DECEMBER

Please don't comment on the creativity of this post title; I honestly didn't even try, and you most likely don't even care. It has been... The best month of my stay here, for sure. I love Christmas, and our school's Silver Rush was beyond incredible. There wasn't a day when I wasn't doing something amazing.

Silver Rush is an annual charity drive held in the month of December, where Riverton High School raises money for different causes. This year our Student Body Officers chose to give the money to help seven local families who have children battling cancer through Millie's Princess Foundation. The first day of December our school had the opening assembly, and because A Cappella performed a song called Truly Brave, most of our time spent was behind the curtains. Luckily, we still got to see this video.

How we raised money doesn't have a simple answer. We did everything. Everything. To raise money. Different school clubs had booths during lunches, you could buy food, go to cool events, do odd jobs, buy neat stuff or just give money, and every cent we made would go to Silver Rush. We also had a bunch of sponsors, for example, if you bought something from Chick-Fil-A on December 5th somewhere between 5 and 7pm and showed a SR flier to the cashier, all the money made that time went to Silver Rush. The events I attended were the Improv show on the 8th (go Lilly!!), Battle of the Bands on the 9th, Ugly Sweater Stomp on the 10th, Mr. SilverRush on the 13th (a beauty pageant for boys), Choir Christmas Concert on the 14th (go A Cappella!!), and Campout on the 15th. And I didn't even go to every event there was! We still had regular school and homework, you know.

Since my good friend Aspen was doing henna every day during lunch, and Tiani was selling hot chocolate most of the time, it meant that I got to eat lunch with just Lilly nearly each day, and that I got to know her better. She truly is an amazing person; all my friends are. Lunch is honestly the best part of a school day. During Silver Rush I got thrown into Purple Prison, bought Menchie's frozen yogurt, got my first ever henna tattoo and a picture with the Grinch and my friends.

On the 16th we had an all-day multifarious assembly, which meant that each of our classes were just 30 minutes long, and then we got to go have fun and donate to Silver Rush meanwhile. But the best thing about Silver Rush was the closing assembly (21st December, 2016), where we all got together at the big gym to hear from the people we were helping and our SBO President Adam Murray. At the end of the assembly we got to see a video of all that we did during those three weeks, and when it was over... the banner dropped. On the banner it was painted the amount of money we had made. $191 274,17. Everyone was screaming and crying out of amazement and excitement, happiness and thankfulness. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. Imagine a room of two thousand people filled with a tremendous amount of joy in their hearts from doing good things. That's what it was. I got very emotional and cried as well as many other people there. In that moment, I was truly happy. "It's not about the money, it's about the change."

Besides from Silver Rush, I did a lot of other stuff, too. On the 3rd, me and my host family went to see the Festival of Trees, and it's where most of my pictures are from. As you can see, it was incredible. It was also for charity, where every penny raised was used to help children at Primary Children's Hospital. People and companies decorate christmas trees, gingerbread houses, wreaths and a bunch of other stuff that is admired by thousands of people for four days and then sold to the highest bidder. I think. At least that's what I understood.

On the 6th, A cappella performed two times, first in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and then in the Assembly Hall at Temple Square. It was a good day, and I got a new scarf and a pair of socks. Pity I didn't really have time to celebrate Finland, though. The next day I got to see Oliver! at the Pioneer Theatre Company with the drama kids, and I loved it. It was a musical version of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, which I assume you've all heard about. On the 12th I got to go to Temple Square again to see the beautiful Christmas lights with my host family, and I met a missionary from Finland and another girl who had been on a mission to Finland. It was so much fun talking in Finnish with them for a little bit. When we got home we decorated our Gingerbread houses and boy was it hard. The 15th was a great day, too. I got a package from my mom!! I figured it was probably for Christmas but I didn't care and opened it anyway. Good thing my mom knows me so there was also some wrapped gifts so I saved those for Christmas.

We had a little henna party at my friend's house on the 23rd, Aspen made me another superb henna tattoo, and I made some new friends, good times. As most of you know, I never do anything early. On the contrary, I leave everything for the last minute or I'm just straight up late. So I did all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve... Nevertheless, I was pleased with everything I got, so I guess it's fine. On Christmas Eve we ate Christmas dinner with my host dad's dad, and went to bed early, since we were going to wake up at 6 the next day. And we did, and we got our presents and Finnish pancakes, and we went to church. Everything was great. Very Christmassy. Now, I don't remember the date but earlier we went to my host dad's dad's Christmas party, and I made some pulla for them and sang Varpunen jouluaamuna for him, since he is Finnish, and I loved it.

After Christmas, on the 26th, we went sledding with my host family and it was so much fun, even though I hurt my bum from flying a lil too high. It didn't stop me from going sledding again with Aspen and Lilly right the next day. I love them so much, and afterwards we went to Aspen's and she made us hot chocolate and we watched some episodes of Hellevator and Steampunk'd. Another great day right there. The last day spent with my friends was the 29th, when we finally watched the female Ghostbusters at Lilly's. We had been trying to watch it for like two months but something always came in the way. But because a movie night isn't really a movie night if you only watch one movie, we also watched Stonehearst Asylum. I highly recommend both of those movies. I also got to pet Lilly's dog that day! And cats. What a perfect night.

On New Year's Eve we went to Costco, ate lots of good food, played games and watched Napoleon Dynamite with the family. We watched the ball drop and did the countdown and ran outside to watch fireworks and clanked a pan with a spoon (??). I was so happy when the year changed. 2016 wasn't the best of years for anyone, I think. But it had it's moments. For me those moments started when I came here. I am more than excited for this year of 2017. Please be good to us. I know I will do anything to make this year amazing, and I hope everyone else will, too.

Joulukuu 2016 jää ikuisesti mun muistoihin monesta syystä, kuten englanniksi kerroinkin. Hyväntekeväisyys lämmittää sydäntä, ja syy miks rakastan joulua on koska se on hyväntekeväisyyden aikaa. Parempi olis, jos se aika olis joka päivä vuodesta, mut kyl tääkin kelpaa. Mun mielestä useempi koulu vois tehä edes jotain tän kaltasta,kerätä rahaa niille jotka sitä tarvitsee. Onhan niitä hyväntekeväisyysjärjestöjä joille kuukausittain mekin annetaan jonkin verran rahnaa ja on niitä lipaskerääjiä, mutta ei se oo yhtä hauskaa ku maksaa konsertista tai ostaa vähän normaalia kalliimpi muffinssi lounaaks, ja siten lahjottaa hyväntekeväisyyteen. Sit oli kans kiva tietää kenelle ne rahat menee. Joillekin ne oli naapureita tai sukulaisia täällä, ja me muutkin saatiin tutustua näihin upeisiin lapsiin ja perheisiin ketä me autettiin. Ah, rakastan. Ihana juttu toi hopeakuume. Koulun maskotti on muuten hopeasusi joten siitä nimi.

Mitäs muuta. Ainii mun oli tarkotus julkasta tä Aksun synttärinä (onneks olkoo Aksu 20v.!), mut en sit saanu aikaseks, ja sit meni viel vähä myöhemmäks ja siit viel vähä myöhemmäks. Tämmöne mä oon ja se on iha ok. Nyt on tässä teille vähä luettavaa, ystäväiset rakkaat. En rehellisesti sanottuna edes tiiä kuinka moni tätä lukee, mut suurimmaks osaks tä onki vaan mulle jotain mitä voin sit myöhemmin lukea ja haikailla kui hienoo tääl oli. Koska tää on. Ihan mieletöntä. Rakastan mun ystäviä. Niin paljon. En oo varmaan koko elämäni aikana saanu kokea mitään tällasta. Mä tiiän et ne rakastaa mua ja ne tietää et mä rakastan heitä. Ja me sanotaan et rakastetaan joka päivä ku nähään?? Kuinka moni suomalainen vois sanoo samaa. Ei me tuppisuut sanottais sitä vaik käskettäis - vaik rakastettaiskin. Okei ei toi oo totta, mut mulle se on ollu. Se on vaan paljon vaikeempi asia sanoo ku sen pitäis olla. MINÄ RAKASTAN. Kuulkaa kaikki. MINÄ RAKASTAN SINUA. Sinua, joka luet tätä. Haastan sut sanomaan ystävilles ja perheelles ja iha kelle vaa et rakastat heitä, just ny. Nyt. Ok tä meni liian imeläks lopetan nyt. Hyvää uuttavuotta!