A Bug's Life

Homecoming

2009-10-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Although my Mom, being the amazing blogger she is, has already posted pictures of Staley's 09 Homecoming, I thought I would go ahead and put a few more.. just in case. :)

Starting with the woman who made it all possible. :)

A few of possibly the greatest friends ever.

My date, Derek Skiles, was such a gentlemen all night long. He's such a great friend to me and makes me laugh all the time. These picture show the TRUE Derek. :)

Elaina Parker.. the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz last year.

These last two photos are my favorite! Kristen did such an astounding job!!!!!!! I can't thank her enough!

Love, Hunter Bug

"I Think My Water Just Broke"

2009-10-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

No. MY water did not just break. But Sis. Bunnell's (my Young Womens leader) did! Last night!

For those of you who don't know this, my parents decided to abandon us this weekend and go run off to Utah for some BYU football and spiritual experiences. Well while they were gone, the Bunnells stayed with us. And for those of you who also don't know, Sis. Bunnell is VERY pregnant.. or WAS! :)

While we were sitting at the kitchen table, eating spaghetti o's and enjoying each others company, the baby decided that he was going to come a month early. Sis. Bunnell suddenly stood up, announcing his arrival. Her husband was at the priesthood session of conference so it was up to Rachel, Bridger, and me to get to her to the hospital! About 25 minutes of being at the hospital, Bro. Bunnell rushed in and we slowly left. We were all so excited that our Young Womens leader could be having her baby!! And the fact that her water broke while she was with us made it THAT much more exciting!

Lacey and Sam Scott came to our home to replace Kristen and David, so Lacey took the call at about 1:30 am... THE BABY WAS BORN! 6 lbs 9 ounces! A BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY!

Congratulations Bunnells!!!!!!!!! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Victory!

2009-09-26T09:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1471597.html

We Are Not Invincible

2009-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the first ever annual "It Won't Happen to Me" walk-a-thon. There were friends and families from all over, who had teenagers that have died in car accidents, come and join us in this walk of remembrance. As we walked the path, there were several pictures of teenagers who have lost their lives in the number one killer of teens. Looking at their pictures, I realized how many of their stories I knew by reading the 1st and 2nd edition of the IWHTM books. What is heartbreaking about most of these stories is that when these teens were killed... they weren't doing anything wrong. Most of them were just driving home from work, heading home from a friends house, and some (like Megan) were just passengers in a car. Most of them were killed because of someone elses mistakes, distractions, carelessness, etc.

WE ARE NOT INVINCIBLE.

It CAN happen to you.

It only takes one second. One text. One phone call. One distraction. NEVER, ever are these distractions more important than someone elses life. I am so very grateful for the new texting law that MO has issued for its teens. Personally, I think that this should have been issued to EVERYONE and not just teenagers, but that is a whole different ball park.

It's like I've been told, and what I tell my friends every time I hear of them texting while driving. "You can wait 10 minutes for a stupid text message. Because it never has been and never will be worth someone elses life."
I loved this way of remembering my best friend and bringing to the attention of teens all of the seriousness of America's "silent tragedy".
I'm excited to start working more closely with IWHTM and promoting this at Staley. I want all of them to know too.

Love, Hunter Bug

An Update!

2009-09-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in a while and thought I would share some pictures!!

Tri-Stake Dance: Priest/Laurel

Courtney Cox and Taylor Lott!

(Left to Right) Courtney Cox, Bug, Heather Martin, and Becca Cochran

Issac Aimes

Hopefully I will have more time to update in the future!

Love, Hunter Bug

Fundraiser!

2009-09-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you know, my Mom and I will be traveling to Norway during Spring Break for the unveiling of a piece of music that is being written especially for our Staley High School Chamber Choir. But.. like most good things.. there is a catch. We have to raise $3,000 per person. That means lots and lots of fundraising. And anything/everything counts. We have been given packets and brochures of different gifts and goodies. So far, the orders I have taken are mostly chocolate, chocolate, and.. more chocolate!

I would like to ask for your support on this long and memorable journey. If it would be at all convenient, I would also ask that you would take a look at the catalog and brochures, whether with me (if you live close) or, if you'd like, on the online catalog and brochures (for those who live far away). As I mentioned.. anything and everything counts.

If you are interested in looking at the online catalog/store, the steps are very simple.
1. Click on the website posted HERE!
2. Click on the "Online Store" icon in the top left hand corner of the screen
3. When asked, enter the Staley HS ID: 1486489
4. Then enter the student name (that would be me): Hunter Kanenwisher

Our cutoff for THIS fundraiser is next Monday.

There will be more fundraisers to come, but this one will hopefully cover mine and my Mom's first payment coming up later this month.

If you are not interested absolutely no worries!! But if you are, thank you ahead of time!!!

Love, Hunter Bug

Hittin' the Ground Runnin'

2009-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

I've only been attending school for a little over a week and already my schedule has begun to fill up with theater, musicals, shows, etc.

What is the first you ask? When? And where?

This is our first show that we are producing this year at Staley High School. In theater III we get to produce and perform our own show with just the students in the class. The stressful part about it.... It occurs on October 1,2, and 3. AND the best part is... we don't have our scripts yet. So we haven't begun to rehearse. That means we have about 5 weeks to put it together. Oy. But we have begun working on advertisement and continued working on our theater portfolios.. so at least we are being somewhat productive.

Now some of you might be asking "What is the actual musical for this year?". Excellant question!

Yes! We are performing Little Shop of Horrors for our musical this year! Auditions are in November so we are all getting pretty excited for that!

Love, Hunter Bug

Prayer

2009-08-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know what I would do without the simple comfort of prayer. The amount of times it has blessed my life are endless. Personal prayer is probably the greatest gift ever given to me. It's my time to ask for help; to show my Heavenly Father how much I love him.

In my prayers tonight, I will be praying for the Zink family in our stake. They have suffered a terrible loss of their son... and I ask that you would do the same.

I like to ask "why" in my prayers a lot. And I have noticed that usually when I ask "why" I don't get an answer. It's almost like He's trying to tell me even if I knew why things happened.. I wouldn't be able to change them.. So why tell me at all? I've learned to stop being stubborn and asking why, and comfort those who need it. I think tonight while I prayer for the Zinks.. instead of asking why.. I'll ask how. How can I help to comfort this family? How can I learn from this?

Please remember the Zinks in your prayers.

Love, Hunter Bug

Starts and Ends With Rain

2009-08-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

That is exactly how today played out. Our household was a mad house at 6 this morning.. getting up for the temple trip and saying bye to Chloe before she headed off to college. And we all cried like a bunch of babies. Mom and Chloe left shortly after we did.

After all these years you would think that I would be more than happy for the day my Clo Bo left home. Exactly the opposite. She has taught me more than I ever thought possible. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.. saying good bye to my sissy.

However, I did get to talk to them while they were traveling today. Our ward had an interesting opportunity today. One you would NOT expect at the temple.

Mhmm. And no.. I'm not joking. And yes.. I have gotten that reaction every time I've told someone. David Archuleta was in Omaha, Nebraska for a concert and attended the Winter Quarters Temple while there. Just so happens that he attended the same baptismal session as our ward. It was funny to see the different reactions of our youth when we first walked into the chapel. He sat directly behind a couple friends and me. Boy, was Brother Anderson lucky that he was able to confirm him. I can't tell you how many girls would just be happy to TOUCH him! But it was cool to talk to him for a little bit and then he was on his way.

It's raining.. pouring actually.. and it's Saturday night. Only a few more days until school. I'll take my chances.. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Say Hello to the Good Byes

2009-08-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, school is starting up soon. Tuesday to be exact. So it's time to start saying hello to the good byes.

Good bye to all of my great friends heading off to their fall semester of college.. including my big sister.

Good bye to summer, swim suits, and vacations.

Good bye to sleeping in until noon.

Good bye to a non-hectic schedule.

Good bye to staying out late on week nights and endless hours of Rock Band with Dad.

Good bye, good bye, good bye. I hate good byes.. well usually. :)

But now we have plently of hellos!

Hello to soccer, rugby, theater, choir, school friends, homecoming, football games, etc.

Hello to the Kissinger's Walk-A-Thon on September 19th. http://kckanenwishers.blogspot.com/

Hello to trick-or-treating and haunted houses.

Hello to NEW MOON! (Twilight.. if you didn't know that you have some serious catching up to do :) )

Hello, Hello, Hello. Have you noticed my attempt at optimism yet?

I have one last thing to share before I sign off.

The first time Noah has even said "CHEESE" to the camera for me. And with ice cream all over his mouth! How could I resist? :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Tender Mercies

2009-08-09T16:08:00.001-07:00

Some of the greatest blessings in my life are the teeny tiny things that most people would find small or even strange if they happened upon them.

One example are the cute things the Ritter B's do for me.. that they probably don't realize they do. Everytime I see Jordie she gives me a big huge hug. What she doesn't realize is that her little act of kindness makes my day so much better, and she some how finds a way to give me these big hugs when I really need them the most. All of the Ritter B's are like that. :)

Another example occured today at a time when I least expected it. I was having one of those "down days" that everyone gets once in a while (or if you're like me.. a lot more than that!) and it came around to the time in Young Womens when we do our "spotlight" of the week; a leader describes a girl and we all guess who it is and that girl gets a candy bar. Well today I was the "spotlight" of the week, and when I got up, my Laurels teacher asked me to stand up front so she could read off some things that the girls had written about me a few months earlier. The list went like this: She is so AMAZING and so is her hair. She is like an older sister to me. She is a great role model. She is beautiful. She cares deeply for others. She is an example of spiritual strength. Hunter is so wonderful. She has such a great testimony of the gospel. She thinks about her friends and cares for them.
At that moment, I was completely flooded with joy and my heart was filled to the brim. These girls had written maybe 8 words about what they thought of me, and what they may think was insignificant meant the world to me.
My older sister, Chloe, is leaving for college this coming Saturday morning. It's the little things, like how we wrote silly notes back and forth during sacrament today, that I hold on to and hopefully never will forget.
Upon returning home from my best friend's funeral in December, I went up to my room to wash my face and looked up at my mirror, only to see the note she had written a few weeks earlier with a dry erase marker saying "I love my Hunter! Love, Megan".

A little while ago, I had a friend who was really struggling. I had a card with a strange, yet beautiful picture on the front. Inside the card I wrote to him what gets me through even the toughest times:
"What may seem small, insignifcant, or even strange in the beginning makes all the difference in the end."

Love, Hunter Bug

Gettin Ready

2009-08-04T09:25:00.002-07:00

In the first couple weeks of August, this image can only mean one thing... Back to school time! Time to get refocused and get back into the "Staley Spirit" mood! I would say that I am pretty well prepared for this school year.. that is.. when it comes to being (as my friend Devin would say) "spiritual".

Don't you think? And this is NOT even close to everything. I guess you can say I have a lot of school spirit. :)

We went over to registration yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good about my classes. I have a good set of teachers and I have my mind set on A's this year.. hopefully I can stick to it. Plus, (I'm going to remind my Mom about this) my Mom told me that if I get straight A's this year that she will buy me a jeep.. hmmmm.

Well today Rachel and I are soakin up the sun and trying to make the best out of our last few weeks of freedom. Aubrey Anderson!!! I encourage you to do the same! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Home!

2009-08-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

WE ARE HOME! It was nice to go to church and see everyone! Tons of warm smiles and welcome backs!

A couple of the cuties from our trip! Left to right: Lily, Chloe, Tonia, Melanie, and me!

Four-wheeling!

Bought new prom and homecoming dresses!

And of course spent time with our favorite Morgans! They tooks us to the 2009 MLS All-Star game! Although USA lost.. it was still fun!!

Love, Hunter Bug

Good Ol' Kansas City

2009-07-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we are heading out bright and early and headin' home. We have had an awesome time but, as most of us know, it eventually takes it's toll. For those of you don't know...We have done quite a bit of driving in the past two weeks. From Kansas City, Mo, to Tulelake, Ca then 6 hours up to the Oregon Coast, back down to Tulelake and over to Centerville, Ut. (Don't forget all of the little trips in between.) I guess you could say I have spent enough time in the car to last me a while. BUT it has been fun to see all of the family and.. Oh my! There is just so much to say!! When I get back and have some time to download pictures, I'll elaborate a little more on what the KC Kanenwishers have been up to. But for now, I need to head back up to the condo and finish packing for the 16 HOUR DRIVE to Kansas City. :)

Hope all has been well! Happy Late 17th Birthday to Aubrey!

Love, Hunter Bug

It's All Good

2009-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Been keepin pretty busy lately, but it's been fun! We are packing all day today and then tomorrow morning we head out to the Oregon coast for a family reunion. I haven't been psyched about going, but now I can't wait to get out of here! I am bummed about a few things that I haven't been too excited about missing; my best friend Rachel is a convert, of 1 1/2 years, to the church and she is giving her first talk in sacrament this Sunday. This may not seem to significant to some.. but this is a big deal for her and I'm sad I don't get to share that with her. Either way, with or without me there, she will do an excellent job.

Now for the movie of the... Oh geez. Who am I kidding? This one is going to be a tough one to beat in my book.
I'm not spoiling ANY part of this movie! All I can say is... go see it!!!!!!!!!!!! If you share my love of Harry Potter.. GO!!! We went to the midnight showing on Tuesday night, and even at 2 in the morning when your nerves are shot and you are exhausted, it is still awesome! And added on to the fact that the movie was amazing, we had one heck of a fun night to go with it!
(Left to Right) Jenni Ashcroft, Chloe, Bridger, and Me. The four of us (along with a couple people we didn't know, but immediately became friends with) made this one of the most memorable midnight showings ever!
This is Doe-Men-Tor. We never saw his face, or learned his real name.. but we thought that he was definitely one of the highlights of the night. He would hide in the dark or behind walls in the theater and scare people as they walked in. If you plan on mimicking his hilarious act, I would advise you on one thing that we all learned.... DON'T SCARE THE BIG FOOTBALL PLAYER WHILE HE IS ON A DATE! I bet if you really thought about it you could fill in the blanks. :)
This is Harry Potter. By the end of the night we learned his name was Dalton.. I think. But any who, he was also someone who made the night so memorable. His goal was to see how many pictures he could jump into by the end of the night. I can't remember how many, but he certainly succeeded.
Can YOU spot Harry Potter in these following pictures?

In the end the message is always the same.... GO SEE HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

EFY!

2009-07-04T09:01:00.001-07:00

You know when ever you have those amazing spiritual experiences and you want to tell someone all about it and how special it was to you, but there are no words and no way to describe it? I feel that exact way about EFY this week! This has probably been one of my top three spiritual and life changing experiences. I had so much fun and met so many new strong youth, while growing so close to the Savior and my Heavenly Father. My favorite part of the week was Tuesday and Wednesday. These were the days when we would go to a hour long class and listen to these awesome teachers that were chosen for the Columbia, MO session of EFY. For example, some of the classes I decided to attend were Finding Christ While Dodging Deception in the Latter-Days, Principles of Heaven, No Burden Too Great, Gospel Sunsets, Worldliness Never Was Happiness, Be Thou An Example of the Believers, Reaching To the One, and Overcoming Anger, Offense and Other Counter Attacks on Our Agency. I was absolutely shocked with the powerful spirit that I felt and how greatly the words of these wonderful teachers effected me.
Now here is the fun part. There can't possibly be an awesome EFY without.. PICTURES!!
This is my company.. PERISH NOT! All I can say about this group of youth is... WOW! I love all of them so much! And I hope to see them again next year.
This is Toni and I! She was in my company and is one of the most friendly and beautiful people I know!
This is my room mate Sarah. She lives in Oklahoma.. :( but she is such a powerful youth in the gospel and I am so thankful for her example throughout the week.
(Left to Right) Ryn, Toni, and Shiela. All girls from my company and look how beautiful they are!!! And their personalities match it too!
We had amazing counselors!
And extremely cute guys! This is Spencer Roberts.. my COW (Crush Of the Week). :)
Like I said earlier, the classes were awesome! (Nate Thorne)

And the dances were a blast!!! (Andrew Mack and Toni)
Our service project was a success! (Joey Johnsen with black crayon on his face.)
And we developed friendships that we will never forget!

I think that every young man and young woman in this church should attend EFY when they reach the age of 14! It's such a life altering experience and I can't wait to go back next year!
Love, Hunter Bug

Happy Birthday Bishop!

2009-06-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

I wish I could have grabbed an awesome picture of Bishop Litster and posted it with this, but sadly I have been recently deprived of a functioning camera.

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BISHOP LITSTER! Besides my Dad and my Heavenly Father and Brother, this man is the most important man in my life. I love him so much and I don't know where I would be without him. I certainly would have a lot on my plate with no chance of wiping it clean. For his birthday today, he attended the temple trip with the youth. Some birthday, right? Wrong! I know he wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else than at the temple. Not only is he an excellent dessert maker and drive a monstrous van, but he is such an inspiring, uplifting, patient man. And I am proud to call him my Bishop. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Ps. Notice I didn't put how old he was. I'll leave that one a mystery. :)

Hunter's Review

2009-06-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last night at mutual all we could talk about was how the midnight showing of Transformers was in 4 hours.. or 3 hours.. or whatever. Somehow landed myself a ticket with a few of the youth from my ward and right after mutual we all headed over to AMC theaters. But BEFORE we left I ran into one of my old young women's leaders (though she is the FURTHEST thing from old) and she told me to check it out for her 11 year old son.. you know, see if it's "kid" appropriate. Well, for all of those who are thinking the same thing, I have a review right up front for ya.

When I got my ticket, I was kind of surprised that it said the movie was rated PG.. I don't know if it was a misprint or if they were just being sneaky and wanting to sell more tickets because the rating shows that Transformers is "kid" appropriate. DO NOT BE FOOLED! If I had an 11 year old son, I would hold off on letting him watching it.. But I guess that depends on your view of what they can and cannot see. Don' get me wrong.. Transformers was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mom and I talked one time about how we love listening to it while we are in the car.. just because whenever the robots transform it is the coolest sound ever! Trust me.. it's gotten better. It is pretty long, but I never noticed a dull moment in the movie. Tranformers is funny, the actors are all great and it definitely keeps you on the edge of you seat. I loved it!!!!!!!!!

Now, why do I think that it is not kid appropriate? I was ultimately shocked with the amount of cussing. There are a few suggestive parts that are questionable for an 11 year old (or younger) to see and it does show someones bare behind, but the cussing was definitely noticeable. ALL of us noticed it. And if a group of teenagers notices a lot of cussing in a movie supposedly rated PG.. there's gotta be something wrong with that. If you allow yourself to really get into it, some of the cussing kind of blends in with all of the other dialogue, because this kind of cussing is more often heard around us during the day. They threw a lot of cussing in there to try and spice up the more humorous spots, and though, yes, it did have us all laughing, there was a point where we all looked at each other and said "PG? Yeah right.".

I would recommend this for teenagers 15+ and Mommy Daddy date nights.

Hope you enjoy! It's a pretty good one!

Love, Hunter Bug

LoLa E Bola

2009-06-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

Our dear LoLa,

You never cease to amaze me. You hate to cuddle.. yet you always seem to find a snuggly spot next to someone when they are feeling down. And no matter how mean Bridger and Dad are to you; always pulling on your "facial hair" and ears just to see what you'll do, you love on them and greet them the most when they come home from being out.

You know just what an apology looks like. For instance, today when I sat down on the floor and you nearly scratched my eye out, because you thought I was asking you to play; you heard me say some very naughty words to you. So you laid your ears back and licked my arm, surprisingly making me forget how mad I was.

You are the perfect playmate, because you are always up for wrestling, throwing the ball, going for a walk, etc.

Things you could refrain from doing for a while.. (or forever):
1. attempting to run/running out the door every single time it's open
2. UNDERWEAR IS OFF LIMITS! Nuff said.
3. When you drag every one's socks around.. could you possibly carry them around in matched pairs? This would save me a ton of work looking for my matching socks.

I think that should pretty much covers it. :) Love you!

Love, Hunter Bug

Summer Living

2009-06-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

It's hot outside! And sunny! I'm so excited! With the rain and gloomy days it's been nice to have a few "happy" days.

Liberty Hills Country Club has been our designated swim team for the past.. 8 years? Correct me if I'm wrong Mom. But anywho... We have a swim meet tonight against St. Joe (our rivals) and it should be.. good? I don't think it's going to turn out in our favor, though we do usually KILL them. :)

Have some soccer stuff coming up.. Should be exciting. :)

And I'd like to apologize ahead of time for the lack of posting that will be occuring soon. But I'm always pleased to see that everyone keeps up to date on their blogs and I love to see how your guys' summer is going! So lets let Hunter feel the love! Let me know how summer is going!

Love, Hunter Bug

Girls Camp.. A Blessing

2009-06-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well we made it! Being a YCL for the 4th year trip this year was a truly humbling experience. The "little sisters" that were assigned to me were a true blessing from God. Their names are Jessica Helm, Mericia Bashein, and Kayla Rydalch. They never failed to express their love towards me and the other girls. Each of their testimonies were amazing and I am so grateful to have had them. The camp leaders told me that they were assigned to me because they felt that there was a special need there; they felt that these specific girls needed to have me as their leader at this specific time. But throughout this whole trip, I have felt as if they were assigned to me because I was the one that needed THEM at this time. Along with my "little sisters", the other YCLs at camp were a great blessing to me. These girls all possess such strong testimonies, that there was no way I could have walked out of there without a testimony 10x as strong as it was before. They have all had their hardships.. some that should not have to be dealt with at this age.. but these hardships have been overcome, and have been a constant source of strength for them to continue on in this world of deceit, sin, and hardships. Their love for the gospel and for me as been such a great example for me, and I have such a deep love for them.

I don't know about other girls camps.. but at our girls camp we have a tradition that our parents write us a letter, and on the last full day of camp we spread out all over and read these letters. This year I received two letters; one from my mom and one from my dad. For those of you who don't know me that well.. it has not been an easy year. Heartbreak, sorrow, poor decision making, and loss of a few lives have been impacting factors. And at some points it seems hopeless and lonely. I read those letters and felt the spirit so strong it almost hurt, and any feeling of hopelessness or loneliness was immediately dispersed. The amount of love expressed in the letters from my parents gave me the ultimate feeling of love and reassured me of the Lord's plan for each and every one us. We are given trials and tribulations because He loves us, and wants us to return to him. He will never give us more than we can handle. And He will never leave us alone.

I wish my camera hadn't stopped working right before camp because there were so many times when I would want to take a picture, thinking about how all of you would get a kick out of whatever it was. But an upside to this is that if I had my camera on this trip, you would have all fallen asleep reading the captions under all the pictures; with the inside jokes and funny happenings.

I'm so very thankful for the opportunity I have had to participate on this truly strengthening trip. Now all I have to do is see if I can convince my mom and dad to let me skip a few days of our family reunion to attend Youth Conference in July. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Happy Birthday Bridger Connie!

2009-06-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yay Bridger! It's your birthday! She's 13! A teenger! Watch out world!

We haven't really celebrated much.. but then again we haven't really celebrated our birthdays in style a lot recently. (Well... that's goes with the exception of Dads big 40th party.) But I know she feels loved all the same. We do have ice cream and ice cream cake though, so that should be a celebration in itself.

Good news for her is that she'll be celebrating all week! Tomorrow the YCL's (that would be me!) all head up to Camp Mozingo to prepare ourselves and the camp for the arrival of our "Little Sisters". There are two sad things about this. One, on Tuesday when the other girls come up to the camp, (that includes Bridger) the 4th year YCL's (me) and the 4th years are heading to a different location to go back packing. So the first few days I won't be able to see her having fun and seeing old friends while meeting new ones. The second sad thing is that we have come to an end of a Kanenwisher packed girls camp. Mom and Chloe have decided to retire from girls camp, so this year it will be Dad, Bridger, and yours truly, duking it out in the POURING DOWN RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS! Should be fun. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

HOME

2009-06-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Made it! And not too late into the day either! You know whenever you come back from your vacation, and you walk into your house, taking a big huge breath, and it just smells like home? (Hopefully your home smells nice.. :) ) Yep! Once I took that huge breath I knew I was home. And it feels good too!

Tomorrow I get right back into the regular schedule.. starting off with swim practice early in the morning.

Happy to be home! And not so ready to leave again on Monday. :(

Love, Hunter Bug

One More Day

2009-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have one more day to spend here in Montana.. and it's going to be a good one. I really am so grateful for the opportunity to come out here and spend time with family and old friends. Although it does feel kind of weird traveling without my mom/dad, it was still nice to get one on one time with everyone.

My mom posted this on her blog. And one of the questions is: Who will most likely post this?... My mom said Hunter. And who am I to not happily oblige. :)

1. What is your occupation right now? Master Traveler of the Western United States
2. What color are your socks right now? actually.. no socks!
3. What are you listening to right now? the washer and dryer
4. What was the last thing that you ate? a marshmallow cookie.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? sort of.. THANKS TOM!!! :)
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my momma
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? shes my mom.. I'm not supposed to like her. (wink wink) of course I like her!
8. How old are you today?16
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Indianapolis Colts Football! or England Soccer. :)
10. What is your favorite drink? cranberry juice!
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Aha!... Yeah
12. Favorite food? chocolate! guess who I got that from?
13. What is the last movie you watched? Mr. and Mrs. Smith
14. Favorite day of the year? July 4th
15. How do you vent anger? anyone who doesn't already know this.. probably shouldn't know. :/
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Lion King action figures
17. What is your favorite season? summer
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries.
19. Do you want your friends to answer this? If they'd like to
20. Who is the most likely to post it? mm.. probably no one
21. Who is least likely to fill it out?
22. Living arrangements? my home in Kansas City, MO
23. When was the last time you cried? Today.
24. What is on the floor of your closet? my shoes! I cleaned my room before I left. :)
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Mom.. and Chloe
26. What did you do last night? ate dinner with some family, watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and then watched NFL Game of the Week. The main topic.. Indianapolis Colts. Woo!
27. What are you most afraid of? making big mistakes
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? cheeseburger
29. Favorite dog breed? Borable! (I think that's how you spell it)
30. Favorite day of the week? Fridays
31. How many states have you lived in? 3
32. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
33. What is your favorite flower? Hibiscuses

Love, Hunter Bug

The Beautiful State of Montana

2009-06-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

I don't think there is a word to describe Montana. Beautiful doesn't do it justice. Open is a pretty good one. Laid-back is a good one too. But what I do know is that it is full of memories, family, love, horses, mountains, etc. PERFECT for me. I thank Kris soo much for allowing me to travel with her and her kids across the country so that I could dwell in this superb state. It has been the perfect place to sit back and think/clear my head.

I have spent most of my time with my cousins, Spencer, Jackson, Collin, and Beau, and also with some old friends, Zander, Adam, and Alyssa Smith. We have gone swimming, bike riding, and four-wheeling (apparently four-wheeling in trucks is a big thing.. at least with the 6 boys listed above). Now there are some things that you have to understand about the activities I have mentioned. Swimming here is not done in a pool... Nor a lake (due to extremely cold temperatures of the water in the lakes) though they do have both. Swimming here is done in ponds in peoples' yards. So you know when you are driving down a country road and you see big ponds in peoples' yards.. yeah.. they are a lot deeper and warmer than you think they are. (I told my mom this and I think I almost made her puke :) ) Bike riding, eh... pretty much the same everywhere. As for four-wheeling in trucks. Not the safest of activities, and trust me, had I actually KNOWN that we were going four-wheeling in a 3 passenger truck (which was full, with two passengers in the bed of the truck) there would have been no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I would have gotten in. You see, what I mean by "if I had known we were going four-wheeling", I mean just that. I HAD NO IDEA! To my knowledge, we were putting out the hay for the horses.. which we did in fact do. But the boys also thought it would be funny to go their usual four-wheeling route in the fields.. WITHOUT TELLING ME. Great fun.. huh? Could be, if you are in a vehicle to handle that kind of action. But nonetheless, they still made it fun for me.

Though I am having fun, I still miss my family back home. I wish we could all be so much closer so we could see each other more often. But gosh darnit, good old Missouri is home. And I love it there!

Coming home Thursday. And then girl's camp starts up Monday! And the good think about that is.. I am a YCL for the 4th years!! So I still get to be with some of my favorite young women from my ward. :) And we are going back-packing for the 4th year trip, which is awesome in itself. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Reporting from Montana

2009-05-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

We made it to Montana safely! And having a blast!

Love, Hunter Bug

Summer!

2009-05-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's finally summer!! SO excited! Graduation is over, swim practice starts up tomorrow.. AND I LEAVE FOR MONTANA WITH KRIS IN TWO DAYS! :) We are stopping in Utah on way and THEN I get to stay with MELANIE! So much fun! Just gotta finish off laundry and get in one day of swim practice then we're hittin' road!

Love, Hunter Bug

Closing Up

2009-05-18T17:23:00.001-07:00

Woo! We're almost there! Emerald City is over, soccer season is over (for now), finals are the next couple days, and the last day of school is Friday. These are the times when I really envy Chloe. I have "I-want-to-be-done-with-schoolitis".. and Chloe actually gets to do that!! She graduates Wednesday, which makes one heck of a busy week. With her graduation, and graduation party, and with family coming into town, studying for finals, trying to keep the house clean AND fixing the basement, after our recent flood, before Saturday; we're pretty much going to be on our toes all week.

A FEW PAST AND FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS! :

One: As I mentioned before, Emerald City was last Thursday and it was hit.. for the most part. In the beginning of the show I sang a duet with my friend Elaina Parker (we sang "For Good" from Wicked) and, unfortunately, while we were singing, the mics went out. So basically, all the audience could hear/see was the pit playing beautifully with Elaina and I mouthing the words. It was kind of bummer but we continued on and tried our best with the rest of our performances throughout the night.

Two: I had the opportunity to go watch Bridger in her dance recital Saturday. And.. I'm not going to lie.. she shocked me! Anytime I see Bridger dance she seems too little and awkward to dance in a hip hop class with other girls her age. Boy did she prove me wrong.

She did awesome!

Three: In some ways this is a highlight.. but as I said, my soccer season is finished. I hope that I get to play in the 6 on 6 teams for Staley this summer, but other than that it's pretty much swimming and running for now.

Four: My aunt Kristen comes into town today with my cousins Lydia, Otto, and Olin! They are only a few minutes away and I'm so excited! Then my Grandma and Grandpa Kanenwisher come into town later tonight! :)

Five: Today is Chloe's 18th birthday!.. Not much of a highlight for ME, for her yes, but not for me. Just makes me realize how much closer she is leaving..

Six: Speaking of leaving, Oak Park's graduation is Wednesday. Hopefully that will be more of a highlight then not.

Seven: I don't exactly know if I'm supposed to tell.. but next week when my aunt Kristen and her kids leave.. I'm going with them! It's going to be so much fun!.. Of course I have to come back for girls camp.. :( .. but I'll try to make the most of it!

Love, Hunter Bug

Ps. Congradulations Class of '09! Especially those from my ward who attended Smithville High and Oak Park High. Megan would be proud of you! :)

One Short Day

2009-05-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our showing of Emerald City! And it's going to be great... Hopefully. :) For those of you who don't know what Emerald City is, allow me to educate you.

At the end of every school year, there is a final choir concert to kick off summer and celebrate a great year together. Well, along with a new high school comes new traditions. At his old school, Mr. Resseguie decided that instead of a choir concert, he would direct a series of mini musicals and different arrangements of music. He continues with this fun way of ending the school year at Staley and we have been quickly preparing to put on a good show. Preparing for this show not only involved learning music and memorizing choreography, but building, painting, and ordering sets, putting together costumes, hiring tech crews, and rehearsing with our amazing orchestra pit. Over all, this ain't just some walk in the park. It's hard work... but we love every minute of it.
Each choir does a different musical. So Concert Choir will be performing an arrangement of Seussical the Musical, Treble Choir will be doing Annie, Falcon Choral- Hairspray, and finally Chamber Choir will be performing Grease. ** I am in Falcon Choral and Chamber Choir.**

As I mentioned before, tomorrow is the first and only showing of Staley High School's first ever Emerald City! And because I know you are all dying to know more (wink wink), I'm providing a sneak peek of this Emerald City.

In Grease, we named the diner after our very own principal, Clark Mershon. (He actually is on stage with us "working at the diner".) With the help of one of my best friends, Katie O' Toole, we managed to cut plywood and paint it to match the back drop for Grease.
Speaking of Grease's back drop... Here it is!! It took five of us and fifteen minutes to hang it.

For Seussical, we had a couple teams of students build and paint 16 foot flats to look like the book spines of Dr. Seuss books. These flats will be hanging behind the performers during their portion of the show. This flat in particular was built by yours truly. It took 35 minutes to cut and put together. Following that, it took 3 1/2 hours to draw, paint, and dry. And I must say.. I'm quite proud of it. :)
Yes, this is a real car. And yes it is back stage in this picture. And if you look carefully in the right hand corner there is a motor cycle waiting to be driven onto the stage. I'm NOT giving away this surprise! Maybe after the show... but I don't want to spoil the rest of it for the viewers, now do I?? ;)

Getting excited and anxious! And closing off this school year with a bang!

Love, Hunter Bug

"SOME DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE"

2009-05-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

"Everything happens for a reason

Every person has a time or season.
Right now you can't see how

But later
You'll see what you did not know now."

-Written by: Megan Elizabeth Kitchen

I can't deny it any longer. I can't deny that my best friend is gone. Not GONE GONE... but gone, for the time being. It seems more real now and that scares me in a way. It shouldn't, but sometimes it does. Until the arrival of the head stone, I never truly felt that we lost her. I never really felt that I stood there, at the exact spot of this beautiful head stone, and held the hands of a young man she trusted and loved, and her family, whom I have a great and abiding love for. I never felt that my practical sister was the one in that shiny pink casket, whom we all mourn for the loss of. I think now it feels more permanent.. at least until I feel her lecturing me during the day to stop feeling so down or telling me that she loves me and can't wait to see me again. I feel great comfort, though I don't always realize that, knowing that I will be with her again. And she's right.. one day it will all make sense.

I especially felt her while my quartet and I sang two wonderful pieces of music in Columbia, Missouri for State today. She usually came and supported me in these types of things, and I know she continues to do so.

Now, I'm sure you are all DYING to know what rating we got at State. (wink wink) So I will leave you questioning no more. Not only did our quartet receive a ONE rating... we received a one PLUS! A 1+ is the highest rating you can obtain.. and we did it! And if that's not enough to cheer someone up.. This sure is!

"T-Rez" (our choir director) drove us to Columbia, and discovered his love for pink, sparkly glasses. They look pretty good on him.. Don't you think?

Be safe in your travels!

Love, Hunter Bug

Tribute to JV

2009-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Kaylin Lohm

Taylor! We think she looks like Taylor Swift. :)

Patti Hemmat!!!!!

So we get to Raytown.. first thing Laura does.. Lay on Cassi. Of course

Jaimee Fitzgerald, Amber Marmon, and Laura Johnson

Oh my Laura

Amber attempting to crawl over the seats

And here we find Cassi sleeping.

Miss Crippled Nikki

Coach Shelley!

Coach Anderson!

Bench

I found this little fella during the Varsity game and I named him Edward. But then I asked all of the other girls how you could tell the difference between a boy frog and a girl frog. We couldn't figure out how so I decided that if it was a girl her name was to be Bella. And THEN one of the girls informed me that frogs can change their gender (surrre?) so in the end.. We came out with Bedwarda!!

Forming a wall

Destiny: Is it bleeding!?

Anderson: Lemme see... OH MY GOSH! YES! YOUR GOING TO DIE!

Destiny: WHAT?? DON'T LIE TO ME COACH!

Kelsie running to the ball!

Cassi playing defense

Destiny taking the ball! I think this was right before she scored.

Kelsie, Kenzie, Priyal, Jaimee, Nikki, Laura, Amber, Courtney, Alyssa, Destiny, and Sydney (laughing.. of course)

We played our first game in the Raytown South Tournament today. Losing to Raytown 2-1, we kept out heads up and are preparing ourselves for tomorrow's game against Raytown South.

These girls are great and I love ALL of them! No matter what is said to each other on the field during a game (we'll just keep that out for now.. :) ) we're always there in the end to pick each other up.

Love, Hunter Bug

Common Sense. RIP.

2009-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.
"Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
"His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
"Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
"It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
"Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
"Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
"Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
"Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility and by his son, Reason.
"He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I'm A Victim.
"Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone."

Certainly gave ME something to think about! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Rain Rain.. Go Away

2009-04-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

The rain seems to be imitating my mood. This weeks forecast calls for cloud cover and rain fall. I have three soccer games this week, and little patience for nasty weather. So it better be good to me those few hours I have to spend outside. With the constant, increasing pains in my stomach and my right knee's complete disregard to my playing time.. I'm a little edgy.

29 days of school left.. I CAN BARELY STAND IT! :)

Good luck Lady Falcons Soccer!

Love, Hunter Bug

Another One.. and a Question

2009-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we had another music festival. But THIS time it was state large group festival. Basically, all the major choirs from schools all over the state came to Park Hill High School and competed. In Staley's first choir that sang (Falcon Chorale.. our larger choir. I am in this one.) we received a 2.. which was kind of a bummer. But then our Chamber Choir sang (I am in this one also) received a 1. We were the very last school to find out our ratings.. but it was well worth the wait!

And onto my question. Well its not really a question. It's more of... A plea for advice. :)
I have this friend. And he/she is not doing so hot right now. This person was a really good friend of Megan's.. my friend that passed away a few months ago. And they are really having a hard time, and it's hitting them extremely hard. They won't go see a counselor, and all of the hurt that they've been covering up for the past few months is starting to leak out and it's becoming too much for them to bare. They pray and read their scriptures all the time, but they just aren't receiving the comfort they need. And I don't know what to do. I'm in need of some good advice.

Love, Hunter Bug

All Is Right

2009-03-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today at Liberty High School, tons of schools from all over the area competed in the Solo and Small Ensemble Festival. Now if you aren't as experienced in the music department or have absolutely no clue what I just said, have no fear. This competition consists of many different groups of small ensembles, such as solos, duo (2 people), trios (3 people), quartets (4).. etc. The biggest ensemble you can have is an octet (8 people). This year I chose to compete in a quartet with my friends Elaina Parker as our alto, Reid Van Engen as our tenor, and Mason Mershon as our bass. (And me as the soprano) While you are singing anyone can sit and listen, but while you are in this specifically assigned room you have one judge. This judge critiques you while you sing and then gives your ensemble/solo a rating. The ratings differ from 1 to 4... 1 being the highest and best score you could receive. Receiving a 1 also qualifies you to continue onto state.

Where am I going with this? Well. My ensemble sang today at 5:03 ( I know.. I know..). About an hour later we checked the ratings... this is what the sheet said.

Room Ensemble School Rating
815 Quartet Staley 1

WE'RE GOING TO STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Back to Reality

2009-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

And let's just say.. it hit hard. One day you're out of town having a great time and loving the relaxation and break, the next your back at school and can't stand the wait to get home.

March 15th: Boarded the plane to LA, California then drove to Anaheim where we unloaded out things at the hotel.

Here we find Chloe and I with our favorite Starbucks drinks. Caffeine Free.. of course.

March 16th: Woke up in early and went to Disneyland!!!!

Possibly one of the coolest things at Disneyland was the Jedi training in "tomorrow land"

March 17th: We went to California Adventures! Which I am sorry to say.. I did not take any pictures of. But if you would like to see some you can go check out my mom's blog. I'm sure she has plenty from her camera!

March 18th: On this day we woke up and went down to Newport where we stopped at the beach, splashed in the water, picked up some sea shells, got sand EVERYWHERE, etc. Again, sadly.. I did not take any pictures here. And again, I'm positive my mom will have plenty. After we went to the beach we went to the airport and landed in Salt Lake City, Utah.

March 19th: One word... SNOWBOARDING! That's right! Woke up the next morning and went snowboarding! Not for very long.. but still. The only major down to this was that it was extremely warm (never thought that could be a down) and it melted the snow fast! So pretty much I was snowboarding through slush. Not the greatest. Then after that the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" drove down to valley and did some shopping while waiting for Dad to get off work. For those of you who know me pretty well, you know that shopping is on my top 5 things I hate to do the most. But four new pairs of shorts I desperately needed... SCORE!

Ps. Our Einstein when he woke up this morning... but shh!! No telling! :)

March 20th: Zoo! Thanks to Brooke and her clever ideas.. Chloe was hooked immediately and we met our cousins and Brooke's husband Taylor at the Zoo.

March 21st: Got on the plane and made the long trip home.

Overall.. it was awesome!! And I loved every second of it. And I mean EVERY second. That's saying a lot for me. :)

HOPE YOU HAD JUST AS GREAT OF A BREAK! No matter how small. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

2009-03-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Today we had a half day at school which marks... THE BEGINNING OF SPRING BREAK! AND BOY DO I NEED IT!

Plans for spring break:
1. sleep... A LOT!
2. Disney land!
3. BYU Provo... eh.
4. snowboard!
5. hopefully get some sort of soccer practice in since we'll be out of town and I won't be able to practice with my team.. *cough* mom *cough* :)
6. relaxing!

There is only one down side to today. We have soccer pictures in 4 hours. And if you live in Kansas City and have taken a look outside today.. you will notice that the atmosphere is not lookin' too pretty... nor is it feeling too good. Outcome: we are going to have some pretty crappy looking pictures. Thank you again bipolar weather!

Last night, about an hour and a half after soccer practice, I had to go back up to the school for some theater performances that I have to do for a grade in Theater II/III. In my particular play, I was a nurse who got her leg chopped off by her crazy boss, Doctor Houdini (no.. I did not write this play.. and no. I did not chose it either). But anyways.. as you SHOULD know.. when you get a limb cut off things usually get bloody. And oh believe me, they did. My hands are permanently stained red from the fake blood. No matter how hard I scrub, my hands remain a tinted red.. and it shows. How wonderful is that? Thank goodness it didn't stain my face!... For the most part.

HAVE A GOOD... BUT SAFE... SPRING BREAK!!!!!

Love, Hunter Bug

And the verdict is...

2009-03-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Lady Falcons Soccer: JV Team

So if I thought the snow was bad.. boy was I wrong. Today in practice it RAINED. At first it was just barely going and it wasn't bothering anyone. And then it rained harder, and harder, and harder!! The result.. we got out of practice early... YES!

Uncle Chris and Uncle Kenny left today to go back to Montana. So that's the last of 'em.. and I'm really sad. I LOVE havin' them around. But their families needed 'em back home. Meanies... :)

Well.. I smell like rain and dirt.. So I'm gonna go take care of that.

Love, Hunter Bug

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIO!

2009-03-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

To the greatest Dad... EVER! :

How can I ever say thank you
For all of the wonderful things you do.
We've traveled sea to sea, coast to coast
I'm tellin' you what.. you're not like most.
I know I'm doin' something wrong when you give me the "evil eye".
GUESS WHAT DAD??!! You're MY kinda guy!
You've brought me so high up so fast,
And created some wonderful memories and lessons that will always last.
Even though the calender says you're growing too old,
Don't worry, you're still down here with me and stickin like mold.
For you, it's never to late to play Rock Band,
And you always go for the prize so grand.
In your schedule, the hard work never ends.
Yet, you keep our family in one piece, no matter how much it bends.
I love you Daddy! And I have this much to say:
Please have a great time cause....... ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hunter Bug :)

I Can't Believe This!

2009-03-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Is this really possible??? Over the weekend it snowed uncontrollably and was freezing cold!... Perfect for soccer tryouts right? Wrong. We couldn't do much outside so we mostly practiced in the gym. But today was a completely different story! Most of the snow is gone and it was warm enough to wear shorts outside! (Considering the recent weather and temperatures we have had) What an extremely gorgeous day!! And tomorrow its supposed to be 70 degrees! I'm sick of this bipolar weather!

Good news is.. I made the Lady Falcons Soccer Team. Bad news I have to wait until the end of the week to find out exactly what team I made.

THERE YOU GO UNCLE CHRIS! NO MORE CHEERIN FOR ME! :)

Love. Hunter Bug

Annnnd... We're Done!

2009-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

We're done! The Wizard of Oz is over!.. Now.. what am I going to do with myself?? I've decided that I'm going to try to start on a regular schedule of running and swimming. Hopefully I can stick to it.

On the last night of the show, I can remember two things. One, while singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I took a few seconds during the song to look at the crowd, and the people watching me from back stage. The looks on their faces were priceless, almost heartbreaking. And I wouldn't trade 'em for anything. Two, when we were in the last scene of the last act, and as I was saying my final line to "Auntie Em" (Sam Jones), she started crying. I finally said.. "Oh Annie Em.. There really is no place like home.", grabbed her and gave her a big hug, ran off stage and gave everyone else a hug, and THEN the down pour came. It was great... :)

This has taught me a lot! And I can't wait for next year's musical. Betcha can't wait to here ALL about that too.

Love, Hunter Bug

One More To Go!

2009-02-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

We only have one more night of the Wizard of Oz to go! And so far.. it's been the greatest experience I have ever had. I have made some of the best friends and best memories that I hope will last forever. It's unbelievable to see how many people have come to support me and the rest of the cast and crew! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have.

I thought it would be a complete relief when the show was over. Because that meant that I would get to come home everyday.. and sleep! And be with my family and friends. But honestly, I'm going to hate it when its over. I don't know what I'll do with myself. I just hope I can save the tears until after the show.. so I can my hundreds of pounds of make up on.

THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE! FANS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND THE CAST AND CREW!!!

Love, Hunter Bug

pocket positives

2009-02-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

I think I may be getting sick again.. Not good! I have less than a week before the show.

POCKET POSITIVES TO THE RESCUE!!!

"All things are possible until they are proved impossible- and even the impossible may only be so, as of now." - Pearl S. Black

"If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it on step at a time." - Marian Wright Edelman

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he had imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours." - Henry David Thoreau

Believe me when I say
It will get easier one day.
Maybe not right away.
But you won't always have to pay.
Down to rest will this hurt lay,
And peace will feel at bay.

Believe me when I say
You have turned my life from gray.
Hearing your voice brightens my day.
With you, I will walk this pathway.

- Hunter Dawn Kanenwisher

LOVE, HUNTER BUG

I Know Your Tired Of It..

2009-02-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

You know. I know you are sick and tired of hearing about the Wizard of Oz and how that is going.. but honestly.. that's all I do around here! From the time I get out of school til 9 at night I am rehearsing. Today is Thursday.. So we got out of school at 1:45 and I don't have to get back to the school for another hour and a half. Today is officially ONE WEEK until the opening night of the show.. and I'm feelin the heat! On Wednesday we're performing for all of the elementary kids in the district. They will be coming in the middle of the school day to see a shortened version of the show.. and that's somewhat nerve-racking also.

Yesterday was the best though! At nine in the morning, the top 10 leads in the show (including our director Ms Blay, our student director Melissa Ridgeway, and our stage manager Bethany Fay) went to the Antioch Baptist Church and did a "sneak peek preview" of the Wizard of Oz for senior citizens. It was so much fun! They were great, and I think it was good for some of the cast to perform for more than just the munchkin's parents.

I think it's funny how ever since I was cast in the show, I haven't been called my actually name more than 5 times. My name is Dorothy. My teachers call me Dorothy, my friends call me Dorothy, the announcer that says my name over the intercom before I sing the National Anthem calls me Dorothy, etc. And I have a feeling its going to be sticking for a while.

BELIEVE YOU CAN... AND YOU CAN!!!!

lOVE, HUNTER BUG!

To Chad

2009-02-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not know Mr. Chad Roberts, he is an extremely talented, fun young man.. and means a great deal to me.

It's up to You

If you think you're a winner you'll win,

If you dare to step out you'll succeed.

Believe in your heart, have a purpose to start,

Aim to help fellow men in need.

Thoughts of faith must replace every doubt,

Words of Courage and you cannot fail.

If you stumble and fall, rise and stand ten feet tall,

You determine the course that you sail.

I read this and immediately thought of Chad. I wish I could take credit for this quote.. but according to "Pocket Positives For Our Times" it was written by anonymous.. whoever the heck that is.

Chad, I know I've told you this before.. But you are probably one of the strongest people I know. You've had a lot thrown at you in the past couple months. And honestly.. I don't know many people who can take that much stuff. I am so proud of you and all you have been able to accomplish.. especially with the extreme pressure you have been under. Your a light to so many around you.. and I'll most definitely include myself in that. Everything is going to work out great.. I promise. Love you tons!

Love, Hunter Bug

The Climb

2009-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Now I'm not exactly the biggest and most firm believer in Miley Cyrus.. but we heard this song on the way from church today... and guess what? Miley done good. :)

The Climb: Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it.
That dream I'm dreamin
But there's a voice inside my head saying you'll never reach it.
Every step I'm taking.
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction.
My faith is shakin.
But I gotta keep tryin.
Gotta keep my head held high.

There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there.
Ain't about what's waitin on the other side.
It's the climb.

The struggles I'm facing.
The chances I'm taking.
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I'm not breaking.
I may not know it but these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah.
I Just gotta keep going.
And I gotta be strong.
Just keep pushing on 'cause,

There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be an uphill battle
But Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there.
Ain't about what's waitin on the other side.
It's the climb.

There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes you're gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there.
Ain't about what's waitin on the other side. I
t's the climb.

Keep on moving,
Keep climbing,
Keep the faith, Baby.

It’s all about,
It’s all about the climb.
Keep your faith,
Keep your faith.
Whoa, O Whoa.

Love, Hunter Bug

In Case You Didn't Know

2009-02-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

1. name? Hunter Bug
2. Nickname? Bug
3. Single or taken? taken! Toto has stolen my heart
4. Zodiac sign? Gemini
5. Male or female? Female
6. Elementary School? Northview
7. Middle School? New Mark
8. High School? Oak Park and Staley
9. Eye color? Green
10. Hair color? brown with blonde
11. Long or short hair? long
12. Shoe size? 7 1/2
13. Asthma? Nope
14. Health freak? psh. no.
15. Height? 5'2"
16. Do you have a crush on someone? maybe. if I told you I'd have to kill you
17. Do you like yourself? sometimes. :)
18. Have piercings? my ears
19. Tattoos? none
20. Righty or lefty? Righty
21. Sexual orientation?
22. School clique? Drama and Choir department. Lol
FIRSTS:
23. First piercing? you mean first attempt? 12 years
24. First best friend? God. Duh!
25. First movie? Ask my mom
26. First sport? soccer.. or swimming?
27. First pet? family? I think a cat? The Kanenwishers?
28. First concert? Styx!!!!!
29. First crush? again.. If I told you.. I'd have to kill you.
30. First kiss? my momma
31. First love? Tarzan!!!!
32. First broken heart? death of a loved one
33. First stitches? stitches? I'm too strong for stitches! They just used glue.
34. First broken bone? my pinky toe
35. First grade teacher? Mrs. McDonald
36. First car? the bug
37. First cell phone? 7th grade.
RIGHT NOW:
38. I'm eating? nothing.. too full
39. I'm drinking? nothing
40. I'm listening to? twilight soundtrack
41. I'm working on? not barfing
42. I'm waiting on? the school year to end
43. I'm wearing? nothing
44. I'm worried about? lots o stuff
46. I'm missing? my bestie
47. I'm anticipating? a freakin awesome show... I hope
FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND:
48. Kids? depends on which ones
49. Marriage? San Diego temple
50. Career? high school drama teacher.
51. Pickle? tickle tickle
52. Penny? hairspray
53. Stop? what?
54. Donut? never again
55. QuizPox.com? Chicken Pox.
56. Myspace.com? annoying
57. Debt? our economy
58. College? question mark?
59. Cupid? yeah right
60. 777? "one short of the big time" :) (if you have not seen pink panther you are crazy)
YOU BELIEVE IN:
88. God? stupid question. of course!!!
89. Yourself? most of the time
90. Miracles? Yes.
91. Love at first sight? maybe
92. Heaven? oh yes
93. Santa? in a perfect world
94. Fairies? duh!
95. Kissing on the first date? noo!!
96. Angels? most definitely
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there someone you want to be with right now? Yes!
98. Is Superman really better than Batman? No way jose!
99. Have you dated more than 1 person at the same time? No! Never will!
100. Will you tag at least 10 people in this note? probably not

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

lOvE, hUnTeR bUg

Closed

2009-02-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

So we officially ended my little canned goods drive today. And I do have to say.. I cannot stop thinking about it. How worth it all the work was.. No matter how stressful or overwhelming at some points. And how happy, I'm sure, Megan is that I actually had the will power to get it done. But overall, I don't feel like it's complete yet. Like, this project isn't over and I still have more to do. Sure, I have to write down a couple things, sum up the project and everything I did, people involved, how many people donated, etc. But I really do feel like there are more cans to collect.. more smiles to put on peoples' faces.. More hours to put it. I think this is what service is supposed to feel like. Your never through helping others.. and doing all you can to.. Oh I don't, provide someone with a meal for them and their family. I think this is something that I want to continue doing. Maybe a few times a year.

And so, as they say.. When one door closes, another one opens.

Thank you to everybody that donated/helped with this drive. I'm sure if Megan were here to run this.. She would have done it 10 times better than me. Words cannot express how thankful I am for the opportunity I had to do this service in her honor. And I know she would have done it for me. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Ps. SPEAKING OF DOORS OPENING!!!!!....

CONGRADULATIONS CHLOE LYNN KANENWISHER, Oak Park High School almost gradute.. and soon to be Freshman at.....

BYU PROVO!!!!!!

We"re coming!!

2009-02-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

Today is the day! If you have cans for me, my mom, and my awesome Kearney Boys to pick up... LEAVE THEM ON YOUR PORCH! I'll tell you how it goes later!

Improving!.. In Some Parts

2009-02-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

Oz!- Today's rehearsal went rather well! We practiced with the pit (orchestra) for the first time on stage. And I found myself talking to Sophie (aka Toto) while off stage..... (my mic was on.. so EVERYONE in the audience could hear me). We're startin to step up our game. And Oz is finally looking like a show! :)

National Anthem- Sang that again tonight. Woo.

I don't understand how one day the weather can be so unbelievably warm and nice, and the next day.. It's raining. And it's cold.. and sucky outside. Same goes for my mood- and the way I look at stuff. Cool analogy ay? I cannot wait until summer. It's going to be grrreat!

Today's pocket positive:

"Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."

good pocket positive.

Love, Hunter Bug

Love, Miss Dorothy Gale

2009-02-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Cast and Crew of the "Wizard of Oz",
As I'm sure you all know, as of tomorrow, February 10, we have 7 rehearsals until our dress rehearsals of our final product of Staley High School's first ever musical production. That being said.. let me refresh your memory of everything that needs to be done in that time period..
- faster set changes
- memorization
- blocked scenes
- lighting and music cues (which requires the lighting system to magically fix itself)
- music learned
- make-up ordered
- set pieces built
- longer attention spans developed
- costumes come in

Need I continue?

7 REHEARSALS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET ER DONE!!!!

Love, Miss Dorothy Gale :) :)

AND on that note! Headin off to family home evening (aka going to dinner.. I believe?)

Oh! And another thing! If you want tickets... tell me immediately! Because we are pretty much sold out.. so pick a day (February 26th, 27th, 28th), find your self 7 buckaroos per person, and I will TRY to get you the best seats possible at the moment!

Love, Hunter Bug

What's A Bug To Do??

2009-02-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, at school, the upper class man (that includes me because we don't have seniors this year) have been taking all of the mock tests for the ACT and SAT. And I'm not going to lie.. I pretty much rocked the tests. So much that I'm already starting to get contacted by schools and stuff like that, saying they are interested. I know every high school kid goes this at least a couple times.. But these colleges in particular are a few of the only other colleges I've ever considered going to besides BYU. WHAT'S A BUG TO DO?? I know where I should go, and where my family wants me to go. But what about all of these other opportunities and options I have. I don't want to limit myself, yet I don't want to go to a college that will cause me to do things that maybe I wouldn't do attending a Mormon college (although I know I wouldn't do them). See my dilemma? It's never too early to pick this stuff out, and start deciding. As a matter of fact, it's a perfect time. Ugh!

I'm really not liking this whole church starts at one and ends at four thing.

Love, Hunter Bug

Good Luck!

2009-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Sissy,

I'm so proud of you and all you have accomplished. So I'm going to suck it up (the cramps, the coughing, the sneezing and wheezing) and I'm gonna come see you today. How could I have possibly thought that I would miss you, and your senior year in Oak Street at Northwest? After all, it could very well be the last time I see you perform on stage. You are, in fact, leaving in a few months. And I'm going to miss you.. terribly. I don't know if I'll be able to live without our famous "Chloe and Hunter" talks when you come home from a date, and that last til 1 in the morning. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get those sudden Panda cravings, and I have no one to share them with. And what about when I get mad at mom.. or Bridger.. or dad? Who am I going to complain to? :) To sum it up, I don't want you to leave! Not yet anyways. I feel like I'm slowly losing a part of me; a part of me that took a freaking long time to mold into place. Yes, we still have a little while. And we still have tons of stuff that we need to get in trouble for. And we still have plenty of those fights that take us literally a minute to get over. Oh! And don't forget we have all summer to fight over the bug! But I promise you, I'll make them memorable. :) And I promise you, I'll keep trying to maintain my spot as your favorite sis. :p Out of anyone, you are my top best friend and always will be my #1!

You are my sister.

My #1 friend.

My partner in crime.

A love that will never end.

You are my floaties

So I can't possibly sink in the water.

You've created something special.

Those moments we say, "Oh Tarter!"

You are my inspiration

Something that can't be replaced.

My colleague, teacher, and best pal.

Forever, we are laced.

Good luck today blowie!!!!

Love, Hunter Bug

Schedule for Sleep

2009-02-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

I realized something while talking to a few of my friends today (yes I have them). Every time someone asks me how my day is going, I ALWAYS say EXHAUSTING. Doesn't that just sound like a perfect day?.. Exhausting! I'm running out of hours to sleep. So I have made a decision.. that I hope I won't end up regretting. Oak Street (Oak Park's Show Choir, that Chloe is in) is performing at Northwest State University on Saturday.. and we all know that they are going to do amazingly well. We'll drive up to Northwest and see them perform then wait to see if they make finals, which we will then wait for and watch them perform in. There is one downside this; making the trip up there, staying there for a few hours (more then likely more than a FEW hours) and then make the trip back. Doesn't that sound.. Oh I don't know.. EXHAUSTING? No sir! That is NOT for me. I actually have been really excited to go up there and watch them perform because I have only seen them once this year. And they were spectacular! But I absolutely, positively, without a doubt need to get MORE sleep. Plus I need some more time to look over a few of my lines that I have been missing.

My mom and I will be coming around TOMORROW and delivering bags for the canned food drive for Megan's Personal Progress! So be expecting a bag sitting on your front porch by tomorrow night! If you don't find one by the following morning and would like one, please contact one of us; either through our blogs or telephone!!! <3

Until next time! Whenever that may be!

Love, Hunter Bug

Been A While

2009-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Woah! Hello there! It's been a little while! Busy busy busy.. you know?

Choir, musical, friends, family, church, being sick, homework.. the list goes on and on!

A little over a week ago, one of my friend's friends (eh?) died in a car accident while he was driving drunk. I knew the young man, but never really got to actually KNOW him, so it wasn't too much of a blow. When she told me about the gruesome accident, she cried uncontrollably; showing me pictures of him and sobbing into my shoulder. And you know what? I could sit there and comfort her.. and let her know that everything is okay. He's not really gone.. just on "vacation", and that she will, in fact, see him again. It's sometimes hard to comfort others when they are grieving, knowing I feel that pain. But then I think back over to my patriarchal blessing, and how it says that it is one of my duties to help those in need, and especially those who are grieving... it makes it sooo much easier! (Thanks again Grandpa Argyle!!)

22 days until the opening night of the Wizard of Oz!
I'm freaking out!!!!!! I feel like I don't know my part at all! And that is definitely not a good thing. But we are officially starting to sell tickets to the public on the 7th...? I believe.

This weekend!!
I think my mom and I will be bringing the bags around for the food drive to everyone's houses so that ya'll don't feel like it's a huge rush! After the next week passes, we will come around and pick them up on February the 12th so that the food can be delivered by Valentines Day. :)

Well, I still have tons of homework to get done and dinner waiting.

Bug... OUT!

Love, Hunter Bug

Friendship...

2009-01-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

Improves happiness and abates misery by doubling our joy and dividing our grief.

I couldn't be more blessed with kind and caring friends. I don't know what I would do without em!

As you can probably see.. most of these are verrrry old pictures. All of my recent ones are on my laptop.. which unfortunately is going through surgery right now. But I'll be sure to put more up to date pictures on here as soon as "he" is out of surgery and recovered! :)

Love Hunter Bug

Snow Driven

2009-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's been scientifically proven that when the weather is cold and snowy, people tend to get grouchy and tired all the time. POINT PROVEN! It started snowing again today.. bringing down my mood and high hopes that maybe sometime soon it'll start to get warm again.

I've decided to do soccer this year.. since I didn't do it last year. Tryout are the first week in March, so there won't be too much added stress to my already huge overload.

Musical practice is tonight at 6, and we rehearse with the munchkins. I'm pretty excited to see the look on a couple of the kids' faces when they find out that they have been "promoted" from munchkin to flying monkey. Let's just say we have a couple of kiddos who are waaaay to squirly to fit the part of a, somewhat calm, munchkin. Woo.

Put in my order for my class ring today during my lunch period. I'll let you know how THAT one goes.

Love, Hunter Bug

I LOVE MY WARD! :)

2009-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

It's true! I love my ward! And now I know for certain that the insecurity that I felt earlier last week about going to the temple was a sure sign that I needed to go spend time with the people in my ward and seek serious revelation in the temple. Although I did through up at Cracker Barrel on the way home and felt sick the whole rest of the night.. I'm so happy I went.

Everyone has a foundation that is made up of people that help support them and love always. The youth in my ward definitely make up a BIG chunk of my foundation.

What would we do without our ward families????? Love you guys! All of you!

Love Hunter Bug

Flying By

2009-01-23T16:20:00.001-08:00

Now I don't know about you.. but it felt like yesterday we were celebrating New Years.. and it's already JANUARY 23RD?? Are you kidding?? Where did the time go? I have almost less than a month to completely transform into a 12 year old girl! Ugh

I feel so very blessed for all of the back-up and support that my mom and I have from everyone while working on this canned food drive. Everyone has been more than willing to help... and the feeling that gives me is so over-whelming. Thank you, everyone, for the support and help!! Megan would greatly appreciate this. :)

In about 45 minutes, I'm off to go sing the National Anthem at one of Staley High School's most visited games. Shockingly.. no nerves. But my voice has been cracking and giving out lately every time I sing. So this ought to be interesting.

Temple trip tomorrow! I was talking to one of the Young Women in my ward earlier this week. We were both off to a rough start to the day.. One of those seminary lessons that you get. You know, the ones that really make you think about everything you are grateful for and all of your wonderful blessings. (Thanks mom) But she was telling me she was really looking forward to this temple trip because she so desperately needed to be close to Megan. I hate saying this.. but I don't feel the same way. I usually am more than happy to attend a temple trip.. especially when I know I need specific inspiration that I only get in the temple. For some odd reason, that I can't seem to put my finger on, I'm not all that thrilled to go. I feel absolutely awful saying that.. but it's the truth. Maybe that's sign being shoved in my face that I really really really really need to go.

We're off to see the Wizard!!!!!! Wish me luck tonight.. I'm gonna need it. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Goods

2009-01-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

I've got a few goodies for ya.

1. CANNED FOOD DRIVE! Since I am doing Megan's Good Works value project, my mom and I have come up with a canned food drive that will help feed 2500 families in Clay County, Missouri. I've started up on a flyer (though I haven't quite gotten all the information yet) and will be around soon with Sunfresh bags for cans! The cans that are donated will go directly to the store house, opened and run by the Benedictine Sisters of the Queen of Angels Monastery. I'll be taking donations up until February 13th, but I'll mostly be promoting that Valentine's Day week. It's going to take a lot of work.. but it'll be totally worth it! :)

2. Our set for the Wizard of Oz is finally in and installed! It's not exactly what I was expecting.. But we'll make it work.

3. New Poem:
Help me to know
That your really there.
And help me to see
That you really care.
Further my understanding
In all that I say and do.
Help me to know
You love me too.

Help me in finding truth
From everything I've come to know.
Help me to apply it daily
So that towards you, I can grow.
I know you are there,
Oh Savior of mine,
And sorry it has taken me so long
To finally snap into line
I love you, my dear friend.
And I know what you have done is true.
There is no doubt in my mind;
You love me too.

Love, Hunter Bug

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

2009-01-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

I read this in AP English about a week ago. Just thought I would share it in a quick post. It's helping me a lot!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--- God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit your grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

As you well know.. I've got a lot on my plate. And I know for a fact that I'm not the only one. This just shows how we all need to sit back and figure out what's really important in our lives. It really is amazing how these stories just kind of fall into my lap at the right times. :)

Love Hunter Bug

Busy Busy

2009-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been extremely busy with allll of this musical stuff, choir, and wrestling.. so bear with me, and my not so up-to-date posts.

musical: comin along pretty good. We have officially started rehearsing with the munchkins on Tuesday and Thursday nights.. so that's pretty fun! They are full of energy and learn quickly which helps a lot. Sooo tonight being a Thursday means that I have to go back into the school at 6. Yay.... What's funny about this is that I always dread going into rehearsal but once I get there, I'm absolutely thrilled to be there! It's always the same way with swim practices and stuff. See? Here are these patterns again. :)

theater: Here comes the confusing part. Theater is a class that I'm taking during school, and actually counts for a grade (Since I took it last year too I'm in theater II/III). Musical practice is an extra curricular activity and doesn't count as a grade. So if you ever see me talking about the two of them; you'll know the difference. ANYWAYS, in Theater we have just finished writing One Act plays that other students will be cast in and also perform in front of a live audience. The show I have been cast is called Leg.. I know I know... But in "Leg" I have been cast as Nurse White. Towards the middle of the play I get my leg cut off.. Hence the name "Leg". So I've been memorizing for that and stuff.

Choir/singing: As if there isn't enough memorizing to do already; In our school's choirs, instead of having a final concert to finish out the year.. each choir does their own mini musical. And I, being in two choirs, have to memorize twice the amount of music and dialogue.

To add to the pressure, yesterday I went to tell our wrestling coach that I would be able to work at our wrestling duel for that evening at scoring tables and what not. He told me this: "Great! Your first job is warm up your voice and sing the National Anthem for me!". I just kinda laughed and said.. ME? I ended up doing it, and was told that I did a pretty good job.. But I'll leave that up to the professionals to decide. :)

Surprisingly I don't mind the added on pressure or stress... I think it's a good type of stress. It keeps me busy doing the things that I LOVE to do! I know without a doubt that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.. Or for as long as I can.

Tag! Your It!
Type only 1 word
1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? psh!
3. Your hair? brown
4. Your mother? teacher
5. Your father? hardworking
6. Your favorite thing? sing
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your favorite drink? grapefruit
9. Your dream/goal? broadway
10. The room you're in? office
11.Your fear? YoGabbaGabba :)
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? family
13. Where were you last night? wrestling
14. What you're not? awake
15. Muffins? blueberry!
16. One of your wish list items? comfort
17. Where you were born? Montana
18. The last thing you did?school
19. What are you wearing?clothes
20. Your life? chaotic
21. Your mood? tired
22. Missing someone? definitely
23. Your car? bug :)
24. Favorite thing to buy? chipotle
25. Favorite Store? Hollister
26. Your summer? wanted
27. Your favorite color? green
28. When is the last time you laughed? today
29. Last time you cried? yesterday

Love, Hunter Bug

A Couple Tributes

2009-01-12T15:33:00.001-08:00

So today being January 12th, marks one month to the day. And suprisingly... no harsh feelings. I had a pretty cool dream the other night about Megan... and honestly that's probably brought a close to MOST of the sulking. My wonderful aunt Melanie wrote this to me.

One thought comes to mind, from the book "Left to Tell"...When she went back to visit her lost home, she saw her parents and siblings standing above the ruins letting her know how much they love her and that she needed to know how happy they were. They told her to basically (don't remember the words just the feelings I had), to be happy for they had work to do. They would be there for her, but wanted her to be happy for them, so they could move forward in the Lords work.Your sweet friend will always be apart of your life and at many times of it be there with you. I know that the most important part of death, is to grieve. The tears will lessen, the sorrow will slowly leave. That's the Lords tender mercy on us left on earth to live our test and purpose. It is good you are expressing yourself...for it brings healing. Hold her in your heart, in a very special place..for that is what she is doing in heaven for you. You are a blessing to all around you bug.

I could not have said it better myself! And that's pretty much what my dream implied also! I am completely surrounded by wonderful angels whom I am so grateful for.. She didn't leave me empty handed. :)

*Side note* If you have not read the book my Aunt refers to, "Left to Tell", you need to! I know.. its a book.. but it causes you to look at life in a totally new perspective, and draw closer to the Lord. It's great! Thanks for that too Mellie! :)

ALSO!!!! I have another tribute!

Tomorrow will be Januray 13th.. marking the 2 years since our dear friend Janelle Tebbs died of cancer. We still love her a bunch and continue to miss her dearly!! But we know that she's up there with Megan watching over us and helping us out.

Its lightly snowing outside and kinda icy.. so I'm going throw this out there. (and I know I always say it). PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.. even if you don't live in Missouri.. BE SAFE IN YOUR TRAVELS!

I love and miss you all! Stay sweet! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Patterns

2009-01-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some sort of pattern in EVERYTHING I do. Which can be a good thing.. and a bad thing. But for the most part, lately, it's all been for the good side!

One specific pattern (or maybe it's just habit) that I can't seem to shake usually comes around the last few days of each week, since December 12th. And I end up writing something like I did last night in my journal:

When will the tears end?
Please tell me!
So I can be a good friend again.
I beg on my hands and knees just to her hear her voice,
Though I know she wouldn't be here
If it were her choice.
But still the mascara runs almost willingly down my cheeks,
And I haven't been able to stop it
For these past endless weeks.
I feel so much pain and anger inside,
All I ask is please, with me abide.
I know they say it gets easier as you go.
But for me, I continue to feel it.
From my head to my toes.
This pain just seems to amplify
And I keep asking myself
Why couldn't she have waited a little longer to die.
An end needs to come to these "best friend withdrawals",
The crying, sobbing, sulking, and back and forth "feeling brawls".
My blessing says to have a warm heart,
And then I won't feel that we're apart.
But it's hard to feel warm, when what I feel is cold.
I feel Him telling me that one day,
These feelings will grow old.
I'm growing anxious for the day we, again, see each other.
And stand, hand in hand,
One to another.

After writing these sad, sulky poems.. I immediately feel stupid.. and almost guilty for writing them! Yeah.. I'm sad. But I have absolutely no reason to be!! And usually I'm not. The thought of, not just Megan, but the other friends and family of mine who have passed on; in such a beautiful place, brings me so much happiness and fulfillment that I can't help but feel completely overjoyed and, as I said in my poem, anxious to see them again. I don't know if most of you know this.. but within the past month I have lost two of my friends to two different car accidents and two of my great-grandparents, one of which gave me my PATRIARCHAL BLESSING. I honestly could not tell you where my life would be headed right now if I didn't feel this constant happiness, love, hope, gratefulness, and peace all the time. I wish I could share these wonderful feelings with everyone around me. This may sound crazy.. but I wish I could just touch them (literally) and have them feel this warmth. But since I am not, under any circumstances, a superhero.. I cannot do this. I can only share my testimony (yes.. it exists) with everyone around me!

EXCITING NEWS! Again.. like my wrestling fan gear.. this may seem small and insignificant. In the mail today came my brand new red ruby... CONVERSE. No, not slippers.. converse! They are absolutely, positively to die for!! I'm waiting for conformation.. but I'm hoping that on the last night we perform the Wizard of Oz, instead of wearing my red ruby slippers.. I can wear my converse! I know some people will that is crazy and that the slippers are a key part in the show, and if I wear converse.. it'll ruin it. But if you know me at all.. you know I would do it in a heart beat! I mean, don't you think it would be awesome to see me standing there on stage, in the middle of Emerald City, saying "Theres no place like home!" in my red ruby converse??? The answer is yes! It would be awesome!

ACT 2 Scene 12
Dorothy
Well- I- I think that it isn't enough just to want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. And it's that- If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again.. I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there.. I never really lost it to begin with.

She (or I.. hehe! :) ) speaks the truth! Thanks Dorothy!

Love, Hunter Bug

The Bestest!

2009-01-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Musical: Not too bad today. My lines are memorized! Yay me!.. I can't say the same for some of my other cast members.. but hey! We'll work on it together! So now all I've got to do is get the music down, locate some pretty awesome sparkly slippers (not counting the ones I wore for a Halloween years ago), practice my "stage crying", and I'll be in tip top shape!

After musical: The 6 leads in our cast have been instructed to become more "close-knitted", and start hanging out more so that we can interact better together while on stage. We have DEFINITELY taken that to heart! These guys are without a doubt "the bestest" people ever! Once a week, or so, the 6 leads (being Elaina Parker- Glinda, Reid Van Engen- Scarecrow, Brendan Stevens- Tinman, Ian McDonald- Lion, Nate Algaier- Zeke, and myself- Dorothy) all get together and do some "bonding". This bonding usually consists of eating... and talking for hours! We did that today! After musical practice we went to CHIPOTLE and ate and talked talked talked! Their all such good kids and I feel so blessed to have them as my friends!

Side note: Do groups usually comes in "6s". I now have "the gang" (earlier post) and "the cast". Hmmm.

STALEY WRESTLING: So as most of you know.. the North Kansas City School District built a brand new high school in the last few years (Staley High School) , because of overcrowding at Oak Park. Well because of my current address, I was switched over from Oak Park from Staley.. without my sister. But it's all been worth it! Sure.. I miss Oak Park.. But I couldn't be more grateful for such an awesome school! So many more opportunities.. and things to do. Also, as most of you welllllll know.. high school wrestling has played a key role in my Chloe's and my high school career. She- being in involved with Oak Park wrestling.. and me- being involved in Staley wrestling. (Guess that's another thing we got from dad.) The reason I bring this up is because I am super excited that my fan gear has finally come in! (Yes.. I lead a VERY exciting life!... Can you tell?) I ordered them over a month ago and I finally got all of it today! This may seem simple and pointless to you.. but hoooo boy have I been excited for this stuff to come in!.... Wow! I really need a life!

Signing off for now. Ta ta! Love you all! Please please please be safe in your travels!

Love, Hunter Bug

Back To School

2009-01-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just as the title says.. We all went back to school today. WHAT A BUMMER!!!! Although it was nice to see friends, teachers, the disgusting coffee stain that my friend Reid left in the theater room... I wanted to be home so badly! And even though it's the first day back and so far I have no big assignments to get done, I still am feeling that huge weight of school work back on my shoulders. I think that maybe this has something to do with my sister leaving. The talk in our household has been all about COLLEGE and about Chloe finishing off her high school years with good grades and good choices. So I guess you could say... I've had college on the mind. And I don't exactly know whether it's a good or bad thing to have college on my mind already.... Well really, it isn't THAT far off.. but still.

Last night I was laying in my bed for what seems like an eternity! I just could not sleep! So I pulled out my journal and started writing. When I woke up this morning I had this written in there:

Around the leaf the little bug goes.
Where she goes...?
No body knows!
We bet she's off, again, to conquer her foes.
And avoid being stepped on by her foes big toes.
She knows nothing of fancy shoes or clothes,
Or nothing of presents with huge bows.
But she knows of the spider and the beautiful web she sews.
She also knows of the poor spider's woes.
The little bug takes the spider to a beautiful red rose,
And tries to impose,
That this spider can also conquer her foes.
The rose has no woes.
The rose has no foes.
Comfort will come to this spider, the little bug knows.
The spider now knows and ,again, a web she sews.
She now knows she can conquer her woes and foes.
And so around the leaf the little big goes.
Where she goes...?
No body knows!

When I woke up and read this I figured I was trying to get across that the little bug represented me.. But when I read it to my mom she said, " You know nothing of fancy shoes or clothes??". And yes! Of course I know alllll about fancy shoes and clothes! Take a look at my gorgeous sisters and mother... and dad. But if you ask any of my family members.. I'm sure they would be more then happy to tell you all about my wardrobe.. and how it usually consists of jeans and a t-shirt. Other than that- I guess you could say that I'm pretty happy with this one!

Tonight at Young Women's, we will be starting off on finishing Megan's personal progress for her. It's going to be such an honor working with the other girls in my ward, whom I love so much, and helping Megan finish off something that was so incredibly important to her. And I guess in a way, it'll be helping all of us too. :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Goin' For A Ride In The Car

2009-01-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

I LOVE driving with my mom! Not my dad... definitely my mom. When I'm driving with my dad he's constantly nagging me and pointing out everything- and I mean EVERYTHING! And I feel like I don't learn anything. With my mom, she just lets me drive and do my own thing, occasionally saying something helpful, but mostly just sitting there. It feels like I'm driving around with one of my girlfriends- Correction. It IS like driving around with one of my girlfriends. Not quite as crazy... but still enjoyable.

We drove past the temple site and even though there isn't any real action going on yet, and even though it's winter and everything in Missouri looks completely dead... it was still gorgeous. Maybe it's just the feeling you get driving past, knowing that in a few years there will be a glorious temple there. The only downside to this is that by the time the temple is actually built, I'll be off to college and considering whether I want to go on a mission or not. But it brings me comfort to know that there will be one so close to all of our friends and family here, and that there could be a great possibility that I could get married so close to home. (Ugh. Creepy and disgusting thought...)

Oh well. I'm hoping for my lunch date (Sonja Litster.. :) ) to call me soon!

We go back to school tomorrow.. nooooo! Winter break went by way to fast. I just hope that second semester goes by even more quickly. (I know.. such an optimistic thought.)

Love, Hunter Bug

One Of Those Days

2009-01-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

You know those days when you don't feel like going anywhere?... Or doing anything? Today was one of those days. While the family went out to "the Legends" in Kansas and shopped around, I stayed home, studied my lines, read a book, went for a walk, and wrote in my journal. It's one of those days when I just sit back and think about tender mercies that I'm thankful for... like pictures. I feel like these are the only memories I have of my best friend. I wrote this not too long ago in my journal.

Why did you have to leave so soon & miss the times that matter most?
Because it's times like these when I treasured your friendship,
And that we got to be so close.
Why couldn't I be with you those last few minutes of your life?
I want you to know it pains me,
And causes torment and strife.
Why can't I be there to see you grow old and wise?
To see you get married and start a family,
With those never-changing, deep blue eyes.
I can't stand the "buts, whys, and ifs",
And the constant wonder that maybe one day this burden will lift.
I hate the sad, sick feelings of being alone.
I miss you Megan.
Save me a spot at home.

I know it only gets easier from here, and it has! It definitely has! I get the constant pleasure of having her with me always, and not just the times when we would hang out for a few hours at a time. But it's those moments when I say things, listen to certain songs, look at pictures, read funny notes, look back on hilarious late night phone calls; I can't stand knowing that the last time I saw my best friend was when she was sitting at my choir concert.. cheering me on.. And telling me what a fabulous job I did (even though I sucked) and then pointing out any extremely hot guy she could lay her eyes on. I can't stand knowing that I had no idea saying good night to her that Tuesday night, would be the last good night I would tell her in this lifetime.

She set a wonderful example for me, and I miss her a bunch. It brings me great comfort to know that I have a purpose here on this earth, at this time. Megan had hers.. and she fulfilled it. I'm proud of her, and I can't wait to see her again!

Love you "my lover"! :)

Love, Hunter Bug

Startin' the Day Off!

2009-01-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Pretty good start to the day! My sisters and I got up at around 7 (early for us.. considering its still winter break and we've been getting up at 10 or 11) and met "the gang" for breakfast at Corner Cafe. Now the gang consists of 6 primary people, and we're slowly growing. The 6 people are:

Chloe and myself

Taylor Meador

Chad Roberts

Cody Jameson

Joey Johnsen

(These are your reference pictures.. I'll probably be talking about them a lot. As you can see we are still working on a group picture.) Soooo it was the 6 of us this morning, Bridger Connie, and Chad's brother Cody!

Memorization deadline for my lines= Tuesday!!!! and I am lacking motivation! AND I'm only half way done! Wish me luck!

Love, Hunter

New At This!

2009-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

So I figured that since I'm constantly checking my mom's blog to keep up to date on everyone, that I might as well start one up also! I enjoy reading posts from people all around and love this way of communicating.

For those of you who don't quite understand the name of my blog (A Bug's Life), it's pretty much because since the minute I was born, I have been known as Hunter Bug. Supposedly my amazingly huge eyes resemble bug eyes. I've always absolutely HATED the nickname, and only recently this year has it finally grown on me. It's part of what makes me... me! And I'm okay with that! :)

I think that's it for now. I still gotta figure out how this whole thing works.

Happy New Year!
Please be safe in your travels and have an amazing 2009!

Love, Hunter Bug