02 December 2008

Many More Memories...

Remembering is fun! So here is another dose of my biggest memories (both happy and sad) from my first 31 years. Again, I'm trying to go in roughly chronological order, but of course, I can't guarantee that my memory always cooperates....

* Participating in a "food fight" at the Fullmer's house, when Robyn pretended to flip mashed potatoes at her sister and then her sister actually flipped a spoonful of potatoes across the kitchen. Not the messiest of food fights, since only one spoonful of food actually flew, but we all had to clean the kitchen anyway!

* Trying to count all of the horses in Robyn's bedroom and losing count somewhere around 200.

* Learning to sew, kind of, and making my own clothes with Misty Jensen. We were so proud of those clothes and wanted to wear them to school, but our mothers wouldn't let us! (Good thing, since we had used sheer fabric!)

* My dad's pilot lessons - and dreaming of a day when he would be licensed and we would have our own private jet to take on vacation. (Still waiting for that day, dad....)

* Robyn's baptism - it took 9 tries before they got it right!

* My baptism. It was so cool and amazing to share my special day with 2 of my close friends, Shannon & Spencer!

* Being the first student ever to be awarded the Northpark Elementary School Student of the Year award!

* The tragic carnival accident at the Sweetwater County fair that killed my best friend, Robyn. I still can't see a carnival without fighting tears.

* Our trip to Vancouver, Canada for the 1986 World's Fair. - Spending the first night only about 20 miles from home, at Little America - Camping at the campground with a pool filled by hot springs and getting to swim for free when Dad fixed their computer system for them - Falling in love with a really cool concept car that was supposed to be released the year that I turned 16... (It was going to be my first car - but alas, it was never on the market...) - My brief recording career as a backup singer in the group "Bug & the Roaches" as we tried out a recording studio to sing the song "Tomorrow" from Annie - Leaving my brother in Canada (just for about 5 minutes at a park on the border, because he got out of the car and we didn't notice...) - My sister and I getting really tight perms from my cousin who was going to beauty school, and our song that we made up about being "pink poodles"! - To this day, I think this was the most fun I've ever had on a vacation!

* Moving to Santa Maria, California in 4th grade - and losing all of my new friends within the first week of school when I wouldn't choose sides when 2 of them got into a fight.

* My parents surprising us by driving all night long to bring us back to Rock Springs for Christmas, just because they knew how much we missed being "home" for the holidays!

* Moving back to Rock Springs over spring break in 4th grade - and finding that all of my friends had chosen a new best friend while I was gone.

* Sneaking a peek at my notes while taking the quiz on state capitols in 5th grade - and then feeling guilty for years afterward (still).

* Setting my own curriculum in 6th grade. (I had finished all of the elementary school books - even the advanced books - by 5th grade, and the district didn't allow skipping grades, so the teachers had nothing for me in 6th grade. I got to sit all day in the library and teach myself whatever I felt like learning, as long as I did one project a week and turned it in...)

* Sitting in the hall with all of the other 6th grade girls, while our teachers tried to patch up the feud that had been going on between Veronica Cox and "Cara's Group" since I moved back to Rock Springs in the 4th grade. Nothing came of it except for a full afternoon of not doing any school work...

* The school-wide celebration when I graduated from 6th grade - to commemorate the first class of students to attend Northpark Elementary School from Kindergarten all the way through 6th grade.... And Justin passing out while we were filling the helium balloons, because he was sucking the helium out of about every 3rd balloon filled! (I still don't let my kids suck helium out of balloons!)