da Bears da Bears

I actually finally saw "da Bears...da Bulls" and the other Saturday Night highlights. I have found there are a lot of things I quote and have never actually seen. Anyway, just want to say hello to da roomies. Thanks Moof for the birthday message. Yours is coming up this week! Oo-de-la-lee! My schedule is very open this week but we are going to Denmark for Christmas so won't be around for get-togethers then. We're gone Dec. 20 to Jan. 4. But I would love to see everyone, especially all at the same time!

For Moof B.B.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOOF!
I've been thinking about you all day and hope you've had a fabulous birthday. Thanks for being the best roommie, example, and friend we could ever ask for. WE LOVE YOU!

Who'll be home for...

...Christmas? (Thanksgiving?) We definitely need to get together! Especially to usher The Moofs into their 26th year, with acceptance by Divine Miss Em, the Queen of 26 (as of Oct. 25, 2007). With many a cause to celebrate, send your schedules and we'll plan accordingly.

Roomie Remembrance: the Christmas Countdown paper chain we made (out of alternating red and green paper) and hung down the hall in F. Smith.
I'm counting down the days until we can all get together!
Fetz.

p.s. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who writes on this. Oh, well! Just know I love you all that much.

The Princess (Jen the Hen) and the Pea

Found this today. Thought of you, Jen!

fall goodies

Hi, roomies!
I found this recipe* on the web today. It looks very yummy and easy! One of the few Sundays we were all (miraculously) in Provo, we all pitched in on dinner. Moof made her lemon poppyseed muffins for the first time and exclaimed something like, "I can cook!" We were very proud - and grateful...those muffins were famous from that day forward!

It's cold and rainy in Salt Lake. Fall is definitely here. It makes me miss living on campus, right beneath Y Mount. I loved walking back to our apartment after class watching the leaves change from day to day.



I took this picture of Y Mount a few years ago from outside my apartment at Santa Barbara. It's pretty much as professional as it gets.

Happy fall! Happy muffin making!

*Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
(I don't know why everything is underlined. That's just how it copied onto the page. I guess every single step is absolutely positively VITAL!?)

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cups apple sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flours, spices, and all the other dry stuff together. In a different bowl mix the eggs, oil, applesauce and pumpkin. Add the dry stuff- to the wet,then stir in the chocolate chips. Bake 20 min. A clever commenter yesterday suggested dropping this batter by the tablespoon on sheet to make soft cookies (cook for 8-10 minutes) and I think this is brilliant.

I love you all so "beary" much!
Fetz

p.s. Suz, Les and I took pictures at Allison's parent's house while we were in Vegas for her wedding three years ago. I've never really known what to do with this photo...until today! (There are certain things you'll let only your dearest friends see!)

Park City Anyone?

This is my plug for a reunion trip to Park City the next time Becca of Love and Emit are in town. Main Street Pizza and Pasta followed by Cow's Frozen Yogurt. Any takers?
Love to you all.

Fetz's cookie recipe

So... I am a little embarrassed that I wrote on my blog that I had perfected my cookie recipe because it was never MY recipe to begin with, and I haven't done much to change it either. After tasting Fetz's cookies freshman year, nothing has compared since. I have tried everything from Mrs. Field's to Smart Cookie to the Lion House Pantry to Brick Oven and this summer Ty and I had some pretty good cookies in DC at a couple different places. Thank you Martha Fetzer for giving me so much happiness (and at least 5 extra pounds) these past 7 years!

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
I mix these ingredients together first, then I mix all the following ingredients (except the chocolate chips) before adding them to everything else.
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. bag of chocolate chips (I have found that I like fewer than this so I usually snack on the bag for a while, then put the rest of in...I think we used to make them with milk chocolate, but I think semi-sweet is better)

Cook on 350 degrees for 10 minutes. This is the only thing I have ever really changed. I cook them at a lower heat and usually take them out after around 9 minutes. I let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few more minutes to continue cooking a little, then I put them on a drying rack until they are cool enough to eat. I like mine really soft and this does the trick! I hope you enjoy!

Remember When...

Some memories I've thought of as of late:

-Becca fell asleep at church (only once, right Bex?) and she kicked the chair in front of her...hard.
-The 156 boys put our "bigger-or-better" couch up against the door so we couldn't go to class.
-One of the few weekends we actually stayed in Provo, we watched "Steel Magnolias." We all balled our eyes out. Reefer came to the door and had all these sobbing women on his hands.
-We drove up to Granny's in Heber to get shakes and it was closed so we went to McDonald's instead, but only after I stole that fluorescent green letter "E" off the marquee. (Still haven't repented for that...)
-That one time I made taco salad. :)
-Katie left the stove on (only once, right Kates?)
-We had to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" to all the boys of Wells in order to get our phone back.
-Becca wore her orange bell bottoms every day of finals week.
-Fetz and Katie "pretend" fought and Katie put duct tape down the center of the room.
-Imagin-iff in the basement with 160.
-Multi-level spoons on all three floors (and both sides) of F. Smith Hall.
-Riding in the laundry carts down between the storage cages in the basement, bouncing from side-to-side-to-side. (I can't believe no one got injured!)
-Judd and Jeff serenading the ducks with their guitars.
-Sardines, tomatoes, etc. smeared all over our window by "159 Mike" and Co.
-Eating pineapple/fruit bowls from the Creamery with Moof
-"Suzanne says 'NO!'"
-When the shower curtain fell down on Bex in the bathroom while Kates was getting ready.
-Laffy-Taffy jokes on the door.
-The Corner of Fruit
-Safety bucks. (I think we got one, if that. We NEVER locked our door!)
-The spare tire that randomly rolled down our hall that one night! (We made it into the "ward tire" to spread the love).
-Minch
To be continued...by any and all...please!

The Joys of Moving

Well, I am all moved into my new place. I unpacked the last box on Saturday. It is definitely a relief to be done. In all of my moving, I have one conclusion - moving was much easier in the days of F Smith 161. Back then, I loaded up my parents red and black suburban for the "trek" to BYU. I was worried about forgetting something, which ultimately I did. Over the course of the semester, I brought down many more boxes and bags of precious items that I had forgotten. Somehow, it all managed to fit in the tight quarters of my tiny room. Sure, it helped to have elevated beds, a storage closet (since we were all from Utah), and the luxury of returning unnecessary items to my parents house. Seven years later, the move is much more complicated. No more fitting your whole life into the back of a suburban...this time a full-size moving trailer, cars, suburbans, and a few trips filled with furniture, baby toys and supplies, more books (I'm obsessed!), clothes, dishes, decorations - you name it. I am no longer able to store things at my parents' house since they are moving and I live so far away. I have far too many things - yet somehow I can't manage to part with it. Am I becoming a pack rat, I wonder?! So, there you have it...and ode to the simple days when moving consisted of a suburban and a few boxes. I am excited about this blog. We have some great memories together and it will be fun to share other exciting news with each other - a little different from our own personal blogs. I love to make lists so here are a few of my favorite memories with the roomies:

*Running through pouring rain with E. Mit in the attempt to get our freshman passports stamped
*The Honor Code song
*Roomie Prayer

*Going around dressed up in crazy clothes during finals week

*FHE Group - dinner on the ping pong table, dying eggs, playing games, "Pops," great lessons, making cookies, going to the Bishop's house...etc.
*DESSERT nights...who could forget those?!

*Fetz scaring Katie in the shower
*Wall of good fortune, ceiling of love, corner of lovin', wall of quotes, etc.
*Late night talks
*Pranks, pranks, and more pranks
*Spying on people making out and making sure our upstairs neighbors were watching too! *Walking to church together
*Going to Park City and the cabin
*Freezing through all of the BYU games (which I really WAS interested in!)
*Ordering delicious breadsticks
*Martha's subway sandwich ritual
*Taco salad
*Jen's tuna
*Watching movies in our makeshift living room/kitchen
*Playing Bigger or Better and getting our extra couch for the basement
*Dying Eggs
*Halloween fun
*Going out to eat
*Paying for food with all change
*Grocery shopping trips
*Late nights at the creamery

*Painting the ceiling
*The joys of cleaning checks *
Study sessions until all hours of the night
*Entertaining all of you with my sleep walking - ha ha!

*Saturday's Warrior stalkers

*Our photo shoot
*Great friends
*Basement Buddies
*Practicing signing
*Crying, laughing, and growing together

The list could go on and on. Thanks for the great memories and many more to come! I am excited for all of your posts! xoxo Becca

an expression of enthusiasm

I am so excited for this blog!! It is such a great idea Fetz and a great way to keep in touch. It is kind of interesting thinking about all of us embarking on our new adventure of college seven years ago. Freshman orientation (which was a total bust), getting moved in to our tiny dorm, going to football games (which I earnestly made an effort to be interested in), not walking on the grass, and getting familiar with BYU freshman life are just a few memories that come to mind. Two of my favorite and most cherished memories of the entire year include... 1) eating ice cream from the creamery, Katie's cookies, Becca's saltine, peanut-butter, marshmallow concoctions, Emily's cooking, and anything else I could get my hands onto and... 2) dressing up and acting like complete fools/freshman with the roomies...those were the days! I love you girls!

To the past...

Dear Roomies,
After talking about it for some time, I've finally taken a few hours or so to officially start the roomie blog! Welcome to, "THE SIX OF US," our own little spot on the web for all things 161 F. Smith and beyond. I've been reading old journal entries and looking at my "College Memories" binder for some inspiration. Lots of smiles have graced my face! It's crazy to think that, in the Fall of 2000, the six of us were brought together to start our college lives; to live between those cold cinder block walls; on that lovely carpet, which served as a seat for so many late-night (and into the wee hours of the morn) conversations and giggle-fests. I love those memories. They are most fond. And all of you are most dear! Let's keep all of those good things coming. Visit often. Post often. Here's to us!
Lots of love,
Martha-the-Pants, Fetz, Moof, Jane, et al.

p.s. Here's a journal entry dated Aug. 31, 2000. Titled, "161 F. Smith." (My immaturity is laughable, but I know you'll all take it in stride).

"161 F. Smith has basically become the coolest dorm at BYU! Where else are there six cuter girls, a BYU troll mascot (yet to be named) craft-night Sundays, a "Door of Good Fortune," and people who call the pay phone outside of their own window to contact all passers by?! WE RULE!! And I am sure there are more great things to come...only time will tell. In the near future, all will flock to room 161! I really am having so much fun!"