Don't Blink

Suddenly I realized, summer is over. Where did it go? It feels like I graduated yesterday and I thought, "I still have plenty of time here in Flagstaff", but it passed in the blink of an eye. I know I haven't blogged all summer, and that's a shame, but here's a few things I did this summer...

I went with my parents and my sister on a cruise to Mexico.

I worked at McDonalds.

I bought a new laptop

Alex and I visited our grandparents in Phoenix, went to Jerome, went camping with my family, got promise rings! and saw a TON of movies.

I went to Las Vegas with my mom and saw Phantom of the Opera on broadway!

I made priceless memories and had the best summer of my life!

As far as college goes... You'll hear more about that later!

And life begins

This last Friday, June 10th 2011, I officially became a Flagstaff High School Graduate. Surprisingly, not many emotions were involved. Although I don't think I'm quite ready to move out of my house, I am certainly ready to be done with high school. It was strange to sit through the ceremony and think, "These are the kids I have been with for the last four years, and some of them, I've been with since I first moved to Flagstaff. THIS is the last time we will all be together. Sure, there will be reunions, but not everyone will be there like we are now. Some of them, I will remain in contact with, but others, this will be the LAST time we will be together". And that, in a sense was a little bit sad to me.

The classic "kiss on the cheek" picture that just HAD to be taken

A lot of my family came up and I was really grateful for that

I wrapped up my "senior blog" with a post very similar to my first post on this blog.

Well, here we are. Finally the day has arrived that we’ve all been anticipating for about four years. Today marks the end of our journey together, class of 2011. But as we prepare to spread our wings and go our separate ways... Let’s review our last few years at Flag High.

Four years ago we walked through the doors of Flagstaff High School as little freshmen with no idea what we were doing. We were eager to find our identity, or possibly to create a new one. We finally felt like "big kids". We were terrified of the seniors, and made sure to stay out of their way. We had no idea where the 400 hall was, or which teachers were not pleasantly placed on our schedules. We opened our lockers for the first time, and went to our first high school dances.

Four years ago, we couldn't wait to be seniors.

Three years ago we walked through the doors of Flagstaff High School, thinking we owned the place. We weren't the babies on campus anymore. We were sophomores who "made the world go ‘round" We were no longer intimidated by the upperclassmen. We still desperately tried to be the "top dogs" and were eager for the day that we finally were. Some of us got our licenses. We went out on weekends, thinking we were too mature for those school dances.

Three years ago, we couldn't wait to be seniors.

Two years ago we walked through the doors of Flagstaff High School as juniors. We flaunted it like the upperclassmen that we finally were. We began to realize how fast time flies by. We learned who our true friends were and laughed as we made timeless memories together. We watched as our school began to undergo the several months of construction it was about to endure. Our “Officials” DOMINATED the infamous M&M dodgeball team. We started thinking about college, even though it still seemed like it was 10 years away. We participated in Varsity sports and went to prom.

And two years ago, we couldn't wait to be seniors.

This year we walked through the doors of Flagstaff High School as SENIORS, and with a bit of an adjustment for some of us, we walked through those doors as an Eagle for the very first time. We used the “senior card” and sported our camo any chance we had. We experienced all of those “lasts”. Our last sports camps, our last FIRST day of high school, our last pep assembly, our last ever so memorable football game against Coconino. We made our plans for the future and realized that we won’t have mom to do our laundry and cook us dinner next semester. We shared laughs and we shared tears. We wrote noble words to one another in our yearbooks and said our temporary goodbyes. WE made this year the best one yet and we loved every moment of it.

NEXT YEAR, and for all the years to come, we will forever look back on these years as the best years of our lives. Thank you, Senior class, for all the memories and friends we’ve made on this journey together. Congratulations, and long live the Class of 2011.

Though I created this blog to document my senior year, I won't let it end here. I am renaming it :) And it will be my "scrapbook" of my life (for the rare occasions that I remember to post)

Lala

Happy Birthday Claire Bear!

Today is my baby sister's 3rd birthday. She is such a little terror! Claire is quite the character. She LOVES coloring! It is literally weekly that we discover a new piece of artwork of hers on a household item. She LOVES sugar, especially donuts. She LOVES Dora, Kai Lan, Disney Princesses, Wonder Pets, Backyardigans, and any other animated characters that a typical three year old would like. She LOVES her friends. They are a big part of her conversations. She says things like, "I played with MY Rachel today!". She isn't quite potty trained (not even close) but she takes things at her own pace.

She is Justin Bieber's NUMBER ONE FAN! She has loved him since before I can remember. I think she learned to say Justin Bieber before she learned to say Melissa! She sings his song "Baby" all the time. She can be SO mean! Sometimes, I will smile at her or say hi and she says, "Don't say that Lissa!". And other times, she is the sweetest little thing ever.

I am fifteen years older than Claire, but I love her so much. She is my little princess. I nicknamed her Lala the day she was born and I have called her that ever since. She is so cute when I ask what her name is and she says "Lala Camel (Campbell)". This year, we were asked to write an essay about someone or something that changed your life and I wrote about Claire. When she was born, I didn't expect to be close with her at all. I figured I would be off to college in three years, she would grow up without me around and I would just be her sister that she didn't really know that well. Little did I know, Claire would become one of my best friends. She is the cutest, sweetest, funniest little girl I've ever known.

SOME of My Favorite Memories of Claire

A few weeks ago, I got home really late from school activities. I carried all my

things up the stairs and down the hall to my room. When I opened the door to my room

the light was off, so I turned it on. Then suddenly I jumped back when a little girl tucked

into my covers yelled "HI LISSA!". She HATES sleeping in her own bed so she always ends

up in mine, or in the hallway, or another random place. I told her I was going to ask mom if

she was allowed to be out of her bed and in my room and she said "No Lissa! Don't tell mom"

So I let her lay in my room until she fell asleep.

Earlier this year, my team competed at state in Phoenix. My mom and Natalie came down to

watch me compete and my dad stayed home with the younger kids. We got home late at night,

and all went straight to bed. It was kind of snowy up here still, and there was still a good foot of

snow on the ground. A few weeks later, my mom was downstairs in the kitchen and noticed

tons of our stuff was out in the backyard (books, toys, clothes, shoes, etc.). Little Claire had been

throwing items off the balcony while my dad was watching her. Apparently it's fun to throw everything

we own in the snow.

I tell Claire I love her about 15 times a day. One night, my mom was putting Claire to bed and she

said "I love you Claire" and Claire replied "*sigh* I love me". My mom thought that was kind of

funny so she said, "Oh yeah? Well I love Heidi." Then Claire fired back and said "Well I love Alex"

Hahahaha! I thought that was so hilarious. :)

Since Claire hates sleeping in her own bed by herself, she tends to cry a lot when we put her to

bed. One night she was very upset so I went in and laid next to her. She always asks me to tell her

a story so I told her some random story. Afterwards, I said, "Claire, promise me you won't forget

me when I go to college!" and Claire said, "I PINKY PWOMISE!" It was so sweet. She just wanted

to keep talking and talking all night long and I had to get her to bed somehow, so I turned on

some Taylor Swift music to get her to fall asleep. It worked, and she was out in no time, but I

stayed in there a few minutes longer, with the music still playing. A newer Taylor Swift song

came on that I had never really listened to. The lyrics fit PERFECTLY, as all Taylor Swift lyrics

seem to match up with my life. Not only did the lyrics remind me of Claire, but even of Nat, and

myself, as we all grow up together.

Never Grow Up- Taylor Swift

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No, no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots

But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older, too
And don't lose the way that you dance around
In your PJs getting ready for school

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

No one's ever burned you
Nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to
Just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs

I just realized everything I have
Is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder than I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
Could still be little
Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even through to you want to
Please try to never grow up

Don't you ever grow up
Just never grow up

It's the end of the road!

What an amazing senior year of cheer! I am so glad to have ended on this note. As many of you know, we made it to nationals this year! We got to travel to California and spend three days at Disneyland. It was SO much fun.

State 2011

Stunting in front of the castle

stuck on the Matterhorn. Thank goodness for firefighters!

LJ's!

One of my FAVORITE rides :) Again, LJ's!

National's 2011

My "sisters from another mister". And Travis of course :)

My years of high school cheer have now subsided. It's bittersweet. I love all the great friends I have made in cheer. They are like sisters to me and I will miss them all greatly. I realize that cheer is not a "sport" in which you score more points in order to beat your opponents (even though technically, when we aren't cheering for other people and we are competing, it is the exact same thing as what you people call "a sport"). However, cheer takes SO much time and dedication. Three hours of the day, five days a week, ten months a year. It requires trust and love for one another, teamwork, and unity. Unlike other sports, if we don't have one girl, our family is incomplete. Without ONE girl, our pyramid is missing vital support. Cheer requires patience to deal with the drama of 30 teenage girls, with the same menstrual cycle. It requires strength. Physical strength, because while you all lift weights, we lift people. Mental strength, because even when the world stereotypes us as "dumb", "stuck up" and "skanky" we have to overcome the world, and be good role models to represent our school.

You might play four quarters of a football game, but you forget who is there on the sidelines cheering those four quarters, with the addition of a halftime AND timeouts. You might be playing the most intense basketball game of your life, but you forget who is cheering for BOTH boys and girls basketball that night. We cheer for you, we bake cookies for you, we bring you notes of encouragement on your "big game day", we support you. ALL of you. But if only people realized how much effort we truly put in.

And as I rolled up the blue cheer mats for the last time, I let out a big sigh of relief. I made it. Four years of cheer, all coming to an end. I am so grateful for the amazing people I have been able to meet and become close with. Thank you guys for the best ride of my life :) I love you all

My coaches,

my teammates,

my sisters.

Why am I so scared?

What are you afraid of?

We all have fears, and I have been so lucky to have numerous fears. I'm terrified of the dark and the scary things that might live in my closet. I have a phobia of blood. Even the tiniest "traumatic" occurance, such as a a paper cut, can cause me to faint. I have a fear of falling from stunts and hurting myself, or those around me. I'm afraid of not being good enough, of losing someone close to me, of being kidnapped, of talking to people I don't know...

My newest fear??? Change.

Little by little, I realize that the life I know and love is nearing the end of its chapter. I want to keep reading forever and ever, and I am loving life so much right now that I can't seem to "put the book down". Each paragraph is full of amazing new memories, love, and happiness. The suspense builds up as I turn the page, not knowing how soon the end of the chapter is. I tell myself not to read ahead, because I don't want to change my view of the page I am currently on. But I'm scared... What will the title of the next chapter be?! Where is my story going to go? Who will star as the leading roles of the cast in my life story?

I know that life has so much to offer me and I have worked so hard to get to the point I am at. I'm sure that the feelings I feel are typical feelings that any high school senior feels as they get closer to graduation, college, and the rest of their lives. Part of me is excited to meet new people, have new experiences, and be out on my own. But I am SO scared of all of these things at the same time! I was texting my mom on the day I got admitted to BYU and at one point the conversation consisted of,

Me: "I will be EIGHT HOURS AWAY?! How often can I visit?"

Mom: "You could visit all the time.. Every holiday. And you will make great lifetime friends there"

Me: "But I like my old friends! Even Halloween? It stresses me out!"

I'm scared of what I'll do without my parents there for me. What do I do if I get a flat tire? What do I do if I forget my homework and I need my mom to drop it off at school for me? What if my little sister Claire forgets my name? I feel like such a baby sometimes, and I worry so much... but these are real fears and sometimes, I feel like I'm facing them all alone.

I'm afraid of saying goodbye to all my friends that I may or may not ever see again. I'm afraid to be away from Alex. Whenever I watch this clip from High School Musical 3, it reminds me of us. I mean hey, we even LOOK similar to Troy and Gabriella, if you ask me :) When I listen to the lyrics, I am reminded that "tomorrow can wait for some other day to be, cause right now there's you and me"

I am scared to leave Natalie. She has been my partner in crime since she was born, and even though we are both teenagers now and fight pretty often, she's one of my best friends and I would be a mess without her in my life. She gives me great advice and it's the coolest thing in the world to have a bedroom right next to her so that I can talk to her whenever I want. I'll miss being able to do that, but through all the advice she's given me, this video is for her. She will be a freshman in high school next year and I think Taylor Swift says it all.

All my life, I've never had to live away from my mom. She has done so much for me, and I am who I am, because of her. She did my hair everyday and let me sleep with the hallway light on because I was afraid of the dark when I was a little girl. She taught me to walk, and to talk. She took care of me when I was sick. She taught me respect, and to learn from the mistakes that others have made. She cried with me the first time I had my heart broken. She helped teach me how to drive. She watched me try on my first prom dress. She went to all of my cheer competitions. She does so much for me, and I am so scared to be 470.8 miles away from her. THIS video from the Hannah Montana movie reminds me of her and how much she has done for me. If I could sing and play guitar, AND didn't burst into tears, I would sing it for her. (excuse the random foreign language subtitles)

I know that this is a great opportunity for me and that I will have a great time in college. I know I shouldn't freak out about it yet, and just live in the page of my book that I'm on right now, but these have just been my latest feelings and I thought I'd share them with you all :)

Uhh 4 more months?!

It was my life and it was fun

Another season of my life is done

Another race I'm glad I got to run

Another chapter of my life, it's over

No I'm never gonna feel like that again

Time's rushin' by me like the wind

Never be as young as I was then

No I'm never gonna feel like that again

It feels like just yesterday that I was walking through the doors of high school for the very first time! Now, I find myself trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I only have 4 more months of high school left!!! It's bitter sweet. Though lately I have been dreading school, and cheer, and the limited hours of sleep that I get during the week, I know I will miss it. I'll miss all the laughs we all share on a daily basis in English, I'll miss those morning announcements, I'll miss eating lunch with my friends everyday, and I'll even miss driving to school in the FREEZING cold! (okay, yeah... I'm not going to miss that). The adventures that await me frighten me, but at the same time, I can't wait to move on to so much more in life.

As I sat in the commons at lunch today (on the floor I will add, considering it's excruciatingly freezing outside so everyone eats inside at OUR table and we are forced to settle for an alternative), I reminisced on our freshman year when the school looked SO different than it does now. It's kind of juvenile, but I thought of us, the Class of 2011, and how we, like our school, are newly remodeled characters with a new year ahead of us (wow that was a lot of commas).

Though I have so many memories to say goodbye to, I think I am beginning to accept the fact that my high school days are coming to a close.. Actually, on second thought, I want the next four months to go by slower!!

The Guy of My Dreams

When I created this blog, I intended to write about twice a week.. Yeah... That didn’t quite happen. I usually blog when something big happens in my life, and I often even forget to do that!!! I didn’t even blog on my birthday, which sadly is because I ended up being sick!! My parents still treated me to dinner and it was enjoyable, AND I will be one of the lucky ones to get the iPhone as my long overdue upgraded cell phone in a couple weeks.

Tonight, I wanted to blog about something that is just “me”. Something, or should I say someONE, who is near and dear to my heart and happens to play an important character in my life. He’s my sunshine on a rainy day and the other half of my heart. Alexander Joseph Kulpinski is the A to my M :)

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

For years I have wondered, “why can’t I have a perfect boyfriend?!” (at age 16, I probably shouldn’t have been so focused on boyfriends at all, but our young teenage hearts just “need somebody to love” as Justin Bieber would say) I wanted someone who would make me feel pretty, even when I looked like a mess, someone who would laugh with me when I said something stupid. I’ve dated some really big losers (and my mother would certainly agree with me). I might not have realized they were losers until now, but boy, I couldn’t agree more with my mom now that I’ve realized it!


I think I can admit it the most now because THIS boy has made me realize what it is like to truly care for someone and to have their love in return. He is nothing close to any other. He is always doing sweet things for me, and he makes me feel like his very best friend. Most weekends, we don’t have any special events planned, we just hang out, but it’s more fun than Disneyland! I enjoy being around his family and having him around mine. He is my prince charming! He is handsome, funny, charming, dedicated, brilliant, and understanding. On our second date, he ASKED me to hold my hand, and I will never forget that :) I am so lucky to have him in my life.


I realize that even though my life seems to be nothing short of a fairytale, friends of mine haven’t seemed to be having such an easy time lately. All I can say is this, sometimes, we have to go through hard times to notice how great the good times are. Sometimes, we have to date losers so that we can truly appreciate the sweethearts, because without the dark, we’d never see the stars. “Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him... look for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you' re just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have YOU... The one who turns to his friends and says, that’s her...”

My Dearest Love Bug,
Thank you for being mine. You make me feel like a princess, every day, and I am so glad you are in my life. You and I are perfect together, and I’m so blessed to be spending my senior year with you. You are the most amazing guy I’ve ever known! MUAH

I made a wish upon a star, I turned around, and there you were.