A Not So Typical Day in The Life of Jessica

Yesterday, my friends and I had nothing to do. I suggested walking down "Historic 25th Street" in Ogden just to kill some time - it was something I had never done...and I live 15 minutes away.

We turned it into a photo shoot!

Ashley Torman, Kirsten Dove, and I were camera fiends - taking pictures of each other every few seconds with each of our cameras. It was a blazing hot day, but despite the sweat rolling off our faces and being careful not to raise our arms too high, it was fabulous!

Ashley

Me

Kirsten

We walked passed all the antique stores and restaurants, the barber shops and art supply stores. We soon found ourselves at the Union Station taking pictures in front the old architecture and in the train yard. Now I understand why so many couples get their wedding pictures taken there - it's beautiful!

We wandered into an expensive furniture store and cooled off in the air conditioned building; dreaming of one day having the money to by a $3,000 gong.

All of us went back to my place and made ourselves some pizza pockets...and Kirsten had a turkey sandwich. We sat in my treehouse and talked for a few minutes until Ashley needed to go to work.

After the girls went home, I called up my friend Shanna Banana Peterson. She had asked me if I would be willing to go with her to our stake's young single adult ward's Family Home Evening. They were having a barbeque and playing soccer. I'm not a fan of sports...at all...but I could tell Shanna really wanted someone to go with her. I then realized that I had just eaten dinner...and I would be having a second dinner an hour later. :) She picked me up at 7:30 and we went to the YSA FHE. We felt out of place at first, but we ate some hamburgers and hot dogs and started warming up. We had a lot of fun socializing with some girls and laughing together. Luckily, they had a volleyball net set up - one of the few sports I CAN play :) - and so we joined in the game. It was actually a lot of fun! When Shanna asked me if I was ready to go, I wasn't really prepared for it! But we had plans...

Shanna and I have vowed to watch all of the Lord of the Ring Extended Version DVDs this summer. :) We watched the first one last week and now it was time for the second. So at 9:30 PM we came home and found my family on the TV. Their show wrapped up and they wanted to watch LOTR II with us. Shanna and I are random. Last time we had decided that anytime we watch LOTR we have to wear capes...and this time we added crazy hats to the list of requirements. My mom and my sisters all joined in and we all watched LOTR II with crazy hats and capes. :D It was really fun.

We only got through the first disk...and it was late. Shanna stayed a little longer and packed out around 12:30 AM. My eyelids were heavy, but my mind was racing over all the adventurous things I had done that day - sleep found me at 2:30 AM.

Item No. 1 - California Vacation '09

Consider it my family senior trip. It was fabulous! This was my family's third time heading over to Cali, and I must say, it was probably my favorite adventure there yet.

Day 1 - Dad, mom, Val, and Marie left on Friday afternoon. The plan was to drive out to Cedar City and stay the night at Todd and M.J.'s house for a night and keep on driving to Chula Vista, California. Me and Jord left Saturday morning and drove over to my grandma and grandpa Sorenson's where Jeff would drive us to the airport. Airplane tickets were wonderfully cheap and we thought it would work out better to ship half of us with grandma and grandpa and the other half in the car so that it wouldn't be so squished. Things worked out great! While I was in the airport, I caught up with Chinese Foreign Exchange Student Chris, who was also on her way out to California to spend her final week in the US with her friend. We had plans to meet up in Disneyland later that week.

So our flight arrives in San Diego, we pick up the rental car, and beat ma and pa and girls to the hotel. When they finally got there, we went to the beach! I TOUCHED THE OCEAN!!! I was so excited. The only thing I truly wanted to do that entire trip was make it to the beach and my wish came true. It was lovely even though there was cloud cover - it gave it a totally different feel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Day 2 - We went to the San Diego Zoo (after we attended a ward in Chula Vista). I hadn't been there before and was very excited to see the world-renown zoo. But you know, a zoo is a zoo is a zoo. :) I got to see a Panda Bear and a baby koala bear. Marie was in love with the koalas! Made me laugh hysterically. We rode a sky coaster thinga-ma-jig and took a pretty sweet tour where we got to sit on the top of a safari bus. Definitely saw some animals I never knew existed, so that was a perk. I was rather fond of the otters and gorillas myself. It was a good day!

Day 3 - SeaWorld baby! Every time we head out to Cali, we go to SeaWorld at some point of the trip. The dolphin show doesn't change, Shamu is intense, and the Clyde and Seamore show always makes me laugh, but it was so much fun for me because grandma and grandpa Sorenson hadn't seen it before. We saw the penguins this time, which is something we had never done before - and I LOVE them. And we saw a daring side of grandma Sorenson as she willingly came on the Atlantis water ride with us. We left SeaWorld that day completely wiped out, but we were all able to recover as we drove out to Anaheim that evening.

Day 4 - Disneyland! Disneyland! Disneyland! The happiest place on earth. :) We got there early enough in the day (thanks to my go-go mother whom I adore dearly) and hopped right onto Pirates of the Caribbean and then Indiana Jones. That's a rush to start your morning! We also happened to meet up with Chinese Chris, just like we had planned! So she stuck with us for most of the day as we rode ride after ride after ride. My favorite? Space Mountain of course - even with our fast passes we had to wait forever, but it was TOTALLY worth it.

Day 5 - California Adventures, located right across the street from Disneyland, is an excellent place to chill. Chinese Chris was with us once again - and this was her last and final day in America. She was to hop on a plane for 14 hours the next morning...ugh. I miss her, just thinking about it. I got to ride California Screamin' this time! I was so stoked! The first time we went to Cali Adven, I was deathly afraid of rollercoasters. Second time? CLOSED!!!! This time, it was OPEN and I got to ride it. My head hurt...so even though it was fun, Space Mountain still wins. While we were eating lunch we got the call that my aunt Shallen had had her baby boy Tyler. Tender moment - grandma was ready to hear about it all. :) We convinced grandpa Sorenson to ride Tower of Terror with us - that was awesome! And we bumped into Mickey Mouse. Oh! And I met my hero Lightning McQueen!!!! I also bought myself a Jessie the Cowgirl shirt because it had my name on it. :) I quite love it.

Day 6 - Disneyland!...again. Chinese Chris had now left our party, so it was back to me and the fam. We just rode all the rides we loved and bought Mickey hats. I got a coolio Mickey hat that says "Class of 2009" on it. When you wear Mickey Hats, you suddenly are no longer just another face in the crowd - the workers told me Congratulations and made me feel special. I could get use to that!

Day 7 - Universal Studios. Hot dang! The first time I ever went to Universals, I hated it. I hated all thing rides and didn't want to really enjoy myself. This time, I loved it! I met Lucille Ball (star of my favorite show ever, "I Love Lucy") and got my picture with her (after my mom pushed me to it - I hate approaching people...let alone crazy red heads). We took the studio tour and went to some hilarious work shops. We saw Water World and rode the Jurassic Park ride and the Mummy rollercoaster (which apparently is Chinese Chris's favorite ride EVER - she wouldn't stop talking about it while we were in Disneyland). It was just fun and then some.

Day 8 - We got up and headed out. This time the girls flew back on the plane with grandma and grandpa and Jordan and I drove with the parental unit straight through to Utah in 12 hours. It was so nice to be home - I hate long car rides. It was a busy, busy, go, go, GO, kind of vacation, but I have no regrets. I can't believe that it's already been a month!

And the Lord said, "Let Her be Done!"

I'm Done! Sweetness and a half!

Graduation was on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at the Dee Events Center at 2:00. My graduating class consisted of 516 people...it was long. :)

The Grandparents from both sides were there and my family. I'm so glad they could make it - it meant a lot to me!

My friends and I had plans to take pictures at 1:00 because they were NOT going to let us get pictures in our caps and gowns after the ceremony. Well, traffic was horrendous, but a few of us managed to get there in time - this meant I was forced to go without food. But my mom had pity on me and brought me a hamburger from Jake's Over the Top just in the knick of time. I also happened to bump into Grandpa Higley before the ceremony and got a picture with him!

Overall, it was a neat experience. I got a gold cord (3.8 or higher throughout high school) and a fancy medal - they gave one to everyone, but we all thought it was cool. In order to pick up the official diploma, we had to turn our robes in, that's why I don't have it on in these pictures.

It was a really special day for me. My parents put on a family party for the occasion and I got to see everyone! We had some good food and were able to eat outside in the beautiful weather - it was a gorgeous day! We had fun talking with one another and reading over Lesa's "Darkside of the Horoscope" book. :) And I got some really thoughtful gifts...and I got a Laptop! I haven't felt overly excited, and I am by no means sad, but it feels so nice to be done!

That night we had our senior party at Toads. It went til 4:00 AM. I went laser tagging, mini-golfing, go-karting, played arcade games, and ate junk all night long. They had artists who would draw you as a characature and prizes you could win, but alas, I waited too long for the picture and I didn't win anything. It was fabulous though! We all wore our senior shirts which declared: "Weber 2009" and along the side: "Hugs not Drugs" - Wow...profound. They had cereal for us to eat at 3:00 AM and so Shanna and the Ashleys and I enjoyed some golden grahams.

I slept in until 12:30 PM the next day. My system was off kilter. But me, Ashley, and Kirsten still went to Olive Garden for lunch as a celebration. It's been a good few days.

And tomorrow, I leave for Disneyland! I'm so excited!

Relay for Life

My friend Angie needed a service project for her Communications class. What better thing to do than participate in Relay for Life?

On April 25, 2009, my friends and I headed up to University of Utah at 1:00 that afternoon. We had plans to be gone until 8 or 9 the next morning. We were going to walk 14 hours straight! The cause: All funds raised go to the University to aid in research in continuing to find a cure for cancer. Our job: Have at least one member from our group walking at all times.

We walked all over campus attempting to find where the walk was to take place. We bumped into protesters who tried to convince us to walk with them to the capital until they were noticed - They were working to save children in Africa. A noble cause indeed, but we had something a little different in mind. :)

We finally found the location after asking every passerby. There were tents set up all over the center of a sidewalk "track." By now it was raining and raining rather hard, but we were pumped and excited to do something none of us had done before! Jeans soaking? No worries, we would make it through.

Events were scheduled to last throughout the night to keep people entertained, including a toiletpaper fashion show at 2:00 AM, a 70's dance off at 4:00 AM, and karaoke at oddball hours of the morning. We just walked. :) Teenagers have the ability to entertain themselves.

Me, Angie, and Tyler, walked basically the entire night! We had an 11:00 PM break at Wendy's and I had a half hour nap at 4:00 AM to keep me going, but we did it! I cannot tell you how painful it is to begin walking again after a nap when you had walked 12 hours straight before - killer! But worth it!

It was such a fun experience! Heck, I even got a date out of it, but it's something that will stay with me forever. It was nice to reflect on some memories of Jen, and share some of those with my friends who were willing to listen.

Good times. Lots of laughs. Closer friendships.

They Almost Left Me For Dead

Revenge is sweet - this is true...but it sucks when it's revenge on you!

A month ago the FFA attended their annual state convention. A group of us officer girls decided to play a prank on our fellow officer boys and had spent a month planning it - gathering supplies and plotting furiously. We got Mr. Openshaw in on it and it was sick! We hashed out their hotel room with Fremont souvenirs and balloons and soap. It was rather harmless, but oh-so-funny. :) Brent and Dakota swore vengeance upon anyone who helped scheme the prank on them. The mastermind of the whole plot was Emma, but I helped considerably in the act...so we were the two main targets...dun-dun-DUN!

So over the last month, Dakota and Brent have had us all pysched out. We never knew when the were going to hit, but they would smile and laugh at us anytime we saw them. I swear they were going to attack my room because of overheard conversations, so every night I would hesitate to open my door. That would have been the nicest thing they could do.

But they didn't.

During our landscaping class we started to walk out to the tree nursery and I had to stop at my car to get a backpack sprayer from my trunk. I was confused. Was that my car? WAS THAT MY CAR?!?!? My little white escort was propped up on jacks and my front tires were missing. Lined paper was shoved underneath my windshield wipers with snide little sayings like, "Don't you love the FFA?", "Have fun getting home today!", "Best Friends Forever!", et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I was ready to kick their butts. I knew it was Brent and Dakota.

Jess: "Where are my tires?"

Dakota: "I dunno! They musta roled down the hill."

Jess: "Where are my tires?!"

Dakota: "Way down there somewhere!"

Jess: "WHERE ARE MY TIRES?!?!?"

Dakota: "They're in my trunk."

I chased Dakota halfway down the parking lot, but flip-flops make terrible running shoes. And I told Brent I hated him. But I couldn't help but laugh the entire time. I definitely wasn't expecting this as revenge! Our whole class was laughing. They went out during third period and swiped my tires; so not only did they get revenge on me, they sluffed to do it.

I made Dakota and Brent stick my tires back on. They did it with smiles on their faces. Proud little suckers.

Quite frankly, I learned one very important lesson from this entire revenge experience: I need to remember how to change a tire.