Ohio Standage's and Cedar Hills Standage's Family Updates

I am extremely sorry this is so belated. But if you didn't get it from my last post, we went to Cincinnati, Ohio to hang with my brother, Stephen, sister-in-law Laura Beth, and their kids, Rachel, and the twins Maren and Michael three weeks ago. We did a lot of fun stuff while we were there.



Daddy giving a scripture



Maren and Michael chilling with Grandma!



Rachel chilling with Aunt Lar-Lar!



We went up to Kentucky to spend the night there and go see Mammoth Caves the next day. Upon our arrival, we went out for pizza. Yum!



I thought this picture was priceless!



Some pool fun at the hotel!



The next day, we went to Mammoth cave, which was really fun and interesting, and...didn't have HUMIDITY! The air felt cool and great!



Also that day, we went to the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. I think the kids' favorite part was making creations out of the lincoln logs!



Pretty inspirational, huh?







Monday was our "Fun"-day at an Amusement park called Coney Island. It was mostly kid oriented, but it was still really fun. Rachel went on a rollercoaster, and I overcame my fear of ferris wheels, and we went swimming at the end of the day!





Tuesday, we went to the airforce museum! I just love that picture of Stephen! That day, Great-Grandma (well, Grandma to me...) came up to spend some of the trip with us. We love you!



Wednesday was completely devoted to Harry Potter. I'm so happy we got to see it on opening day! Stephen and Laura Beth went first while we watched the kids, then we traded off!



Thursday was kind of another hang out day, but we went to the library and got a book that I had been looking for to read. My sister Juli and her kids listened to the audio book and loved it, so tried to read it to Rachel, but she's a little younger than Emily and Sadie, so she wasn't interested. I read it in only an hour or so, and loved it. Then I read about twelve chapters in the car to Mom and Dad, and finished reading it with Mom that day, Dad finished it on his own. We all loved it! I recommend it to everyone. You're kids will love it, and so will you, and you will learn a great deal! It's called "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane", by Kate DiCamillo.



Friday was zoo fun! This was one of my favorite parts, since I love animal interaction. This little guy started playing with my hair when I tried to leave. How cute!



Is this guy adorable or what? I can't believe Stephen thought he was ugly!



Eating lunch with the peacocks!





These three manatee pictures are dedicated to Alien! Rock on!



After the zoo, we got to tour the hospital where Stephen works! We're so proud of you!


Our last big day of fun: we went to Amish country. The kids loved playing on the homemade swing sets and gazebos, and we got some pastries!



Another fun highlight was that the kids enjoyed playing human bridge with me in the girls' room. Maren especially liked this, and kept asking me to play that and "Teddy Bear" in her room!



Can't wait to see you guys next summer! I sure love those kids!

So Far...So Fun!

Hi from Cincy! We made it here safely! So far it's been great, and I've had an awesome time with the kids. Yesterday, Rachel, Maren, Michael, and I played dolls, Earth Vs. Aliens with these strange block thingeys, hide and seek, and a pretend game outside. We haven't gotten very far into it, but once the wizard comes out of my bag and unlocks the door to the abandoned castle, then we'll be able to find the pin and give it to the magic orb, so it can tell us more about our quest!

Today, we're going to hike in some caverns or something like that and spend the night up there, so I'll update soon!

Love you!

Stuff in July so Far

Sorry it's been a while, but I have three major updates. I'll try to be brief.

First, we went to Maple Grove on a family camping trip with the two Billingsley families (aka, Aunt Janet and Uncle Charles, and Donovan and Becca) and Daniel and Stephanie, as well as the Gustafsons (yay! Cousin time!) A few of my favorite highlights from that was, the tree swing dad put up, the treasure hunt and crown craft Brinlee and I did with the kids, and the awesome creek. Unfortunately, we don't have pictures of any of those things. Hopefully, though, we may go camping again next summer when my brother Stephen and his family are visiting from Cincinatti. Speaking of which, we're leaving to go visit them tomorrow! YAY!!!!!!!!!



We hung out with Daniel and Stephanie for Independence Day, and played a really fun game...ugh...trying to think of the name...I know it starts with a B...nope, don't know what it's called. But afterwards, we watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks from a distance. A lot of it was down low, which was surprising, but what we could see...STUNK! This was the year I would have preferred to go because of the singing group at it this year, compared to Brooks and Dunn, and Miley Cyrus from the years before. I'm not crazy about the Jonas Brothers, and I don't listen to their music, unless with a friend or something, but they're my favorite singing group out of those. And I was kind of wanting them to sing their new song "Paranoid" (Hey! I heard it on the radio at Seven Peaks, ok?)



Anyway, probably the best event that's happened lately was that on Sunday, Heather got blessed! It was awesome, but my favorite part would have to be that Stephanie's family, the Coleman's came up!!!!! We knew them in Georgia, and Charles (basically 13, as he puts it, since he's turning thirteen the end of this month) and Jessica (11) were like, my best friends ever! They're still really great friends, and still up at the top, even though I don't see them as much anymore. The funnest part was, they were allowed to come over and spend the night!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS SOOOOOOOO FUN!!!!!!!!



Yep, that's what's happened. I had to hurry and tell about those before we left for Cincy so that I would have to update FOUR things in one post.

A couple of minor things going on: I'm loving the Cry of the Icemark, the book I'm reading. I read it in 6th grade, but it bored me to tears, and I skimmed it. Then, during 7th grade, I found out it was a trilogy, so now I'm rereading it, and I'm surprised how little I remembered! But it's soooo good, like a classic fantasy with battles and creatures!!!



Lord of the Rings, in my opinion, is better than classic fantasy though. I can't really remember those books either, but I wanted to read those again this summer as well, even though the writing is hardish, because the story is like, one of my favorites. However, we left the first one at my brother's old house, so we don't have it any more. But I read the first chapter of the second one yesterday night and loved it. Maybe I'll get the first one at the library...
Anyway...Alien was trying to show me something from the last book yesterday, and got her own copy, and started to look through Appendix B (there are appendixes up to F, by the way, in the back of the last book). We learned SOOOOOOOO much!!!!!
Sam was elected mayor of the Shire 7 times, he had like, over ten kids, when I thought he only had Elanor and Frodo!!!!! Oh, oh, and...Pippin's son (I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE GOT MARRIED!!!!!!!), who he named after Faramir, married one of Sam's daughters!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS SOOOOOOOOO COOL. And Merry lived to be 102 I think.

I want to be like that, so detailed with my stories like that. I mean, I seriously used to draw pedigrees for fun!



I would go on to talk about my new story, but I don't want to be a bore. I'll just tell you the names of my characters. Each one is a representative of each of the different kinds of people in this world I haven't named yet.

Sira Aquaris Quenzdaughter: Water Kingdom, Creek Tribe

Cassandra Stardust Falcondaughter: Sky/Air Kingdom, Cloud Tribe

Alio Treeroot Buckson: Earth Kingdom, Tree Tribe

Nymph Somethingorother Dunnowhosdaughter: Human

Frorin Firesparks Fransson: Last of the Light Kingdom, Sunlight Tribe

Jet Shadow Constanceson: Last of the Darkness Kingdom, Shadow Tribe

I don't know if I'm going to keep all the tribesey thingeys, I just sort of added them on there on the spot...

Anyway, that's about it. Oh, I forgot! ALIEN GOT A BLOG! Let's all give her a warm welcome to the blogging business.

So long for now, talk to you soon, love you all!

Faith, Trust, PIXIE DUST!

Sorry this post is so late from when this event happened. I haven't had a lot of time lately. Nope, summer didn't make my schedule any less busy. Well, anyway, I got back from Girl's Camp up in Heber Valley. The theme was Tinker Bell, and I have to admit that the movie is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
We did a lot of fun things while we were up there, but once again, being the lazy person I am, I'm going to use pictures...














Ugh! I'm too lazy to write captions for all of these, but you can get the idea can't you? I'll just say a few things. Dad got to go up to be priesthood on the first day. And yes, that is a glitter star on his cheek! We painted our toes with glitter, which had to do with being "clean, but not all," when Jesus washed the apostles' feet. It was Monday the first day we went up, so we had Family Home Evening with the relief society president, aka Queen Clarion (for those who haven't seen the movie, she's the queen of Pixie Hollow) about "crowns".
Tuesday, Zipline and Challenge Course Day. I was forced to be the guinea pig for the zipline, but I LOVED it! Our lesson that day was "Fly to your Heart" (the same name as the song Selena Gomez sings for the movie), and we got wings (may I add, that we made tutus before camp to go with all of our stuff we would get).
Wednesday, Hiking, Certification (we actually did it up at Camp this year), and skits. I'm not even going to put a picture of me in my outfit because I was the weirdo. No more needs to be said. Oh, and we got wands that matched our wings!
Thursday, We prepared a dance in our seperate cabins, like we did for the skits, but we all did it to the same song, which was of course, "Fly to Your Heart!" It's not that bad of a song...After dances, we had a crowning ceremony. We got white hats with flower clips on them (we each had one by our name for our secret sister box, {well, they called it Pixie Pals this year :)} but we didn't know they were clips until they put them on our hat/crowns. This is always the day at camp where we have a really fancy dinner and read letters from a certain relative. We had a turkey dinner with a fruity thing, I forgot what it was called. Then, of course, Testimony Meeting...the spirit is always so strong.
Friday, We got a REALLY cute necklace with a jar of green pixie dust on it and some pink and white beads (it's hard to describe, but it's really cute), and we got pixie sticks, and all sorts of stuff...And at the end we took a picture with our tutus, wings, wands, crowns, and necklaces before heading home.

I absolutely love the young women in my ward and I am grateful for the leaders and camp directors. I had such a great time! Though I could go on for ages about all those wonderful things, I won't get mushy. It was just great and fun and spiritual, I'll put it at that.

A couple of other updates: On Thursday, the beehives went to the Manti Pageant while the others were at EFY. And, I gave my first talk in church today.

I've started reading The Scarlet Pimpernel (BEST EVER, yeah I've already seen the movie) because I've been trying to get into classics more (and Mom and Dad say it'll help my writing). Well, because of all those cool words, I read with a dictionary and a piece of paper beside me. And it has really helped. And I would like to comment anent my jovial enjoyment I have of discombobulating every possible person I can, because I am being such an inciter by flattering you with chicanery. I can't help it, my lexicon is simply expanding as new words enter my pate. Well, this was fun, and I hope you assent. I now bid you farewell. Now, don't just stand there all stolid in confusion at my clever witticism! I'm sure you've got other things to do!


Anyway, love you guys lots!

The Trip to Maryland

So for the last week that dad was gone, we got to go visit him in Maryland. His hotel was really nice. Here's a recap of what we did in picture form (FINALLY! A post with pictures!)

Saturday: We went to the Baltimore Aquarium...






When we got back, I went swimming in the pool. There was a little boy there that kept throwing his ball in the water, though he wouldn't go in there himself, and so I'd keep getting it for him, and I started to make him laugh. Ah, don't you just love the little ones? A little later, a couple other kids came, a boy and a girl, and the girl was a couple years younger than me. I had to admit, it was pretty fun.





Sunday: We went to the Olney Ward that all my siblings (and, okay, me for the first five months of my life) went to church at. After that, we went to the temple Visitor's Center, and just kind of drove around our old neighborhood that I can't remember except for when we went four years ago and stayed with the Cobbs. Hehe...the famous shed...three cheers for Daniel!



Monday: Mom and I had gone to the Patterson's (friends from Georgia) house in York, Pennsylvania. Dad didn't come with us because he had to work. Catherine used to be my best friend when we were little before they moved, though I can't really remember it. But she's come to my house recently, and so we went and stayed at theirs. Monday, we went to...HERSHEY! Wherein, we went to...CHOCOLATE WORLD! Ideal place for the sweet-tooth Standages, right?







Oh, these I just HAVE to show!!! Only my friends would get this though, so just bear with me a sec...




Isn't it such a coincidence that they have hearts on the wrappers? Hehehe...STRAWBERRIES!

Tuesday: We went to Gettysburg! At this one area, there were a lot of rocks, and honeysuckles, so that's why all of us are climbing around on all those rocks. Man, Sister Patterson's youngest son, Joseph is so cute! He had this little camera, and it was digital and downloadable and everything! But he just walked around taking pictures! He called me Yoda, after I told him some of my nicknames. And at Gettysburg, he wanted to sit by me at the movie! John is WAY interested in History, and really liked this trip, even though he couldn't read the stuff. They keep the boys entertained in the car by listening to John Bytheway, which is TOTALLY AWESOME! I LOVE John Bytheway!












Wednesday: Mom and I were back in the hotel with Dad. We went and had lunch with one of my mom's old friends, Tamela and her daughter Katie.




Thursday: Annapolis, and the Pennsylvania-Dutch Amish Market. For lunch, we ate lunch at T.G.I. Fridays and I got this thing called the Endless lunch. AHHHH! SO GOOD! First, it was breadsticks, then soup, then salad! SO GOOD! I'm like, on a salad craze!!!!!!!!!!



Friday: Headed home. No pictures for this.

Sorry about the overload of pictures, but hey! I'm making up for all those pictureless, very long boring posts where I babbled on about books or roleplays or something.
While I was there, I read the first four (five are published) books in this series Alien's been raving about. They're awesome! They're called Maximum Ride. Sweetness!
Anyway, last night, with my friend Jessica, I watched Nacho Libre for the first time. Interesting experience...
Well, tomorrow I'm off for Girl's Camp, so I'll have something else interesting to put on the blog. Seeya then! Love ya!