Category: Life

Garden of the Gods

Yesterday, my dad planned a surprise trip to Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs. The ride in the car seemed to go on forever and ever but the long trip was definitely worth it.

Garden of the Gods is a national natural landmark and public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The park is 2.136 square miles and to tour the park, you can take a segway, walk, or drive.

On the way to Colorado Springs, my sister and I needed something to do to keep ourselves entertained, so we started looking at the license plates of every car that passed us. This eventually became pretty entertaining because there were a lot of cars from different states. I kept track of the different state license plates we saw, and in the end we counted 36 different state license plates! We saw, the Dakotas, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Wyoming, Maine, California, Minnesota, Florida, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Washington, Montana, Illinois, Virginia, Kansas, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alaska, Arkansas, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, and New York.

When we finally arrived at the Garden of the Gods, it was amazing. There was this mini museum that showed what kind of animals live around the area and a very interesting and entertaining fifteen minute video on how the rocks formed the way they did. The formations of the rocks and the nature all around was majestic. Since I’m in a cast, it was probably best that we didn’t take the four-mile walking tour, so my family and I took our car and traveled around the park.

Overall, the trip was wonderful. The views were great, spending time with my family was fun, the rock formations were beautiful, and the fudge at the trading post was delicious.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend! 🙂

September 6, 2015
A Note to Incoming Freshmen…

School is starting back up. Yay? I remember coming in as a freshman into high school was a very new and overwhelming experience. So here’s a letter to all of the incoming freshmen. Even if you aren’t going to be an incoming freshman, you might be able use some of this advice.

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Going into high school can be kind of scary and intimidating and overwhelming, especially on the first day, but you’ll get used to it. You might have trouble finding your classes at first and a hard time with your locker combo but like I said earlier, you’ll learn the tricks and remember what you need to, and everything will be okay. And if you don’t have problems with any of that stuff, then good for you! You really know what you’re doing. 🙂 The sophomores and upperclassmen might be intimidating and scary and mean, but they were once in your position and know exactly what you’re going through. They are actually pretty nice, helpful, and good to be around, once you get to personally know them.

Make sure you study hard and work hard in all of your classes. Take notes, ask questions, and try your hardest on everything. A lot of students think it’s okay and cool to put little effort into projects and papers. They think it’s cool to ditch class and “go to the bathroom” to hang out with friends. Honestly, it looks silly and kind of embarrassing. Think about it this way, is it more impressive to have good grades and be successful in school or be to known as the “cool” kid who never works hard in class, doesn’t turn in papers and homework, and ditches to go to Starbucks, or wherever people go when they ditch? In the end, all of your hard work will pay off and you can do whatever you want to do with your life. If you work hard in school, you can go to a good college, and then have a solid job and good life. Nothing comes just like that.

Also, be yourself. You probably hear this a lot these days. “Be yourself”, “don’t be afraid to show who you really are”, and “don’t listen to what others have to say about you” are all pretty common things said these days, especially to teens who are figuring out who they are. In high school, most people are figuring out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. You might already know what you want to do with your life and you might not, and either way is okay. People will pressure you to become something and do certain things like ditch class or cheat and things like that. If you want to take that road, no one’s stopping you. If you don’t want to do that, then say no and stand up for what you want to do and what you think is right. Joining clubs or sports in school are good ways to meet people you want to be around. If you want to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt everyday, then you do that or if you want to join theater or do sports then you do that. To sum this huge paragraph all up, you shouldn’t feel pressured to be something you aren’t. Do what you feel is right and, well, be yourself.
And of course, have fun. Enjoy every moment and make the most of it!

Sorry if this note turned into a pretty long letter! Haha. I know all of you will do well your freshman year. I wish you all the best of luck with this year and the rest of your high school career. Make the most of your year, class of 2019! Good luck incoming freshmen!

Best of luck,

Ana Horvath

August 23, 2015
Coming Back to Kennebec Cafe

Last year, around this same time, my family and I travelled to Hesperus, CO to a wonderful little restaurant and bakery called Kennebec Cafe. We also drove around the La Plata Mountains that day.

This past weekend, while visiting family in New Mexico, we decided to visit the Kennebec Cafe once again. They have delicious food so, why not? If you can remember my blog about the visit to Hesperus from last year, we ordered pancakes for breakfast and they were HUGE! The pancakes tasted amazing, but a break from pancakes was definitely needed after that trip. This time, my family and I went for a late lunch instead of breakfast.

I ordered a delicious southwest burger that had pepper jack cheese, green chiles, and avocado on it with a side of fries and an Arnold Palmer (half ginger peach tea and half raspberry lemonade). The Arnold Palmer was really refreshing and the food was so yummy! The burger was done very well and the flavors in it worked well together.

The service was great, the food was tasty, and the company was wonderful. My family and I had a relaxing and fun day and a short but good weekend together. If you’re ever headed to Hesperus, CO or just traveling through the area, make sure to add the Kennebec Cafe to your list of things to-do, it’s worth it!

August 16, 2015
Back in the Boot- Peroneal Tendon Subluxation

You all remember the blogs about my first boot and the sesamoid fracture, right? Well guess what’s back! August 4th, 2015, the boot comes back on. This time it isn’t for a fracture but for peroneal tendon subluxation.

In your lower leg, there’s a collection of muscles and tendons. They originate from the fibula and travel down the leg and into various areas of the foot. Behind the bony prominence on the outside of the ankle lie the two peroneal tendons, peroneus brevis which attaches to your fifth metatarsal (toe), and peroneus longs which runs under the foot and attaches near the big toe. These two tendons are held in place by a strong, connective tissue called the peroneal retinaculum.

Peroneal tendon subluxation is when one or both of the peroneal tendons slip out of position and come over the bony prominence on the outside of the ankle. Once the tendons come out of place, they may remain there or return to their original position. It’s not a good feeling.

Peroneal tendon subluxation can occur because of a torn retinaculum which would allow for the tendons to move freely, shallow grooves which make it easier for the tendons to come out of place, and also a loose or weak retinaculum which is least common.

This is can be treated with immobilization (like a boot), rest, orthotics, and also surgery for retinaculum repair, tendon repair, or groove deepening.

So my boot is back for another month to immobilize and hopefully keep the peroneal tendons in place. Now you know a little bit about peroneal tendon subluxation and I hope to get better soon and see you all back out on the courts!

And as a little side note, my dad and aunt’s birthdays are tomorrow so, Happy Birthday to both of you! 🙂

August 9, 2015
Happy Father’s Day!

Father’s Day is here and to celebrate this day for the dads, here’s a poem. Enjoy! 🙂

Dads are pretty special,
They really make your day.
They help you learn to play sports,
And are your head cheerleader when you play.

Dads support you when you need them,
And help you with homework.
Stay cool, calm, and collected,
They bring a big smile when they come home from work.

So Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there,
We all love you and want you to know we care,
Have a good and relaxing day,
Happy Father’s Day!

All material protected by © Copyright 2015 by anahorvath.com

This great day is a wonderful time to get out and do something fun with your dad. For example, my sister and I usually play tennis on Father’s Day and then go where our dad wants to go for dinner. Make memories, enjoy yourselves, and show your dads how much you care. Once again, Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads out there. And to my dad personally, I just want to say thanks for everything and I love you! 🙂

Happy Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day! Happy wi love you daddy! You’re the best coach and role model anyone could ask for. Love you lots!

June 21, 2015
It’s a Blogiversary!

Last Monday, June 8th was the official one year anniversary of this blog, anahorvath.com! I’m really proud of all of the work I’ve put into this blog and what it has become. I’m also super excited for the years to come with this blog. I guess you could say this was a blogiversary!

Over the past year, I have published 53 blogs, 54 including this one. There have been blogs about tips for tennis tournaments, setting tips for volleyball, modeling stories, top ten kids’ TV shows and rainy day foods, cupcake reviews, a tribute to JFK, poems, little videos, “Did You Know?” posts, life stories, business related essays, weekend reviews, things I was hoping for in the new year, holiday gift ideas, stuff about dogs, and all other kinds of things.

I hope to keep this blog up and continue writing. I also hope that all of my readers have enjoyed this blog over the past year and look forward to it in the future. I will still post blogs every Sunday and do my best to keep it up to date.

WordPress has been a wonderful website to work with and put my blog onto. It has been super smooth and whenever there were issues, the people working for WordPress were extremely helpful and solved the problems quickly and also answered questions when needed. If you are looking to start a website and a blog, I highly suggest using WordPress to run it.

Thanks again to all of my readers and there are more exciting and interesting blogs to come!

June 14, 2015
Memorial Day Weekend

Not all weekends are full of excitement and fun but this Memorial Day weekend has been a very eventful weekend so far. I’ve played a lot of tennis, visited the Wild Animal Sanctuary, and went to a huge Mexican restaurant, oh, and studied for finals.

Saturday was mostly studying for the final big week of school. Finals, yay! (Totally kidding.) My dad, sister, and I also got onto the tennis courts and had a lot of fun. It’s been raining like crazy for the past few weeks so we had to get out earlier than usual to beat the weather. Exercise is super important, so it’s best to get out when you can!

Today started off with a fun two hour tennis practice and then my family and I did something we’ve never done before. In Keensburg, Colorado there is the largest animal sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere and it is called the Wild Animal Sanctuary. The walk is a total of two miles and is pretty enjoyable.The sanctuary owns over 700 acres of land and is home to abused carnivores from all over the world. These animals have room to run, play, and live their lives to the fullest. You get to walk on a path that is 30 feet above the ground so that the animals don’t feel threatened or become anxious. There were lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my! We heard lions roar and saw grizzly bear wrestle and even ostriches run and play. The Wild Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful non-profit organization with an even better cause and the walk and sights are worth the drive.

This was the white tiger taking a nap at the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

After the three hour journey, my family and I traveled to a huge restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita, which means “pretty house” in Spanish. From the outside, Casa Bonita looked like a cute, high-quality Mexican restaurant, but when we walked inside, I realized how huge the restaurant was. There was a mini pool for cliff divers, arcade, buffet area, and so much more. You could choose from an all-you-can-eat buffet or a different meal. I went with the chicken dinner buffet and it came with an enchilada, taco, rice, and beans, and the food was delicious. There were also free sopapillas with the meal and those were additionally tasty. The shows with the cliff divers were short and funny and also ended with someone diving into the pool. I really enjoyed the experience and had a lot of fun today.

And tomorrow is Memorial Day, where we get to honor the men and women that served our country and dedicated their lives to it. Tomorrow would be a good time to get together with family and celebrate the people that serve our country. Happy Memorial Day everyone and have a good upcoming week. 🙂 And good luck to everyone taking finals this week!

May 24, 2015
Happy Mothers’ Day!

Mothers’ Day is here! Here are some quotes for this day to show our appreciation for the moms:

M- “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” -Robert Browning

O- “Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we’ve ever met.” -Marguerite Duras

T- Terri Guillemets said, “I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine-she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.”

H- Honore de Balzac: “The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”

E- Erma Bombeck said, “When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.”

R- Ricki Lake: “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.”

Moms are great best friends, cheering sections, tutors, and anything a person could want. Truly, every day is Mothers’ Day but today is the day where it is officially recognized on the calendar. Get her a nice card, a bouquet of flowers, and spend some time with your mom today. Happy Mothers’ Day everyone!

May 10, 2015
Cleared to Go!

This past Thursday, I was officially cleared to come back to sports, by my physical therapist, and boy was I excited!

I still have to take it easy and be aware of my body, but I can return to the volleyball court, tennis court, and dance floor.

Having to be out for such a long time (like eight months) can be really frustrating. Especially when you think, “Oh, I’ll be good in a few weeks.” and then those weeks turn into months and it seems like forever! But it’s important to be patient and go with the flow, and in the end, things will straighten out. Things do get better, even if it doesn’t seem like it for a while.

I would personally, like to thank everyone who supported me, cared for me, and helped me have a smooth recovery. You guys know how to do it right! 🙂 I truly appreciate all of the care and help and I can’t wait to get out on the courts.

March 29, 2015
Valentine’s Day

The day of chocolates, hearts, and cute and cheesy love letters in only six days away! Here are a few things you can do for your loved ones, whether it’s a boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, sister, mom, dad, uncle, aunt, or grandparents.

-Chalkboard Mug– If you don’t already have a chalkboard mug, go out and get one. On Valentine’s Day, write a sweet little note for your lucky someone to read.

-Themed Sweets– Boxed chocolates, red velvet cake, heart-shaped cookies or brownies…you name it! Getting some sweets themed around Valentine’s Day is a fun and yummy way to brighten the mood and your stomachs.

-A Bouquet of Flowers– A bouquet of bright red roses, or pretty carnations, is a wonderful way to show your appreciation. Flowers also smell very nice and look very pretty.

-Tickets– For the men and boys in your life, you could get them tickets to a singer coming to town or a good movie. You could even be wanting to take a trip! This is also a fun way to spend the night or an exciting week together and make lasting memories.

-Jewelry– A pretty new necklace or a gorgeous pair of earrings is a wonderful way to make the girls and women in your life feel even more appreciated and cared for.

-Your Time– Family and friends deserve a lot of your time. Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to spend time with your mom and dad and/or your best friends. This is another good way to make memories.

-A Card– In my family, write cards the most. Cards are so much fun, whether you make them or pick them out. It could be ridiculously cheesy or super meaningful. The thing about a card is you can choose what is said inside and it is a thing that can be kept forever. Words mean a lot to people.

Just remember, when it comes to gifts, it doesn’t matter how much it costs or what your friends got their family. What really matters is that you’re showing your appreciation and love for your family and friends. Have a great Valentine’s Day! <3

February 9, 2015