Back to the Y

I hadn't been to Utah in almost 2 years so when Chris started talking about going up for the BYU vs. University of Washington game I told him I want to go too! Chris usually makes it to at least one football game in Provo every year and I thought it would be fun if we all went too! One of the biggest highlights of our trip was the fact that the stars aligned and I was able to get together with 2 of my college roomies, Meagan and Megan! The last time we were all together was at Megan Newell's wedding over 4 years ago. It was too bad we didn't have Carrie there too and we would have been able to recreate Jamestown #13. It was so much fun to get to hang out and just be together for a few hours. It just left me wanting more time with my roomies. I hope next Summer we can get together again. The best part about us getting together is that we all had babies born within a few months of each other! Both Megan and Meagan have their first baby and I of course have #4! Miles, Libby, and Gracie played together on the floor as we all talked. It was so much fun to see them as moms. Someday our little ones could end up at BYU together!

Our trip was very short, we really were only in Provo for one full day. We arrived Friday afternoon and I got together with my Roommates. On Saturday we got up and headed over to the BYU bookstore to get our game gear. Carter got a new hat, Maddie got a new shirt and Chris got a new shirt as well. I was excited to get some of my favorite downeast tees. Chris and Amanda were also in Utah for the game and stayed at the same hotel as us so they went with us too. Chris was going to go to the game with Chris and Amanda and I was planning on hanging out with the kids. My brother Chris was outside the bookstore and overheard a girl trying to sell her ticket. He bought it for only 18 bucks and Carter was able to join them! I had just said not 10 minutes before, "I wish Carter could go to the game." What a miracle! After the bookstore, we went to our favorite restaurant Brick Oven. Mmm... makes me hungry just typing about it. Carter enjoyed a yummy homemade root-beer.

Later that afternoon we headed to the game from our hotel which was about a mile away. Here is our group.

We did a lot of walking that day. After we left Carter, Chris and Chris and Amanda at the stadium I headed (against traffic I might add, foot traffic) south on Canyon towards campus to show Maddie what a day in the life a BYU freshman is like. I hadn't been on campus (other than the bookstore which doesn't count) since I'd graduated (almost 10 years ago!) so I was anxious to see how things had changed.

First we stopped just outside the stadium to take a picture with the famous cougar statue. I have fond memories of my dad taking us kids to play on the cougar statue and rolling down the hill. Maddie sure enjoys listening to my memories and wanted to pose next to the statue. Apparently its a popular meeting spot for people going to the game, no one would get out of our way to take a picture.

Once we got past all the crazy freshman headed to the football game. We noticed a shaved Ice shack across from the dorms. OH MY GOSH!!!! It was the best stuff I'd ever had in my life. Sawyer and Maddie kept saying they wanted to marry it!

I took the kids to my old hall, Hinckley Hall. I showed them the living room area and where we would get together for activities and "Ward Prayer".

I told Maddie about my Sunday runs to the vending machines and she knows all about the dining plus card now! I remember the vending machines were always pretty cleared out on Sunday nights, not much selection.

Then we walked up to my floor. I probably wouldn't have walked right up to the floor I lived on but since literally EVERYONE was at the game it was completely empty. Here are Maddie and Carter outside my door. #2204 So many fun memories there with Meagan.
I showed Maddie the hall bathroom and she thought that was pretty gross that we all shared a bathroom and showers.

We walked out to the Cannon center and it is totally different. I was disappointed the little food place inside (which is now the Creamery at Helaman) didn't know how to make grasshopper shakes. Oh well we settled for ice cream and it was tasty.

I absolutely love BYU for all its beautiful flowers. The campus is simply beautiful no matter what time of year. I had to snap this pic of Maddie and Libby in front of some of the pretty blue flowers that adorn campus right now.

Maddie with the Indian statue on campus.

We spent a while in the Eyring Science Center looking at some of the fun science displays and experiments there. Maddie was playing with Magnets here.

Maddie posed in front of the "Tree of Wisdom" a piece of art that has been on campus for many years. It looks like it needs a face lift though. Isn't the sky just gorgeous?

We ended up at the Wilkinson Center to watch the rest of the game and have some food. Once it was almost over we started our way back to the stadium to meet the rest of the gang. We made one last stop to see good ol' Brigham Young.

Throughout our walk I told Maddie all about BYU and all the wonderful experiences I had there. It was a great experience to be able to share that with my daughter. I can't believe in only 9 years she will hopefully be starting her Freshman year at BYU. Maddie knows it is very tough to get into BYU and it is only getting tougher. She wants so badly to go and even made the comment while we were there, "Mom, can you just ground me to my room until I'm 18 so I'll just do school work all day long?" I thought that was cute. Who knows if Maddie will still want to go to BYU when she's ready for college. I certainly hope so but I'll support her in whatever she wants to do. When we got home from our trip she started her college savings account and made a budget of how much everything is going to cost her for her freshman year (right down to frequent visits to Brick Oven and trips to the arcade in the Wilkinson Center) I've got a planner on my hands!

As we headed back to the stadium I looked up at the beautiful mountains that tower above the campus and the huge Y on the mountain and I couldn't help but feel nostalgic and a sense of great love and appreciation for my time at BYU. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend such an incredible institution and I hope and pray my children will be afforded the same opportunity.

Our trip concluded with a trip to Cafe Rio after the game (just a block from our hotel) and then a long drive home on Sunday morning.