Wednesday, March 11, 2009

My Phoenix Trip!!

haha so this post started out: The Phantom of the Lion King, but after I got done with my Lion King talk about, which was basically a post about my family's trip to Phoenix, I decided that these needed to be two separate posts. But I liked the name "The Phantom of the Lion King" so much i thought I'd share this little story that i know none of you care about ^_^

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My family and my dear friend Hannah went to the Phoenix way back around January 16. Actually, we went on a little mini vacation and then went to the show. I've just been too uh... busy (lazy) to post about it. So here now i am going to make up for it!!

We left after school on that Friday, the 16th, and drove to Phoenix. It was playing there on tour. When we got there we pretty much just chilled at the hotel. The next day we went to the Phoenix Zoo. It was pretty exciting, lol. We had a lot of fun, it had been awhile since I'd been to a zoo, and i don't remember ever going to one that wasn't the Hogle Zoo up in Salt Lake. It was a fun day.

Hannah and I:


Mace feeling left out, so joining Hannah and I:


The Tortoises...lol *these tortoises were kinda interesting... The fella tortoise started out on the wrong side. Luckily for him, he found his way around to the right side. It really didn’t look like the female tortoise appreciated him doing this, but I don’t think she had much of a choice.


Me Mace and my dad


Hannah and I again... I was kinda getting sick of the zoo by here.


By the cheetah’s they had this radar post thing that would tell you how far you were going. It was kinda funny, because people would walk by and be totally unaware that everyone looking at the cheetahs were looking to see how fast you were going. Or at least i saw many people (especially kids) doing this.

Hannah and i walking by, with no speed at all. haha For some reason it didn’t detect us right there...


Wanting to be detected, Hannah and I ran.


We only got up to 10 miles per hour evidently. I KNOW that Hannah can go faster then that though, she's a track and cross country star. lol My amazing brother Merrill got to about 14 miles per hour. Gosh...Always outdone by him ;)

We got to go into the monkey area, which is a confined place where you can walk in and not have any barrier between you and the monkeys. Although you have to walk on the path and cannot touch ANYTHING. And trust me, when they tell you not to touch ANYTHING it is wise to not touch ANYTHING. Because anything you touch the monkey's have peed on. The trip to the zoo was pretty fun; I was kinda let down by the fact that none of my top 3 animals were there. My top three favorite being the Polar Bear, Panda Bear, and the Penguin. And of course i understand why there weren’t there... Polar Bears and Penguins in Phoenix?! They would not last long!

After the zoo, we went back to the hotel. Rested at the hotel, then we went to a mall that was pretty close by our hotel. I think that it was the biggest mall I've ever been in. We didn’t have much time at the mall, but Hannah and I found this candy store that had the most bizarre candy ever. haha We got loaded up on little gummy candies! Especially the fried egg gummies. (which are really a lot better then they sound!)

When we walked into the store, these two guys who looked about 12 or 13 looked at us and asked if we had 5 cents. I pulled out my change and all i was a dime. I gave the boy who had asked for the money the dime and he turned around and slams it on the counter. The lady running the counter looked at him, took the dime and rang up his candy. He then took the change she gives him (a nickel) and basically runs out of the store with it. Now I really did NOT care about that nickel. But that really got me mad! Especially that he didn’t even thank me for the money. It’s the principal of the matter I guess. Hannah and I kinda laughed when they left, and commented on how rude they had been. We got our candy, and when we went up to the counter, the lady who had served those guys looked at me and said that since those boys had been so rude and didn’t thank me, SHE would thank me. It was good to be appreciated! But didn’t change the fact that a random little boy in Phoenix owes me 5 cents and i BIIIG 'thank you'. haha

We went back to the hotel after eating dinner at the mall and exploring a little. Then when we got back, after a little more resting, My mom, Hannah and I went BACK to the mall to go to Bride Wars.

I thought it was a pretty good movie...But I'm not sure it was a good enough movie to pay $10 dollars on! That’s waaay too much to pay to simply watch a movie. I like our simple Kanab Theater where it only costs $5 to get in, and snacks are very cheap as well. :)

The next day we went to the Arizona Temple. Which is beautiful.
The Temple:


My siblings and I in front of it:


I'm glad we got to go here, it was basically deserted there because it was Sunday, which helped made it a great experience.

Then....we went to LION KING!



Let me first say, if you haven't seen The Lion King, GO NOW! Or asap, whichever comes first. ;) I went way back a few years ago, when i was little, and I basically remembered none of it, except animals coming up the isles.

It’s an amazing show and i would not just highly recommend it, I DO recommend it. For all ages! Mace LOVED the show. It was pretty funny to just see him and how into it he was! I don’t think there has been a day since that we haven’t heard "Hakuna Matata" (although that may also be due to the fact that he's singing it in Expressions). But I've seen the Lion King movie and read the Lion King book quite often now... haha

Some pictures from the show...For those of you who have never seen it, to give you a visual of how it's done. :) And I just want to make this the longest post in history ;)

Mufasa, Rafiki (with baby Simba), and Sarabi:


Timon and Pumba:


Simba & Nala:


Zazu:


Rafiki *and the grass! I think it may be weird of me, but i love the way they did the grass! It was all those people, with the grass things on their heads. Then they would move so that it actually looked like grass! Amazing! =D :


OK I'm done boring you!! haha If this post was too long for you, I'm terribly sorry! Overall I had a FANTASTIC time! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking me!!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Tagged -- 25 things!

Oh wow... 25 things about me? I'm UP to the challenge :] (Thanks for tagging me, people who tagged!)

RaNDoM THiNGS To KNoW ABouT Me!

1) The K in McKenna is captial. That is my number 1 pet peeve! Anyone who knows me really well, or has not capitalized it before knows that. Every time I see my name spelled 'Mckenna' it makes me want to scream! So now, all you who do not capitalize it..will now capitalize it. Right? Right!

2) I have to take my socks of when I sleep. I can not sleep with socks on. They always come off!

3) I have absolutely no sport ability at all. I can't even fake any talent, I'm just bad.

4) I hate watching sports, as much as i hate actually doing them. Except when its the good ol' Kanab Cowboys playing! I love being a 'regulator' at the games!!

5) I love Dr. Pepper. :)

6) I don't like breakfast. Its rare that I'll eat it, and i only eat it when i have good options for it.

7) When I walk next to people, like on the way to lunch or something. Anytime i walk next to someone i have to match my stepping to theirs. I think it was marching in band that made me this way...

8) Music! I love music, all kinds of music I pretty much like all genres (minus some old time country, and rap), and i like music in any form. (play, sing, listen..)

9) It kills me to go a day without playing the piano. I know that i have very minimal skill at the piano, but i love to just go in our piano room and play for even 5 minutes.

10) This is my favorite smiley: ^_^ and my favorite...weird face is this: O_o. People who text me will see me use these two smileys a lot.

11) I absolutely hate shopping when i have a purpose. And i have the absolute worst luck with shoes... I'm very picky. I like to go window shopping, without a purpose. But then i usually have to be with the right people.

12) WICKED! I absolutely love this show. It is the best Broadway musical and play on the planet!!! (or the best one I've ever seen...) My absolute dream, even though i know it will never happen, is to be in the performance someday. It'd be pretty amazing!! I've already seen it twice, and am going in July. I CAN'T WAIT! ^_^

13) My favorite TV shows are Chuck and American Idol. I love Chuck! Last night was a little weird with 3D...but it was still good!

14) I text...a lot. Too much probably.

15) I truly hate doing the dishes.

16) I found out today, that i have an "I know!" face. I honestly had no idea of this...but i guess when i say "I Know!" really excitingly, i do a face...

17) I have two jobs, one at the pharmacy, and one at the newspaper. Although at the moment, my main job is the pharmacy. I love working there! Although there are some very unusual people who come to the pharmacy! Its kinda entertaining sometimes!

18) I am a proud member of the "girls clud". I have the BEST cousins in the world! I love each and every one of them, and most of my most favorite memories involve them. Not only with my girl cousins in the girls clud, but just with all my cousins as a whole. Each and every one! :)

19) I've been told, by some very reliable sources, that i look like Anne Hathaway. (what do you think?)

20) I've got some preeetttttyyy amazing friends. I love them all! I feel like i have some great relationships with them, and even now am making more lasting relationships.

21) I'm horrible at keeping up on this blog. I wish i didn't have to type it, that i could just tell a story, and it would automatically come up on the blog! It seems that every time i start a blog post, something gets in the way or i have to get off the computer for some reason. It always takes me much longer to post something then it would take an average blogger.

22) My handwriting is usually based on the pen. If i use a good pen or pencil, i love my writing and it looks decent. But if i use a bad pen it looks bad and sloppy. I told this philosophy to someone once, and they just thought i was insane. But its true!!

23) In my bag for school, i keep it WELL stocked up on pens. I have multiple people who just rely on me for a pen or pencil. But all are very well informed on the fact that if i don't get my pen/pencil back, they will most likely get their head chewed off. haha

24) I love salsa and chips! I used to not like it, but now its like an addiction. My friend Hannah and I will always have salsa when we get together. Once, when we were working at the newspaper, Dixie (from the newspaper) gave us money and told us to go get something at the gas station. She bought the salsa, i bought the chips.

25) I'm amazed you took the time to read through all these 25 things about me! And I'm equally amazed at me actually finishing this post! I hope i didn't bore you...

I TAG.....

*My Mom
*Amanda
*Sara
*Aunt Val
*Stephanie
and...
*Everyone and Anyone else who would like to do this post! i would highly recommend it ;)

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to post and wish you all a Happy New Year!! Hope its a great year for you! :D Love Ya!

Shocking, Isn't It?

So i know this is like... a month late, but near the end of November, I was in the school play, Pride and Prejudice. It was a blast!! I'm very glad I joined Drama, and i cant wait for the next production! :)

In Pride and Prejudice i had two parts: "Lady Lucas" and "Amanda"and traded nights with Johanna Bowman. We rocked the show! Most of my friends were in the show with me, which is probably a big reason why i had so much fun. My good friend and cousin Kelsie was one of the two Elizabeth's, my best friend Hannah Zweifel played the great roll of Agatha... haha, and a whole bunch of people who are great friends to me were also in it but i would be here all day if i was listing everyone. They all did wonderful!!

Lady Lucas is a very old lady, a friend of Mrs. Bennett, and mother to Charolet (Elizabeth's best friend). She's kind of a mean old lady at times though. Defiantly has some 'pride' No wonder the shows called "PRIDE and Prejudice" ;) Lady Lucas was only in the very beginning, in maybe two scenes. When we started doing the show for real, they decided i needed a hat...So i had this straw hat that kept falling apart. lol I really hated that hat. Also, i went through a GREAT aging process through the whole thing... I went gray and suddenly had many many wrinkles! haha It was fantastic







My second part (or alter ego)was "Amanda". Amanda is basically an extra roll in the Ball scene. I really had fun with the part! I know that some people would hate to have a "small" part like this but i personally thought it wasn't that bad. I had about three lines. The weird thing was that when i come on and say my first two lines I talk to Elizabeth and Charolet as though I'm leaving, Telling them what a great ball it was and saying goodbye. Then the next time i come on, I'm leaving the ball again...It was very weird. I had to get a shawl for the second part because people were getting confused. And so was i...



And this was where i delivered my favorite line...."Shocking, isn't it? She hasn't kept a carriage in a twelve month!" haha Not twelve months, or a year, or 365 days...NO! A Twelve Month! hehe I really loved that line for some reason. And I'm sure by now nearly everyone in drama could recite it to you. Or at least make the reference to me from the line...


It was a great and fun production! :D


Sunday, December 28, 2008

Thanksgiving...a little late

So for Thanksgiving this year, all my Mickelson family came down for some goooood eaten! I have a FANTASTIC family and I love when we have family get togethers like this. It was really special to me, because this was the first time in a long while that we've had nearly everyone come.


This is a picture of all of us. Everyone was there except for maybe 4... I love my family!

I had a blast hanging out with all my cousins whom I rarely see. I have a few cousins who I'm particulary close too, and we all were hanging out one night when they were all here and decided to take a "photo shoot" hahaha I have nearly a hundred pictures, and ALL of them are great! The pictures include my wonderful cousins along with me: Jess, Katie, Mickell and Jodi. (Jodi was the designated photographer for most of the pictures, so she wasnt in the pictures as much)

*Mickell, Jess, Me, Katie*


Haha, who doesnt love a good fake laugh picture?


Some epic Jumping


Then we kinda moved to the stairs...




Then we kinda fell down the stairs...


Then we went over to the park in the rain...And took care of some..uh.. "business" ;]


And to just be silly :)


I love my cousins!


Haha and this us in the middle of the road :]


And now, I notice that i dont have ANY pictures of Jodi here. So this was us "reaching" for Jodi...


and one of Mickell, Jodi, and I


All of us trying to squeeze into the picture...haha Where'd Katie go?


I LOVE my girl cousins! After we had out little "photo shoot" we all went to Valley and had a sleepover. I really value all the time i get to spend with these girls! The "girls clud" as some members of my family would call us ;) I can't wait till i get to spend time with them next! (and hopefully you'll be able to come too Kelsie!)

Sunday, December 7, 2008

100 Things

Copy this and bold the things you have done:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own?