Angel Island

Angel Island is an island that is near Alcatraz, and you can get to the island via ferry from Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. One day we had a big YSA trip there, and it was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had!

After Angel Island, the people in my car (not sure if I drove, or if it was just the car I rode in) stayed longer and had some fun times at Pier 39.

Cheri is over there on the far left, Patty in the middle, and Ryan on the right.

Why, oh why, do I forget people's names? Jeanette and I are in the middle, and although I remember the other girls, I couldn't tell you their names if my life depended on it.

On a hike somewhere on the island.

?, Patty, Ryan, Me, Dusty and Jeanette

Me and Cheri

At Pier 39

Here are a bunch of us outside the parking garage. (Pretty cool paint job for the wall of a parking garage, huh?) In the front are Jeanette, Patty, ?. In the back are Cheri, Dusty, Me, ? and Brooks.

Here's me in front of a store.

Jeanette

Party It Up

It’s well known that most college age kids like to party. LDS kids like to party just as much as the next guy, and the fact that they don’t include alcohol or drugs in their parties in no way means that they have any less fun. In fact, partying the LDS way is probably a lot MORE fun, because you can keep partying all night when you’re not busy puking your guts out in someone’s bathroom.

We were no different than any other college kids as far as liking to party. Our parties were big, loud, and fun fun fun. We played silly games like the Vegetable game (where you had to talk with your lips covering your teeth), the Football game (I can’t even remember how that one is played!), Bus Stop, and other crazy things. Sometimes we cranked up the music and sang into our spatulas, but that was usually when it was just the girls. We went on sound scavenger hunts, and one time we even had a “P Party,” where you had to bring something that started with “p” as admission to the party (pencil, paperclip, etc). Another time we did a steak activity—bring your own steak, we provide the baked potatoes. Whenever t was a real party, that we advertised to more than just our smaller “group,” we had more people than actually fit into my apartment. One night we accidentally got too loud after curfew, because we forgot all about the existence of clocks, and we were sitting outside on the sidewalk talking and laughing.

Here are pictures from a party that we had at a girl named Cana’s house.

Small Bites, No Brainfreeze

We were big into Slurpees in those days. Here we are one night after institute, grabbing a slurpee. I’m sure I was behind the camera for this one. This is Patty and Staci. (Notice the overalls!)

YSA Dances

I wish so much that I had taken more pictures! Because I was the YSA rep for the Turlock Stake, I was heavily involved in planning dances. Every three months, I was in charge. I ended up utilizing a lot of my resources and know how as an elementary school teacher, and we just had an absolute blast.

One of my favorite dances was the Kindergarten Dance. We had the basics—a DJ (Sam did a great job DJing for us sometimes) and refreshments, and then all kinds of supplemental fun. I don’t remember if we themed the refreshments too, but the activities were awesome. All around the outside of the dance floor there were tables with kindergarten type entertainment. I remember that we had a corner with some hula hoops, and maybe jump ropes, and we had a station where people could come make froot loop necklaces. Those are the only ones I can remember, but we usually had at least four activity stations people could use when they needed a break from dancing. Although the dancing was amazingly fun, too!

Here are some pictures from a Valentine’s Day dance, but I don’t think this is one I planned.

Crazy Brooks Taylor

A whole bunch of super awesome friends!

Front: Michelle, Me, Tyler Harrington, Jana Holman

Middle: Victoria LeBaron, Becky Clawson, Staci Hollingsworth, Dusty Twiss, Erin Hollingsworth

Back: Tommy Torres, ?, Brooks Taylor, Cana (peeking out from behind Staci)

Front: Staci, Me, Brooks Taylor

Middle: Erin, ?, Cana, Tommy, Dusty, ?

Back: Billy, ?

Front: Erin, Me

Middle: Staci, ?, Cana, Tommy, Dusty

Back: ?, Brooks, Billy, ?

Here are some pictures we took before a Halloween dance, and Cheri’s house. No pictures from the dance, though! Look at all that awesome overall action going on.

We also had Super Activites a couple of times a year. I was in charge of planning one in May, which was a Fiesta (Cinco de Mayo and all). Where are all my great pictures of that?? Dang it!

These pictures are from a luau Super Activity that we had outside. I also didn’t plan this one. (Maybe I was too busy working during the ones I planned to take any pictures—although I really don’t remember the work, I just remember the huge amounts of fun).

Jeannette and Me

Celeste, Jancy, Jeannette, Me

YSA Dating

Although I was well known and well liked all throughout the Modesty Young Single Adults, and people loved hanging out with me, and life was a laugh and a half a minute, I was still not the girl that was asked out by guys. I don’t really remember ever being just asked out on a date by any guy. What was wrong with me? I don’t know, that’s just how it was. There were guys who would go out of their way to come hang out with me, but none of them ever asked for a real date. But I had learned in college how to have a lot of fun, and it carried over into my YSA years. I got my friends together and we organized group dates a lot. None of the guys I asked ever said no, and we always laughed hard and had amazing fun, so I guess that’s something.

One time we got up a group date where the girls had to make a picnic dinner in a basket, and then the baskets were auctioned off to the guys. The basket a guy bought determined who his date would be, so nobody knew beforehand who their date would be. (The guys did not know who made which basket). After the basket auction, the next activity was to head to a thrift store and buy each other an outfit to wear. And of course, the more embarrassing the better! I ended up with Brooks. Who I had a major crush on, as did everyone else. After dressing up in the outfits provided by our dates, we headed to the baseball field to watch a minor league game. We had our picnic dinners on a big grassy field outside the stadium before the game. It was the single most fun baseball game I have ever been to. (Not that I’ve really been to many. Maybe three, my whole life). Again, huge regrets for having zero pictures of this group date. I think it was the biggest deal group date we ever concocted.

These pictures are from an Italian date night that was themed after the book Strega Nona, also inspired by my 2^nd grade classroom curriculum. This date was in the Institute Building by the MJC campus. We decorated it all up, and had a big pasta dinner. Then we went downstairs and played crazy games like Bus Stop and the vegetable game, and just hung out and had a lot of fun. I think my date for this one was Michael Garriety.

In the middle of playing a game--probably Bus Stop.

As usual, we always asked the guys in creative ways. Here is one of the ways I asked a guy one time. I have no idea what we did on this date! Ha ha!