USU Gymnastics Camp

Well, I wasn't quite sure what to write about this week. So I kinda just gave up on thinking and went on with doing other stuff. While I was looking around for this cd I wanted to listen to, I found this dvd I totally forgot I had. It was a dvd I got at the summer camp I went to over the summer, it just had a video of a lot of the stuff we did there. So, yeah that's what I decided to write about this week.

Ok, so it started out during the competiting season of last year. At a couple of the meets we went to, they were advertising a gymnastics camp called Woodward. We thought it would be so cool, so we decided we were going to do it, we were gonna do a ton of fundraisers to get the money so that we could go. Well, it turns out that we didn't go to that camp. We didn't quite follow through with those fundraisers. But we did convince our parents to let us go to a camp up at Utah State. The camp was in the middle of July, and it was a ton of fun. (Oh, by the way, I'm talking about a gymnastics camp... I don't think I mentioned that yet. sorry). When we got there they got us all in the room with our parents and told us all the information we needed to know about the camp. Then they gave us our dorm room numbers and keys, and let us go. I told bye to my parents and booked it for my dorm. I was so excited. After a while, we went to dinner in the cafeteria. It wasn't to great, non of the food I had that week was. But it was definately worth it. Well, after dinner, we went and hung out with all the other gymnasts, and just kind of got settled for the night. For the next 4 days, we had to be awake at 7:30, breakfast was at eight and workout started at 9:00. We then had a lunch break at like 12:30 everyday, Than workout ended at like 5:00 or so. Well after all the gymnastics stuff, they always had a group activity every night. And a lot of the nights, me and a couple of the older girls snuck out to get Aggie Icecream. It was good :).

Well, by the end of the week, I had learned a lot from the different coaches, and I had definately made a ton of new friends. I had a great time and I hope I can make it a tradition and keep going every year. That would be great! If any of you have never been to some sort of a camp before, I suggest you go to one, it really is a blast, you'll have a great time, I know you will. Well that's all for this week. Bye!

Ninth Grade

Well, I totally forgot about the blog this week until I was actually in bed, trying to go to sleep. I remembered when I had my eyes close and I was just thinking about stuff, you know what I mean right? Well anyway, I'm glad I remembered. I guess this week's blog is going to have to be about, I don't know, how bout ninth grade in general. I guess, to me ninth grade is a little bit harder than the other grades. I definately have more homework, not to mention it's harder too. And it just seems like I have to do everything right this year, no mistakes, perfect grades, cause they always say this year counts. Well, me and my dad were talking about it the other day and we came up with that ninth grade really does seem harder. I mean he said he doesn't quite remember back in his day if it was hard or not, but he said that he always remembered my older brother doing way more homework, and he definately cared about his grades that year. He thinks that since they do put all that pressure on you by saying, "This year counts..." or "No more easy stuff, this stuff is for real now..." It does just kind of give that feeling like, oh no, what I do now will definately ruin my life if I mess up, well maybe not that exagerated but, you get my point. He just thinks that that's the reason why my brother was all stressed out in ninth grade and what not, he says that now, even when my brother's a senior, he cared more about his grades in ninth grade than he has ever since. So I kinda agree with my dad, and I hope he was right about it getting easier as I get older. It does make sense in a way but in another it doesn't to me. I mean yeah, they get you all worked up and what not for ninth grade because your really in high school and stuff starts to count for college. So people probably do take it as more difficult than it really is, with over doing stuff just to make sure everything goes right. And then as they proceed through school, they realize its really not as big of a deal as they thought. But then again, wouldn't it seem like what they tell you is true, like you do start highschool when your in ninth grade, and then everything "really" does start to count. So it should seem like every year it should get harder, because your getting closer to graduating and going to college. So it should be harder in a way, sort of like you have to work for what you want. I don't know, I kinda went off about that. Anyway, back to what I think of my ninth grade year so far. Lately yeah it is a lot of homework and it's harder, but I kind of like it. Not the part about the homework, but I mean, I've met a lot of cool new people, and I've learned a ton more this year, and it is kinda of cool to go around school knowing your the oldest. haha. So yeah, all in all, I kind of like ninth grade and I hope it's a good year all the way through. I also hope what my dad said was true about it all getting easier, cause that would just make it all the better.

Double Layout on Floor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1USTwc5lD6s

Click here, to see a double layout on floor. I thought I'd show some of you guys what one of my tricks I'm working on since you guys always ask me about that kind of stuff, so here ya go. This isn't me doing it, obviously, but it's what I do.

Gymnastics

I might write about gym alot, just a heads up. It's all I ever do, I swear. Just kidding it's not all I do but's it's pretty dang close. I started when I was about four, and I'm almost fifteen now(well, i've got a couple months left...Ü) so that makes it almost 11 years I've been in gym. That's a long time, I've never thouht of that. Well anyway. There is ten levels in gymnastics, well kinda 11, but I won't get into that. You start to compete when you are in level four. I don't know why it's that number, but it is. So I guess when you start as a beginner your in level one. Anyway. I skipped level four when i was little and just went straight to level five. I was about seven when I was put in that class, and then I just moved up levels ever since then. So I was eight in level six, nine in level seven, ten in level eight, and eleven in level 9. I stayed level nine for three years, so I was eleven, twelve, and thirteen when I competed that level. Right now I'm fourteen and in level ten.

So about gymnastics. There is ten levels, I already told you that, but you only compete levels 4-10. Most people when there in level 10 are about 17 or 18. They are normally this age because after level 10, you will most likely go to college. But I'm only 14, so I've got a few years left to go. Levels 4-6 are called compulsory. This means that there are set routines you have to compete. Everybody in that level does the exact same routine (believe me, those meets got annoying). Levels 7 and up are called optionals. This means that you have certain requirements you have to follow, but are allowed to personalize your routines. For instance, you can have your own floor routine, that is totally different from anyone elses, not like the compulsory levels.

I compete all four events. The vault, bars, beam, and floor. These are just the woman's events. The men's events consists of six events: vault, high bar, rings, pommel horse, floor, and the parallel bars. I only do the woman's events. My competiting season starts in January, and ends in about April. The rest of the year I'm training for the next years season. I workout 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. Thats 20 hours a week, if you didnt want to do the math. So that's why I don't have enough time to be a cheerleader like a lot of you ask me to. I told you I don't have time didn't I?... That's also the reason I don't hang out a lot with my friends, I try to as much as I can, but it's never really on weekdays because I go to gym, right after school until about 7.

So that's a little bit about gymnastics. I'll probably tell you a lot more later, I'm sure. It'll probably be the topic I talk most about when I can't think of anything to write. So yeah. Oh, for all of you who always ask me what my hardest trick is. I'll try to put a video up and show you, I don't know if it will work, but I'll try.

Funny Quotes

Well I didn't quite have 500 words yet this week, so I thought I'd share some funny quotes with you. Here they are:

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else."

- Margaret Mead

"When everythings coming your way -- Your in the wrong lane."

- Anonymous

"Life is like a sewer, what you put into it, is what you get out of it."

- Tom Lehrer

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today, it's already tomorrow in Austrailia

- Charles M. Schulz

"There is a light at the end of every tunnel, let's just hope it's not a train."

- Anonymous

"Whoever said nothing is impossible never tried to slam a revolving door!"

- Anonymous

"Everyday is a gift, that's why they call it the present."

- Anonymous

"If at frist you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you."

- Henry Youngman

Laundry...

I hate the laundry. I hate it so bad. It is one of the worst chores to do. It goes along with the dishes and vaccuuming and sweeping and moping. Believe me, that list could go on. Well, anyway, back to hating laundry. This is how it goes in our family. Someone puts a load in, someone else folds it. Does it happen that way? NO. It goes more like this: I put a load in, I fold it. My sister puts a load in. I fold it. My brother puts a load in. I fold it. Mom finds the laundry not done, I get yelled at and then have to go do it. Do you see why I hate the laundry. Half the time my sister is nice and helps me out, but the other half... it's all me. It really annoys me. I wish we could just invent something that washed, dried, and folded our laundry for us. Then it could put it away too. That way whenever I go into my closet all my clothes are there clean to choose from. Wouldn't that be nice? I would love that, if somebody ever invents something like that, i'm buying it. I don't care how much it costs. It would definately make life a whole lot of a heck easier. Well it will right now. But watch if it ever were to come out, i'll be a mother by then, and all the laundry will be done by my kids, so it still wouldn't help me out. Oh well. Maybe I could wish upon a star? haha just kidding.

My Hero

Here's a poem I wrote a while ago, I don't know if it would count for one of those poetry contests we have to enter for this class, but I'll find out. Well anyway, it's call MY HERO and I wrote it myself. So here it goes:

My Hero

This world has many heroes, some you know by name.

Some you've never heard of and some with lots of fame...

But out of all the heroes that this world has ever had.

There's not one I admire more than that guy that I call dad.

Perhaps he's not as famous as those other guys you know,

But he's everything and so much more than those ones the T.V. shows.

He keeps his word, it's good as gold. On him you can depend.

He's honest and he's loyal too. He's also a good friend.

So when you hear about a hero and the great things that they've done.

It reminds me of my father, he is my favorite one!