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.

an update on "my life"

When ever someone asks me, "So what is new in your life?" I always seem to reply, "Not much". Because when I think about it, nothing that "new" has occurred. I originally wanted to blog once a week and it has now turned into a once a month kind of ordeal probably because I'm always so busy! The biggest news I can think of are the most current events in my life that have happened within the last week.

My cheer team made it to Nationals which will take place on March 25-27 in Disneyland! I really hope we can raise up the money to go because it has been a team goal for quite some time now.

I completed my first of my last two semesters of high school with HOPEFULLY straight A's. There are only two classes I haven't checked but I'm keeping my fingers crossed :) I finished applying to colleges and have been accepted to all three in-state universities.

As the one of the biggest games of the year, our boys basketball team lost to our city rivals. Oh well, at least our girls won :)

I finished "My Sister's Keeper". It was a good book and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Nicholas Sparks :)

My parents have decided to leave me on my birthday weekend to go see Wicked on broadway together! I hope they have fun and that it's worth it, because I'm still a little sad about it!

The last Flag High winter formal that I will ever go to is on Saturday, and it will probably be lame but I guess it's one of those things that I should still go to.

Hopefully for my next blog post, I will have something more exciting and insightful to talk about but for now... That's the way the cookie crumbles!

oh... AND no school tomorrow :)

'Tis the Season

I love love LOVE the Christmas season! I love the lights, and the hot chocolate, and yes, heaven forbid, the Christmas music! One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Grown up Christmas List" by Michael Buble. It has the best lyrics-

"Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee.
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies.
Well, I'm all grown up now,
can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish,
my grown up Christmas list
not for myself but for a world in need

no more lives torn apart,
that wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts

and every man would have a friend
that right would always win,
and love would never end.
This is my grown up Christmas list"


This year, I've kind of had a different outlook on Christmas. It's ironic how concerned people are with the shopping and the decorating, yet they fail to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Who says it better than the Grinch himself?

"And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice cold in the snow

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons.

It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes, or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled, 'till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?

What if Christmas perhaps, meant a little bit more."

I know that this holiday is something that everyone really looks forward to all year, so the excitement of all the presents and fun is essential, but this year I want to do my part to remind everyone of what Christmas is really about! It's the celebration of the birth of Christ! Remember to spend lots of time with your loved ones, because as many of you have probably heard, love is actually spelt T-I-M-E, and be sure to be happy to give, more than receive. Have a Merry Christmas everyone :)

my senior lasts :'(

As everyone said it would, my senior year feels like it's slipping through my fingers. I want time to SLOW DOWN! It feels like it should be hitting me hard right about now, but these last couple months have gone by so quickly I can't even seem to catch my breath. Two weeks ago we had our very last football game against Coconino. Being our city rivals, this game was going to be one worth attending. Our football team has beaten Coco for the last (I want to say) 6 years or so. But this year, our team wasn't looking so great. Then again, neither was theirs so we weren't sure what to expect. In preparation for the big game, our school put together a powder puff football team, and being my senior year, I decided to participate. It took around two weeks of practice to get us all at least somewhat familiar with the plays. I, being small and underestimated, didn't get very much playing time in at all. It really bummed me out actually and as I am typing this, it still upsets me! But on the bright side, our senior team won (of course).

Two of my best friends, Cierra and Emily

The senior girls powder puff team. "Oh So Legit"

The football game was quite the riot. We did not perform a halftime because we had planned on competing at a regional competition the next morning, but at the last moment, we had to forfeit from the competition. Although, I did walk on the field at halftime with my parents for senior night. I felt tears start to form in my eyes as I looked up at the crowd like I have been for the past three Flag high football seasons. It was such a weird feeling thinking, I will never perform another halftime on this field again! My "last time" senior experiences are passing by all too quick! We took a picture of the seniors all together, but yet I still hadn't cried like I thought I would. This seems to be a sign to me that maybe I'm ready to say goodbye.

So.. As you probably can't tell in this picture, I am holding my phone because I was in the middle of a phone call during this picture. At the very beginning of the fourth quarter, my oh so charming boyfriend and two of his close friends planned to run on the football field in red "super fan suits" holding signs that said CHS, and had FHS on the other side with an X through it. I knew it would be funny, but I wasn't sure when to expect it. Sure enough, without any warning, the three of them were suddenly sprinting down the field. Alex ran towards me and picked me up and twirled me around in his arms. He then set me down and ran for the doors to exit the stadium. Supposedly, the administration all watched calmly UNTIL he picked me up. Then, my principal ran as fast as I've ever seen a grown mad run before, right towards those boys out the door. Around five minutes later, a police officer came over to the cheer lines and asked to speak to me. I didn't get to cheer the last quarter of my last football game because I was being questioned by the police about the whole ordeal. I myself found it a little bit ridiculous for them to be making such a huge deal about it, because it was just fun and games, but I guess the principal injured himself after he ran out the doors and jumped over a fence to catch one of the boys. Hopefully, Alex and his friends don't face any charges from NAU or either of the school administrations.

The things they do for fun....

To close up my post, the latest "last" I had was my last family christmas pictures (while still living at home). I will save the pictures for my mom to post on her blog. We drove down to Sedona to get a unique look for our pictures, and Alex did them for us. He is SO talented, it amazes me. My mom snapped a few of us and below is one of my favorites :)