Growing up, early years....

*Where did you grow up?  Describe it.

I grew up in Pinetop, Arizona. It a beautiful place full of pine trees. Not too big not too small. Lots of good people. It has 4 seasons. Fall is always my favorite. The aspen trees always put on a show. In the winter I loved snow days! Listening to the radio hoping that they at least made and hour delay or that they would call school off for the day. The spring was windy. Summers were green and so much fun. We lived on a loop across the street from the park. The neighborhood kids spent many days on bikes going to the park.

*What was your earliest memory?

I don't think I have a very good memory. I do remember when my dad told up my mom was pregnant with Lee. My mom was sick in bed and he told us not to bother her because she was sick and going to have a baby.

I also remember driving in the passenger seat of my dads big brown chevy coming back from Eager. He was trying to teach me to blow bubbles with pink bubble gum.

Probably one early memory was rolling down the hill of the white church in the middle of Show Low. I think I was in nursery. The Pinetop church was being built so we went to the Show Low church. I remember rolling down the hill and eating the pink waffle cookies.

*What games did you play as a child?

We played cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, pioneers, orphans and the Olympics to name a few. We made huge blanket forts in the apple trees. We rode our bikes to the park to catch frogs and crawdads. There were lots of kids in our neighborhood and there was always lots of fun to be had!

*Where did you go to school?

I went to Blue Ridge elementary, middle, junior high and high school. 

*Who were your friends?

I think my little group of friends changed each year with my the class I was in. I had lots of church friends and school friends. Karli Flake, Cade Woolley, The Goff kids, Julie Nichols, Tara and Kendra Askeroth, Tiffany Ross. It was a small town and there were lots of friend ships.

*Who were your teachers?

K-Mrs. Penrod, Only for half a year, my mom took me out half way through

K-Mrs. Reinhold I loved her. She was the picture of a kindergarten teacher.

1st-Mrs. Sumner Hated her. She did not like me at all. I remember always being grouped with who I thought were the bad kids. 

2nd- Mrs. Taylor I really liker her. Going out of 1st grade they had me in the bottom reading level (aka the bad kids) So that's where I got lumped into when we split up into reading groups. I remember she told me, "Heidi, you read so well! You don't belong in this group." She moved me up 2 levels into the first reading group. I think that gave me confidence. Or at least the confidence my little tender 2nd grade heart needed.

3rd- Mrs. Walhin I liked her a lot. We also had a student teacher that year. I love to read and Mrs. Walhin would give me books much higher than my reading level. This is when I started the Little House series.

4th- Mr. Babbit He was an awesome teacher one of my favorites. I think it was his first year teaching out of college. He made everything fun. He had nick names for everyone. Mine was Flenders because I thought I would sign my  name in fancy cursive. I was not good at cursive so when I did it Heidi looked like Flenders. I send him a graduations  announcement he wrote me back a congratulatory letter and addressed it to Flenders.

5th- Mrs. Cox Again, an awesome teacher, she was another favorite. She was fun and cool. I remember wanting to be just like her. I enjoyed going to school everyday with her.

6th-Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Van In 6th grade we switch classes in the afternoon. Mrs. Thomas was my home room. I loved her. She wasn't into all the fancy teaching things. She just taught us and kept my wanting more. She was an encouraging teacher. Mrs. Van was fun. I can remember her laugh. 

 

*What were your chores? 

Like I mentioned in the post before, Our chores were ever changing. We did what we were told. I do remember my mom having lots of chores wheels.