Saturday, November 30, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 30}

Its the last day of November, which means it's the last day of Thirty Days of Thanksgiving! I hope everyone who participated had a wonderful experience, I know I did!

Today I am thankful for flowers. Every winter I get so sad because there aren't any beautiful flowers to look at. Flowers are just one of those things that God thought up and put on this Earth not only to make us happy, but to make our lives better as well. I love Him for that, and a bunch of other reasons too! :)




Have a Happy Day!
HannahRiley


Friday, November 29, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 29}

Hey guys! For today's 30 Days post I direct you to my photography blog, Life Through The Lens, for some pictures from my Thanksgiving in Idaho! Enjoy!

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Thursday, November 28, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Days 27&28}

I wrote my post yesterday, but for some odd reason it didn't post! So I'm posting it today!

Day 27
I am thankful for catch-up days where I can just relax and do my laundry in peace. ALSO. I saw Catching Fire today and it was perfect. I'm still freaking out. SO GOOD! AAAHH!

Day 28
Well, today as been amazing. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Today we drove up to Idaho to have Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. I love all of them so much! They are all such wonderful people and I love hanging out with them. I love these kinds of family gatherings in general so I thought I would make a list of some of the reasons why I love them so much!

  • Piano/Singing sessions with my cousins. We just sing all the Broadway we know by heart, and some new pop songs too. We almost always make it a point to do so when we get to see each other and I love getting to sing with some of my favorite people.
  • Dilly Beans. No, sorry, let me say that again. The so good you stuff your face and can never get enough of them, Grandma Betty's recipe, Dilly Beans. Amazing. Thanks Uncle Jim!
  • All the other food. Because it's pretty amazing too.
  • Playing with my little mini cousins who I know wont be so mini for much longer. Darn them and their cutie powers.
  • Remembering those who have left us for a time, but we will all get to see again someday. The ones without whom I would not be here today.
  • The Idaho sunset we witnessed tonight! Probably the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. (Don't worry! I will post pictures tomorrow!)
  • Just talking and laughing together. That's pretty great too.
I love my family and I love that my life has been centered around family. It's these kinds of days that I want my future children and grandchildren to experience someday. I thank my family for making life about the people you spend it with, because really, if you have family, you have everything. 

Love all of you!
HannahRiley

P.S. The belching contest video and pictures will be up tomorrow. ;)  

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Days 23, 24, 25, & 26}

Holy cow! I am such a slacker! Sorry guys! Life is just a bit crazy busy as of late. So imma jump right in!

Day 23
I am thankful for my Pinterest. Because it really is the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact I would rather slice my own bread for the rest of my life than go without Pinterest. So that just shows how addicted I am... awesome...

Day 24
I am thankful for yummy gourmet food that I get every year from my Grandma Sarah. The woman cooks everything, and she even makes every person their own birthday cake if we are celebrating their birthday! She's amazing! And I love her!

Day 25
I am thankful that there are only 2 days of school this week because if there were more than that I might die of exhaustion.

Day 26
Today I am thankful for the fact that it is late-start and the last day of school this week. I get an extra hour of sleep and shorter classes. Its a win-win situation we have right here!

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Friday, November 22, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 22}

Today I am thankful the little people in my life. All my cute cousins especially! They are just so sweet, kind, and cute! And oh my word, they are so smart! They are already little writers and singers and its so fun to be around their creative energy. They remind me to focus on the simple things in life and just to be happy. I love them so much! :)

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Thursday, November 21, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 21}

I am thankful that my house has power right now! Holy how the wind is getting crazy around here! Here's hoping they cancel school tomorrow. That would be very nice. But I doubt it. Oh well. One can only hope and pray for it I suppose. I am thankful I can go to school in the first place, but sometimes I just would rather sleep. Ya know?

Anyways! I hope everyone is staying safe and taking care of themselves out there where ever you live!

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Days 18, 19, AND 20}

I am a slacker. Actually I am a high school student. Therefore, sometimes I am just too busy to write stuff. BUT, that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about what I was thankful for that day! And besides, it's the thought that counts, right? SO.. here we go!

On the 18th I was (and still am) thankful for my room. Like having a room to myself is seriously the greatest thing ever. It's peaceful. And in this crazy world, sometimes what you need is a little peace, in your piece of the world. And that is why I love my room so much! ALSO. It got painted over the summer so it is no longer a horrible greenish-tan and it's now a pretty grey. YES! :)

Yesterday I was thankful for chocolate chip cookies. Because who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies!? And if you don't, then you need some serious mental health counseling. Okay maybe not mental health counseling, just cookie therapy. I don't know. Just get some help! ;)

Today, I am thankful that even though the home button is taped over so it won't fall of and the screen is completely shattered, that I have my iPod. I love having my music with me all the time, it's seriously the best thing ever. Although I have to admit I waste a ton of time on the thing (i'm considering downsizing to just a nano) I still love its convenience. Either way. Its amazing to me that you can carry entire albums and symphonies in your pocket and I am so thankful for that.

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley


Sunday, November 17, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 17}

Today I am thankful for my wonderful friends! They mean so much to me and I am so thankful to have each of them in my life! I love hanging out with them, laughing with them, and going to the temple with them too! Whether we have become friends this year, or have been friends since elementary school, I am thankful for you! I have so many happy memories with you and I cant make to make hundreds more!

GO LHS!! 

Aida Noobs

This basically describes us perfectly ;)

Dinner Theatre!

I love my friends so much! Thanks for all the good times! Here's to many more!

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley


Saturday, November 16, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgivings {Day 16}

Today I am thankful for my camera! I get to take amazing pictures and capture moments with that thing and I am so grateful for that opportunity.

I took a few pictures this morning when I woke up to snow! I actually hate the cold, but snow is so pretty I braved the conditions to get a few shots. :)

Snow Rose


AND... Some pictures from the summer to warm this post up a bit!

Sun Flower

First Strawberry of Summer

View From the Bountiful Temple

Flower at the Bountiful Temple

Bountiful Temple
X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Friday, November 15, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 15}

Today I am thankful for good, kind people. Such as...
  • The person in my Chemistry class who makes it a point to say hi and talk to the kid who doesn't know anyone in the class.
  • The people who run Soul Pancake.
  • My parents.
  • And many others.
You know, people are generally good. And if you get to know those who are, they will make you a better person. 

Also...

BElieve
THEre is 
GOOD in
the world.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 14}

I am thankful for clean water and good food to eat. Simple as that.

Also, tomorrow is Friday. Rejoice my friends, rejoice.

--HannahRiley

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Days 12 & 13}

Hi. My name is Hannah and I am recovering from waytoomuchhomeworkiyis. It's not an easy disease to deal with but I am powering through it! 

Anyways! Yesterday I was (and still am) thankful for classical music and the peace an happiness it brings! Personally I love Clair de Lune, I am also a fan of The Piano Guys. Anything with just instruments and the music and I'm set! And I LOVE it!

Today I have this overwhelming gratitude for books. I don't know why! Maybe it's because I just started Hunger Games again or maybe it's because I haven't read a really good book in a while and I didn't realize how much I missed it! Either way I am thankful that there are people out there brave enough to write, it's not easy! 

--HannahRiley

Monday, November 11, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 11}

On this Veterans Day I am extremely grateful for those who fight for our freedom. We are so lucky to have the freedoms that we do! I feel that everyday should be Veterans Day. They fight everyday, so we ought to thank them and pray for them everyday. Even in times of peace there are families relocating and soldiers leaving for training every day and they deserve out thanks and prayers as much as anyone else.

I am thankful to my relatives and ancestors who have fought for this country's freedom and I love them all the more because of their service.

I am also thankful to my neighbors who have served! They are the kindest people I know and I am happy to call them my friends. 

Remember when someone serves this country, they are serving you.

Thank you to all who have served. Know that you are appreciated, loved, and prayed for.

HannahRiley

Sunday, November 10, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Days 9 & 10}

I know! I'm such a slacker! But I'm writing now!:)

Day 9: I am thankful for cheesecake because it is my favorite and it is amazing and I just love it so much! Just as a side note, I have decided that when I get married there will be cheesecake at my wedding instead of normal cake because cheesecake is better. End if story.

Day 10: I am thankful for the pretty fall leaves and the color they bring to the world! They are so pretty and I love seeing them even if it means the weather is getting colder. :)

Sorry I have been a slacker! Tomorrow's post will be better! :)

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Friday, November 8, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 8}

I AM SO HAPPY IT IS FRIDAY! No, you guys don't even understand, I am so insanely happy it is Friday! This week has just been so crazy and all I have wanted is the weekend and now I have it! Seriously, I live for the weekends. The fact that I will get to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday is what gets me through a week of high school and no sleep. Its just perfect. I GET TO SLEEP. Many people say that 1 o'clock church sucks. But I don't have kids with a nap schedule and I love sleeping in so it's pretty much my favorite! 9 o'clock church? That's another story... HA! Just watch. They will totally switch my ward to 9 am church when January comes and you all will laugh and I will just sit there in stunned silence trying to figure out what magic spell or object I need to prevent the horror from happening.. HARRY POTTER DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!

Harry Potter Hermione Granger's Time Turner
If you know what this is and you know where I can get one please let me know ASAP!

X-O-X-O

HannahRiley

Thursday, November 7, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 7}

Today I am really thankful that my teachers decided to no do anything important while I was gone. No seriously, I have almost no homework from when I was sick these past two days and I am SO thankful! Also, I am thankful for my awesome 9th grade English Teacher who showed us this poem on the first day of school. Its just too funny and too true! And I have never asked if I missed anything since, I now always ask my teachers what I missed. But it's always lovely to hear that you missed nothing vital to your learning experience and that you have nothing to worry about too.

On to the poem!

Did I Miss Anything?

Tom Wayman

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

     Everything. I gave an exam worth
     40 percent of the grade for this term
     and assigned some reading due today
     on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
     worth 50 percent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

     Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
     a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
     or other heavenly being appeared
     and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
     to attain divine wisdom in this life and
     the hereafter
     This is the last time the class will meet
     before we disperse to bring the good news to all people
          on earth.

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

     Everything. Contained in this classroom
     is a microcosm of human experience
     assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
     This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
          gathered

     but it was one place

     And you weren’t here

Have a happy day!
-HannahRiley

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 6}




I am still sick today. So this one is going to be short too...

Today I am thankful for Claude Monet and his painting entitled "Poppy Field." I love it and I also love that we have a replica of it at my house. :) It is so pretty and I love it!

Picture via Google Images

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 5}

I am sick today so this post is going to be short and sweet. :)

Today I am thankful for sunshine and the pretty yellow house that has been built down the road. Also cute and fuzzy ducklings and baby chicks and their delicious relative, Marshmallow Peeps. And Minions. 

Today I am thankful for yellow. :)


Monday, November 4, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 4}

Today I am thankful for Daylight Savings time. No I take that back. I am thankful for electricity. Let me explain. I love sleep, and as a high school student, I love it even more that the average Joe. So when I get what feels like an extra hour of sleep I am a pretty happy camper. Scratch that I am a happy person. I hate camping. But here's the thing. To get the extra hour. We have to loose that hour again in March. Now I completely understand why Daylight Savings time was important back when Benjamin Franklin came up with it, but it is totally pointless now because we have something else from good old Ben, electricity. So really, Ben made his first great idea completely and totally irrelevant with his second idea and apparently only the good states of Arizona and Hawaii have figured that out. Yes, in the past DST had its purpose, but now the only purpose it serves is to confuse people and make you late for school/work/church/everything. There is simply no reason for it to be used anymore. It's not like getting rid of it would be a big problem either. Just choose the time you want to be on (which I am sure the politicians in Congress will find a way to argue over..) and then once you are on that time, don't change it again! It's not like we are switching what side of the road we're driving on, it's about making life easier, not harder!

Anyways, there is my rant on DST. I really am thankful for electricity and all the modern technology we have to make life a little easier. It's pretty great!

(Hopefully some politician will see this and find a way to get DST removed from existence, but if not, we shall soldier on.)

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Sunday, November 3, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 3}



Hello and Happy Sunday!

Today I am going to tell you why chocolate is like reading your scriptures and the the gospel in general!

I will begin with a quote from the beloved Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Just as this is true with life, I have argue that it is also true with reading the Bible and Book of Mormon. You never know what bit of inspiration or awesome one liner you are going to get, but you will always get something! However, in order to get anything you must act first. You must actively choose to eat the chocolate (read your scriptures) and then you will get to enjoy the taste (blessings) from your choice. So don't forget to eat your daily chocolate!

Photo via Google Images
Now life is not always easy, but there is a way to make it "go down easier." I present to you one of my favorite scenes from The Princess Bride.


Westley had to take the pill to simply live, and we must endure (and ENJOY) life too. But just as in Westley's case, chocolate can help the pill of life go down a little easier. Don't let the R.O.U.S's of life get you down! Make your life a little easier by eating some chocolate (growing in the gospel) and watch things start to look up!

And finally, I present to you all two real life facts about chocolate and why you really should be both actually eating chocolate and reading the scriptures.

  1. One chocolate chip can give a person enough energy to walk 150 feet (source) thus even if you just read one verse in your scriptures, you are still gaining some spiritual energy! EVERY VERSE COUNTS!
  2. Eating dark (more pure) chocolate can reduce your risk of heart disease by 1/3, doing so has also been proven to reduce your risk of getting cancer. SO GO EAT SOME CHOCOLATE! Not only will you be helping your physical body, but by eating some spiritual chocolate full of gospel doctrine every day, you will be better off spiritually as well. (source)
In closing I would just like to say how grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Book of Mormon. Also, I am thankful for chocolate, I mean, who doesn't like chocolate!?

Thanks for Reading!

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Saturday, November 2, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 2}

Today I am thankful for music! I love it so much! Sadly, I do not have much time to write today, but I shall write something none the less.

Lately I have taken a liking to classical music. I like to listen to it while I do my homework or chores or while I'm doing anything for that matter! It just makes everything better! My personal favorite is Clair de Lune by Debussy. I love it! It's just perfect and I am so thankful that I have the ability to hear and listen to it! The End. 

I'm sorry today's post is super short! I promise tomorrows is going to be AWESOME though! 
Hint: It will involve chocolate, The Princess Bride, and the gospel. So basically what more could you ask for!?

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley

Friday, November 1, 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving {Day 1}

Well hello everyone!

Today is the day! It's the first day of 30 Days of Thanksgiving! YAY!! I am so excited! Okay, enough exclamation points. On to the post.

Today I am thankful for my amazing family! I love them so much and I really enjoy being with them! Now when I say family, I don't just mean my immediate family, I mean my whole family! My 33 cousins, 12 aunts and uncles, and my Gran and Pops. And that's just my Mom's side!

My Grandma and Grandpa Davis have always done an amazing job at making life about family. I really admire them for that. If I have learned anything from my grandparents, it is that life isn't about things, it's about family. And I owe them everything simply for teaching me that.

Whenever we have family parties I get so excited! I love getting to see all of my aunts and uncles and adorable cousins. We have so much fun eating dilly beans and pistachios among other things while putting together puzzles and playing with cute little cousins. This last summer we had a family reunion and it was probably the best 2 weeks of my life! It was good food and good fun with good people. What more could you ask for!?

Good Food




Good Fun

Good People

I love my family and I am so very thankful for them and the happiness they bring to my life! Enjoy your family, love them, and spend time with them, because life is short. You can't take any of your possessions with you, but through the Plan of Salvation you can be with your family forever. And I don't think I could choose any better people to spend eternity with than these wonderful people! I LOVE YOU ALL! 

X-O-X-O
HannahRiley