American Heritage

Sooo, this class is KICKING MY TRASH. To put it lightly. bahaha. And, I've even been staying up for most of the classes! I am however, a bit behind on the readings. Which I plan to fix in the near future. Anyway, here's a couple pics from the average day in American Heritage:







haha, too good right? the last one is of me. It was taken in revenge for the two I took earlier. But at least I can sleep soundly now in class w/o having to worry about this. Awesome.

TEMPLES!!!

Today I did baptisms in my fourth temple ever! It was bomb. I've been to the Seattle, WA one; Provo, UT; Salt Lake, UT; and Mount Timp, UT one!!! I went to Timp w/ J-Dawg this morning. It is BEAUTIFULLL!!! I luhhh it. If I get married in Utah that might be the one... haha. but yah. So, lately I've been on this temple kick, where I just go to the temple website and click on the map thingy and look at all the temples of the world. Kinda weird. But. Temples are soooooo bomb! And I kinda wanna go to like all of them before I die. Which is actually kinda impossible considiering how many there are, but hey. I'ma come as close as possible. Anyway, here's a list of all the Utah temples. And i wanna go to them alll. Over my next several years of college. So here's the started check list!

[ ]Brigham City, UT (coming soon)
[ ]Ogden, UT
[ ]Bountiful, UT
[x]Salt Lake, UT
[ ]Jordan River, UT
[ ]Oquirrh Mountain, UT
[ ]Draper, UT
[x]Mount Timpanogas, UT
[x]Provo, UT
[ ]Payson, UT (coming soon)

anddd these are ones that I will hopefully get the chance to go to too. [But they're farther away]

[ ]Logan, UT
[ ]Vernal, UT
[ ]Manti, UT
[ ]Monticello, UT
[ ]Saint George, UT

Sooo, as you can see, I still got a ways to go, but. Should be funnnn!

oh, and here's a pic of my new fave Utah temple!!!

GORGEOUS!!!

i heart temples.

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!

oh yah. p.s. i got waitlisted for BYU's school of music. So we'll see. Gotta figure it out. but life is good :]

PROKOFIEV 5 :]

Can i just say "yeaaaaaahhhhh?!?" I HEART this piece sooo very much. I don't know how Prokofiev did it, but this is FREAKING LEGIT. ANNNND we're [symphony orchestra] playing it at our concert tomorrow! I'm freaking STOKED. I hope the third and fourth movement sound ok. Especially the fourth. Kinda scared. But hopefully it'll be good :] I'M SOOO EXCITED. Like, this piece=FREAKING BOMBBBB. Oh man. Anyway, here's a link to it on youtube for those of you who aren't fortunate enough to be in attendence at the concert. bahah. kidding. ish. And, this is just part one, just click the links on the side if you wanna hear more. I think it's in six pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYA74M07Wmw&feature=related

Anyway, I have a crapppload of hw to do. Pretty exciting. Sooo yah I'm gonna bounce. ENJOY! The church is true!

~Pono Santos

OLYMPICS :]

OHNO!!! LEGIT.

Sooo, I've been watching the olympics for the past 4 hours. bahaha. Yes, I have a problem.

Oh! Also, I'm checkin' out half marathon websites. I was thinkin' that I'd do a half marathon before my mish, but now, me and Elise are thinking possibly doing a half marathon in the next year and then a marathon the year after that? CRAZY i know, but who knows... we'll see :]

p.s. I LUUUHHH FRISBEE :]

FEBU-HAIRY

Sooo, I love life. I sprained my ankle a month ish ago. So I've been outta commission a little, but this past week I've been getting back into the swang of thangs. Which has been sooo fun :] I've played soccer, frisbee, raquetball, gone to the gym and ran in the past few days. I LUUUHH it. Like I always knew I wasn't good at sitting still, but seriously, life=SOOO much better when you can move. BOMB. Anddd I also got to start new cello music this week, which has been fantastic. Finishing up the second and third movements of Saint Saens and the first Bach suite. Oh, and FREAKING Prokofiev 5. Don't get me wrong, I luhhh it. But the concert's in < 2 weeks. And the third and fourth movements are def still a lil sketch. Anyway, should be good hopefully. This week was also possibly the last week of bowling practice. Not quite sure yet. But I just wanted to express my gratitude for having had this experience. I have been sooo blessed to work with these celestial spirits every week. They make me a better and happier person. It is seiously THE BEST part of my week. I hope to continue being involved in special olympics in the future, cuz its AMAZING. There are a couple pics we took at this last week's practice!Next order of business, This post is called what it is because for the entire month of Feburary I'm not shaving. bahahaha i'm freaking STOKED. I'll let you know how it goes. Or not, yah know. Finally, this bomb quote that I found is something I just wanted to share cuz it's sooo flipping AMAZING. So many things have been better in my life since I have heard this! It's from Elder Holland! And here it is:

"God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as he always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and he can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe."

LOVE IT. The church is true :]

~KAIMIPONO SUZANNE WAN SEE SANTOS.

p.s. i love rain.

ADMITTED!

Soooooooo, Heavenly Father answers prayers fyi. In case there was any doubt. No but seriously, last Friday [September 4th] I took the ACT. I had talked to my councelor and he said that I needed to get a 27 on the ACT in order to be accepted for Winter semester. I was kinda freakin' out... Last time I only raised my score by one point, and I needed to raise it two points this time. So yah, needless to say, kinda intimidated and scared outta my mind. So, I did the only thing I could do the two or three weeks before the test date. I prayed 24/7 and studied hardcore. Two nights before the test I took a practice test and got a 24. Little bit scary. So I studied and prayed harder the next day. That night I took a practice test and got a 27!!! So at least I knew that I could do it. Oh man, that night it was way hard to sleep. I just wanted the test to be over. So I took it the next day and FREAKED out when the lady handed me my score. Like I hardcore had to bite my tounge to not scream til I got outside. I somehow pulled off a 28 on this test. I got a 29 on English, a 29 on Math, and 28 on Reading, and a 27 on Science. I still don't know how this happened because I am NOT that smart. I KNOW that Heavenly Father helped me get this score so that I could get in to BYU! And because I had asked for help and worked hard I was greatly blessed. I also got into Symphony Orchestra at BYU and can be apart of that class because of answered prayers. Oh man. It's amazing. I'm STOKED out of my mind for the future and know I can do anything now w/ the help of Heavenly Father. I KNOW KNOW KNOW this church is true. I love it. I love BYU i'm STOKED that I getta stay here. Now to get into the music program :] I know w/o a doubt that Heavenly Father knows us all personally and will help us if we just ask and do our part. Here's a picture of my status on the BYU website :]

Love, Pono

Oh ye fair ones

So I should really be continuing to study for the ACT, but that can wait. Anyway, this post is inspired from a conversation that I had w/ a friend of mine. I got the name from Mormon 6. This is possibly one of the saddest and most tragic chapters of the entire Book of Mormon, and I actually started to tear up a bit when I was reading through it again. Especially verses 16-22. I'm getting ahead of myself though. Just to provide some background knowledge, the Nephites and Lamanites were gathering around Cumorah for final battles, and the Nephites were GREATLY outnumbered. Verse 8 talks about how terrified all of the Nephites were because of the greatness of the Lamanite's numbers. This battle practically wipes out the remainder of the Nephites, leaving Mormon completely deserted. In anguish he cries out to HF, "Oh ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! Oh ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss." [Verses 17-18] I guess this really hit home to me this time because I've seen too many people lately turn from this amazing and true gospel. I think of one person in particular, and it breaks my heart thinking about what they've done. Of course its never too late, so I will continue to pray like crazy for this person. Anyway, yah just felt like I should write. I LOVE this gospel. I KNOW w/o a doubt that this church is TRUE! I can't wait to go on a mish. The church is true, cherish it and cleave to it faithfully. I have seen the blessings in my life as I have tried harder to do so. Heavenly Father is just waiting to pour out all these amazing blessings on us if we are just obedient and choose the right. I know this.
Love, Pono