California Spring Trip

Over Spring Break, our band went to California for our spring trip. It was sooo much fun!!! (minus the bus rides).

First, we stopped at the Walk of Stars in Hollywood, which was really cool, especially since I got an awesome picture of Bumblebee. :)



After that, we went to the Santa Monica Pier, and it was so pretty to see the sunset at the ocean. We ate dinner there and then just walked around in our own little groups, and then we went to our hotel.




The next day, we went to Disneyland! The first thing we did there was split up into 4 groups, separating the best bands from the worst. I was in the first group (the one with the top band and the second best band) and we did a Disney "Soundtrack Session". What we did is we played about 5 Disney songs, and recorded them. We would play one song from a movie, record it, and then watch that segment from that movie while listening to what we just played. It was so cool and so much fun! They also said that while we were doing that, we were "temporary cast members". :)

After that, my friends and I got in a big group and rode some rides. Later, we split up into 2 groups: one who likes roller coasters and one who doesn't. Of course, I was in the group who likes roller coasters. :) My group went to California Adventure Land, which is connected to Disneyland, and it has a whole bunch of roller coasters. It was great. This day was probably my favorite day. It was just so much fun being with all of my friends.

These are two friends I was with before we met up with our big group of friends.

This is the group I was with who likes roller coasters.

On the Ferris wheel.

While we were there, though, I lost my phone. I think I left it in one of the pouch things you can put your stuff in on the back of the seat on the roller coasters. Here's the story: my phone was in my pocket and it was kind of uncomfortable when it was in there while we were sitting in the roller coaster, and the ride was about to start. My purse was already stuffed at the bottom of the pouch on the back of the seat in front of me, so I just took my phone out of my pocket and threw it in the pouch. Then the ride started and finished, and when I got out, I apparently forgot to take my phone out. And of course I didn't realize my phone was missing until the ride was closed. So I went to guest service places and filled out a sheet of paper giving information about my phone. A few days later, I found out that my phone was found and was being mailed to my house. So I now have my phone back. :)

While we were in California Adventure Land, my group and I went to see the World of Color, which was a fountain show. It was amazing and beautiful.

The next day, we went to Knott's Berry Farm, which is pretty much like Six Flags. It was awesome. I got in the same group as I was in at Disney, which is the group who likes roller coasters. When we got there, it had barely opened, so hardly anyone was there. It was so fun because we would ride rides several times in a row without having to wait. The first thing we did was called the Pony Express, which lasted 35 seconds long. When we sat on the horse (which were the cars for the ride), the part we would lean your back against would push us forward so that we would be sitting forward during the ride. At first it freaked me out, but it was so fun. There was a giant tower in Knott's Berry Farm, too, which was 301 feet tall. It was kind of like the swings at Six Flags, because it would spin us while we were up there, but obviously we were more strapped in. I could see everything. I also rode my first wooden roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. It was called the Ghostrider. I learned something new that day: wooden roller coasters are fun, but they hurt. Bad. It gave me a headache, but it was so fun, and I rode it twice. Not in a row, or I would have died, but I did really enjoy that ride.

The awesome Merry-go-round with different animals. :)

After Knott's Berry Farm, we went to Medieval Times. I was in the red and yellow knight group. And our knight won in the show! That made the whole experience even better. :)

The last day we were staying in California, we went to the San Diego Zoo. It was huge! And it had so many animals and it was so cool to see all of the animals that were there!

This is how big the bird actually was before it went extinct.

After the zoo, we were headed home. For the whole trip, we've been really late compared to the itinerary, so when we stopped in Midland, Texas for breakfast the next morning, it was lunchtime. We were extra late for breakfast, because when we stopped for dinner the night before, there was a robbery at the Walgreens next to where we stopped, so we had to wait for about 2 hours before it was cleared up. After we had breakfast in Texas, we were stuck waiting for a bus or 2 that got stuck behind a really bad accident on the freeway. We weren't moving for 3 whole hours before the buses finally got there. Then late that night, one of the bus drivers had a heart attack, so we had to call the ambulance and we were waiting for another hour. According to the itinerary, we were supposed to get back to the school at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The time we actually got home was 2:30 a.m. on Friday. Almost 11 hours late. -_-

Other than the bus ride, though, the trip was fantastic!!! I had a really great time with all of my friends.

Popcorn, anyone?

Braces= gone!!!

Finally, I've gotten my braces off! It feels so nice!

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas went by too fast! First off, the week before Christmas, Mom got a new dog. His name is Packer (after the Green Bay Packers). He's so adorable, but he is a very scared little guy. He's a 3 year-old Maltese. So far, he and Lulu are doing fine together. No fights. Lulu sometimes gets all up in his business, but I think she's just playing. The only thing Lulu doesn't like too much is when Packer tries to play with certain toys that are Lulu's favorite. He is such a cuddly dog. He could sit in your lap and sleep all day. He's Mama's boy.

They do enjoy playing with each other.

Now it's time for Christmas! It's been a warmer Christmas this year. It hasn't been freezing, although it's been a little cold. Christmas was fun and great as always.

Of course, there's popcorn balls.

Christmas Eve dinner.

And don't forget the new jammies to open!
Even Lulu's getting ready for Christmas!

Ash and I having fun with the bows.

Mom's present.

Merry Christmas!

Halloween!

So on Halloween, Ashley, Cody, and I were left home alone, because Mom and Dad went to the Chargers vs. Chiefs game (which the Chargers lost :( ). These are the pumpkins that we carved.

Ashley's and mine

Cody's

We all wanted to dress up as vampires.






We had so much fun!! We decided to go trick-or-treating, but we only went to at most 10 houses. You'd think we wouldn't get so much candy, but when they all give you handfuls, it ends up as a lot. Who knew we'd get so much candy? :)

Yesterday, we went to Six Flags! :D It was so much fun!!! I rode three new rides: Mr. Freeze, the new Texas Giant (which according to Ashley and Cody is waaaay better than the old one. I wouldn't know, I've never been on the old one. Either way it was super awesome!), and Dive Bomber Alley. They were all so fun!!! I didn't think I would ever go on Mr. Freeze, but I did, and I loved it! After I got off the first time from Mr. Freeze, my hands were trembling. It was intense! The only time I had my eyes open for it was the very beginning and when we were about to go backwards. We rode it again, though and I had my eyes open the whole time. That ride is one of my favorites now. :) The new Texas Giant had an extremely steep drop, steeper than the Titan! But it was also a lot shorter. That ride was so cool! For Dive Bomber Alley, I chickened out the last time we went to Six Flags, but not this time! It was really scary at first, especially the very first two seconds after you pull the cord. But when we were just swinging, it was so fun! I went with Ashley and Cody, and then I rode a second time with Mom and Ashley. Mom was so terrified. She was screaming like crazy, and she cut off the circulation in my arm for the whole ride. She's done it now! She's conquered her fear! I'm so happy for her! :) I rode three new rides, all of them being intense! That day at Six Flags was super great!

Haircut!

Yeah...am I still Chanelle?