Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Graduation Parties

Out school always held a big all night party after graduation to keep kids from going out and drinking and getting into trouble. We kind of rolled our eyes at this because the kids who were most likely to do that skipped the party and did it anyway, or just did it the next night. Still, we had a lot of fun!

I remember they had a vote at the beginning of the year for what the theme should be and there was a tie between Loony Tunes and Caribbean Cruise - so they combined them, which I thought was pretty lame.

They closed off the entire campus and had all sorts of things to do: sumo wrestling, paint ball, velcro wall, dancing, games, and lots of food. I remember they had my most favorite burritos from Flavelas, a local joint. Oh man, I would go back to Fairfield right now for a Flavela's burrito.

It was so much fun to hang out with friends all night. And bittersweet because I knew that I wouldn't see most of them again after this night. (This was pre-FB.)

I vaguely remember walking around campus and talking with friends, but most of everything else is fuzzy. That's partly due to time, partly due to the fact that I was EXHAUSTED after the night was over!

I think I slept most of the day, finally getting up so I could go to a party at my friend Jen's house.

I've noticed that in Indiana everyone seems to have a party/open house for their graduating seniors. In the spring you can always tell which households in our neighborhood have grads because of all the cars parked outside their homes on the weekend. (And the "Happy Graduation" signs...) That wasn't much of a *thing* in Fairfield. I don't think it even occurred to my family to have a party - they were more than happy to let other people cover it!

I remember really enjoying this party because my closer friends were here, and it wasn't as wild as grad night. I'm also pretty sure I stopped at a couple of other small parties on the way home, but alas, no pictures.

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Graduation

To be honest, I hardly remember seminary graduation. Which is weird, because I spoke! (Fun fact: i also spoke at Stake Conference that year. I kinda remember that...)

High school graduation I do remember. It was really exciting, and I was more than ready to move on with life. But it was the end all of everything like it was for some people at my school. They were acting like this was the Biggest Deal Ever. And maybe it was for them. Classmates were getting cars, trips, and lots of cash. I got a dictionary and a cookbook. Which was made me roll my eyes, but I've actually used both quite a bit in the last 20 years!

I was ticked about the top 10 seniors, because I was number twelve. SO CLOSE.

I remember being hot and sticky in that polyester graduation gown, and wishing that the girls got to wear black instead.

I also remember having to triple check to make sure they said my name correctly. One of the school secretaries would walk down the row at practice and write the pronunciation of each name on the list. "Like Karen with an M" was my explanation when she didn't get it on the THIRD try. Seriously? I had a good friend named Nghi and she got that super easy. Whatever.

I know most schools have formal graduations in big concert halls, but I really liked being outside. It was a beautiful, clear California day, with a slight breeze and swaying palm trees. Granted, some people seemed to think they were actually at a football game with the way they acted . (Shouts and blow horns and jugs full of pennies. Seriously, some people.) But still, I liked it.

This is probably the only graduation ceremony I've ever really enjoyed. By the time I finished college I was a week away from getting married and didn't really want to go to the ceremony. (I did, though. Mom, Dad, and Grandma made me.) And going to graduations for other people? Not so much fun. Lance feels the same way - we skipped his undergraduate ceremony and only went to the one for Purdue because his his family came!

I remember the who day feeling kind of surreal. I had gone to school for so long and worked so hard, and there it was.

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - AP Government

So... this class... this class is not a shining example of my high school education. I HATED this class because it was just so dang boring. Mr. Harper made us read so many of the Federalist Papers, for crying out loud. Seriously, it was awful. This class has the honor of being the first that I EVER fell asleep in. (Unfortunately, not the last.) ((I'm looking at you, 8am Chemistry in college.))

But... we also had a lot of fun in this class. I had some really good friends in there. And we quickly discovered that if we got Sean Unger (future attorney at law) and Mr. Harper off on some tangent, then we could work on other homework, chat, sleep, whatever. We used this to our advantage. Far too much to our advantage. Even though I got an A in the class I never bothered to take the AP test because I knew there was no way I'd ever pass.

Mr. Harper wasn't that bad. Kind of blustery and probably better suited for teaching college students. He gave each student a voter registration card on their 18th birthday, so that was kind of cool. (Cool that he noticed your birthday, at least.) And I remember he had a sense of humor and probably realized that 99% of what he taught would never be remembered after we graduated.

My friend Andrea drew this picture for me at the end of the year. I have no idea why. But it did tickle me enough to save it for my scrapbook! It's a pretty stunning likeness of Mr. Harper!

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year- Leadership

So student government was a big deal in my circle of friends. Actually, it's where I met or spent time with most of my circle of friends! I was in student government in some form or another for all 4 years of high school. And. I. Loved. It.

I loved the planning and the meetings and the work. Oh sure, I'm sure I complained about it, but really I loved it.

He's not pictured here, but Mr. Carpino was the student activities director and he truly was one of the most AMAZING educators in my entire schooling career, including college. He was always positive and upbeat and supportive. He put SO many hours into his job. His catch phrase was "Way to go, bub!" I'm sure he often felt like the inmates were running the asylum, what with all our teenage drama and antics. He's one of the few teachers I went back to visit after going to college.

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Anatomy & Physiology

Our high school offered all the usual AP and Honors classes, but the hardest, baddest, most academically-coveted class (at least by us type-A, perfectionist students) was Anatomy & Physiology. It was taught only one period a day, had only 32 seats, and was HARD to get into. You had to have a one-on-one interview with the teacher at the end of your Junior Year, as well as have references from various teachers. It was considered a college-level course, with LOTS of homework, LOTS of studying, CRAZY tests, after school labs, and lots of stress. And it looked great on your transcript. It was a BIG deal to get into this class. (Well, in my circle of friends.) I got in and I LOVED it!

We each got our own cat to dissect during the first semester - I couldn't eat meat for about a month after labeling all the dank muscles. None of it really bothered me except opening up the stomach. Erlack. The smell of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol always shoots my memories straight back to my time spent in that class.

Mr. Millward, our teacher, was unlike any teacher I had ever had. He didn't treat us like high schoolers and didn't suffer fools. But he was also really funny and made everything we learned SO interesting. Seriously. I knew I didn't want to be a doctor or nurse, but I loved that class.

A's were almost unheard of, so I was pretty proud of my very respectable B+. The subject matter never really helped me in college, but the study skills and time management lessons sure did.

We went to a couple of college campuses and toured the cadaver labs, which was pretty interesting. (And, apparently, impactful. I remember more about those trips than many other things my Senior year!) We thought we were so cool. We WERE so cool.

I can't believe that at one point in time I knew every single bone and muscle in the body, where they were located, and what they did. (I hardly remember any now... not information I've really needed.)

It was a BIG deal to get the highest grade on a test or quiz. Mr. Millward would announce it to the whole class and everyone would cheer. I wanted that high score SO BAD. But I was in a class full of geniuses and type-A freaks like me. We all wanted that high score. Finally, though, we had an essay test, which was totally my thing. The essay had to answer the question below; we had 2 hours and I wrote 12 pages, front and back. And I got the highest score!! Seriously, I cannot overstate the euphoria I felt! I even beat out my good buddy, Kensho, who is now a specialist in pediatric pulmonology, so that's saying something, right? (He also got the high score many other times.)

California often gets a bad rap for its public education; and rightfully so sometimes. And my school was by no means the best; it was probably pretty average in most areas. I had mostly good teachers, and a few really awful ones. But I also had some REALLY GREATteachers, and the school had some really great programs and opportunities. This was one of them.

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Misc. 2

Almost Anything Goes: Think giant, 2 day field day for high schoolers. I had been on the Class of '96 team for the first 3 years of school. (Wait - was I on it Junior year? I honestly can't remember now. Maybe? Whatever.) For whatever reason, though some friends and I in our anatomy class (more on that later) decided to break away from the class team and form our own. There was a bit of leadership class drama over this, if I remember correctly. (I'm pretty sure I do in this case.) We didn't place that high (about mid-range) but I remember having SO MUCH FUN with this group! We were seniors, totally stressed out with all our honors and AP classes, finding scholarships and financial aid, and just finishing high school - we didn't really care about winning. And I think that's what made it fun!

So, totally randomly, I flew out to UT to spend the weekend with Lance. I'm *pretty* sure it's because he had promised once that if he ever had a chance to go see Phantom of the Opera he would take me. well, he got tickets and invited me. (We had been pen pals for the previous 2 years.) I don't know what I'm more surprised about - the fact that my parents let me go or that the roundtrip fare was only $96!

We had so much fun! I think he was already done with school by then but I was just gearing up for finals and projects and stuff. I remember Dane being awfully cute. (Not cute enough to take a picture of, though.) Oh my gosh. We were babies.

The seniors at our high school always went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for Senior Cut Day. (Which was a bit of a misnomer because it was totally a school function, and if you didn't go you had to go to school. Whatever.) I'm not sure why we went to Santa Cruz other than it was tradition.

I remember having lots of fun on the rides, and discovering that Chris got queasy on rides that go around and around. So does Lance. Apparently I like guys with weak stomachs. Too bad for them, I LURVE spinny rides!

I honestly don't remember much from the trip, which is kinda sad. I'm sure it was fun! (With all these goofy friends, how could it not?)

Dream On

An actual conversation I had with Cole at bedtime tonight:

Cole: I don't want to go to bed. I keep having DREAMS!!!

Me: Bad dreams? I'm sorry, buddy, I know those are no fun.

Cole: NO. Not bad dreams. Just the same dreams. Every night!

Me: Wha...? You're having the same dreams every night?

Cole: No. I just keep dreaming. Every. Night.

Me: Cole, everyone dreams. It's part of being human.

Cole: But my dreams are so boring!

Me: Your dreams are boring. You're complaining because your dreams are boring.

Cole (exasperated): YES. So boring!

Me: Well, ah, there's not much I can do for you. I'm not in charge of dreams. Your brain is in charge of your dreams.

Cole: No! You're in charge!

Me: Of everything else, yes. Of your dreams, no.

Cole: *FRUSTRATED GROWL*

Me: Sorry, buddy.

Cole: But they are so BORING!!

Me: I can't do anything about that.

**This goes on for a good 5 minutes. It's maddening.**

Me (losing it to frustration): COLE!! Listen to me. I simply cannot do anything to change your dreams. I would if I could, but I emphatically cannot. I. Cannot. Change. Your. Dreams.

Cole (without missing a beat): Hey, I have an idea to change my dreams.

Me (sighing): What?

Cole (As if rehearsed): I could stay up later! With Spencer! That would change my dreams!

Me: Nice try, buddy boy. But staying up late will definitely not change your dreams.

Cole: *FRUSTRATED GROWL*

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Prom

Our Senior Prom was held on a big boat that cruised around the SF bay. (Hence the nautical themes.) It sounds all glamorous and such, but I don't really remember it being that nice. I do remember being out on deck while we went under the Bay Bridge and being pretty impressed by that but no one else seemed to care!

We went with a group of LDS kids from the stake and it was really fun! And no, we did not coordinate our colors - it just turned out that way. We all cleaned up pretty nice!

I remember the pictures being taken at some sort of warehouse by the dock... And I have no recollection of actually getting on the boat, which seems weird to me.

Also, prom didn't start that evening - it had started super early that morning with the guys "kidnapping" the girls for an early breakfast at Denny's. I wonder why I didn't mention that in the scrapbook? I'm pretty sure there was also an after party at Emily's house that included breakfast.

We all got together with our parents at Kate's house before we left for pictures and snacks. Lots and lots of pictures.

I still feel bad I can't remember Brian's date's name. (She went to a different high school, so while I knew her I didn't know her that well.) I remember she was really nice, and that she was going to BYUI that fall.

For prom being such a BIG deal at school, I'm kinda surprised how little I remember of the actual evening. I guess I've had too many truly big deals happen since then!

Scrapbooks - High School - Senior Year - Misc.

There's way too many random pages in my High School Senior Year scrapbook to categorize. I mean, I could, but who has that sort of time? I haven't even scanned all of the pages yet, and even if I did if I tried putting them out of order I'd probably forget something. And looking through my pages there's no rhyme or reason to their order... I'm sure to teenage me it made total sense. But adult me can't figure it out. (Teenage me is rolling her eyes at old lady me.) Whatever. So I suspect we'll have lots of Miscellaneous posts. 

My aunt and uncle lived down in Pasadena, so we'd take turns at each other's homes for holidays. Going down to southern CA often meant fun things like the Rose Parade, Universal Studios, and, of course, Disney Land.

We had a pretty great group of youth in our stake. And we had really great leaders who took us on all sorts of activities and such. It's only now that I'm adult that I truly appreciate the time and effort they put into their callings! (And the patience. Oh boy, the patience...)

Growing up in northern CA certainly has it's perks - like amazing field trips like this. I had so much fun, even though I ended up with a AWFUL case of poison oak despite my most careful efforts. (I'm super allergic to stuff like that. I ended up having to get steroid shots for it. The joy.)

The Senior Tea (at which no tea was served) was a weird combination of talent show/fashion show/dinner with parents invited. I was really heavily involved in its planning and production. At this point my mom was going through a round of chemo and I think my dad was traveling, so my parents didn't get to come. I remember being a little disappointed. but not as upset as my friends seemed to feel for me. (Does that make sense?) I was like "Okay, yeah, it sucks. But life goes on." (And secretly thinking that if I were a parent I probably wouldn't want to sit through the talent/fashion show and eat the mediocre buffet dinner.) ((Teenage me was pretty snarky. And probably spot on.))

I look at these spring break pages and think 2 things: 1) I can't believe my parents trusted their 17 year old daughter to drive herself, her boyfriend, her baby brother, and her sick mom into SAN FRANCISCO. (Seriously, though. The traffic and big city and such.) I guess mom couldn't drive herself and Dad was probably traveling for work, so I was the only option. But still. THE FAITH THEY HAD!!! And 2) Josh looks a WHOLE lot like Josh. I don't have any pictures to compare, but trust me. It's uncanny.