RUCKUSES for life!

BYU is ridiculously freezing (well to Californian's like me :)) most of the year. Actually I take it back, we had a great fall, but spring was almost nonexistent which is kind of a bummer. My roommate, Jenae, purchased a scooter (moped) this year and was kind enough to let us ride it. We don't ride it during the winter cuz that is colder than words can explain(and if you dont believe me, ask Kelsey. Mention something about scooters and skirts and freezing and it'll sure spark her memory), but we did ride it in the spring.
My friend, Jana B, also has a scooter and I would ride on the back of hers or by myself. I started giving Jen and Valerie Nishiguchi rides and they loved it. Let me rephrase that, for Jen, riding the scooter was better than Christmas morning as a 5 year old. And for Valerie, it took a little coaxing, but then she loved it too.
One night during finals, I was totally burnt out. I decided to call Jana and see if she wanted to go for a scooter ride. She excitedly said that she was already riding her scooter and that her friend, Travis, was riding his too. I grabbed Jenae's scooter and we were about to go for a ride as a scooter gang. I remembered how bad Val and Jen were dying to go, so we gave them a call and they jumped on the back of Jana and my Scoot scoots (that's their names). Jen rides with me and Val with Jana. It works out perfectly because Jana is a Utah driver and I'm a California driver. Therefore, Jana is more cautious while I'm a little bit more aggressive. (Don't worry grandma, I'm still totally safe, and the scooters don't go more than 100 mph.) Were great matches for Val and Jen.
Jana had always wanted to have a scooter gang, so we decided now was the perfect time and the Ruckuses were born. We were quite the bunch. Jen and I on Jenae's totally decked out, motorcycle-looking scooter, Val and Jana on her smaller, sweet looking scooter that only has one mirror, and Travis on his pretty much old school 70's bike with a motor, whose breaks squeek like no tomorrow. Going up hills was prtty funny because Travis' scoot could barely make it. We were cheering him on and helping him think light thoughts so as not to weigh the scooter down. We had an initiation by riding up to stone hedge (a gorgeous place, right above the temple that looks over all of Provo). We all told our deepest, darkest secrets and poured our souls out. Okay, not really but it was fun and good bonding time. We stayed up there for quite a while and then rode home and drove into the Miller parking lot honking, screaming, and flashing our lights. A ton of people came out to see what was going on and join in the excitement. We are now officially legends and will live on in scooter history...
P.S. Jen became so obsessed with scooters that we seriously must of ridden them like 5 times in 3 days. And I thought I was obsessive. :)

My poor children

On Thursday morning, Rachelle Hanshaw went into labor. We had prearranged that I would go over and help get her kids off to school when those lovely contractions consumed her body and it was time to have the lil one. At 7:00 AM, I went over to the Hanshaw house and filled that void. We read the friend, said prayers, made lunches, and the kids did their jobs.
Surprisingly, we still had like a half an hour before they had to go to school. I decided that we should make pancakes. I consulted the children and we came to the conclusion that in honor of their new little brother, we would make chocolate chip pancakes. I am a big believer in bribery, espescially with sugar. Probably not as much with my own kids, but no big deal with someone else's kids. I don't have to worry as much about somone else's kids long term salvation, like I will with my own.
I didn't want to make a mess at Rachelle's, so I ran home and grabbed all the ingredients. I put all the liquid stuff in a bowl and then put the baking powder, sugar, and salt in a baggy and decided to just use some of Rachelle's flour. Michael was kind enough to get the grill/skillet out and start warming it up while I was gone. I grabbed some flour and added all the ingredients together. I was so excited because this was something fun that I could do with the kids that they would enjoy.
I pour out the first pancakes and Michael adds chocolate chips to them. We anxiously watch with excitement and anticipation. The pancakes aren't really looking how they look when I cook them at home. They are kinda flat and not bubbling. I decided it was because I was cooking on a skillet and I normally just use a pan at home. SLowly they started to look more weird, but I couldn't come to any coclusion besides the skillet.
I fed the kids the pancakes and they seemed totally content. I asked all 3 kids if the pancakes tasted funny, and they replied no. But lets think about this logically... Are 3 kids who are eating something that is covered in chocolate chips, butter, and loads of maple syrup, going to say that it tastes funny? I think not. I took one bite of Michael's pancake and decided to pass on my precious pancakes. I mean, they didn't taste bad, they just didn't taste good and they didn't have that pancake texture that we all love.
I sent the kids off to school and began cleaning up. We had made somewhat of a mess with the pancakes and Michael had opened a bag of crackers that exploded everywhere while helping make the kids lunches. So I started sweeeping and wiping off the counters and then I saw this little bag with white powder in it. My immediate thoughts were Tim and Rachelle were doing cocaine. But then I thought about it more logically and remembered that Rachelle was pregnant so it must just be Tim doing it. Then I really looked at the bag and just started laughing. It was the bag that had the baking powwder, salt, and sugar in it and I had forgotten to add it.
Making pancakes is honestly like a 3 step process and I hadn't been able to comlete step 2 because I'm kinda out there when it comes to common sense and just the rush of the morning. I'm always running late and consequently I'm always rushed. When I have kids and then am REALLY rushed, I'm curious as to what I'll forget. Maybe school lunches, basketball practice, or just straight up leaving one at a gas station. We'll just have to wait and see what happens to my poor children...

Reflections of BYU- sophomore style!

It amazes me that another year at BYU has come and gone. I'm going to be a junior in college and it feels like I just started my senior year of high school. It kind of makes me reflect on my life. Am I where I want to be in my life? Have I done my best in everything? Do I have any regrets so far? [haha, I just realized I sound like I'm like 80 and lecturing (I mean bestowing my wisdom :P) to my grandchildren like Grandma Barker. (I love you grandma)] But seriously, I don't think you're ever too young to evaluate your life and learn from your mistakes. I am happy where I am, but I definitely can make some improvements.
Sophomore year was a good one. I learned so much (and had such an awesome time) freshmen year, as can be expected your first year away from home. I honestly didn't expect to learn so much sophomore year, being the know-it-all that I am [but trying not to be, I'll get there some day... I hope :)]. This year was different for me because I didnt hang out with my usual type of friends. Everyone has a guy type, but if you really think about it, you have a girl type too. There is a certain type of people that you are naturally drawn too, girl or guy. My "type" is super fun and over the top spontaneous, really happy and outgoing and LOVES PEOPLE, (sporty would be nice), driven in school, and really just good as a person and spiritaully (does this sound like a newspaper add to anyone else?, if you're interested call.....). I feel like I thrive with these type of people. They make me happy and strive to be better in every aspect of my life. But this year my eyes were opened to new types of people.
I had some apartment struggles, so I started just hanging out 24-7 next door. In fact, when they came to extend me my calling, they came to that apartment, thinking that I lived there. Things like that happened many times and people were always shocked to learn that I didn't live there. (For reference, my apartment is #24, and next door is #23). Anyway, none of the girls in apartment #23 fit my normal "type". Don't get me wrong, they are AWESOME GIRLS, just not my status quo. They are very musical, need alone time, aren't spontaneous, and aren't over the top happy and outgoing, and overall don't play sports. Not gonna lie, these are usually the type of people that I MIGHT say hi to at church. But I really just didn't want to be at my apartment (a lot of this was my fault, because I avoided the issues instead of facing them head on), so, out of default, I spent a ton of time next door. For the first time in my life, I was forced to give these type of people a chance. There was one girl in 23 kinda like my type, miss Emily Mayda Low, and I latched onto her (as I have been known to do. I'm sorry I just love people! Once again, Im workin on it...), and we became really good friends. At first some of the the other girls boggled my mind. I honeslty jut couldn't understand how not having a ton of fun with tons of people could make anyone happy. Slowly, I started to get to know the other girls in the apartment. To make a long story short, I loved what I found when I finally gave them a chance. Now I'm ridiculously good friends with Valerie Nishiguchi, [a vocal performance major, who doesn't play sports, wants to be a princess, and likes to sew and paint in her free time (and now hang with me!), and Kelsey Howell ( in concert choir, loves alone time, not sporty, and really moody in the mornings HAHA!!, love ya kels). I just told you the things about them that are different from me, but they are such great girls and I love thier goodness. In fact, I'm even living with Kelsey next year and Im so stoked. (Trisha, don't feel left out! I love you too, you just don't fit in that category. You're my favorite snuggle. And you know how much I love you Julie, and your nontouchiness)
I definitely think that this has been the biggest lesson that I have learned this year. I thought it was weird because I felt so strongly that I should live in #24 instead of with my freshmen friends that I loved. I started REALLY struggling with my apartment and couldn't figure out why I had felt that I should live there. But now I totally know. My freshemn friends are pretty much my normal type and if I hadn't lived there, I never would have met the girls next door and given that type of people a chance. I would have missed out on so many great people throughout my life. (Well I guess Rachelle Hanshaw is a lot like those type of people (not all the way), and everyone knows how much I love her, but I defnitely thought she was the acception to the norm, even in her own category almost, cuz she is so crazy.. :P )
And near the end of the year, I finally met a girl, Jana Barker, in my ward. We found out that we're 4th cousins, hence the same last name. Anyway, she is 1000% my normal type and AMAZING! We had so much fun together and even though I have branched out, I still like my old friends. Life is great and Im grateful for all the experinces I had my sohpomore year. I find that when we are having the hardest times, we grow the most, and learn to depend on the lord. And heaven knows, I can always get better at both of those (along with everything else)...