Prompt 22

"What special things did you do with your mother?"

We always have had a great and open relationship.  We talk a lot, hang out, and laugh together.

Prompt 21

"What was the first piece of furniture you bought?"

Matt was still in Iraq, and Mom was with me in Idaho to help me set up the apartment before he got back. I didn't buy much, it a bed was essential.  Also a table and chairs!  We still have the bed, but that table and chairs didn't last 4 years.  There was a reason it was on clearance!

Prompt 20

"What are our favorite colors, flowers, foods, activities, hobbies?"

Okay, well let me think... and think... and think...

Color: GREEN!  I love green, but appreciate all colors.
Flowers:  Yeah, I don't really have one.  Maybe when I'm 60 I'll be able to answer this.
Foods:  Bar-b-q, simple and fresh gourmet, fresh Mexican grill, and tator tots.
Activities:  Reading, going on dates with my hubby, being outside.
Hobbies: "Running," cooking/baking.

Prompt 19

"Do you have roommates or companions?  Tell about them and the things you learn from living with others."

I had 6 roommates during college.
I learned lots from all of them.  This was during my first two semesters at BYU-I and I was a little overwhelmed with everything.  Matt was in Iraq; in the first semester we were engaged and during the second semester we were married (though he was still in Iraq).

My room-roommate was a girl named Jill.  A tiny little thing from the mid-west, who packed a powerful punch!  Usually putting a senior with a freshman wouldn't work, but our relationship had some great moments.

I had 2 roommates from Idaho--Chelsea and Kristina.  Those two got along really well!  We didn't see either of them too much because of how busy each was with school, but they added spice to the mix!

There were 2 roommates from Utah.  Lora was so unique!  She always put a smile on my face.  Heather was quiet, funny, and sarcastic.  One deadly combination!  Loved her.

Then one other roommate, Cassie.  She was from Washington State, and was loud and full of personality!  Always found ways to have fun.  Good times.

Prompt 18

"Describe the perfect spring day and activities done on that day."

Sunny, 75 degrees, trees and flowers in full bloom.

Lots of play outside with boys: soccer, hide-n-seek, rolling around in grass.

A nap on a blanket would be wonderful, and in the evening have a walk on a nature trail.

Prompt 17

"What did your grandfathers do for a living?  Did your grandmothers work too?"

On my mother's side:
- Grandpa Tom owns his own semi-truck and drives it for Wal-Mart.  He's been doing that for a while, since I can remember anyway.
- Grandma Judy has been selling fabric from her van for a while.  Maybe since I was in middle school.

On my father's side:
- Grandpa Billy Joe was been working with engineering departments for the government for a long, long time.
- Grandma Barbra died in '95, and from what I can understand did not have employment after she was married and had kids.  Though she was part of the Army during the early 50s, gaining the corporal rank, and doing secretarial work.

Prompt 16

"Describe a childhood birthday."

Always more of a family affair than a fan-fair.  Mom would make a requested cakes--sometimes I wanted cheesecake, other times I wanted pumpkin pie.  Family and a few friends would come by, I'd open up presents, and we'd have a good time. Presents were never big, but they were meaningful.  Playing games was always accompanied with the "party."

Prompt 15

"What is your greatest joy? Your greatest sorrow?"

I think I find the most peace when I'm out in nature. I love to be out in the woods or in trails.  I find the vast quite really soothing.

My greatest sorrow is when I don't feel like I measure up.  Either in motherhood, personal tasks, or in the professional world.  Which I've been feeling a lot the last two years, but I'm starting to come around.  

Prompt 14

"Were there any events, world or local or personal, that changed your life?"

Yes! 

Personal would have to be Taylor accident (fire truck).  Was depressed for about 2 to 3 years after that.  Maybe not super depressed, but it was really hard to keep up school motivation.  And most of my friends left for a private school that opened, so I didn't really have anybody that I was close to during my middle school days.  Dark days, those middle school days.

9/11 was a pretty big world event that helped shape my young adult years.  My husband went on a deployment (actually we were married during his deployment), and has been with the ARMY for 10 years now.  Not the life I though I would want when growing up, but I'm pretty excited now for all that the ARMY has to offer! 

Prompt 13

"Tell about some of your neighbors as a child, youth, adult."

Lived next to the Orrs (apartment complex) at ages 3ish to 5ish.  Tosha and I had a lot of fun!

Lived in the woods from Kindergarten to 3rd grade.  Closest neighbor was Jonathan. We too had a lot of fun, but more sporadic because he lived a ways away.  "Tool time" was some of our favorite games to play in the woods.

Lived on a main street in 4th, 5th, and most of 6th grade.  Older neighborhood, but a little boy lived across the street which my sisters had a lot of fun playing with.

Lived on a dead end street 6th through 11th grade.  Two crazy boys, just a bit younger than, lived next to us.  We had a lot of.  Seriously.

12th grade moved back to the main street.  Older neighborhood, just older people.  Like the retired judge and his retired principal wife.

Married Rexburg days were filled with lots of neighbors!  Trevor and Michelle lived near us the whole time--where they moved we moved, where we moved they moved. It was awesome! Of course there were many others.

Boise days have been filled with anonymous neighbors.  Haven't met too many of them.  Must be the apartment thing that keeps them away.

Prompt 12

"Do you have a favorite magazine?  Describe it and the kinds of things you lean from it or enjoy about it."

National Geographic.  I love it all!  I hope to one day get a subscription.

Prompt 11

"Do you recall any special even which took place on your block or in your neighborhood while you were growing up... deaths, fires, accidents, illnesses, etc.?"

Yes I do.




Okay, I'll answer it!

July 25, 1997 I was walking my 5 year old neighbor back from his home across the street.  He was on his bike, bringing it over to my house actually.  While we were about to cross the street I point out to him that his father is half a block down about to pull onto the road...

... and then he goes out into the street.  I'm too stunned to do anything and I just stand there.  A huge red fire truck comes hurtling past.

The fire truck skids to a stops.
My mother is screaming.

I walk across the street, look down the street about 15 yards, and see the little 5 year old's body laying on the pavement with something like a body part beside him.

A fire man gets out of the truck and lays his jacket on top of the boy and body part.

I walk over to my mom.  She has peed her pants from the horror that she witnessed.  She starts to get hysterical and scream and run at the firemen, along with Taylor's parents who are inconsolable.

I see my two little sisters and take them inside the house to their room.  I try to explain what had happened.
Me, "He's dead."
3 year old Madison, "Will he come back to life?"
6 year old Ashly, "Let's say a prayer!"
I can't take it so I leave.

I go outside again.  Lots of neighbors and emergency vehicles have arrived.  I look across the street and see my now dead 5 year old neighbor's 2 year old sister standing on the porch with no one with her.  I go to her, and tried to try to take her to my home, but some woman I never saw before told me not to.  So I didn't, and turned and went into their home.

I watched this little girl play.  All I could think was, "She doesn't have a brother anymore.  Will see even remember him?"

Sometime later, maybe 30 minutes or an hour, my mother finds me.  She takes me back to the house, and I don't remember what we did.  I think we walked around to the backyard because the front was too crazy.

Later my best friend's mom comes and picks me up to take me to their house, and away from all the madness.  At my friend's home we talk a bit about what happened, but mostly play.

I get home after dark, and we watch the news to see what will be reported.  One report shows my sister Ashley being held and rocked by my dad (who came home from work early) on our front steps.

Somehow we all went to sleep that night.

Prompt 10

"Tell about your grandchildren--how many? Name? How you feel about being a grandparent."

Wow.  Some of these questions are obviously not for my generation!

Prompt 9

"What games did you play in your house or neighborhood?"

In Chelsea I played in the woods so much!  With Jonathan we played "Tool Time" and he was Tim the Tool Man Taylor and I was Heidi.  We also played "Lion King," and jungle, and just a lot of other fun things.

In Columbiana I rode my bike a lot, and walked around town the Rainer and Robert.  Those two were a hoot!

Also the "shoot the arrow in the sky then run away and hope you don't die" was one of my favorites to play with Wesley and Josh.

Me and my sisters had a lot of fun on the tree swings on Center Street.

Prompt 8

"What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?"

While growing up I played a lot outside, and was pretty adventures in our near by woods.  Since growing up I haven't had that many opportunities to "go" and "do" something, but me and my family still love to play and have fun.

So probably the most adventuresome thing I have done was just this last January when me and Matt completed a Tough Mudder.  It was crazy!  12.5 miles of mud, obstacles, and pain!  

We are a soon to be Army Active Duty family and I'm excited to see what kinds of things will come our way.  

Prompt 7

"Where would you like to live most of all and why?"

I really don't think there is the "one" place I must live.  Instead I just want to be somewhere warm and near nature.  That's the gospel truth!

Prompt 6

"Write a want ad that describes your father."

WANTED:
Above 6foot tall man with dark hair and handsome features; who is soft spoken, willing to tell stories, and hard worker.  Must love basketball, Florida State University, and his daughters and wife unconditionally.   Also must have a very tender heart, be athletic, and works well with power tools.  Showers everyday, even before a work-out is a plus.  Sandwich, spaghetti, and Diet Mt. Dew lover.

Prompt 5

"How do you feel about dentists?  Why?"

I have no feelings about dentists.
Actually, I really need to go to one!  2004 was my last visit.  Military insurance here we come!

Prompt 4

"Did you wish you had more sisters or brothers?  Why or why not?"

No, I was pretty happy with being the oldest of three girls.  I thought we were pretty special.  Maybe at some points I wished that we were closer in age together, but dispute being 3 and half years apart each we seemed to get along pretty well....

... You know, except for the whole "too cool teenager--won't play with little sisters anymore" stage.  Which was about ages 13 to 16.  But then my relationship with my sister Ashley started to become better, with Madison in tow.

Prompt 3

"Where were you and what were you doing the day President Kennedy was shot?"


Not around! Sorry, but that was 22 years before my birth.

Something that has been during my time is the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.  My mother was home with me, I being one month old, and saw the explosion.  I like to think I opened my newborn eyes and beheld it all in the Florida sky too.

Prompt 2

"What do you remember about yourself as a teenager?  What was important to you?  Your dreams?  Goals?"

Holy smokes.  What a doozie.  Let me think, let me think...
... This maybe a bit more of a personal topic right now that what I've bargained for, but I'll do it anyway.

I've actually been thinking about my teenage years a lot lately.  This is probable due to the fact that we are moving back to the South in June, and I don't think I'm ready!  Teenage-hood was weird and confusing, and I had harbored of resentment towards to the culture around me--and all of those feelings from a decade ago are starting to come back! Ahh!


This is what I remember:
- Having lots of crushes on boys--some big, others small
- Being outgoing at some events, but pretty shy in other places
- Trying not to care what other people think
- Learning that I can learn and be successful in school
- Loving family time
- Trying to leave my hair down, but somehow always ending up in a ponytail

Important to me:
- Not being distracted from my goal to attend college out in the West
- Turning 16, to date!
- Learning to drive
- Have social relationships
- Hoping no one will see my insecurities
- Dressing well on a very limited budget

My dreams:
- To one day be successful and attain a masters degree
- Marry someone that I love and respect
- Marry someone that was not into hunting, fishing, country music, NASCAR, and fixing cars
- To successfully be in shape
- At age 15 I thought it would be great to have 6 kids, and one boy be named David
- Drive a new silver Honda Accord

Goals:
- Get out of Alabama
- Get accepted to BYU-Idaho
- Date good guys

Prompt 1

"Tell about all the places you've worked."

It's going to be a rather short list I'm afraid.  I was talking to Matt about this last night, how when in high school I'd apply for jobs but never get a call back.  Or when I'd ask to work in some family members' green houses (nurseries) in Florida no one took me seriously. 

So my very first job was being an intern at Shelby County Reporter.  I got the job with my friend Hunter, and the interview was set up by my English teacher Ms. Hyatt.  Hunter and I were the editor of the newspaper and Ms. Hyatt believed it a good idea to get us a job with the local paper.  Hunter actually worked for free, while I was paid. I don't think he knew that though! He didn't last long, but I stayed on for most of my senior year in high school.  Basically I helped around the office for 2 hours after school during the week day.  Either calling around, cleaning up, doing little odds and ends, or just gossiping.  No real newspaper work, but at least it brought in money. 

(employed from November 2003 thru May 2004)

My second job started after I graduated high school at an A&W Drive-In in a town 20 miles away. Since I lived in a small town I had to drive a ways get one that paid money.  I was a car hop, and I worked hard!  In the summer the hours were not as much as I had hoped, but in the fall my hours picked up fast!  I went to school (University of Montevallo) full time on Tuesday and Thursday, then worked all day MWF and sometimes Saturday.  I never had to work Sundays.  My hours during that fall were always above 30.  I made good money, enough to pay for my college to Brigham Young University-Idaho. The work consisted of taking orders, prepared drinks and the ice cream treats, packing food, taking the food the costumer, and taking the money and giving change. I was the cashier with the money on my belt.  It was sometimes hard work, but it was good work. 

(employed from May 2004 to December 2004, then for the fall of 2005)

My last job was being in charge of the women's' locker room at Brigham Young University-Idaho.  A 15 hour a week job, which kept me plenty busy! My hours were during the busy time, when the fitness classes were going. I checked in and out clothes, checked out lockers, did laundry, folded clothes, and tried to keep everyone happy.  It was crazy sometimes!  Espically the days which I didn't feel well.  I was in my last trimester with Isaac, still throwing up in the morning, and my hours just happen to be in the morning.  I didn't get much sympathy from the locker room managers as I had hoped.  The two older ladies I worked with were something else!  One worked MWF mornings, the other TThS mornings, and neither liked each other.  Both got on my nerves, but I hope they couldn't tell.  I did my best with that job, and two weeks after it ended Isaac was born. 

(employed from April 2006 to August 2006)

And those are all my "real" jobs! I hope I can add to the resume soon.  I looks pretty loser-ish, doesn't it?