonderful time, and we've been having "choir tour withdrawals" ever since coming home.
Although if you thought that, you had a lot of justification. I haven't blogged in a long time. Life has been a little busy for this high schooler, and between choir tour, AP tests, and big projects, my time has been stretched pretty thin! So, here comes a quick catch up on Jessica's life. :)
On April 17, some of my very best friends and I headed out on choir tour to Washington D.C. My Mom got to come along with us as a chaperone, and we pretty much had a party the entire time. We had some pretty amazing experiences, including a VIP tour of the capital building, singing in the Hart Senator Office Building, visiting Arlington, walking around the D.C. Temple, and just having fun with our friends! My friends Brianna and Breanna were on the same bus as I was, and we had the most epic bus driver--er, professional motor coach operator--ever. Basically, he was so awesome that I had to name my souvenir stuffed panda after him. (Dave the Panda is pretty adorable by the way :D) At our choir festival, my choir took first in gold, which was pretty amazing!!! We had a wonderful time, and we've been having "choir tour withdrawals" ever since coming home.
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Some of my favorite places and people in the world!
Just hanging out in D.C. with some great friends... :)
It POURED on us in Arlington. Do you like our new hairdos? ;)
Sigh. Finding these pictures made me miss D.C. even more! Anyway, I had a lot of catch up work to do after tour, so I didn't get to blog about it until now! My birthday passed, and I had a ton of fun thanks to my incredible family and friends. Then it was suddenly time for AP tests. I took the AP Calculus AB test and AP English Literature and Composition test...and now I have to wait until July to get my scores back. It was kind of anticlimactic, to be honest. :) Well, that's what I've been doing the past month! Hopefully I can get back to blogging somewhat regularly from now on.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Seventeen Years and Counting...
Wow. Recently I turned seventeen--an age I thought I would never reach when I was six. Seventeen was so "old" back then! I remember looking at all the high school kids in my neighborhood and thinking that they were so mature and grown up and ready to take on the world. Now I've reached this age, I'm suddenly realizing that I'm not as "mature" as I thought I would be! I still love my old stuffed animals, half of my favorite movies are Disney cartoons, my attention span is about as big as a five-year-old's, and my favorite snacks are flavor blasted goldfish crackers. And do you know what? I like it that way. So, during the next 360(ish) days I have left of legally being a child, I'm going to do a ton of childish things. I'm going to play Barbies with my younger sisters (if they'll join me... :D), teach my brother to use the slip-n-slide, visit and buy something at the Disney store, hold a final tea party with all my dolls and stuffed animals and maybe a few friends, color outside of the lines, get sunburnt because I played in the backyard for too long, play dress up with my childhood friends, and maybe even get a little bit muddy after a rainstorm. I'm going to remember how to not be afraid for tomorrow. I'm going to forgive easily. I'm going to smile and laugh every chance I get. And most of all, I'm going to dream. I think too often we forget our loftiest goals, the dreams of our childhood. I'm going to remember those dreams, and who knows? Maybe I'll figure out what I want to study in college, or be able to decide if I'm moving out or not. But until then, I'm not going to stress about it. Answers will come. While I wait, I'm going to enjoy every single precious day I have. After all, you're only a child once. :)
Friday, April 5, 2013
Spring Break
I love vacations. I love them a lot. For a few days, I get to completely forget about homework, hang with my friends and family, and just have a fabulous time! :D For the past few days, my family and I have been in Bryce Canyon--a beautiful National Park in Utah. We hiked some pretty amazing hikes and saw some pretty amazing sights--other than that, I really don't know how to describe it! So, to make up for my inablitity to use words, please enjoy the following pictures!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon! :)
Sunday, March 31, 2013
An Interesting Day & the YW Broadcast
Yesterday was kind of a rough day. I was feeling kind of sick and grumpy, and then I made the mistake of going shopping. My sister Emylee and I spent several hours searching for an Easter dress for me, and my dear Mother spent several hours trying to fix the only thing we could find into something I liked. Meanwhile, I had a sick/grumpy/frustrated mental breakdown.... it was great. (Please note the sarcasm :D) I wasn't very kind to myself, and it was kind of a miserable day! Anyway, it was suddenly time to go watch the General Young Women Broadcast! In my grumpy state, I did not want to go. But somewhere in the back of my head, I heard "Jessica, Satan obviously doesn't want you to go tonight--which means you REALLY should go!!!!" So, I miserably headed upstairs and drove myself, Emylee, and my Mom to the Stake Center.
Let's just say, everything that I needed to hear that day was said. The text of the talks have not been released online yet, but there's one quote I memorized right after President Uchtdorf said it. (Just in case you're wondering, yes, he is my favorite apostle. :D) He simply said:
Let's just say, everything that I needed to hear that day was said. The text of the talks have not been released online yet, but there's one quote I memorized right after President Uchtdorf said it. (Just in case you're wondering, yes, he is my favorite apostle. :D) He simply said:
"Stand tall. You're a child of God."
I know he probably wasn't thinking of a 6' 3" girl when he said that, but I was! :D I am so grateful that on a day I was really struggling, Heavenly Father would inspire one His servants to give that specific message with that specific wording. It reminded me of my divine nature-- I am a daughter of God! I am not a mistake. God designed me to be tall, and so I need to stand tall!
That meeting completely turned my day around. My poor family was probably confused by my dramatic mood shift, but oh well. :D It turned out to be a good day!
Thanks for reading, have a wonderful spring break, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Chamber Choir and Parenting Techniques
A funny thing happened this week.
First of all, it was the end of the quarter, which means STRESS. Secondly, Thursday was Chamber callbacks. And that's where my story begins....
I have wanted to be in Chamber since I was in ninth grade. It's the top choir at my school, and only a little more than 30 people can get in. When you have a school with 2,000+ kids, that's not a lot. This year, I made it to callbacks. So, on Thursday, I found myself in the choir room singing for my choir teacher and most of the current Chamber members. I also happened to be standing next to a gorgeous, but short, girl. My teacher loves it when I'm next to short people, and of course she had to point us out to everyone in the room. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed--me or the poor girl next to me. Fortunately we got over it and decided to be friends. After I sang and made a complete fool of myself, my teacher excused us all to go home.
Now, apparently there's a tradition that if you make Chamber Choir, you're kidnapped the next morning by current Chamber members and taken to breakfast. I knew about this, so that night I began to frantically clean my room. My parents stopped me, however, and informed me that I had not made it into Chamber. They told me that my neighbor's parents had received a call soon after callbacks informing them that their son had made it. One of my best friend's parents had also gotten a call--but my parents had not. I cried on my dad's arm for about an hour and tried to figure out what else to do with my life. In the middle of a discussion about my writing talent, which was frequently interrupted by my sobs and hiccups, the phone rang. My mom answered, and a girl's voice informed her that I had made it into Chamber. (My parents have since decided that their parenting skills need some fine tuning. I told them they should just count the entire experience as an early--and successful--April Fool's joke.)
The next morning, a few girls from Chamber kidnapped me, and, to my delight, when we got to the breakfast, I found out that some of my dearest friends had made it as well--including my new short friend! Needless to say, I'm pretty excited. It was a strange twenty four hours filled with awkwardness, unnecessary sadness, and lots of partying!
Well, thanks for reading and celebrating with me, and I hope you'll come back soon!
First of all, it was the end of the quarter, which means STRESS. Secondly, Thursday was Chamber callbacks. And that's where my story begins....
I have wanted to be in Chamber since I was in ninth grade. It's the top choir at my school, and only a little more than 30 people can get in. When you have a school with 2,000+ kids, that's not a lot. This year, I made it to callbacks. So, on Thursday, I found myself in the choir room singing for my choir teacher and most of the current Chamber members. I also happened to be standing next to a gorgeous, but short, girl. My teacher loves it when I'm next to short people, and of course she had to point us out to everyone in the room. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed--me or the poor girl next to me. Fortunately we got over it and decided to be friends. After I sang and made a complete fool of myself, my teacher excused us all to go home.
Now, apparently there's a tradition that if you make Chamber Choir, you're kidnapped the next morning by current Chamber members and taken to breakfast. I knew about this, so that night I began to frantically clean my room. My parents stopped me, however, and informed me that I had not made it into Chamber. They told me that my neighbor's parents had received a call soon after callbacks informing them that their son had made it. One of my best friend's parents had also gotten a call--but my parents had not. I cried on my dad's arm for about an hour and tried to figure out what else to do with my life. In the middle of a discussion about my writing talent, which was frequently interrupted by my sobs and hiccups, the phone rang. My mom answered, and a girl's voice informed her that I had made it into Chamber. (My parents have since decided that their parenting skills need some fine tuning. I told them they should just count the entire experience as an early--and successful--April Fool's joke.)
The next morning, a few girls from Chamber kidnapped me, and, to my delight, when we got to the breakfast, I found out that some of my dearest friends had made it as well--including my new short friend! Needless to say, I'm pretty excited. It was a strange twenty four hours filled with awkwardness, unnecessary sadness, and lots of partying!
Well, thanks for reading and celebrating with me, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Change
So, after a lot of feedback and thought, I'm going to tweak Beautiful Heights a bit. This main page is no longer going to be solely dedicated to "tall fashion," but to pretty much everything to do with being tall, as well as snippets of my daily life. Hopefully this will make this blog more interesting for all of us! I also have started a twitter account. I'll tweet every time I write a new post, or just when I have a quick thought to share, so follow me! @JessHenson0425
Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon.
Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Gratitude
So technically this isn't a "tall fashion" post, but I'm going to post it anyway! Today I just feel so grateful for all the amazing blessings I've been given. I may not have everything, but what I have is more than enough. I have a fantastic family that loves me, I have wonderful friends who support me and know how to have fun (catch phrase!), I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, and I live in an amazing place surrounded by amazing people. I'm so grateful for all I've been given.
Thanks, reader, for reading my happy rambling! :)
Thanks, reader, for reading my happy rambling! :)
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Summer is Coming!
Hello Readers!
So today is a beautiful spring day, and it's making me feel excited for summer! So, this post is about my new favorite brand of capris and jeans- LA Idol. Unfortunately, this brand doesn't have a particular store (as far as I know) and I can only get them at jean parties or boutiques. Sometimes they can be pricey, so watch out. But if you can get them on sale, they are pretty fantastic! They are longer capris than usual, which is just awesome. They also have longer jeans that are similiarly adorable and fun. If any of you know another awesome brand of long jeans or capris, let me know!
So today is a beautiful spring day, and it's making me feel excited for summer! So, this post is about my new favorite brand of capris and jeans- LA Idol. Unfortunately, this brand doesn't have a particular store (as far as I know) and I can only get them at jean parties or boutiques. Sometimes they can be pricey, so watch out. But if you can get them on sale, they are pretty fantastic! They are longer capris than usual, which is just awesome. They also have longer jeans that are similiarly adorable and fun. If any of you know another awesome brand of long jeans or capris, let me know!
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My favorite pocket design :) |
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back again soon!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
My Favorite Shoes!
Here is my first real "tall fashion" post!!!! Woo hoo!!!!! :) I don't know about the rest of you, but I've noticed it's practically impossible to find cute shoes that are above size 10. But, a few years ago, my Mom and I discovered that Payless Shoe Source has shoes at least up to size 13!!!! Needless to say, that's where I order my shoes. My favorite flats they have right now are their glitter flats- I have them in gold, silver, and black! :) So if you are searching for a place to find "tall girl" shoes that are actually cute, check out Payless! :) If any of you know any other place to get over size 10 shoes, let me know!
Thanks for reading and I hope you'll come back soon! :)
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Welcome to Beautiful Heights!
Wow. I've been thinking about starting this blog for two years. Two years! I've finally decided to do it, and so here we go! This blog is entirely dedicated to helping my fellow "tall girls." Of course, if you aren't tall, you're welcome here too, although you may not understand some of the challenges we address. :) So, if you are reading this, please pass the word on to all of your "tall girl" friends! We need everyone's help to make this blog successful-- I certainly don't know every store with long pants or larger shoes!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back soon!
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