Of Young Men and Missionaries

Okay, so it's been almost a month since the last post. I think it's time for an update.

I have been called to be the Quorum Mission Leader for my ward's Priest Quorum. With this title comes a lot of work and responsibility. Every week I have to ensure that each boy in my quorum has the opportunity to serve a minimum of six hours with the Elders serving in our ward. Also, mainly because I tend to be the most organized of my quorum, the Bishop asks me to help plan a variety of things.

The boys seem to really not like to do things out of their comfort zones. It is hard to spend 6 hours with 2 19-21 year-old boys that you don't even know, yet the boys in my quorum are not even trying to make an effort to go out with the Elders. Most of them just make excuses and chicken-out the last minute so then I have to call the Elders to tell them that the boy just canceled on me and there isn't another boy to go with them. That makes me angry, I don't want to be the one to tell the Elders that another boy didn't follow through, maybe I'll just have the boys call the Elders and tell them themselves.

Anywho, I have a great time whenever I go out with the Elders. Over the past month I have probably gone out a total of 31 hours. It would be closer to 45 or 50 if my family didn't get upset when I have the car for hours on end! Although it may be a lot of work, this calling is fun. The Elders that come to our ward (no matter where they were before) are always funny, fun to be around, and very spiritual. It never ceases to surprise me that whenever I'm with them, I feel the Spirit in abundance. I now just want to go on mission right now, although it's not possible. I love going out with the missionaries because I feel the Spirit so strongly when I'm with them. But alas, I have 2 more years left to wait!!!

I went to Youth Conference on the 10-12 of this month. It was so much fun! There were definitely some low-lights to the trip but the good outweighed the bad in this situation. The first night was bad, I was only able to get 4.5 hours of sleep and that, in the words of my sister, was no bueno. Then I attempted to sleep on the bus, but obnoxious s sitting behind me would not stop talking and laughing for 10 minutes so that I could fall asleep. The Pageant was great, but nothing has changed in like 3 years so it was the same. The night of the 11th the stake youth went to Keuka College (a tiny, dingy, weird college in Boringsville upstate New York). I got about 5.5 hours of sleep that night and had fun climbing on the roof of the dorms where I was staying (and sneaking over at 6:30 am to awaken my brother and scare the snot out of him). Then we went to the Sacred Grove. It was a lot of fun, except for an annoying from my ward who kept telling people that we are not supposed to talk (at ALL!!!) because the place was so sacred we shouldn't even whisper. Gosh, some people's children! After the testimony meeting, we loaded-up on the buses and started going home. I wasn't able to get very much sleep for 2 reasons: 1. Every time I would fall asleep, someone would kick something around me and I would wake up, and 2. I am on the SYC (Stake Youth Council) and the old SYC members wouldn't do anything that the leaders would want them to do, instead they would tell the leaders that we (the new SYC) needed to take charge and do what they wanted. So what did that mean with 4 other new SYC members on the bus??? It meant that I did all the work! Sure, it wasn't a lot, but it didn't help that any time I would try to get the group's attention, the last ones to stop talking were those very people.

That's been my life for the pat month! It really isn't as boring as it sounds. I just can't wait till I go out to Utah (and Vegas!) to see my sister! Also, school starts in just over a month, that is weird. Senior Year, the final frontier (of high school that is).

Too Fast

So a month has flown by since I last posted. Wow, time seems to really fly by. I will do a recap of my past month so bear with me.
After my last post, I started going to practices for a select band that plays for the main Senior events at the school. I had about two weeks of twice-a-week practice and then we had to play at the never-ending Senior Awards night. The program was in total approximately 2 hours long! Just for awards and scholarships that only a handful of people really got, mainly the Valedictorian).
Then there was graduation. Graduation was June 1st, and it was wonderful. The speeches were not all clichéd and full of nostalgia like the past four years worth of speeches, but they were filled with hope and energy. Hope and energy about the future. The graduating class didn't (and i doubt they do now) know what the future really has in store for them. The ceremony was outside this year, the first year in six (as stated by Mr. Brucato).
I had finals. Well that's just it, I had two. One in my Spanish 5 class, and one in my Anatomy and Physiology class. The other days were either days where I didn't have to come into school, half days, of days filled with study classes (to prepare for the "difficult" finals.
It is now summer. I have been called to be the "Quorum Mission Leader" and part of the Priest Quorum Presidency. I am in charge of the helping the Priests in the ward to get out and help do missionary work. I am on-call with the missionaries, seeing as I have no job, and I go whenever they need me. I have only been called once with week, but I hope that I will be called more often (it's actually rather fun).
I am getting my Duty to God Award in sacrament meeting on Sunday and am giving a talk about my experience in the program as a result. I have been waiting to actually receive the award for about two or three weeks now and I am happy that I don't have to wait any longer. I am going to wait to receive my Eagle award (I am an Eagle scout, but I have not had the ceremony yet) until the end of summer so that my family can come and see me get the award.
That is the best recap that I can do right now, it's late and have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow. -B

Two Weeks

These past two weeks have been so chaotic. I have felt trapped in constant and tremendous drama and chaos. Trapped between comfort and fun. Tossed between groups of friends like a ship in stormy waters. It will all be worth the waiting and pseudo-patience that I try to exert. And mom, I do try to be patient, but a LOT of my patience goes to my school day, so I will try harder. Especially now that seminary's almost over, for now I can get more sleep!
I had my real SAT test on the 3rd, and that was rather easy. I'm supposed to be able to check my scores this coming week, then I can see whether I'm in the clear, or thrown back into more standardized test taking. Then, I had some late orchestra practices to go to for the concert on the 8th.
On the 9th and 10th, I went on my first white-water rafting trip in up-state New York. The rapids were class 3's and class 4's. It was so much fun, and not as nerve-racking as I had believed they would be.
I had band after school twice this week, as well as a concert on the 13th. I got my varsity letter for participating in Marching Band for three years. I also got my Tenor pin, and my Clarinet pin.
Yesterday I had another orthodontist appointment. Dr. Gamm, my orthodontist, stopped all of my elastics. Meaning that my mother no longer has to walk around the house and find tiny little broken pieces of rubber wherever she walks. He also said that my teeth look great, excellent is what he said, and that I might get them off before next school year!!! (I will get pictures up soon!)
I have 2 proms coming up really soon. Milford High School's Senior Prom is this coming Friday, and I'm going with one of my friends, AJ Bruce. I'm looking forward to another great Senior Prom (this is #2). I am going to Fall River High's Senior Prom with a gal from the Fall River Branch, Leslie Mello. I'm a little apprehensive for this particular one, for I don't know any of her school friends and do not want to be embarrassing (well, really, how can I be embarrassing?).

Subtleties

I have noticed lately that I have the ability to notice a lot of things about people that most other people never really notice. For instance, I am able to see when people are struggling, even if they put on a happy face and try not to show it. It pains me to see people hurting inside because at one point in my life I could relate, but now I know that there is more to life than problems and we just have to look past them. I am also able to notice when people just need someone to talk to or when someone just needs another person there with them. I can also tell certain things about people that I know just by looking in their eyes. Weird, I know, but it is true (at least I think so).

Okay, a little update on the schooling. I am the Vice-President of Debate Club, running for Vice-President of Spanish National Honor Society, and in the fall I will be running for President of the Music Department of MHS. I did not win the elections for Treasurer of NHS, but that is completely fine. In fact, that might even be better because now I can run for President of the Music Department.

I am also waiting for my mother and father to decide whether or not we will all be going to Utah and changing all of the plans for the summer. I really do not care if go out to Utah because then we would be able to go to Cali for my first time! However, I really do want to do a great High Adventure event and Youth Conference for the stake. -B

Senior Prom(s)

The past two weeks have been rather busy.

After prom, not much happened, for a while that is. One week flew by, and now the second week flew by. My AP Language and Composition gave her resignation notice to the school and she will be leaving the Milford school system in June. I took the ACT exams on April 12th, they were a little bit more difficult than I thought they would be. I also aced my two big Spanish tests last week, I also aced the hardest test of the year in Anatomy (the test on the brain and the nervous system).
I was also elected the Vice-President of my high school's newly started debate club. I am helping to get it going so that it will be even more popular in the years to come. I had a National Honor Society meeting today, and I am running for the position of Chapter Treasurer. The elections will be Monday , April 28th and then I will find out whether I made it or not.
I am also going to run for President of the National ure & Languages Honor Society (something to that extent). I really would like to be the President, not to mention it would be a lot of fun.
-B

Dates, Braces, School

Here is a little bit of a journal entry.

I went on a date last night with my friend Carly from the Boston Stake, and I doubled with my friend Ryan from my ward. His date was was our old teacher's quorum advisor's sister, she was out visiting from Utah. We went to T.G.I. Fridays and then went to Carly's house to get some ice-cream and so that I could finally meet her parents.
Prom is tomorrow night for me, and I'm bringing my best friend Mia Hansen (a freshman at BYU-Idaho). After Prom, we are going to go back to my place and her brother, Ryan, is going to come over and eat some Chinese Food with the rest of my family, well those that are still alive.

I had another Orthodontic appointment, and I got another "GOOD" for my brushing and flossing! If i get four more, I can get a free $10 gift card to some store of my choice! YAY! I have now reverted back to the age of ten! Actually my orthodontist Dr. Benjamin Gamm is really amazed at how fast my teeth move, I do not believe that I will have them on for much longer.

I have a few more tutoring sessions before I take my SAT tests. I'm now trying to fit the sessions into my JV Boys Tennis schedule, and that is not an easy task. Also, I have All School Orchestra rehearsals some Thursday nights, some dance classes on Friday nights, and then I try to squeeze in some family and friend time. Oh, I also have some National Honor Society meeting to go to before the induction ceremony on April 30th.

I am also almost completely done with my Duty to God Award and should be able to get in within the month of April. I am done with all of my Eagle Rank stuff. I am now just waiting and waiting, somewhat patiently.

I think that is all I have going on right now, besides trying to plan out my summer and trying to find a summer job.

Dear Life (#3)

In honor of my dear sister, Siovhan, I shall do a post just like hers.

Dear MCAS,
Thank-you for being so bothersome. Last year I did have to take you, and I passed you with flying colors. This year you are not a burden though, I can now get an extra 1-3 hours of sleep! Also, I get to tease the Freshman and the Sophomores!!!

Dear Allergies,
Oh how I loathe you so. Why must you inflict my body with such nastiness. I how much I have to scratch myself just to alleviate the itchiness. Also, why must I have itchy eyes? It makes it difficult to see with my contact lenses in my eyes.