Trip to L.A., California

Last week was my first college Spring Break. My younger sister and I went to Los Angeles, California to stay with our uncle. During our five day trip, our uncle took us to a number of different cities near L.A. We had fun everywhere we went, but there was definitely a ranking order of the places we visited. As I said, we went to a number of different places. Unfortunately, writing about each place would be far too difficult, and may even exceed the word limit of this blog. Instead, I'm going to write about the top five places to go if you're ever in L.A., and one that is skip-worthy, if you're short on time.

Must Do's:

1) Universal Studios
- Our uncle was able to arrange for us to take a day to go to Universal Studios, while we were in town. That day was probably the most fun of all. Not only is Universal Studios a super fun theme park, but the design is also very cool. One of my favorite parts about the park was seeing the layout of the park. Since the park is built on a large hill, it is separated into two "levels". When traveling from one level to the next, there is a great view, and you can see how the park is constructed on different tiers of the hill. Out of all the rides in the park, the best one would have to be the mummy ride. If you get a chance to go to Universal, do NOT pass up a giant donut from "Lard Lad Donuts" by the Simpsons ride (BEST DONUTS EVER!!!). While there are many attractions at the park, if you plan your day out in advance, you will definitely be able to get everything done!

2) Santa Anita Park
- I would most definitely recommend making your way out to Pasadena. We went to three places there, one of which was Santa Anita Park Race Track. First of all, the track is gorgeous. Behind the track, there are mountains all the way across the sky, it's surreal. It is also a very nice, clean racing park. There are great seats in the regular admission section, with a great view of the whole track. Our uncle put money on a horse we wanted and we won! (Liberty will tell you that SHE picked the horse and SHE won.) Another thing that I really liked about the track is that before each race, you could go out to this barn and see the horses up close. Our entire experience at the race track was fantastic.

3) Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
- Another stop that you should make in Pasadena is the L.A. County Arboretum. It's maybe 5 minutes from the race track. Ok, I know what you're thinking, "Arboretum? Isn't that just a fancy word for garden? Why would we waste our time there??" But... You'd be completely wrong! Well... Technically, yes, it is a fancy garden, but it isn't boring! The Arboretum has a huge chunk of land with numerous gardens. It was very relaxing to go through and see all the pieces of the gardens. There are also peacocks everywhere you turn. As we were leaving, we saw a peacock standing in the middle of the sidewalk with all of its feathers standing. It was incredible! I will suggest that you go on a day that is cooler in temperature, because walking through the whole garden in the heat can be a bit harder than in cool weather. While they do have a nice fountain there, if you put your feet in to cool off, you will get kicked out, as my sister and I did ;)

4) Santa Monica Pier
- The Santa Monica Pier is a nice place to go on a warm weather day! They have shopping, rides, and it is right above the beach, so you could take a dip in the ocean too! Sadly, we went one day before the rides opened, so I can't tell you how they were. But, they did look fun! The view of the ocean from the pier was very nice. There were multiple musicians on the pier too, so it was nice to just look at the ocean and listen to the music. While some people (lib and I) may leave souvenir shopping until the end of their trip, don't bank on the pier for good souvenirs. Since it is a tourist attraction, the stores have nice things, but they are pretty high in price. But, if you walk up the pier to the street, there is a lot of shopping to be done there. Especially if you have kids, I would try to get out to the Santa Monica Pier for at least part of your day.

5) In-N-Out Burger
- It's crazy to think that out of all of the things there are to do in L.A., one of the top 5 things is to eat at In-N-Out Burger! To portray how good it is -- my sister doesn't like burgers, at all. She decided to try a burger from In-N-Out since we were eating there already. She then took a bite, and said, "this is the best burger I've ever had in my life, I want to eat it forever." Aside from the taste, In-N-Out is very fresh, they don't use frozen meats, which is why they can't expand outside of California. Since they are only in California, why not make a quick stop to try it, while you are there.

Skippable:

1) Hollywood Blvd.
- I know you're thinking something is wrong with me if I expect that you will go to Los Angeles, California and skip the chance to go to Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood Blvd. is definitely seen as "the place to go" in California. Let me tell you, it is not what it's fixed up to be. In the movies and pictures, it is portrayed as bright and beautiful and full of life.... It's really not. If I were to be completely honest, it's a dirtier, sketchier version of New York City. Now there are places around Hollywood Blvd. that are nicer, so if you MUST go to Hollywood, just to say you have been, either plan a tour, or have something lined up for after Hollywood Blvd. We took a tour from a company called, "Ultimate Hollywood Tours", I definitely recommend taking it. The people are very nice and they take you on great tours of stars' homes, great views of L.A. and the Hollywood sign, and through the streets of shops. Again, not to say that Hollywood isn't fun or that you wouldn't have a good time, but if it was on your list of "To-Do's" and you needed to kick something out, Hollywood would be the one to throw out. 

Our trip to L.A. was amazing. We were able to squeeze a ton of stuff into our trip and we were excited about all of it. It was good to have our uncle, who is very familiar with California, take us to all the best spots. If you're ever in L.A. and you go to those 5 "Must Do's" then you will definitely have a great time!

I'm happy to answer questions for anyone who is going or wants to know more about L.A.!!

See You Next Chimes Night!

Wednesday night was Senior Chimes Night 2015! Even though it was Wednesday, I skipped dance, and we all went. 

Liberty and I took an Uber to the Tombs, in Georgetown, so we could claim our table on time. My dad walked from his office in DC and got there around 7:15. We ordered our dinner and the show started at around 8. Unfortunately, my mom had to go to a swim team meeting at the same time, so she and Cassie met us at the end of the show. 

The show itself was great! Many of my favorite songs from the "active" group are sung by the seniors. Even though they did a really great job, it was really sad, because they won't be at every Chimes Night anymore :( But, we all enjoyed it very much.

After the show, we went back to the Chimes' House with some of the other chime families. We always bring a dessert; brownies were Wednesday's choice. They sang more songs at the house and we even chose some of them. 

The Chimes have been a huge part of my life and I love them so much! I can't wait until the next Chimes Night, even if these seniors won't be there :(: 

I'm very glad we were able to make it to the show. As they say, "See you next chimes night"!

Thanks for reading!

Check back soon,

Kendra <3

Driving Permit

I first took my driving permit test on March 28th, the exact day I turned fifteen and a half, in turn, the first day I was legally allowed. Unfortunately, even though I thought I was ready, I didn't pass. I got one more question than I could have incorrect. It was rough. The worst part was probably that I thought I had studied enough and I would pass, and then I didn't. Although I was upset, I didn't let it faze me. I studied more and took it about three weeks later. That time.... I passed! In fact, I got every question right! :)

I have been, and will continue to practice driving with my dad, in his Oldsmobile :) The first day we went out, I did really well. We didn't stay out for that long, maybe fifteen minutes in the parking lot, but we did cover a lot of the basics: precise turns, backing up, etc. Because I did so well, I drove home from there! It is only about six blocks, and we took the back roads, but it was still pretty exciting!

I have always been excited to be able to drive. I always used to say my favorite part about driving was going to be using the turn signals, because I liked that they turned themselves off after a turn. Not only am I happy to be able to drive, but once I get my license it will be a big help to my mom. Right now, she and my dad are the only ones living at home that drive. Therefore, she does a lot of the errands and carpooling. My new favorite thing about being able to drive is probably going to be taking some of the load off for her.

I'll keep my blog updated on my driving improvements!

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Weekend Trip To Savannah

For the last weekend of April, my family went down to Savannah, Georgia to visit my sister, Aubrey, at school. She is a Senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She is an extremely talented painter, who has taken on jewelry and wood work, as well.

The girls in my family drove down on the last Thursday of April and we spent two days there before my dad flew down to meet us.

When we first arrived we met my sister's new dog, Theo. He's adorable! He will also be living with us for the Summer and probably while she is away at Disney. We're very excited about that!

We went down to visit her because it was family weekend, which includes one of our favorite events, The Sidewalk Festival. The Sidewalk Festival is when a bunch of students and alumni from SCAD go to a big park in Savannah called Forsyth Park. Each person reserves a sidewalk square and uses chalk to draw their own masterpiece. That was supposed to be on Saturday, but there were thunderstorms and it got rained out. Because Sunday's forecast said it was going to be nice out, we decided we would go back then and Aubrey would draw her square anyway. So we did. She drew an old picture of Dopey and her as a child (keeping her Disney theme). It was amazing, as usual.

During the days surrounding our Sidewalk Festival Rain Date, we helped Aubrey get some work done, hung out together, and got to see our favorite spots in Savannah.

We will be driving back at the end of the month for her graduation and to move her back home. We all really enjoy Savannah and we're excited to go back so soon.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Opening Day At Nationals' Park!

On Monday, April 6th, we had four tickets to the Opening Game at Nationals' Park. My dad took Liberty and I, and let us invite a friend. We brought our friend from the pool, Lucy. Our tickets also worked as passes to get us into the Diamond Club. There was an open buffet with a lot of great food. I took full advantage of that!

We had great seats, they were right behind home plate and up one set of stairs. Once we got to our seats, we were also allowed to get whatever we wanted from the menu, because it was included with the Diamond Club tickets. We got popcorn, soda, peanuts, and ICE CREAM SANDWICHES (Yes.... Multiple)!!!!!! It was so awesome!

Although the Nationals didn't win, my man, Bryce Harper, scored the Nationals' their only run, a home run, at that! Also, it wouldn't have mattered whether the Nationals won or lost, because we all definitely had an amazing time.

I'm really thankful that we got to go, and being able to bring Lucy with us made it an even better experience for everyone. I hope we get to go to another game soon, because I love baseball... and ice cream sandwiches.... and Bryce Harper <3

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Easter Weekend!

This past weekend was the weekend of Easter. My family drove up to Connecticut to see our extended family. Because my mom and dad were originally from there, our whole family lives there.

We got there on Friday night and went straight to my mom's parents' house. We saw my Aunt Rose, Uncle Ray, and Ray's girlfriend, Jen. We ate a family dinner and stayed there overnight.

Saturday morning, we went to the diner to meet my Aunt Leona and Uncle Dave for breakfast. It was really nice to see them, especially because we really only see them when we're there. From there, we met Uncle Lenny at Starbucks. We stayed there with him for about an hour or so. Seeing him was also really great, even though we see him more often than others. (IN SEPTEMBER, HE'S COMING TO VIRGINIA TO SEE 21 PILOTS WITH US!!!!!!) After Uncle Lenny had left, my Aunt Amy met us there for a nice visit. My family then went to Aunt Kim and Uncle Mark's for our annual Easter celebration for the Metcalfe side of the family. All of the Metcalfes were there (except Cale and Aubrey <3). We had our last annual, giant easter egg hunt in their backyard. (Only the last at that house, because they're moving.) It was very fun, as always! We ate Easter dinner there too. Before we headed back to Wendy's, we drove some boxes to Kim and Mark's new house and we got to see it. It was really nice. At Wendy's, we watched Big Hero 6, hung out together, and we spent the night there.

On Sunday, Aunt Wendy made, my favorite, CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!! After breakfast, we joined Tyler and Drew in their easter egg hunt. From there, we went back to my grandparents' house. As soon as we got there, we did an inside easter egg hunt. Once the rest of our family, Rose, her husband Tom, and Ray, got there, we did the big easter egg hunt outside, that we do every year. My grandma made Easter dinner. It was AMAZING, which led to me eating far too much. At around dessert time, Jen got there. Then, we all ate dessert. Again, with me eating too much. Everyone, but us, left around 5. My mom's cousin came over, so we got to visit with her a bit as well. At about 7, we went back to Wendy's and we mostly just hung out there for the night. We stayed there overnight, but left at 6 AM to get on the road.

It was a really fun, exciting trip. As always, it was so nice to see everyone and to participate in our traditions. Although some of those traditions are ending, we're only going to be starting more to replace those, I'm sure.

Hope you had a great holiday!
Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

4 Note Worthy Shoulder Exercises To Prevent Dislocation

Shoulders are the most dislocated joints on your body. Dislocation can be provoked by many things: sports, lots of physical activity, or just everyday activities. If your Rotator Cuff muscles are weak, you are more likely to have problems with dislocation.

By strengthening the muscles surrounding your shoulder, you can prevent dislocation. Listed below are quick and easy exercises to help you start that process.

1. Shoulder Shrugs -
Stand straight with your feet shoulder length apart. Lift both shoulders as if you're bringing them to the ceiling. Bring shoulders back down to starting position. To strengthen your shoulders more, you can hold a dumbbell weight in each hand or use a Theraband for resistance.

2. Push Ups -
Good old fashioned push ups can also help for shoulder strengthening. Start with your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and your feet together, behind you, on the ground. Keep your back straight so that you are in a hollow position. Bend both arms simultaneously until your chest is almost to the floor. Then, proceed to push up to starting position. (Hence Push Up)

3. Shoulder Square Shrugs -
Start sitting straight up on a chair. You are going to hit four spots with your shoulders during this exercise. First, raise shoulder straight up towards your ears. Then shift shoulders directly back. While keeping your shoulders back, drop your shoulders down. Lightly shift your shoulders back to the starting position, which should be a comfortable, relaxed position.

4. Wall Crawls -
Standing parallel to a wall, face the wall and stick one arm towards the wall. You should be just able to touch the wall with your fingertips. From there, steps your fingers up without moving your body closer to the wall. When you have reached as high as you can, take a step toward the wall and repeat with reaching higher until your feet are against the wall. Step back to starting position and distance.

I hope these help you!
Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Plane Crash In Alps

You may have heard that on Tuesday there was a plane crash in the Alps. The Airbus 320 traveling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members, after it's eight minute descent. 

Our latest sources are telling us that the crash was intentional. We've been given information from the "black box" voice recorder that the flight's Co-Pilot, Andreas Lubitz, locked the pilot out of the cockpit and started the plane's descent. Although they are searching for more history on Lubitz, his reasons for the crash remain a mystery.

No screams from the passengers were heard on the voice recording until the very last minute. Meaning that they weren't expecting it, but they seem to have died instantly after the crash. 

Many people have been worried. Who wouldn't be? But, some people have been worried enough that they didn't want to fly on that day. Some may still feel that way today, and maybe they will for a while. But, they shouldn't. 

This was a terrible event. No one could say otherwise. But... About 50,000 planes take flight, worldwide, each day. There isn't even a statistic to show how many planes crash each day because it happens so rarely. Each year, there is an average of 150 plane crashes, worldwide. Those statistics are insane. 

With the newest information about the crash showing that it was intentional, that's an even bigger reason to not be worried to fly. Not only do you have the rarity of crashes, but adding in the factor of it being on purpose, makes it even less likely to occur.

Although this terrible crash should never be forgotten, you don't have to worry about getting on a plane because of it. 

Thanks for reading!

Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Improve Your Vacation In 4 Easy Steps

When on a vacation, there are many things you can do to ensure you have the best time possible. Four of these things are listed below...

1. Be Outgoing -
Do something you would never try at home. You're on vacation, have fun. Don't worry about being embarrassed or anything like that, you don't know the people there, and chances are you're never going to see them again. Let loose! Have FUN!

2. Meet New People -
When you're on vacation, you will find so many different types of people. People from all over the country, maybe even the world. You will learn so much by just talking to those people. Not only can you learn from them, but why wouldn't you want to meet new people?!? Who knows, maybe they'll be friends of yours' for forever, it's happened before :)

3. Treat The Staff Well -
When dealing with staff members, the way to get the best service is to stand out. If you remember their names and be polite, you're going to get treated much better than the people that do not follow this step. With as many vacations as I've been on, I can tell you that it will also be more fun after you get to know the people that work there.

4. Try New Things.... Especially Foods -
Try something new! If you come across something you've never heard of before, especially food, try it. You've heard the saying, "You never know until you try", well in this case, it is very true. Do your best to be willing to try anything and everything that is new to you.

I hope you have a great time on any vacations that are coming up, and I hope these tips help you out.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

4 Best Things to do in D.C.

D.C. is full of many fun and unique places to visit. If you are in town touring, 4 of the best thing to do are listed below.

1. The Monuments and The Memorials:

In D.C. there are many monument and memorials. The Lincoln Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial, The Washington Monument, and many others. Each of these landmarks are very special. They each have their own importance. The best thing about them, is that they were made to be in D.C., and they represent, D.C.'s significance. 

2. The Smithsonian: 

The Smithsonian is a collection of famous museums and galleries. Out of those seventeen different landmarks located in D.C., eleven of them are located in the National Mall. Each place varies hugely in information, from the National Air and Space Museum to the National Museum of African Art to the National Zoological Park. With as many options as there are, stopping at the Smithsonian will be an experience you will never forget. 

3. Mount Vernon:

Schedule a tour of Washington's Estate, Mount Vernon, with 500 acres of land and a 14 room mansion. While you are there, visit the one of a kind Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. If you happen to be in D.C. for Christmas, the "Mount Vernon by Candlelight" tour is phenomenal and an annual family tradition in my home.

4. A Tour of Redskins Park:

If you have read my most recent blog posts, you may have seen that, in fact, my team went on a tour of Redskins Park. Knowing this, I can personally vouch for it being worthwhile. Whether you are a big fan of the Redskins or not, it is quite an experience that not many people have.

When looking for great things to do in D.C. these 4 things should be great options for you, your family, and your friends. 

Thanks for reading!

Check back soon,

Kendra <3

Georgetown Chimes

A while ago, I wrote a post about "Christmas Chimes Night" and one about "The Cherry Tree Massacre". I have since realized that although I explained enough about that particular event, I didn't give too much information about The Georgetown Chimes themselves.

The Georgetown Chimes are an all male acapella group from Georgetown University. They were founded in 1946 by a man name Frank Jones. When Frank first started at Georgetown University he joined the Glee Club. But, Frank thought it would be great if he could start a barbershop singing group at Georgetown. So, he did!

In the 80's, my dad went to Georgetown. During his time there, he auditioned for the Georgetown Chimes. To make it into the Chimes, you obviously have to be able to sing. But you don't just get accepted because you can sing. For a number of months, you're called a Neo. Neos help the chimes with a lot. Before Chimes Nights, they set up the sound systems and bring all the equipment down to the Tombs. Throughout the show, they have to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you can put up with the hard work of being a Neo, you can sing, and you can learn the parts to enough songs, you get accepted into the Chimes. Luckily for us, my dad did get accepted.

Another nice thing about the Chimes is they are a brotherhood. It's a now and forever kind of thing. The Chimes have, since then, been a huge part of my family's lives. They are some of my favorite people in the world! We try to make it to as many shows and events of theirs as we can.

I'm so happy that my dad became a Chime; we've met so many great people because of it.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Redskins Flag Football Appreciation Tour

Saturday morning, my football team, and the other flag football teams in the area that made it to the play-offs in Arizona, had a really great experience. To show how excited and proud they were of us for making it to the play-offs, the Redskins invited the teams to Redskins' Park for a tour.

When we got there, they gathered all the teams and brought us to an auditorium. They showed us a video of highlights and such from our games at the tournament. Then, one-by-one, they called the teams up, gave us little awards, and took our pictures. After that, we got to start the tour.

First, they showed us the main floor, which had many trophies, awards, and artifacts that the redskins have gotten. We also got to see the studio that they record the Redskins show in. A couple of the girls on my team and Bart represented our team in an interview for the Redskins show. After they finished their interview, we moved to the bottom floor where they showed us the gym, the GIGANTIC kitchen, and where the players' room was, even though we weren't allowed in there.

From there, they brought us to the outdoor field (inside one of those "bubbles") that the Redskins train in when it gets very cold. When we got there, a couple people that work with the Redskins made small speeches, and then they took a picture of all of the teams. Our team, alone, took some pictures there too, because we were the Redskins as well. After the official tour was over, my team stayed on the field for a bit just to hang out. Then, my mom and I headed back home.

It was really nice of the Redskins to invite all of the teams to the park. I'm really happy that I was able to have this experience and every experience from football that led up to it. I know that the girls on my team and I had a really great time, and I'm sure that the other teams did too.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Kiva Part 2

Setting up a Kiva account is really easy. Once you get to Kiva.org, there is a little bar in the top right hand corner that says, "Gifts. Register. My Basket". Click the register button. Then it will ask you for all of your personal information: Name, email, password, etc. From there, you'll have to put money into your account. Once you have an account with money in it, you can then lend your money to any of the borrowers listed.

I tend to choose my borrowers because of things I like to do, or that I'm interested in. Many of my recipients are women, and I have only lent to people who are trying to start businesses. Many of my loans have been to women trying to make salon businesses, because that's something I enjoy. You can also choose by country, which I have done as well. You will see that there are thousands of recipients to choose from, therefore making it hard to believe you will not find something you're interested in.

I really like Kiva because it's nice to know that I'm helping someone start, what will hopefully be, a long time business for them. I'm very glad that my dad told me to look into Kiva and helped get me started.

I definitely recommend that other people get Kiva accounts as well. It's very easy to use and it helps people that are less fortunate to get their starts.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Kiva Part 1

My family has recently become involved with a company called Kiva.

Kiva is an online organization, headquartered in San Francisco, California, used to allow people to give loans over the internet. Since 2005, they have funded more than 1 million loans. These loans total about half a billion dollars. Raising about 1 million dollars every three days since November 2013, Kiva has brought in over 1 million lenders from around the world. Kiva posts personal stories of each person asking for a loan to help loaners connect with their recipients. Interest is not collected by either Kiva or loan recipients. Kiva is only supported by grants, loans, and donations from its users, corporations, and national institutions.

Microfinance institutions, social businesses, schools and non-profit organizations around the world are allowed to post profiles of qualified local entrepreneurs on Kiva's website. As a lender, you may look through all of Kiva's posts and choose which you would like to fund. To transfer your funds you may either use a PayPal or a credit card. Once Kiva receives a user's money, they collect loan capitol from individual lenders and transfer it to the appropriate Field Partner, who then distribute the loans to the entrepreneur chosen by each lender. Although Kiva does not charge interest on loans, many Field Partners can charge interest rates. Interest tends to be higher on loans from microfinance institutions than interest rates on larger loans due to the administrative cost of overseeing numerous tiny loans and the increased risk. When recipients repay their loans, the Field Partners return the money to Kiva. Once your loan is re-payed, you can either withdraw your money, or re-lend to other recipients.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Snow Week!!

Last week, it snowed.... a lot! Because of that snow, my friends had many days off from school.

The snow started on Tuesday. They first called for ten to twelve inches, but then it was changed to five to eight inches. We got about six inches. On Tuesday, my sisters, a couple of my friends, and I went sledding at the beginning of the day. Later that day, I went to a friend's house and we watched a movie.

On Wednesday, my best friend, Frances, didn't have school and our other friends had a two-hour delay. So, we got up at 9:30 in the morning, walked to starbucks with them and then walked them to school. It was very cold. Frances stayed at my house after that and we watched TV with my sisters while we tried to stay warm.

Unfortunately, on Thursday, everybody had school :( So, there wasn't very much extra fun happening. But, Frances did sleep over that night.

On Friday morning, my Uncle Lenny got here. Frances didn't have school again and our other friends had another two-hour delay. It was too cold to walk on Friday, so my mom drove us to Starbucks to meet our friends before school. We then drove them to school as well. On Friday night, I went to Frances' house to celebrate her dad's birthday. Then I got home and I hung out with the family, including Uncle Lenny.

Saturday was very cold. If you've read my other blogs you know that many of our Cherry Tree plans were switched up a little bit due to the weather. But, we still had an amazing time!

On Sunday, we stayed home in the morning because of the weather. In the afternoon I had a basketball game. My family, Uncle Lenny, and our family friends came to that. We won! After our game, Frances and I went to that same family friends' basketball game. It was really fun!! Then once I got back to my house, my family watched Blended and then The Walking Dead!!!

It was a really great snow week. Hopefully we get some more snow before this winter ends!

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Indoor Soccer Season

This year, for the first time, I'm playing indoor soccer. I'm on the same team as a few of the girls on my regular soccer team. It's really fun.

When I showed up for my first game, I was very confused. When I pictured indoor soccer, I imagined it'd be a regular field, but inside one of the bubble thingies... It wasn't. The field we play on is probably the size of the field the 2nd graders I ref play on. The field itself is also surrounded by a wall  of plastic boards. I run into that wall a lot. Also, when we make substitutions, there's no whistle to stop the game, you just run on and off whenever it's convenient. Unless the ball goes over, and therefore outside, the plastic walls, there is no out of bounds. You can literally kick the ball against the wall to get around someone..... That's weird.

So, when I first started playing, I wasn't very good. But, I've been getting a lot better... My coach even said so! :) It probably didn't help that my first time playing indoor soccer was also during my first game. Technically, I'm only a sub. As in, if they know they're going to be missing players, I go so that they don't have to forfeit or so they can still have subs.

I think we have about a month of the season left and I'm really glad that I decided to play this year. Hopefully, if I have the chance, I'll play again next year too.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Post - Cherry Tree Massacre

This past Saturday was the 42nd Annual Alumni Cherry Tree Massacre. Since I wrote a before post, I figured I would follow up on how it went.

It was very snowy... and icy... and cold. So, overall, the weather wasn't very good at all. This caused some problems. Most people that we invited didn't end up coming. It ended up being, my family, UNCLE LENNY, Aubrey's friend, two of my friends, and one of their moms. So a much smaller group than we are used to. Even though I would have LOVED to have more of our friends there, we all still had a really great time.

The show itself was really great. Along with our friends, I think three of the six groups canceled. We still had The GW Pitches, The GW Sons of Pitches, GU Superfood, and of course the Georgetown Chimes. Since there were only so many groups, one group of alums went up to perform as well.

Just like every other year, I so enjoy going to this show. Seeing a bunch of the chimes, meeting the new chimes and neos, being there with my family, listening to all the groups, everything about it is great! Each year it's always something I look forward to, and this year the experience definitely lived up to it's expectations.

I'm very happy that, even through the weather, the show still went on. From this point until next year, I will be waiting for Cherry Tree <3

Thanks for reading.
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Pre - Cherry Tree Massacre

Tomorrow night is the 42nd Annual Alumni Cherry Tree Massacre. That is a show hosted by the Georgetown Chimes, an all male acapella group at Georgetown University. My dad was a Chime while he was in college, so we are now very involved with the chimes. My mom has been going to these shows ever since my dad was in college... That's a long time ;).

The chimes are a huge part of my life, and they have been for forever. Once a month, they have something called Chimes Night. It's a small show at a restaraunt in Georgetown called the Tombs. We really like Chimes Nights so we try to get to as many as we can.

Each year, the Chimes invite other college acapella groups to perform during the Cherry Tree Massacres. They got tons of auditions, but normally only five or six groups get invited to perform. So, only the best of the best.

For the past few years, we have been inviting a lot of our family friends to come with us to the show. We bring a lot of our friends from our pool, some neighbors, and some other close friends. Also, my cousins and aunts and uncles have come before. This year, just my Uncle Lenny is here, but he's the greatest so that's ok with me. (Although I do wish that more of my family could have come.) The first time they all came to the show, they were so impressed. So impressed, in fact, that they've continued to come every year since then.

Since our friends started to come with us, it became a tradition to host desserts at our house for everyone. That is also a really fun part of the night.

I'm very excited for this night!

I am expecting it to be a great show and a really fun night! Maybe after the show, I'll post a blog, on Monday, about how it went.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Basketball Season

For the past eight years or so, I have been playing on the same rec basketball team. This year, with all the girls in my age group starting high school, many of them stopped playing rec. Because of this loss in numbers, a few girls from my team, Chaos, and what was left of another team, The Hurricanes, joined together. Because of that, we also have three coaches, my coach from our past years, and two coaches from The Hurricanes. As much as some of the girls don't like it, we've renamed our team Hurrichaos because it sounds really cool. Oh... and both teams are recognized.

We have a good mix of girls this year. In past years, my team has had a few great players, and then the rest of us were alright. This team doesn't have that. Everyone on my team is good. Some girls are better at certain things, but for the most part I'd say we're all pretty evenly ranked. I think it's nice to have even players, because then we don't have a problem about even playing time. We all get to play as much as we would like, while it makes sense mathematically.

I knew every girl that's on my new team. I wasn't friends with all of them, but I at least knew of them. We have all connected really well as teammates. Everything we do together becomes fun and that's great.

Although my team is very nice, and we're really good, I do enjoy basketball a lot outside of those reasons. I don't quite know what I like most about it, but it's just one of the many sports I like to play, I guess.

Our team plays surprisingly well together for a first year team. By surprisingly well, I mean we have gone undefeated, 6-0, so far this season. We have three regular season games left, and then our play-off games. This year our goal is to stay in first and bring home the gold. We are also hoping that we will still have all of our girls willing to play next season.

Thanks for reading!

Check back soon, 

Kendra <3

Valentine's Day!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!!

This Valentine's Day was really fun for me. Pretty busy, but really fun.
I woke up and my mom made breakfast: Eggs ("Mom's eggs", AKA - the best eggs you'll ever taste), Bacon, and Cinnamon Rolls. It was delicious.

After we ate, my younger sister, Liberty, and I got dressed and ready for our first activity of the day, which was meeting my football team at the mall for some ice skating. It was a nice little gathering of a few of the girls on my team and our coach's son.
We ice skated for about an hour and then we went and ate lunch at the food court. After lunch, one of the girls left, but the rest of us went to the arcade in the mall. Turns out I'm amazing at Air Hockey. Another one of my teammates left, so from there we went downstairs to get Starbucks. While Liberty was waiting for her drink to be ready, my mom arrived to pick us up. We grabbed her drink, said our goodbyes, and headed home.

After a few hours of just lounging around at home, I got ready for and went to my basketball scrimmage, that was also really fun since we didn't have a game this weekend.
I left the scrimmage early so I could get ready to go watch my friend's basketball game.

Highlight of my week! It was so great, they won by a lot, and my friend did really well.

After the game, my friend's family took me and one of his teammates to get ice cream. It was so much fun and I'm so glad I was able to go.

As you can see, my Valentine's Day was pretty busy, but it was also so much fun!
I hope you had a great Valentine's Day as well.
Thanks for reading!

Check back soon,
Kendra <3