V. Schools

E.G. King Elementary School, Kindergarten
Westside Elementary School, Kindergarten
Crissey Elementary School, First and Second Grades
Cash Elementary School, Second Grade
Brainerd Elementary School, Third and Fourth Grades
Ooltewah Intermediate School, Fifth Grade
Ooltewah Middle School, Sixth - Eighth Grades
Ooltewah High School, Ninth - Twelfth Grades
Brigham Young University, 2000 to 2006

A few notes:

I remember the cheer for Westside (think in a southern accent), "Two-four-six-eight, who do we appreciate?  West-sah!"

I was a good student, and generally got As.  I got one B in high school, and one or two in college.

It took me six years to get my bachelor degree for two reasons.  First, I wasn't accepted into the School of Music right away, so I was behind.  Second, I had a baby (Caleb) when I was nearly finished.  I took only voice lessons during the next year, and finished my degree the following year.  I couldn't have finished sooner, since I had a certain number of voice lesson credits that had to be taken in succession.

It worked out really well, because Bryan graduated in 2005.  He was sponsored by New Balance for the next year, which meant that he could run before I went to school and again when I came home.  So he stayed home with they baby while I finished my degree.

My degree is Bachelor of Music: Vocal Performance.  I gave a Junior Recital in 2005, singing 25 minutes.  I gave a Senior Recital in 2006, singing 50 minutes (19 songs in English, Italian, French, and German).  It was the most mentally taxing experience of my life, since everything had to be memorized!  I remember sitting backstage between sets, reviewing the words to the next set as quickly as I could.  Talk about stress!!!

IV. Siblings

A. Dallon.  My older brother is about 16 months older than me.  We were so close in age that we really didn't get along most of our growing-up years.  I know he hated it when I had crushes on his friends, or they on me.  Somewhere about dating age, we started to get along.  We had a lot of the same friends; and he started having crushes on my friends, and they on him.  We went to a lot of the same parties and activities together.  He served a mission in Copenhagen, Denmark.  When he returned, he attended Ricks College (now BYU Idaho).  He got a degree in English.  There he met his wife Patty.  Now they have three kids: Zeeli, 8; Emma, (almost) 6, and Adalaide, two days.  Dallon is funny.  He can be hilarious and make people laugh till they cry, spit, or pee their pants.  Dallon is an amazing writer and artist.  It's amazing to see the things he pulls out of his head and puts onto paper.  He is a very thoughtful person; as in, he thinks deeply about things.  He loves the outdoors.  He is a very gentle, tender, respectful person.  Love you, Dall!

B. Sharley.  My sister was born about 14 months after me.  I don't think our relationship was nearly as tempestuous as my relationship with Dallon, but it wasn't as awesome as I wish I could claim.  I was mean to Sharley.  I hated having a little person following me around all the time.  I don't know how she ever put up with me.  We got along better in our teenage years, especially since we had similar interests and even some classes together at school.  During my second year of college, we were roommates.  I still remember instances where I was just mean to her, probably acting out of my own stress and frustration.  Poor Sharley; I still feel bad about it.  Sharley got her degree in Home and Family Living.  She married Eldon, and they have two kids: Cameron, 3; and James, 1.  Sharley is a sensitve, sweet, kind, thoughtful person.  She is a very careful person; careful in her relationships, careful what she says, careful in her PB&J-making.  Sharley is musically talented, both in singing and piano.  Sharley has the gentlest hands I have ever seen.  She and I have developed a close relationship over the years (and over the phone) as we have discovered that we have so much in common, except that she is much sweeter than me.  Love you, Shar!

C. Jennilyn.  My sister was born when I was about 4.  I remember helping take care of her and changing her diapers.  I also remember asking my mom if I could hold her every Sunday before church, promising that I wouldn't drop her this time (I wanted to be big and walk around with the baby).  Jenni and I attended the same school when she was in Kindergarten, but never again.  It turns out that this middle child really took on characteristics of a first child, being so separated from siblings by so many years.  Jenni is smart.  She is successful at whatever she touches.  In high school, she was valedictorian.  She also developed musical talents (piano and singing), and she ran track and cross country.  We overlapped in college for a couple years.  Jenni got her degree in Nursing.  She met her husband Jared in school, and they have two kids: Kaitlyn, (almost) 4; and Madison, 1.  Jenni works as a nurse.  Jenni is a hard-worker, and she is the type of person who can set goals and stick to it.  Of all my siblings, I think Jenni and I look most alike.  Jenni is fun to talk to, and she has a great laugh (and her nostrils flare when she laughs, like mine).  Love you, Jenn!

D. and E. Richard and Randall.  I won't say much about the twins just yet.  But I know that eternally, they are my brothers.  Heavenly Father allowed them to come to earth just long enough to get their bodies, but took them home because they were valiant enough without a mortal existence.  I look forward to the day when I can meet them again.

F. Audriana.  My little sister is about 9 years younger than me.  I took care of this little girl quite a bit.  I remember waking her up as a newborn, just so I could hold her (my grandma was NOT happy with me).  Audri was always a curious little person.  She would moan herself to sleep, in an attempt to stay awake so she wouldn't miss anything.  She got into everything!  She was the ring-leader for trouble when my little brother came into the picture.  Together they flooded the bathroom.  And another time, they dumped Kool-Aid powder on the carpet; then added water to clean up the mess.  The red stain came out of the carpet; but years later when the carpet was replaced, we found a nice stain on the wood beneath.  It turns out that Audri has very mild Asperger's.  She always struggled with learning how to behave appropriately, but she never struggled to love people.  Audri's greatest talent is to love and care about other people.  Audri also has some musical talent, with singing and piano.  She always did well in school, and she has recently passed the test to become a dental assistant.  Audri is always sweet and always affectionate.  Love you, Auj!

G. Jacob.  My little brother is about 10 years younger than me.  I became expert at diaper changes by the time Jake came along.  As a little boy, he won the hearts of all my friends.  He even said he would marry some of them!  Jake turned into quite the tease.  He figured out pretty early on that he could push Audri's buttons, and that was great fun.  Jacob also imitated Dallon in every way.  He wanted to be just like Dallon.  Jacob is really smart.  He has a brain for anything computer and electronic.  He recently began serving his mission in Phoenix, Arizona.  It has been fun to get to know him better through his letters.  He is a good kid with righteous desires.  He works hard, and his testimony is increasing with his service.  Love you, Jake!

III. Dad

My dad grew up in a home full of turmoil as well.  His dad is the sweetest-tempered, most gentle, Christ-like man.  His mom had some unresolved mental issues.  She physically and verbally abused my dad as a child, to the point that he acted out just to get the love and stroking that came after.

Of course, everyone would have said that my dad was a really naughty kid, and he pushed her to the limit.  What they discovered much, much later in life is that he has attention deficit (possibly hyperactive) disorder.  My dad was third of four children.

My dad served an LDS mission in Paris, France.  He put himself through college by working as an auto-mechanic.  He got a degree in business management.  During college, he met my mom.  He was the  handsome guy everyone was after, but she didn't play that game.   Of course, that intrigued my dad, so he chased her.  They got married soon after.   When I was very little, my dad injured his back.  I think it was a very difficult time for him, especially since he had several mouths to feed.  Eventually he recovered, but I think it was a great learning experience.

Ever since, he has been a very hard worker, and never slacked in his duty to provide for his growing family.  He was also a bit of an entrepreneur, so he dabbled in a lot of side interests.  My dad is the kind of guy who is a jack of all trades.  He can do anything.  He is very smart and an amazing problem-solver.

Something else about my dad that I admire is that he has an extensive knowledge about the gospel.  He is the kind of person who ponders, and he is the kind of person who understands eternal things.  If I ever have a question about kids, I call Mom.  If I ever have a question about the gospel, I call Dad.

My dad and I didn't get along too well when I was a teenager, though.  I think it was because I was trying to assert myself (beyond the limits), and he really just wanted what was best for me.  So we clashed.  As I've gotten older, I have learned to appreciate the wisdom of his 24 extra years of life.

My dad is always helping other people.  He is always reaching out and searching for people who need a little boost.  He never expects anything in return.  He is an amazing example of Christlike love in action.  I hope that I can learn to be like that.  Sometimes it feels impossible to reach outside of my own little family, but I know that my dad always does.  Love you, Dad!

II: Mom

How does one even begin to write about her mother?

Well, for starters, my mom is the best mom in the whole wide world.

And you might ask why I would write about my mom before writing about my dad, and the answer is simply that she came into the world chronologically one week before my dad.

My mom grew up in a home full of turmoil.  She was the second of six and the oldest daughter, just like me.  Her father (though he is a much different man now) was very physically and verbally abusive; to his wife, to his children, even to his babies.  Eventually, but maybe not soon enough, my grandmother left that marriage.  My mom was 18, I think, when the divorce happened.

In college, my mom was a very outgoing, social person.  I bet she was the kind of person that everyone wanted to be friends with and that everyone wanted to date.  She was an adorable, petite, spunky person.  She liked to dance, and she loved to sing.  She struggled with test-taking, but she went to college to get a degree in elementary education.  (That's probably why she was/is such a good mom.)

My mom has suffered many trials, and it's hard to see why she needs them.  She's the kind of person who is sweet, gentle, humble, patient, and every good thing!  Many of her trials happened during my lifetime, and I remember them.  I am sure that I never did, nor ever will understand what she went through.  Her older brother committed suicide (he may have suffered from the same mental illness that plagued my grandpa).  She miscarried twins at 21 weeks (I will write more about my feelings on this another time); she was diagnosed with and treated for thyroid cancer (I will write more about this, too); and she and my dad lost their business and home recently.  This is a woman who has borne her trials superbly, and I hope that I can be even just a little bit like her someday.

My mom is a good listener, and a great troubleshooter when it comes to children.  She is smart, she works hard, and she's always thinking about others.  She stays really busy with her two jobs, and I only wish I could spend more time with her and glean some of her wisdom and goodness.

I am lucky to have such a wonderful example of what I want to be when I grow up.  Love you, Mom!

Life Story: I. Locations

Everyone has a story.

I have decided to share my story for the sake of my posterity and anyone else who's interested.  It makes the most sense to me to create chapters by topic, but as chronological as possible.

I thought I'd start out with the places I've lived.  I like to count any place where I slept in the same bed for a length of time.


(Location; # of different homes; age)

1. Ogden, Utah; two; 0-4
2. Layton, Utah; one; 4-5
3. Ringgold, Georgia; one; 5
4. Holland, Ohio; one; 6-7
5. Kernersville, North Carolina; one; 7
6. Chattanooga, Tennessee; two; 8-18  (I also spent a month in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at age 17)
7. Provo, Utah (single); four; 18-20
8. Provo, Utah (married); four; 20-23
9. Lexington, Kentucky; one; 24-25
10. Federal Way, Washington; one; 26-27
11. Pullman, Washington; two; 27-30
12. Post Falls, Idaho (two months); one; 30
13. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; one; 30

So, in my 30 years, I have lived in 13 different cities and moved about 20 times.  Which begs the question, why?  There are a few answers:  when I was a kid, my dad's business moved us around quite a bit; and once I got to college, I (and then we) didn't stay in one place for very long in an attempt to save money.  After college, we were in pursuit of grad school and Bryan's career.

We are really happy in our current location, and we hope that we never have to move again.  :)

Family Pictures

The Bus

Every parent who sends their child to public school will have to face this question: will I drive or send my kid on the bus?  (Unless you're close enough to walk.)

I rode the bus as a kid.  And I remember it being a place where unsupervised kids would speak and act inappropriately.  One time, a kid even said to me, "Have you ever masturbated?  Nah, you probably don't even know what that is."  The theme of the bus, and also the space of time when we arrived in school and waited in the cafeteria for school to start, was sex, sex, sex.  Luckily I had parents who were willing to talk to me about my questions, but unfortunately many of the questions sprang up after the periods of time on the bus and in the cafeteria holding place.

When Caleb was in Kindergarten, the bus didn't come to our neighborhood because we lived too close to the school.  But it was at least a mile to walk, so I drove him.

The bus started coming to our neighborhood last year, but I still drove him because of my aforementioned reasons.

I have two other arguments against the bus.  One is that I like the control of seeing my child enter the school, and exit again.  I like to be able to see her safely into the hands of the next caregiver.  The last argument is about the amount of time my child would waste being on the bus.

This year, in our new town, Kindergartners go to a separate school called the Kinder Center.  Neither school is super far from our house, but the traffic to get to the Kinder Center is not awesome.  I was driving to two schools two times a day each.  Savanna attends afternoon Kindergarten, so it was a struggle to keep Isaac awake until we could get home for a nap.  But I kept driving.  Then I talked to a few moms about the Kindergarten bus, skeptical that it would be for us.  But they explained that the Kindergartners aren't allowed to sit together, that they have to sit one to a seat.  Not that I think Kindergartners are going to speak inappropriately, but my mind was eased that mischief would be difficult to manage in this seating arrangement.  So I put her on the bus.  My other two arguments were appeased because the bus is a direct conduit to the school.  I felt safe placing her in the care of the bus driver, who follows strict rules to ensure she enters the school when she gets there.  Savanna's a good kids, so I'm not worried she's going to try to wander off.  And lastly, the amount of time I was wasting more than makes up for the time she is wasting.  And if you count everyone's hours separately, the boys time wasted, plus mine, it was so much more than the time she wasted.

And when I told her she could ride the bus, she was ecstatic.  She doesn't mind the wasted time.  Obviously.

I still drop off and pick up Caleb from school.  And next year, when Savanna is in first grade, I will only have to travel to one school.  I'm still wary of the bus for the elementary school; and as it's not very far away, I think I will always drive them.

I'm curious about your thoughts: what do you think about the bus?