Flashback Friday: Senior Year

It's graduation time around the country! I have been paying more attention this year to high school graduations because I feel so bad for the seniors. Graduating is more than the ceremony. It's the parties, celebrating with friends, all the school traditions and rites of passage. I have found myself reflecting back on my own high school graduation and senior year. Here are some of my memories.

The summer before a few of us girls went to Angela's cabin up Provo Canyon. I've never laughed so hard in my life. We're trying really hard to recreate this trip as soon as the stupid virus is over.

My senior year started August 2001. My birthday was September 10 but it was a Monday so my friends took me out to dinner the Saturday before.

 We ate at TGI Fridays. Is that even a thing anymore?

And then the day after my birthday was September 11. I still have my journal from that time. My entry from that day reads in part:
      Around 7:00 this morning, Chunga, Mister and Casey (the radio DJs I woke up to every morning) announced that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center. There were speculations that it had been a suicide. I imagined a small privately owned airplane sticking half-way out of the building. Then the report came in of the second crash. 
     I didn't see any footage until about 7:30 when I went downstairs. Smoke poured from the upper levels of both the buildings. I watched the news for another ten minutes and then I left for school.
     Everyone was talking of the crashes. Most felt like it was the beginning of the 'the end.' A few boys said they were afraid to go to war. I heard from Tanner that the Pentagon had also been hit. I didn't believe it at first.
     We watched the news during first period. Mrs. Miller (English) was very emotional. She said she was afraid for us because of what we would have to face. She said that we would be asked by our children about this day.
     Mr. Hicks (principal) made a few remarks [over the intercom] throughout the day. He said homecoming celebrations would continue because we're Americans "and we're damn tough." I believe him.
    By late afternoon, I was feeling saturated with the stories and images. The buildings had collapsed not long after they had been hit. Every local station was broadcasting the news with the exception of UPN and KBYU. Even MTV showed CNN.

Just like Mr. Hick's said, we continued with our Homecoming week with the game that Friday. The sadness and uncertainty hung over us but it also united our class and school. We felt strong. Go Devils.

Jaret Ware, Mandy Johnson, Me, Tiana Andrus, Kody Dunn

We started the year off with every senior girl getting a t-shirt to wear to games and whatnot. I still have mine (and I don't dare try it on).

Tiana Andrus, Natalie Something, Me, Suzy Day

Tiana Andrus, Me, Angela Ercanbrack, Kenzie Martindale

Me, Angela Ercanbrack, Tiana Andrus

 We won! We always won.

This is how we usually watched the football games--on the bleachers but sitting down and goofing off.

Emily Fawson, Tiana Andrus, Kenzie Martindale, Mandy Johsnon, Me

Later that month my parents took my brother and I to San Francisco. (I can't find any photos from that trip.) I was super scared to fly to San Fran since there were reports that it was also an intended target before they grounded the planes on September 11. My dad pish-poshed my worries and we went. We were fine. I left my Seal CD in the rental car.

What did my friends and I do for fun? We mostly hung out at other people's houses with parents that could stand being inundated with teens who thought they were funny.

Our popular hang-outs: Jake Booth's, Dave Walker's, Brett Lee's, Mandy Johnson's, Shannon Johnson's.  

Me, Kenzie Martindale

 We spent so much time driving around trying to find where everyone was. We'd call around from someone's house and then drive around some more. I can't even imagine that's not even a thing nowadays with cell phones.

Angela Ercanbrack, Me

 We went to the movies a lot. I remember a weekend where I had seen everything at the local theater except the R rated movies.

We also went bowling but in an ironic sort of way. Wouldn't it be hilarious to go bowling?
We had movie nights and ordered cheesesticks from Zubs all the time. We ate lunch at Arctic Circle, Ream's, and 7-Eleven. I drove my dad's 1989 Mazda 929. It leaked oil and that leaked oil would start to burn and smoke on the engine if I drove for more than 20 minutes at a time. The radio didn't work so I sang to myself. You had to wiggle the key to get the AC or windows to work. Angela named it Merlin because you had to understand wizardry to operate it.

I was the most involved in extra curricular stuff than my previous years. I was a member of the Seminary Council and FHA and other clubs so I could be on more pages of the yearbook. FHA did the Mr. Springville pageant so I got to help make the set and escort one of the contestants, Andrew Vernon. It was super fun. On Seminary Council we got to plan the morningsides, decorate the building, plan events and challenges. I loved that the most.

Justin Beck as Sabastian from Little Mermaid. I helped him make his costume in sewing 3rd period. He did not win.

Actual classwork you ask? Let me put it this way: Every 'A' day I thought "My A days are easier than B days." and then the next day I'd think "Nope, 'B' days are easier." I don't remember all my classes but I do remember Sewing 2, T.A. for the dance teacher, Occupational Childcare, Foods 2, English, and a couple college distant learning courses (Humanities 1010 and Sociology 1010) through UVSC (now UVU). No math, no science. Now before you roll your eyes, I did get a 4.0 every term.

Every other day I helped out at Mrs. Huntley's 3rd grade class at Mapleton Elementary. These kids are 26 now!

After Seminary first period, I left the high school to go to their school and as soon as I walked into class a few of the girls would run up to me with pictures they drew.  It was such a fun class. Then I went home (which was down the street) and ate lunch and watched Pop Up Video on VH1. Then I went back for sewing and maybe went to TA with Mandy but mostly we didn't and just went home after that. That was my B day lol.

And then the year came to a close. Before we knew it, dances, drama, boys, projects, homework (not me necessarily) were over and done with. 

Me and Mandy. We went on to Snow College together so we weren't sad. 

Graduation day!

 My dad gave me a check for my graduation gift. His card said "you'll most likely put it in the bank and that's fine." I bought a desk for college and yes, the rest went in the bank. I probably spent it on Lean Cuisines that first year of college.

Angela, Me, Jena Krebs, Jill Roberts, Kenzie, Ashley Francis, Jessica Johnson

Jake Martinez, Jason (Yoko) Dallin, Brett Lee, Sam Shaw, Jaret Ware, Alex York

 Our school hosted a Senior all night party. I realize now it was to keep us out of trouble. They had all you can eat pizza, games, contests, and maybe a dance?

Administrators commented how much better our class was than the class ahead of us and behind. We didn't have too many troublemakers and not too cliquey. I had a really great group of friends. There were a lot of good groups. We had so much fun and no drama at all. Maybe we were just not competitive with each other and just wanted to have fun.

If you notice, Justin is missing from all my photos. He's in a few group dance pictures and some videos (We made tons of movies. I should post those!) He's around-- probably crushing on me from afar. Just kidding.

I loved high school. I'm sad that some people hated it. I'd go back for a day just to say hi to everyone and maybe help them like it a little more.

School is Out (all the way)

Erica was first to have her last day of school on May 15. She put on the same clothes as her first day. She wore a hole in the knees of these leggings and I have made them into shorts.

Frist day, August 2019

Last day, May 2020

 Then we went to the school where her teacher was waiting to hand her a bag of things she has worked on all year and a special present. Mrs. Chidester has taught all 3 of them and we love her.

 Erica was super emotional all morning about kindergarten ending and in such a tragic way. We took our time walking around the outside of the school and getting all the closure we could.

 And then we went camping up Diamond Fork with Justin's family. Henry got to try out his new tent and I ate a lot of smores.

 "Guns for sale!" Yup, still tired of hearing James yell that. You can get a stick gun for one rock. It's a good deal.

Sunday was my dad's birthday. We celebrated moving to yellow restrictions by doing this:

Friday May 22 was Sarah and Henry's last day.

First day August 2019

Last day May 2020

 Henry wouldn't humor me by putting on his same outfit but I have like 100 pictures of him in that blue shirt because he wears it most days so it's okay.

First day August 2019

Last day May 2020 

Rees had a last day of school parade where we were the parade! I asked Henry to take pictures but unbeknownst to me he took videos instead, starting with the drive over there. This is the clip with the most of the teachers. It's not great but it's all we've got. I'm proud that I went 2 minutes without yelling at my kids and I didn't even know he was recording!

And then we passed the 5th grade teachers and saw Sarah's name! Good job Sarah! They were supposed to have a big awards night with a fancy dinner but that didn't happen. Even after she knew there wasn't going to be a big reward, she finished all the requirements anyway.

She also found out that morning that she made Student Council for next year. There was a lot of happy jumping up and down in the kitchen. We are so proud of her. She filled out the application all by herself and had to submit a short video message of why she wanted to be on student council and all I did was hold the camera and email the file to her.

 

Then when Justin got home, we took them to Black Bear Diner. This is their favorite restaurant and they all ordered breakfast of course. They also went to the bathroom 9 times collectively.

They really wanted to go to a park in Orem but it was so windy and dusty when we left the restaurant. We went home for cookies and awards.

I guess I'm trying to compensate for the school year fizzling out to blah.

I bought my kids each a new book and a candy necklace, a sucker, sixlets and their favorite candy bar and put them in a bag for each of them.

Then they each got an award for what they did best that year.

 I tried to create suspense in announcing them one by one but they knew.

Erica: Happy about homework award. Sarah: Read enough minutes for everyone award. James: Best buddy award. Henry: On time award. 

And then we watched the next movie in our "expose our kids to the greatest movies of our youth that are borderline scary" series: Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc.

I'd like to think it was unrelated that Henry came into our room 12 times in 40 minutes crying about how he couldn't sleep (he only watched like 20 minutes of the movie).