Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love to read! So, at the end of this past school year, I was super excited to see the list of books for the rising 9th graders summer reading assignment. However... I had never heard of a single one of the books before!! I couldn't decide which book even sounded the most interesting. So, about a week and a half ago when we were at the library, I went on a computer, searched for all of the books... and only one of those summer reading books was currently in the library! And I only need to read one. So, I went and found the book, and checked it out (along with my other 7 that I wanted to read during my free time)! The name of the book is "Steelheart" and it is by Brandon Sanderson. Here is the summary:
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will. Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him. He is invincible. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He has seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
19 days ago (June 16th), my gigantic chocolate lab, Raphah, had a birthday party! He is 80-90 pounds now... and one year old! At his party, we had these ice cream things that were meant for dogs... I think they're called Frosty Paws? Or something like that. Anyways, all four of the dogs loved them! But... well... Paco, the four-and-a-half pound Chihuahua, would eat a little of his, get body freeze (instead of brain freeze), and try to run off to find something or someone warm! But minutes later, he'd be back for more ice cream. The other Chihuahua, Cee-Lo, definitely was freezing, but he didn't seem to care! Apparently it was worth it. Our papillon, Chloe, didn't seem to notice or care if it was cold. And Raphah, well.... let's just say that he was done eating about 30 seconds after he started. We had to give the birthday boy some presents, too, so my dad went to the store and came back with two GIGANTIC bones. Raphah loved them... and so did the chihuahuas, who immediately stole them. I don't think my chocolate lab will ever be allowed to touch his present again!
Yesterday was the Fourth of July (duh), and to celebrate, my dad, sister, brother and I all went outside when it was dark! Some of our neighbors across the street were doing fireworks. We watched some of the fireworks, lit sparklers, and used some of those popping things that you throw at the ground and they flash (what are those called?). It was a ton of fun!!! But I had "Independence Day" by Martina McBride stuck in my head the entire time..... I love almost any song by Martina McBride, and that one is especially awesome. However, ANY song gets annoying if it's in your head for too long! But it's out of there now... it was replaced by "Anyway"!!
See ya!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
... And summer break has arrived.
Hey guys!
So, you know how I'm always talking about school? It's like, school, school, school, school, school every single time I look at past posts! But, um, that's kinda because I really, truly love school!!! And now..... *sigh* ... I'm really sad, because school is out and summer break is here.
See, at my house, we have four dogs (two little chihuahuas and a papillon, in addition to the GIANT chocolate lab). I have an older sister, Alyssa, and a younger brother, James. I also have one-on-one nursing every day! And then on holidays, like Memorial Day, my dad is home from work and we usually go visit family. So, it makes sense that summer at our house is always crazy!!
And my brother loves to play Risk.... and no one else at the house really wants to play it. Ever. At all. Which can make him pretty mad, because you can't play Risk with just one person! Sometimes, he refuses to play any game at all unless it is Risk, or unless you promise to play Risk afterwards!
And my sister is obsessed with these new TV shows, and she's always watching them on her phone. (The Walking Dead? Bones? Castle? Seriously, Aly?) She doesn't want the shows to bother anyone else, so she wears headphones. And then, half of the time when you are talking to her, it turns out that she either a) didn't hear a single word you were saying, or b) she didn't understand a single word you were saying.
And, my nurses are INSANE!! (No offense to any nurse who might be reading this right now.) One of my nurses is absolutely terrified of dogs. She's starting to get used to the little puppies -- you know, the four pound and the six-and-a-half pound chihuahua -- but she still screams every time Raphah, the lab, goes near her. She also likes to joke about us training him.... because he is still a puppy, and doesn't always want to listen when we tell him to sit, lie down, or wait. The key word for Raphah to know that he's doing the right thing is, "Good!" or "Good boy!" Sometimes my nurse will say, "Good! Good boy, Raphah!" when he's doing the wrong thing. It kinda messes with his training, but she thinks that it is awesome. My other nurse will try to get me to plan out the entire day with her! And usually our plans involve games. Every summer, she and I have a competition to see who can win the most games, total, over the entire break! So we end up having picnics (both inside and out), dressing up my dolls and stuffed animals, and playing games (both electronic and board games).
Sometimes, when the dogs see or hear someone or something outside, they start barking like crazy. My mom and I will be trying to catch them, and make them stop barking -- but we don't usually succeed.... My sister is usually on her phone, with her headphones in, paying absolutely no attention to what is going on around her. Then, my nurse (who is usually terrified of dogs, but at moments like these can be found laughing hysterically) will yell, "James, get the tuba!!!" And so my brother, who was in the 6th grade band at our school (and is moving on to 7th grade advanced band), will grab his tuba and start playing random songs out in the middle of the chaos. Fun, right?
And...... have I mentioned yet that I have a brother, a sister, four dogs (one of which is a giant puppy), a nurse, and sometimes my dad doesn't have to go to work? ... I think I did. Maybe. Probably.
But I can't be sure.
So, you know how I'm always talking about school? It's like, school, school, school, school, school every single time I look at past posts! But, um, that's kinda because I really, truly love school!!! And now..... *sigh* ... I'm really sad, because school is out and summer break is here.
See, at my house, we have four dogs (two little chihuahuas and a papillon, in addition to the GIANT chocolate lab). I have an older sister, Alyssa, and a younger brother, James. I also have one-on-one nursing every day! And then on holidays, like Memorial Day, my dad is home from work and we usually go visit family. So, it makes sense that summer at our house is always crazy!!
And my brother loves to play Risk.... and no one else at the house really wants to play it. Ever. At all. Which can make him pretty mad, because you can't play Risk with just one person! Sometimes, he refuses to play any game at all unless it is Risk, or unless you promise to play Risk afterwards!
And my sister is obsessed with these new TV shows, and she's always watching them on her phone. (The Walking Dead? Bones? Castle? Seriously, Aly?) She doesn't want the shows to bother anyone else, so she wears headphones. And then, half of the time when you are talking to her, it turns out that she either a) didn't hear a single word you were saying, or b) she didn't understand a single word you were saying.
And, my nurses are INSANE!! (No offense to any nurse who might be reading this right now.) One of my nurses is absolutely terrified of dogs. She's starting to get used to the little puppies -- you know, the four pound and the six-and-a-half pound chihuahua -- but she still screams every time Raphah, the lab, goes near her. She also likes to joke about us training him.... because he is still a puppy, and doesn't always want to listen when we tell him to sit, lie down, or wait. The key word for Raphah to know that he's doing the right thing is, "Good!" or "Good boy!" Sometimes my nurse will say, "Good! Good boy, Raphah!" when he's doing the wrong thing. It kinda messes with his training, but she thinks that it is awesome. My other nurse will try to get me to plan out the entire day with her! And usually our plans involve games. Every summer, she and I have a competition to see who can win the most games, total, over the entire break! So we end up having picnics (both inside and out), dressing up my dolls and stuffed animals, and playing games (both electronic and board games).
Sometimes, when the dogs see or hear someone or something outside, they start barking like crazy. My mom and I will be trying to catch them, and make them stop barking -- but we don't usually succeed.... My sister is usually on her phone, with her headphones in, paying absolutely no attention to what is going on around her. Then, my nurse (who is usually terrified of dogs, but at moments like these can be found laughing hysterically) will yell, "James, get the tuba!!!" And so my brother, who was in the 6th grade band at our school (and is moving on to 7th grade advanced band), will grab his tuba and start playing random songs out in the middle of the chaos. Fun, right?
And...... have I mentioned yet that I have a brother, a sister, four dogs (one of which is a giant puppy), a nurse, and sometimes my dad doesn't have to go to work? ... I think I did. Maybe. Probably.
But I can't be sure.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Dare to Dash 5k and Family Fun Day
Hey everyone!
My family and I are participating in the Dare to Dash 5k and Family Fun Day this year, and we would love to have you join us! While I don't have a donation page yet, you can still contribute to the general team donation. And my team page is set up already. This year, our team name is Mattie's Moxie. My brother and I have also started on T-shirt designs for the team, as well.
I have also added the link for the Dare to Hope Foundation, if you would like further information. So go ahead and and join team Mattie's Moxie! I can't wait to see you there.
~ Mattie Lorenzen
Mattie's Moxie:
http://daretodash.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1103328&lis=0&kntae1103328=E38AE4CE3E004935B4FDD5D57C292A83&team=5969024
Dare to Hope Foundation:
http://daretohope.org/events/dare-to-dash-5k-family-fun-day/
My family and I are participating in the Dare to Dash 5k and Family Fun Day this year, and we would love to have you join us! While I don't have a donation page yet, you can still contribute to the general team donation. And my team page is set up already. This year, our team name is Mattie's Moxie. My brother and I have also started on T-shirt designs for the team, as well.
I have also added the link for the Dare to Hope Foundation, if you would like further information. So go ahead and and join team Mattie's Moxie! I can't wait to see you there.
~ Mattie Lorenzen
Mattie's Moxie:
http://daretodash.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1103328&lis=0&kntae1103328=E38AE4CE3E004935B4FDD5D57C292A83&team=5969024
Dare to Hope Foundation:
http://daretohope.org/events/dare-to-dash-5k-family-fun-day/
Friday, February 28, 2014
Career Day at my school
Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been so long since my last post. There's been a lot going on between school, training my adorable service puppy, doctor's appointments, etc.... All the usual stuff.
School is going really well -- I love my teachers, and my classmates are nice too! It is so... well, just so different from homeschooling (if you are reading this, no offense, mom)! Yesterday at school was career day. A bunch of different people came to our school and were talking to all of the 8th grade classes about their jobs, and what we might want to be when we grow up. My nurse, Ms. Katie, and I were joking about it after school -- we both agreed that it was probably the craziest career day the school has ever had!
School is going really well -- I love my teachers, and my classmates are nice too! It is so... well, just so different from homeschooling (if you are reading this, no offense, mom)! Yesterday at school was career day. A bunch of different people came to our school and were talking to all of the 8th grade classes about their jobs, and what we might want to be when we grow up. My nurse, Ms. Katie, and I were joking about it after school -- we both agreed that it was probably the craziest career day the school has ever had!
- In science, a lady named Ms. Laura talked to us about her job as a epidemiologist (I really hope that's how you spell it). She said that she works with the CDC, but her job specifically is to study patterns in diseases or health risks. She was nice, and her job sounded pretty cool.
- In math, another lady talked to us about her job. She works with IT (Information Technology), which includes smartphones, computers, laptops, projectors, printers, scanners..... There was a LOT! I never knew that Information Technology included all of those devices.
- Then, in social studies, we met a famous football player named Morten Andersen. He was an exchange student from Denmark, can speak 5 languages (which I thought was pretty cool), and played on 4-5 football teams. He was also a gymnast, track and field runner, and a pole vaulter before he started playing football -- and, he used to be in a chorus, like me!
- In language arts (my last class of the day), we talked to a lady named Joanne Shaw. She was a veterinarian, and told us about what her job was like. Ms. Shaw also had some funny/crazy stories about animals, like the time she took an X-ray of a dog, and saw a pool ball in its stomach, or when a family saw a dog, injured, by the side of the road and brought it to her... and it turned out to be a coyote! And the craziest story? Ms. Shaw came up to me after her presentation and said, "Hi, Mattie!" I was thinking, How does she know my name? But then she said, "You probably don't know who I am, but your Aunt Becky is actually my best friend!" ... It's a small world, huh?
Well, I hope you guys have a great day, and I will try to post again soon!
~ Mattie <3
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Another poem by me :)
The Elements
Earth is hard,
Cracked and dried in the air
You are standing on top of it,
No matter where!
Water is smooth,
It falls from the sky
It takes many different forms...
But no one knows why!
Air is all around us,
It's always right here
The wind brings the sounds
Through space, to your ears!
Fire is bright,
With different colored flames
It provides you with light,
And helps to give you sight!
So the earth makes up our bodies,
We drink water that falls from the sky
Our lungs breathe the air
While fire gives us the spark of life!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
A VERY Special Week
Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I last posted, so I decided to come back on tonight... And this post is ESPECIALLY special!!! You see, this week is Mitochondrial Myopathy Awareness Week...
I think most of you on my blog know what Mitochondrial Myopathy is -- but just in case, let me explain! Mitochondrial Myopathy (aka Mito) is a genetic disorder that keeps your mitochondria in your cells from working properly. The mitochondria, sometimes called the "powerhouses" of your cells, are in charge of creating ATP, which is basically energy. When they stop working, you just don't get as much energy as your body needs.
Mito isn't super common... but not super rare, either. While the odds of you ever being diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy are only about 4000 to 1, there are almost 10 friends that I can think of that have Mito. So, the odds of you (or someone in your family) being diagnosed aren't impossible, even if they aren't probable.
It's nice to think you probably won't ever be diagnosed with Mito.... but once you enter that world, it's impossible to leave. When you know for certain that you are a person who has Mito in them, everything changes. Everything you do, or say; anyone you meet -- it will never be the same. Ever. And when you think about it... do you have Mito, or is it the Mito that has you? It can be so hard to tell sometimes. It's like, your life doesn't belong to you anymore. You aren't who you used to be. And there's no going back.
The bad news? Well, there's no cure! So far, no one has been able to come up with a treatment that permanently gets rid of Mito. The good news? Every year, we raise more money, and tell more people -- and we know that it is all going towards finding a cure. After all, anything is possible! So my mom, and my dad, and my sister, and my brother, and all of my 13+ cousins, and my aunts, and my uncles, and grandparents..... We all go and find someone we know (sometimes, even someone we don't know!) and tell them about Mitochondrial Myopathy. More people are becoming aware, and meanwhile there are still scientists and doctors working together, to try to help me, help you, help us... By finding a cure.
P.S. Tomorrow, I'm doing a whole presentation on Mito for my Social Studies class. Everyone in class has to come up with something on the news, or something they think is news-worthy, and present it to the whole class. And the topic I picked was Mitochondrial Myopathy Awareness Week! VERY nervous. Feel free to open the attachment and read through my presentation, and tell me what you think! :) Well, if I can get the thing to attach, anyways!!!
I think most of you on my blog know what Mitochondrial Myopathy is -- but just in case, let me explain! Mitochondrial Myopathy (aka Mito) is a genetic disorder that keeps your mitochondria in your cells from working properly. The mitochondria, sometimes called the "powerhouses" of your cells, are in charge of creating ATP, which is basically energy. When they stop working, you just don't get as much energy as your body needs.
Mito isn't super common... but not super rare, either. While the odds of you ever being diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy are only about 4000 to 1, there are almost 10 friends that I can think of that have Mito. So, the odds of you (or someone in your family) being diagnosed aren't impossible, even if they aren't probable.
It's nice to think you probably won't ever be diagnosed with Mito.... but once you enter that world, it's impossible to leave. When you know for certain that you are a person who has Mito in them, everything changes. Everything you do, or say; anyone you meet -- it will never be the same. Ever. And when you think about it... do you have Mito, or is it the Mito that has you? It can be so hard to tell sometimes. It's like, your life doesn't belong to you anymore. You aren't who you used to be. And there's no going back.
The bad news? Well, there's no cure! So far, no one has been able to come up with a treatment that permanently gets rid of Mito. The good news? Every year, we raise more money, and tell more people -- and we know that it is all going towards finding a cure. After all, anything is possible! So my mom, and my dad, and my sister, and my brother, and all of my 13+ cousins, and my aunts, and my uncles, and grandparents..... We all go and find someone we know (sometimes, even someone we don't know!) and tell them about Mitochondrial Myopathy. More people are becoming aware, and meanwhile there are still scientists and doctors working together, to try to help me, help you, help us... By finding a cure.
P.S. Tomorrow, I'm doing a whole presentation on Mito for my Social Studies class. Everyone in class has to come up with something on the news, or something they think is news-worthy, and present it to the whole class. And the topic I picked was Mitochondrial Myopathy Awareness Week! VERY nervous. Feel free to open the attachment and read through my presentation, and tell me what you think! :) Well, if I can get the thing to attach, anyways!!!
Monday, September 2, 2013
The Lights
Hey everyone,
So, the other day, I was trying to write a poem.... I thought up as many rhyming words, but none of them seemed to really fit my mood. But then yesterday, inspiration hit!!! This is what I got:
So, the other day, I was trying to write a poem.... I thought up as many rhyming words, but none of them seemed to really fit my mood. But then yesterday, inspiration hit!!! This is what I got:
The Lights
When my head is filled with the rolling thunder,
Sometimes I cannot help but wonder:
Is everyone's life full of pain?
Full of this lightning, and all of this rain?
Is having your head filled with the storm
Truly everyone else's norm?
But then I think of what is mine,
And the sun comes out and starts to shine.
The things I love, they are real and true!
My old life changes to something new.
I want to be a guiding light,
I will stand out from others, and shine so bright!
Friends, follow me -- I can show you what's true;
I will help you decide what you can do!
You may choose to be another helpful light,
One that is hopeful and one that is bright.
I can help you wipe away the rain,
And lose all the lightning and all of the pain.
So follow me, we will know what to do:
We will find out ourselves what is real, what is true!!
I hope you enjoyed reading this... and I would love it if you shared it with some of your friends! If each of us read this to just one other person, and they shared it with one of their friends... Think of how many people would get this special message.
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