I've come to realize that I'm not the best journal keeper, which is a shame because I truly love to put pen to paper and write. I could blame time or convenience but instead I'm going to go back, all the way back and at least capture a fraction of what could have been. I'm going to focus mainly on the happy times; however, because the downer moments are meant to be forgotten.
I'm going to start with my eighth birthday on September 10, 1993. This is my fondest memory of my father and I that I can recall in detail anyway. I remember sitting on the front lawn in my tie dyed Mickey Mouse T-shirt, cut-off jean shorts and white high top tennis shoes waiting for dad to get home. When he got home he took me shopping for a radio for my birthday. It was a double tape player that flipped the tape over when the one side was finished and I was completely dying to have one. I was so picky that day because it had to be just right and so he took me to K-mart, Walmart, and Radio Shack at least each twice before I finally settled on the one at Walmart, having been particularly fond of it from the beginning. It is such a fond memory because I remember my dad being completely patient with me. It was my day and he was going to make it everything and more. Then we went home, got the rest of the family and headed to the mall so that I could get my ears pierced. In my family we had to be eight years old before we were allowed to make the decision of our ears being pierced and then we were held accountable for caring for them. Having two older sisters both with pierced ears, my eighth birthday couldn't come soon enough, and so this day was absolutely perfect!
A few tidbits where I couldn't tell you the year precisely but could give you an idea of where I was, are when I was in third and fifth grade. In third grade a boy, Derek, whom I liked at the time, and it was later discovered years after that he liked me as well, threw a Frisbee at me and hit me square in the right eye. I remember lying in the "sick" room, (do they even have those anymore) of the elementary school with a tissue over my eye to catch the blood while I waited for mom to get there. When she got there we went to the eye doctor and they had to dilate my eye. I was told to wear sunglasses outside at all times for the next week. Several of my wonderful girlfriends at the time, banded together and bought me a jar of candy and came to wish me well, as I was out of school for a couple of days too. Derek ran into mom while she was working at Michael's Arts and Crafts a few years later, after we had moved away, and had admitted he liked me and was just trying to get my attention but that he was so sorry for the pain he caused me. I'll always remember Derek for this, especially since I see worse out of my right eye to this day! Thanks, Derek!
In fifth grade I remember moving into a new house in Kaysville, Utah and I remember walking into the classroom. I was a little late because the principal was the one who brought me to class because I was starting in the middle of a school year. When she brought me in the lights were off and the class was in the middle of a morning exercise. Mrs. Mifflin my new teacher proceeded to introduce me to the class and about half way through the introductions my next door neighbor, Brittani LeRoy, who would then be my absolute best friend, stood up and almost screamed "You're my neighbor". From that moment when we realized we shared names and lived next door to each other we built a long lasting friendship.
All that I can tell you about seventh grade from 1998-1999 were the parties, oh the parties. We had cheesy little get togethers where we all hung out at some one's house or a rented clubhouse and we would dance to the music and talk all night long. We definitely thought we were cool. There are some awesome memories from those days, but perhaps the most lasting memory from those days were the goodbye parties I had before moving to Salt Lake City. I had two, one at my house and one at the clubhouse. I cried and cried and longed to not have to move away at the end of the summer. I remember the last thing my best friend said to me, "I hope you don't get shot." Being as naive as I was, I was appalled
but mostly because that idea scared me to death. I have to say however, that those days in Salt Lake were some of my best. It is where I grew to understand who Brittnee was, and why I am the way I am. It was also a time of new beginnings for my family and the chance to make new friends.
I'm going to start with my eighth birthday on September 10, 1993. This is my fondest memory of my father and I that I can recall in detail anyway. I remember sitting on the front lawn in my tie dyed Mickey Mouse T-shirt, cut-off jean shorts and white high top tennis shoes waiting for dad to get home. When he got home he took me shopping for a radio for my birthday. It was a double tape player that flipped the tape over when the one side was finished and I was completely dying to have one. I was so picky that day because it had to be just right and so he took me to K-mart, Walmart, and Radio Shack at least each twice before I finally settled on the one at Walmart, having been particularly fond of it from the beginning. It is such a fond memory because I remember my dad being completely patient with me. It was my day and he was going to make it everything and more. Then we went home, got the rest of the family and headed to the mall so that I could get my ears pierced. In my family we had to be eight years old before we were allowed to make the decision of our ears being pierced and then we were held accountable for caring for them. Having two older sisters both with pierced ears, my eighth birthday couldn't come soon enough, and so this day was absolutely perfect!
A few tidbits where I couldn't tell you the year precisely but could give you an idea of where I was, are when I was in third and fifth grade. In third grade a boy, Derek, whom I liked at the time, and it was later discovered years after that he liked me as well, threw a Frisbee at me and hit me square in the right eye. I remember lying in the "sick" room, (do they even have those anymore) of the elementary school with a tissue over my eye to catch the blood while I waited for mom to get there. When she got there we went to the eye doctor and they had to dilate my eye. I was told to wear sunglasses outside at all times for the next week. Several of my wonderful girlfriends at the time, banded together and bought me a jar of candy and came to wish me well, as I was out of school for a couple of days too. Derek ran into mom while she was working at Michael's Arts and Crafts a few years later, after we had moved away, and had admitted he liked me and was just trying to get my attention but that he was so sorry for the pain he caused me. I'll always remember Derek for this, especially since I see worse out of my right eye to this day! Thanks, Derek!
In fifth grade I remember moving into a new house in Kaysville, Utah and I remember walking into the classroom. I was a little late because the principal was the one who brought me to class because I was starting in the middle of a school year. When she brought me in the lights were off and the class was in the middle of a morning exercise. Mrs. Mifflin my new teacher proceeded to introduce me to the class and about half way through the introductions my next door neighbor, Brittani LeRoy, who would then be my absolute best friend, stood up and almost screamed "You're my neighbor". From that moment when we realized we shared names and lived next door to each other we built a long lasting friendship.
All that I can tell you about seventh grade from 1998-1999 were the parties, oh the parties. We had cheesy little get togethers where we all hung out at some one's house or a rented clubhouse and we would dance to the music and talk all night long. We definitely thought we were cool. There are some awesome memories from those days, but perhaps the most lasting memory from those days were the goodbye parties I had before moving to Salt Lake City. I had two, one at my house and one at the clubhouse. I cried and cried and longed to not have to move away at the end of the summer. I remember the last thing my best friend said to me, "I hope you don't get shot." Being as naive as I was, I was appalled
but mostly because that idea scared me to death. I have to say however, that those days in Salt Lake were some of my best. It is where I grew to understand who Brittnee was, and why I am the way I am. It was also a time of new beginnings for my family and the chance to make new friends.
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