10 things I'm thankful for

1. I am thankful for my family. They will always be there for me, no matter what. We laugh at each other, and always have a good time. I love them.

2. I am thankful for my friends. Without them, school would seriously be torture. I tell my friends everything. We laugh all the time, and have amazing memories. Our list of inside jokes, doesn't end. I love my friends, and I would be lost without them.

3. I am thankful for my older sister. No matter how much we argue, or how many mean names we call each other, I know that she will always be there for me. I know that I can tell her anything, and she will advise me with anything that I need help with. We share soo many memories. Like when I was in 4th grade, and I came home with gum in my hair, she helped me get it out before my mom and dad found out. I don't know what I'd do without her.

4. I am thankful for music. It is my escape, you could say. I listen to it all the time, and I can always find a way to relate to the story within the song. Without my music, I would literally be lost in this world.

5. I am thankful for Stephanie Meyers, and the books she has written. She wrote the Twilight series, which have been made into movies. Her books are amazing. Once you start reading them, you cannot put them down. I read the first book in 2 days. She is the one that got me interested in reading again. Without her amazing books, I probably would not read as much.

6. I am thankful for Taylor Lautner. He is the best actor ever. Taylor plays Jacob Black, a werewolf in the Twilight saga movies. Without Taylor, the movies Twilight, and New Moon would not even be the same.

7. I am thankful for dance. I love it. I've been dancing since I was five, and it is amazing. My favorite kind is pom pon. The adrenaline rush feels really good. Without dance, I don't know how I would live.

8. I am thankful for my best friend, Jessica Lynn. Our moms were best friends growing up, and our dads are brothers. Technically, we're cousins. During the summer, we spend every waking moment together. I practically live at her house. We tell each other absolutely everything. Without her, I don't know what i would do!

9. I am thankful for my ipod. I listen to it non stop. Every song on it, I relate to someone I know, or something in my life somehow. My ear buds are literally in my ears 24/7. Without my ipod, I'd be stuck listening to the radio. Which is really annoying with all of the commercials.

10. I am thankful for my phone. I always have it with me. When its not in my right back pocket, I feel like I am forgetting something. I know that sounds bad, but it's a part of who I am. Without my phone, I think I'd be on the computer all the time, talking to my friends.

A Month In Review

• Old Friends, New Friends :

Every year my friends change. My close friends stay the same, but i always make new, and loose some old ones too. However, I think that this is good for many of us. It gives us a chance to interact with new people.

• SHS activities attended :
  

So far this year, I have attended many SHS events. Including, many varsity football games, night on the field, student council, and after school Global Ed activities. My favorite has been the football games. I get to sit with my friends, and watch an amazing game. Right now we are 7-2. I really hope that we make it to ford field.

• Hardest, Easiest Class and Assignments :
  

So, far my hardest class is Advanced Geometry. I try my best to pay attention during class, but somehow the teacher always ends up boring me. I do all the homework, and ask for help when i need it, but i always get C's or D's on the the tests and quizzes. I am going to continue to try my hardest, and hopefully I will be able to bring my grade up.

• Top Five Current Events :

1. Barrack Obama won the Nobel Peace prize for trying to strengthen international diplomacy.
2. A U.S. family was trying to get attention, and said their six year old son was accidentally sent up, in a homemade hot air balloon. It was a hoax, and they have to pay fines for having the military search for him. Otherwise known as "Balloon Boy".
3. The U.S. supreme Court started their new session in the beginning of October. They have one new supreme court justice, Sonia Sotomayor.
4. Iran was testing nuclear missiles. A hidden uranium plant was discovered.
5. The H1N1 flu virus is spreading quickly throughout the United States. Over 1,000 people have already died, and many more are being diagnosed with it.

• Faces in the news :

Some people that are in the news right now are Barack Obama, our president ; Sonia Sotomayor, who is the newest member to the United States supreme court ; Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan ; and Dimitry Medvedev, the president of Russia.

• Interesting New Words :

Some of the interesting new words that I have learned this year include exhilarating, enigma, and candid. I like learning new words, because it will help to increase my vocabulary.

• Popular or Memorable Songs :

Right now, my favorite song is Smile by Uncle Kracker. It relates to all of my best friends. My favorite part is when he says "Don't know how I lived without you, cause every time that I get around you, I see the best of me inside your eyes. You make me smile." Another one of my favorite songs is Weightless by All Time Low. This will be a memorable song for 9th grade.

• Popular or Memorable Movies :

A popular movie is Twilight. Robert Patterson, and Kristen Stewart are in this amazing film. It is about a mortal girl that fall in love with a vampire.

• Fads and Trends :

A lot of people wear skinny jeans. Some wear black, navy blue, or bright neon colors. I think that this is a lot like the 80s. Also, girls also wear Ugg boots, or moccasins.

• First Cultural Event :

For my first cultural event, I went to the Livonia Greek-Orthodox church's Greek festival. I had a lot of fun. I got to see the dancers, eat amazing food, and learn about a new culture. For this event I decided to write a paper. I worked really hard on it, and got an A-. For my next cultural event, I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a speech.

• Homecoming :

I got asked to go to homecoming by my friend Corey. When he asked me, he got my locker combination from my best friend, and then put a note in my locker saying "Emily, will you go to homecoming with me? Turn around." So, after sixth hour, I went to my locker and I read it and when i turned around, he was standing there. It was amazing. We decided that for pictures, we'll go to my friend Alex's house. Then, for dinner we are going with his friends to the Italian restaurant, Papa Vinnos. I am so excited to go to my first high school homecoming.

• Advice for a Freshman :
  

My advice to incoming freshman is to watch where you are walking. It is really easy to get lost on the first day, and to run into huge seniors that could beat you up. I would also advise them to go to bed early since they'll probably be leaving their house at the time they got up in middle school.

• What I'm looking forward to... :

I am looking forward to high school, in general. It's only been one month, but my life has already changed dramatically. I am looking forward to dances, football games, school plays, pantomime, and making new friends. I know that I am going to have to work harder, but I'm ready to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Culture

The crowd went wild as the Detroit Tigers hit another home run. As I looked around, I noticed that people were eating hot dogs, and popcorn, wearing the tigers t-shirts, and cheering as they stood up out of their seat. This was a normal baseball game, here in America. Baseball is a huge part of the American culture. It is the oldest American sport, dating back to about 1869. Another huge part of our culture is music. Many teenagers express themselves through the music they listen to. There’s pop, rock, country, alternative, oldies, and much more. Cars are also huge in America. Many people enjoy taking care of their cars, and driving them around to show off. American culture is sports, food, music, cars, and most of all diversity.

Even though I am American, I have my own culture too. For instance, my great grandmother was 100% Native American. So, I am about 13% Native. I am also French and German too. As you can see, I come from a variety of cultures. My family and I celebrate many things in many ways. For instance, every Christmas that I can remember, I’ve always helped my mom make her famous peanut butter balls. Licking the spoon when we’re done is the best part. Also, on Christmas eve, my sisters and I always open one gift from my mom and dad. Another family tradition is going up north every summer to Ludington, Michigan. We spend a week up there camping. The weather is always beautiful, and everyone always has so much fun. Everyone has their own personal culture. And that is why America is so great, everyone is different, and everyone is special in their own way.