End of Summer Recap

Today was my first day of school, and it was a very interesting day. I went to my Chemistry lecture with about 400 other students and the teacher begins going over the syllabus. He begins reading his policy on conduct. It states that any student who acts rudely i.e. reading newspapers, cell phone ringing, come in late, etc. will be docked 2% on their final grade for each offense. Then he says "You may be thinking that there's no way I could remember the student who did such things, but I have a photographic memory and I have a picture roster of all my students." Then a minute later he says that he doesn't just talk, that he will ask questions. Right then he looks at me and says, "Rachel Sellers was is the density of water?" My mouth just dropped and he says, "Everyone, give her a minute she's a little shocked". It was nuts! Out of 400 students of course he would pick on me!

That being said, I decided that Summer is officially over, as sad as that may be. I wanted to give a recap of what an excellent Summer I had.

Tre and I went to visit his family in California

Mom, the King and I on the way to Viva Las Vegas!

Me and Elysha at Hogle Zoo- I hadn't been there since Kindergarten

Grandma, Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Brent and I went and surprised Uncle Steve on his 70th Birthday in Pasadena, California

Uncle Steve and Aunt Arlene with his Alma Mater: USC's band

Me- Lassoin' Grandpa in for a dance

Me + Brent = 2 cool 4 school

Dad and Mom- slow dancing <3

We all went boating with Mary, Randy + Kids for the 4th of July

I spent 3 days in Park City with 6 of my best friends

I got to see a lot of old friends at Jessica's baby shower

Me and all my friends got season passes to Raging Waters
and spent a lot of time there

We got to wear casual clothes to work for 3 weeks for Beach Party 2008

We had a huge water balloon fight at our company picnic- Teneil even (attempted) to throw a bucket of water on the owner, Joe. He got her back 10-fold

For the company picnic, there was a pie-baking contest. I decided to make this prize winning pie. The ingredients included: berries, watermelon, sunflower seeds, ginger, 1 tortilla, frozen corn, animal crackers, jalapeno mustard, grapes, whip cream, mandarin oranges and almonds. (if you want the exact recipe-just email me) :)

I got to spend time with my cousins, whom I don't get to see very often at Uncle Eric's wedding reception

Lastly, Mom and Me went to San Diego for the day for a trip to the beach before it was time to get back to the grind.

It's been fun, but it is time to get back to work, study hard and get good grades.

Happy Anniversary, Brandon & Kristin!

Happy Birthday, Brenter!

Because Tyler works the graveyard shift we have to postpone birthday celebrations until the weekend when the whole family can be there.

Brent's turned 22 on Wednesday and we celebrated by going to watch Brandon and Brent's rec basketball game-which turned out to be pretty crazy. They were losing by twenty with a minute left and then Brent yelled "Dunk it Jason" and so Jason did. Well apparently that is against the rules so Brent stood up and said "OH! It's illegal to dunk a basketball in a basketball game?!" and the fat lady score keeper turns the scoreboard off and said "This game is over" and when Brent asked why she said "Because you aren't going to talk to me like that". Then Brent continued to "talk to her like that" so she said that he was forever banned from the rec center. Well being as competitive and defensive as we are about our family, Dad, Brandon, Mom and I were all yelling (well... maybe not Dad) and this little asian guy comes over and is telling Brandon that he can't even take his shoes off and that he needs to get out NOW then Dolan (a 6'10'', 300 lbs guy) goes to the little asian guy and says "Just let him take his shoes off" and as he's slowly backing away the asian says "You don't scare me, I don't care how big you are". The whole thing was a riot.

Today we celebrated by playing Cranium, eating cake and opening gifts. We got some pretty good pictures from the game. See if you can figure out the answers...

Question 1. Clue: Place

Question 2. Clue: An Expression

Question 3: Brandon and Tyler were on a team and couldn't stop crying after
they got this question wrong. See how you do!

Which one of these astrological signs is NOT a water sign:
a. Scorpio
b. Cancer
c. Aquarius
d. Pisces

Question 4:

Answers:
1) Old Faithful
2) A bull in a china shop
3) C. Aquarius
(you would think that one would definitly be a water sign)
4) A bug zapper

Brent showing off his seaons of Seinfeld... and his muscles

He had to make sure that NO cake went to waste

..Last Summer Vacation..

I've been whining to go to the beach since the beginning of the Summer, but both times I went to California, it wasn't possible. So Mom and I decided to get work off on Thursday and go down to San Diego. We left Utah around 10:30 and arrived in San Diego around noon. We had originally decided to take a cab to Sunset Beach, but when we saw it was over $2.60 per mile, plans quickly changed. We talked to the people at the information desk inside the airport and they told us to take a 5 minute bus to the ferry, take a 15 minute ferry ride then we could either take a shuttle or walk to the beach. We decided to walk and spent a lot of time looking at cool plants and house prices. We both had thought that it would be just a couple blocks to the beach but it was more like three miles! But when we got there- it was totally worth it!

While we were wading out in the water, one wave came in and some how Mom got charlie horses in both calves. She sat down and couldn't get up. I yelled "Mom you better get up!" while yanking on her arm. She told me she couldn't so i said "Okay you better shut your mouth and plug your nose." At that moment, a wave came and knocked her on her back and she got a mouth full of salty, gold-flecky water. I couldn 't stop laughing.

It was a great time and the entire trip (including airport parking) cost us exactly $30. It makes you wonder, "Why the heck don't we do this more often?!"

We are TOO Gangster

On the Ferry

We are so excited because Mom brought Scotch Kisses from See's

Look at this cool flower! We took this picture for Grandpa Steve. It looks like the flower at the beginning of movies for THX.

We also found a house for you- Brandon & Kristin. Great Location! Plus the Price has been lowered; check it out!! (You'll probably have to double click it to enlarge)

At the end of the day I was as tired as this little girl
getting dragged by her mom at the airport.

The Wedding Was Years Ago, The Celebration Continues To This Day

Yesterday was Mom and Dad's 28th Wedding Anniversary! In a world such as it is today, where people get divorced over who ate the last pizza pocket, that is quite a feat. I know things haven't always been easy for them, but they fought through it together and came out on top.

As a very privileged daughter, I just want to express my gratitude for all that they've done to give my brothers and I everything we always wanted. We've never had to go without and it is because my parents have always strived to be the best parents possible. And I can say, maybe with a little bias, that they have succeeded.

Family is the most important thing in this world, and I am so happy that mine is so close. The best times we have, is when we're all together. This is because we are not only family, but also best friends. They are the first people I come to when I have any problem; the only people I can rely on 100% of the time.


I am grateful that I was raised in the Gospel so that from the time i could talk, I could understand that I never had to face any trials alone. I know that being raised LDS is easier than not being. People outside the Church may think the opposite because of all of our "rules" but I have learned that those rules are there to create happiness, not to stand in the way of it.

Whenever I tell someone how long my parents have been married or how young they were when they wed, people are always surprised that they are still married today, or that they got married because they wanted to, not because they "had to". That's because it's just unheard of these days, which once again, makes me proud to be different.

I know everyone always says this, but I truly have the best parents in the world, at least for me and my brothers and sisters-in-law. I am proud of them on this day for their great example to me of what marriage should be like. I love you Mom and Dad!

Families are like Fudge-Mostly Sweet with a Few Nuts

I felt the need to write today because earlier I had been scanning pictures of Molly for the memorial video Kristin is making for Friday's funeral, and I have been upset for the rest of the night. I have been trying to write in a journal every day, but since Friday have not been able to bring myself to do it, because then it would be real. No one wants it to be real. But tragedy did strike and we all lost someone very dear to us.

Our two families-the Robbins' and Sellers'- have always been like 1 big family. No matter how much time passes without seeing each other, the feelings are still there. Which is why their family's tragedy has effected us so deeply.

Even in such a wicked world, it was apparent that Molly was a righteous woman. You can see it in the five children that she raised (pretty much single-handedly). She has lead them by example and turned them into the wonderful people they are today. I know I speak on behalf of my family, my ward and my neighborhood when I say that we are all blessed to know them and to have known her.

Molly was a wonderful mother and person. She was kind to all those she met and loved all that she knew, and in return she is loved by many. She was sent to this earth to touch many lives and it evident that she has done so by how many people are in mourning over her death.

Molly's future may have been violently taken away from her, but no one can take away all the yesterdays and all the memories. As long as there is love for her in our hearts, she is never too far away.

A lesson that we can all take away from this is that death often comes as an intruder; a surprise. We never know when a loved one will be lost. Knowing this, we need to fight less and love more. Don't waste energy on pointless arguments-savor the moments we have together, and then when death must come there will be no regrets.

"There is the ever-present expectancy of death, but in reality there is no
death—no permanent parting. Death is not the end."
-Ezra Taft Benson
August Ensign 1991

An account has been set up in Molly's name at Cyprus Credit Union to help her children pay for funeral expenses.