Girls of 28

Let me introduce you to the best apartment of girls ever.  Southridge #28. Lori, Tanya, Jeanine and Heather. 

Some said that we were haters (and that we ate mashed po-hate-os, drank hater-ade, even lived in twenty-hate)... but really we just enjoyed each others company.  Don't get me wrong... I had great roommates other years but this was the best.  Minimal drama.  Maximum fun.

One day at the beginning of the year we decided to make a list of apartment goals.  I don't remember what was on that list except one thing: We would all get asked to Homecoming.  I don't think any of us had ever gone before so we were determined that we would all go.  Obviously we didn't have any control over this (because we certainly weren't going to be asking boys to go!) but it was our goal nonetheless.  One night after FHE Rich randomly asked me to go so we figured that at least one of us was going... but that's a whole other story entirely isn't it?  But guess what?  The very next night we really able to cross that off our list when an apartment of boys asked our apartment to go with them.  It was a blast--scavenger hunts, bus rides, hot-dog-on-a-stick, a game of sardines, dinner, dancing in the Wilk Ballroom, and then home for a game of MadGab and dessert.  I don't think I've ever had more fun at a dance!

 Heather, Tanya, Jeanine, and Lori snuggled up in our cold apartment after Homecoming 2001

I believe that Heather and I made some other goals for the BYU football team later that year during the U of U game... which we of course had no control over but also came true.  It was a good year for goal making!

Like many college apartments we had a quote wall of all the witty things that were said in our little home.  We, however, also had a secret quote wall.  These were things that could be out for the general public to see.... and so probably couldn't be put on this blog either.  I think Tanya and Heather probably had more quotes there than anyone... but I could be mistaken :)

In addition to our quote wall we started a Grateful List.  What started out as one piece of notebook paper on the door ended up being two entire doors filled with things we were grateful for.  It was a wonderful reminder as we left home each day. And I just have to add that I think Lori wins... her name was written and check marked more than any other thing on the list.  Appropriately, most of those check marks came from Wes :)

Another thing that made this group of girls so wonderful was apartment prayer.  I had been in apartments in previous years in which we attempted to have weekly scripture study or apartment prayer... but it never lasted very long.  I am positive that there were few, if any, days that we missed our apartment prayer that school year.  The credit for that has to go to Tanya.  Tanya and Lori were the early birds and before they left every morning Tanya dragged me out of bed and across the hall into Lori and Heather's room, Heather would roll out of bed and we would all kneel for prayer.  How could we not have a great year with a tradition like that?

Somehow we all still coexisted when some of us were a little neater than others.  None of us were slobs by any means but when we cleaned the apartment we would make a pile for each person so that we could carry it upstairs all at once.  It was always a little contest to see who had the biggest pile (aka most stuff lying around downstairs)... and, if I recall correctly, it was usually between Lori and I.  Since Heather recently posted about her need for order I find it especially fitting to post this memory.  It's amazing that she and Tanya put up with us!

We were there for each other for late night talks concerning, among other things, boys.  For first kisses and boys holding our hands...  heck, we even serenaded a couple during dinner!

Heather, Jeanine, Tanya, Lori up on Lori's bunk

We helped each other study, cooked together occasionally, held "How-to-Host-a-Murder" dinner parties,had picnics on the lawn, and played "Southridge Survivor."

Tanya, Heather, Lori, Jeanine having a picnic on the Southridge lawn

We read together {The Little Prince}, celebrated birthdays, wrote bogus maintenance requests for the office,  and watched classic movies {The Scarlett Pimpernel... Tanya's favorite}.

Heather, Tanya, Jeanine, Lori

fall 2001

I've been wanting to do this post for quite some time now... and just never got around to it.  But lately I've been thinking of these girls a lot.  None of us could've predicted how life would turn out--there has been heartache and loss along with unbelievable joy.  But one thing is for certain: My life was changed for the better by knowing these incredible women.