Grand Nationals

This last weekend I was in Indianapolis, Indiana for the 2008 Bands of America Grand Nationals. The experience was amazing. I am so glad I got to go for my senior year. We went expecting to do the best that we could do and in our eyes, we did exactly that. Friday Morning we performed our preliminary performance at ten forty five a.m. Nationals were the first event in the new Lucas Oil Stadium, Home of the Colts. The stadium was huge and was full of 90 amazing bands from all over the nation and many of their fans. Walking on to that field for the first time was amazing and the most scary experience I have ever had. There were so many people sitting in the stands and judges all over the field and in the judges box just waiting to judge us. We performed and to our devastation did not have a very good show. Girls had been so nervous that they had set their flags wrong. A flag was covering Nikki's rifle and she thought mine was hers so we were late coming out for the rifle and drum feature trying to find her rifle. So many little things that could have been fixed but weren't and were huge disasters. To our relief the judges called us in the announcements of the semi finalists bands. We still had made it even though we had messed up so badly. We were so relieved and the band was so excited again. This was actually happening. The next day we went through the same drill. Only this time while entering the field you could feel the energy and excitement in each member of our band. Everyone was shining with confidence and excitement. We were thrilled to able to perform again in such an amazing event. We performed with preciseness and beauty. Mistakes were very minimal and the whole band felt amazing. Coming off the field we all cried realizing that that could be the last time that we ever perform that show again. Not one eye was dry. We had given everything we had to that show and it showed. Our performance was incredible. Everyone was sure we would make finals. Even parents of other bands and judges from the regional we had attended. They were all confident we would be participating in that nights later events. As I lined up with the other captains and drum majors to go on the field for awards and retreat, I felt so sure that we would be doing it all again that night. There was no way we would not make it when we all felt so good about our performance. But as we waited and saluted the audience on the field, our name was not announced among the twelve finalists. My heart could not believe it. My marching band experience had come to a close. I would not perform The Island or any other field show ever again. Tears streaming down my face and reality trying to find a place in my heart I walked into the silent lobby of the hotel to meet my fellow band members. Mr. Miller was standing on a stool with tears in his eyes preparing to speak to us. All of my friends were in shock waiting to hear what had happened. Mr. Miller explained that he did not feel bad about not making finals. He had hoped and been sure that we would but the outcome was otherwise. He was proud of us and everything we had accomplished. He had never seen one of his bands ever perform so well. He would tell us results as soon as he was given the scores. We went back to the stadium and watched the finalist bands and tried to see why we had not made it. Every band was amazing and beautiful, but was ours not in that same category. How were we not performing when we were right up there with all those bands. Later that night Mr. Miller explained that three of the four judges had placed us within the top six of the 90 bands that had performed. However, the other judge had placed us significantly lower. Thus our placement was averaged out between the four judges to 14. Two bands away from making finals. Come to find out, this judge had placed us 20 points behind Davis when he judged us a few months ago in Utah. I guess he just has something against American Fork Marching Band. All I can say is that I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to participate in such an amazing marching band. We know that we had the best performance of our lives and I am so grateful that we could end the season feeling so happy about our last time on out field. And yes, for fifteen minutes we owned the Lucas Oil Stadium field. :D Ask the judges. They'll tell you.

Homecoming

This pic is bad quality
because it is a picture
of a picture but it was
the best I could do.
Homecoming was a blast.

"The Island" - pics from the Mountain View Show

Where does all the time go?

This last week was crazy. I honestly do not know where all the time goes. Days used to seem so long to me, but now they are not long enough. Well, I'll start with Monday. Dad and the guys left to go hunting so the girls got to have a couple of days without them. Only I had school and guard and homework, so by the time I was done it was pretty late. Although it was a school night, Camyll, Liz, and I decided to watch Pearl Harbor. Of course it was way too long and I fell asleep, but it was fun to try to stay up to watch it. Well, Tuesday came along and I had school and a competition. Luckily, the weather was in our favor and we were able to perform without getting hypothermia this year. We came in second for the guard award by one point. However the band lost visual by 19 points. We still one first place as a whole band, and were able to win the Davis Cup. It was a fun night for me because I got to participate in retreat. This is where the drum majors and color guard captains salute and receive the trophies. I was really nervous that I would mess up the salute, but I was able to do it perfectly :D On Wednesday I just had school and guard once again, but that took up all my time. Thursday was just like Wednesday. Friday was an awesome day because I had a break from guard! :D I was so excited. It was also the AF vs. our biggest rivalry, Lone Peak. Everyone was so pumped for the game. But as the weather got colder and more windy, our players lost their excitement. We ended up losing with the score 0 to 23. Apparently, Coach McGeary was our coach last year and converted to a knight. He knew every single play our team tried. At half time someone got into our locker room and wrote swear words all over in paint and turned off the lights. The lights take twenty minutes to turn on so our team was left in the dark at half time. Then to make everything just that much worse, Brady was put in the game at the end and with one minute and 22 seconds left, he was smashed. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact he already has a torn acl and was playing in pain with the help of a brace. I had already left and walked down to the door of the training room like I always do to see him before he has his team talk. It was horrifying to see him carried off the field and the tears streaming down his face. He has to have surgery very soon, but is going to Disney Land with his friends over UEA next week and is going to wait until after that. I hope he'll be able to walk all over, and not be in so much pain. :C Well, there are always good parts of the week, mine just came on Saturday. I had a guard competition of course, and it was supposed to be the coldest day of the week. A 70 % chance of inches of snow in the valley. I was not looking forward to performing in the snow. Catching a rifle and a saber with frozen hands in one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. I was really praying that somehow the weather would hold off until after the comp. Unfortunately, I woke up that morning to snow, snow, and more snow. :C I was so upset. But later, as we unloaded the bus and walked to the field to go on, the sun came out, the snow was gone, and the wind stopped blowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The weather was perfect! We were able to perform and have an awesome show. We still didn't win color guard, but we came in second, and won first with the band. Then afterwards, Brady took me to Olive Garden and then we enjoyed watching Transformers, because last night marked us being together for a whole year! That went by so fast! Like I said before, I have no idea where the time goes. I'm just glad my week went from a not so good week to a fun and exciting week! I'll always be grateful that my prayer about the weather was answered : D

Just When You Think it Can't Get Worse

So I've decided to write on here cause I know I need to get some feelings out. This last week was going really good until Friday morning. During first period the teachers were told to immediately check their email. Then about ten minutes later it is announced over the intercom that Tyler Blyel had committed suicide that morning and that preparations were being made for his funeral. First, I thought, that is so sad, I'm glad I did not know him. Then after first period I saw Brady in the hall and he was upset. He asked if I had heard the news and wondered why I wasn't upset. Then he told me that Tyler Blyel was the Tyler in our government class who was in our study group. The awesome kid who made that class fun and interesting and had been Brady's friend since fourth grade. The kid who had talked to me and given me a high five because we won the class contest just hours before he took his life. I couldn't believe it. I broke down in tears and the whole weekend got worse from there. I have seminary fourth period that day, so when I walked in my teacher noticed me crying. Then as the whole class came in he knew we were all upset about what had happened. We talked about suicide and he helped us to understand what it all meant and then we sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again. I have never felt the spirit so strong and have never cried so hard, atleast at that point. Well the weekend went on, I had guard all day, performed at the homecoming game, went to the game, we lost, went to bed crying that night, woke up and went to guard, performed at the competition, won second place, went to dinner with the Lunt's, and came home and was told to put on my shoes and my jacket becuase I had to go look at something outside. As I walked outside with Cass, Mom, Dad, and Brady, I couldn't imagine what could be so important and out by the swing set in the corner. Then Mom shined light on a new rock and cassady screamed and then I realized.....my dog was under there. He had died and no one had told me til he was gone. Then Mom told us the story and how he had died that morning outside my window and how he had yelped and she was sure I had heard it but was happy I slept through it. I couldn't believe this had happened. First my friend and now my dog, who is next? Does Heavenly Father just love making me miserable and cry? Of course I knew this was not the answer but it sure felt like it. So when I went to church today I was so happy to hear talks about perserverence and trials and to feel the spirit and be reminded that I am loved and that everything can work out and will soon. I just have to have the right attitude this week and honor the memory of tyler and rusty by living right.

Last Year's Prom

Just thought I'd put
this pic on here :D
it's one of my favorites.

The Most Strange and Crazy Day

Well.....where to start? I guess with what has been going on in my life. So to start mom went in for surgery, and cassa, dad, and I all had to survive without her at home! Yeah, it sounds like a disaster but it actually went pretty well. The house never got too dirty and we actually survived the food. We are all just happy that mom comes home today! :D So anyway, I am so busy with school and guard and other little obligations that I didn't get to visit her a lot in the hospital so I had dad check cass and I out of school on Friday. So we went and visited her and were planning on going back to school after lunch but as we turned on my car and moved about two feet my car shut down and wouldn't start. So we freak out because we are already going to be late to school and now we have no idea how we're going to get there. Then we realize dad is home and maybe he'll lend us his car so we run in to ask him but he's using his car and wants us to take mom's brand new CRV. So I freak out and he hands me the keys and I put them in and it won't start. So he's about to drive away so cass and I yell for him and he comes to see what's wrong and the key is stuck. So we're pulling for like two minutes and it finally comes out and he realizes he gave us his key to his truck. So then he wants me to drive his huge truck but I can't cause it's huge and my car is broken down right in the way of it, so we try to find the keys to mom's car but we can't so finally after like ten minutes we find them in dad's car and we rush off to school about twenty minutes late. Well, at school if you are this late you are automatically sluffing so we are really worried and freaking out. We finally get to the school and park the car way out of the way (it's mom's nice amazing brand new car and we don't want people to hurt it) then I realize that we were checked out, we were marked on our check out slips as not returning to school that day. If we go to class now we're so late it would count as a sluff but if we don't go, our attendance will be excused from us being checked out, so we turned around and went home lol. :D Oh and also when we were eating lunch that day I lost my phone and couldn't find it. Then this lady in our ward comes over and gives me my phone and tells me she found it down the road in the road by the Baxter's old house. This was really weird because I hadn't walked down there and my windows had never been down. So how did my phone fall out of my car? Strange!