Tick Tock Goes The Clock

Countdowns have always been my favorite thing since I was little. Paper chains, cottonballs on Santa's beard, or chocolate calanders. You name it I had it. But now my countdown app kinda freaks me out.

25 days until Prom. My last school dance where I can wear a pretty dress and feel like a princess for a night. (If I even get asked)

44 days until my bishop opens up my mission papers for me to start working on. Like that is so unbelievably crazy.

100 days until I graduate from the best high school on the planet. I love high school and it scares me to not have that in my life anymore. Next year isn't set in stone on where I'll be and that is scary.

104 days until I leave for Mexico with some of my best friends. Huge s/o to HP for planning it. I am so excited you don't even understand!

110 days until I hit submit on my papers and wait anxiously by the mail box every day until it comes.

140 days until my best friend leaves for Barcelona Spain to serve the lord for two years. I am so proud of him and he makes me want to be a better person. I have a huge bottle of many emotions when I think about him leaving, but I know it's what he needs to do and I know he'll go for it with all his heart.

222 days until my 19th birthday/date of availability for my mission. I am beyond excited and cannot wait to share the gospel that has brought so much joy into my life with the world. It makes me so very happy, and I want others to know and understand it as well. We all have a heavenly father who loves us and I just want everyone to know that.

I'm so excited and so nervous for life to get moving. It gets real really fast and I just want to enjoy every second of it.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it." -Ferris Bueller

Love,
Lizzy

Final #bandtour

This being my last #bandtour, I figured I would share a few thoughts as I ride back home on our lovely bus.

First, Hayden, Sarah and I won 3,232 tickets at Fiesta Fun Center. We're the cool kids. We got two unicorns, two fuzzy dice, one football, and one giant husky that we gave to a little boy who was wide eyed at our tickets.

Second,  I love being a musician. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is being able to tell someone your story and emotions through music. It blows my mind how a song can change someone's life. Sure every chord and note aren't perfectly in tune, but the emotion is real. This year we played probably my favorite piece that I have ever played. O Magnum Mysterium. This song is beautiful. If you haven't heard it, look it up. (Even though it doesn't compare to live) The song is written about the Birth of the savior Jesus Christ. "Oh Great Mystery" I have connected to spirit so much while playing it, even though my story for playing it wasn't connected to the gospel. The ending chords when I can just close my eyes and listen and picture the nativity brings tears to my eyes almost every time. I'm so grateful to be able to play music and be given the opportunity to play in one of these best programs in the state.

Third, I love my friends. This trip has been a roller coaster of emotions. But I'm so grateful for my best friend Sarah for always being there for me. (Lol bc she's sleeping on my lap rn) I'm so grateful she is in my life and I wouldn't be the same without her. On the trip, Sarah and I had some girls cry to us about feelings of inadequacy and just feeling the weight of the stress us teenagers are so used to. I just wanted to wrap them up in a hug and never let go. Everyone in my band is so amazing. I'm glad I could spend my senior year playing music with such talented musicians.

Fourth, Hiking is really really cool. In Hawaii, we hiked Dimond Head with a loaf of bread and it has become a wonderful tradition for us. Please enjoy some white girl photos of out adventures in Snow Canyons Park.

 

Owling. It's a thing.

 

Basically me the entire day bc I suck at climbing. Actually I was trying to do a hand stand so...

 

Sarah is flying to save the world.

All in all, Band Tours have treated me well and I am so so sad that this is the last one I will go on with the Westlake Band. Thanks for treating me like family and for all the Soda Shots in hotel rooms. Love you all Band Family!

 

"Music fills the void when we are so happy or so sad that we don't know what to do with ourselves. It heals us." -Dr.Fullmer, Director of Band at UVU

<3//Lizzy

Seek To Be Happy

Something interesting that one of my friends shared with me the other day was this thought:
  We are Latter-day Saints! We are in the plan of happiness right now. We should be constantly seeking to make each and everyday great days filled with joy and happiness. Everyday should be a great day.
   Honestly, this had never occurred to me before, but it makes complete sense. It says in 2 Nephi 2:25 that men are here to have joy. If we aren't doing the things that bring joy into our lives, we should change that! Find the things that make you happy and do more of it. Find the things that make you unhappy and do less of it. Something that makes me happy is playing my music. I love being able to connect with people on a level that I wouldn't be able to with words, because let's face it, I am terrible with words!
  I understand that there are things in our lives that we can't change. As much as we wish and try to change them, we can't. Something we have to learn is how to live with the facts that we can't change. This is something that is really hard for me. I hate not being able to have control over my life. It's frustrating and I am not a fan of it. I can say that I have shed too many tears over things I can't change. But we grow and hopefully, eventually can learn to live with it.
  I'm so grateful for my crazy stressful life. I know that even when it's hard, Heavenly Father is always there for me and that makes all the difference. Stay strong and remember who you are and what you stand for. If you forget, call me;)

Lizzy Davis

/Late Night Thoughts/

  I can't think of anything too important that I want to write about. Life keeps going no matter how much you will it to slow down or take a pit stop. So here are some pictures that make me happy and miss the beach because I'm in a missing mood.

Basically I miss the beach and the sound of the ocean and Louis Armstrong understands how to play how I feel. Here is to hoping your life is more exciting than mine at the moment. Now to go and do my stats homework...boo.

"Dream a little dream of me"

//Lizzy

We Love Westlake⚡

11 reasons why I love Westlake High

1. Love the school colors: Navy Blue, Carolina Blue, and Vegas Gold
2. Our mascot is thunder. Like we are represented by a god. *high five my main man Thor*
3. The teachers are pretty chill ( Except the last day of the term. I apologize for my pound of late work)
4. Excellent Fine Arts program.
5. We may not be great at all the sports, but the Student Section is always loud and proud!
6. The students smile at each other.
7. The times when people don't crowd the C Hall Stairs are far between, but when they aren't, it's like heaven.
8. The building itself is in brilliant condition
9. Our Seminary has the #1 Seminary Facebook page in the world!
10. All of the clubs and ororganizations are so good and committed to doing the best they can.
11. Thor'sdays. What other school has a day of the week set aside for school spirit?

WHS is my school. I love the Westlake Family that I have. Friends are so important to me and I am grateful for having such incredible ones! #itshammertime #supportthor

"We Are WESTLAKE"

//Lizzy

twenty-fourteen

  2014 was an unforgettable year for me. I stepped out of my comfort zone on so many levels. I achieved things that I didn't think I was capable of.

  It all starting with my new year resolution, to be a friend to everyone I came in contact with. I wanted everyone to feel welcomed, loved, and that they belonged. That led me to the first change this year, running for Student Council. I really wanted to join and it had been my dream since my freshmen year when my idol of a neighbor, Kaleigh Martindale, was on it. I was absolutely terrified to run, but I did it with the encouragement of my friends and teachers. I'm so grateful for that push from them because I don't know if I could have done it without them. Being on StudCo has changed me in so many ways. I have made life-long friendships. I am so grateful for all of them and love them all so dearly.

  The next thing that impacted my life was being Section Leader over the saxophone section in marching band. they all taught me so much about loving and serving. They may have drove me crazy, but I loved every second being with them. You can't explain the feeling of being on the field with your best friends and preforming something that you all put so much time and effort into. The silence at the end of a performance is life changing. The crowd is torn between cheering or being in awe. Then, the loud roar of everyone clapping and screaming for what you put on the field changes you. Also, being able to preform and tour Hawai'i with my best friends was amazing. I am so grateful for the soldiers that serve our country. I cannot express my thanks enough. It was a honor to represent the USS Utah in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Day Parade. I love my band so much. They were my Ohana. They will always be my Ohana. I'm so excited to see what the others will achieve as they continue on in their lives.

  The third thing that impacted my life was being called to serve on the Westlake Seminary Council. It wasn't a called that I expected or even wanted. When I first got the calling, I talked to my mom about saying no. I was worried I wouldn't be able to give it the time that it it needed. After many prayers, I accepted the call. I am so glad that I did! The kids on that council have taught me so much about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. How to serve and love like he did. Being on the council has given me the opportunity to learn about my savior in a new light. I have been able to study his leadership, and hopefully emulate it. I'm so glad to have grown so much closer to Christ and Heavenly Father this year.

  2014 was certainly a memorable year. It had moments and experiences that I will never forget, but sadly it is now in the past. We now have to look forward to the new year. 2015 is full of decisions and events that scare the heck out of me; graduation, turning nineteen, college, among other things. I'm scared, but I know it will all be okay. I can trust in the spirit and everything will be alright. I'm excited to become better and grow more. Aloha 2014, it's been real. *mentally high fives you* Nice!!

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss








//Lizzy

Marvellous Morningside with Muffins

  I remember in my sophomore year, the Seminary had John Bytheway come speak at a morningside to us. I was so thrilled and excited because, I had always listened to his talks on tape growing up.
  After I had gotten my fill of muffins and milk, I sat down in anticipation of what was going to come. I was ready to hear and act on what he had to tell us. The message he shared was one that didn't really take heart in me. He spoke on how we should be ourselves. He told us "Dare Not To Compare." Back then that didn't mean much to me, but these past few months it has changed my perspective.
  When I was trying out to be Drum Major of my marching band, I asked my own Drum Major, Kylie, for some advice. I asked her how she did her job so well. I wanted to know her secret to being as good of a leader as she was. She gave me some advice I won't forget. Kylie had been under some pretty big and great leaders in her life. She told me one of her big things was to be her own leader. Don't compare herself to others who lead the group before her. "I'm Kylie and I lead like Kylie. I'm not Janelle or Mary and I won't lead like them."
  Lately I have been doing what most teens seem to do. Comparing. Wow, she is so spiritually strong. She has such beautiful hair, beautiful clothes. She gets such good grades. And even to my dismay, She has so many more followers and favorites on instagram than I do! All these things can bear down on us and tear us apart. It's one thing to notice each other's strengths, it's another to tear yourself apart because you aren't them. Everyone has gone through different trials and experiences in their lives that have shaped them into who they are. People love you and care for you because of who you are. Compare yourself to the person we are all trying to become; the Savior. We should be seeking to become like him, not get the most retweets on a witty tweet. Remember to seek him. He'll help you become the best that you can be.

"Dare not to compare."

//Lizzy