*Where did you grow up? Describe it.
I grew up in North Eastern Arizona in the Pine trees. I loved growing up in the mountains. I loved having four distinct seasons. I loved that it snowed every year.The town was small but not tiny. Big enough to have a Walmart but that was really the only thing there until Home Depot and Lowe's. Its a beautiful place and I miss it almost everyday.
*What was your earliest memory?
I remember my mom giving me a bottle. I was probably around two because I knew that I wasn't suppose to have them anymore but she gave me one and I was so excited. I also remember being in one of the baby chairs that you walk around in. I must have been around two as well with that memory. I also remember having ruffly undies. Heidi said I pooped in them, but I don't remember that. I also remember the day my dad took down my crib. Either I have an amazing memory or I was in that thing for the first few years of life. I remember my mom smelling so good on Sundays. It wasn't until I was maybe 10 that I realized that I was smelling her perfume, White Shoulders. I thought that that was just her natural scent.
*What games did you play as a child?
We lived next to Woodland Park. So in the summer I would play there. I actually don't remember spending a lot of time playing on the play grounds, but mostly in the stream and lake. Sometimes we would go fishing, I even swam in it a few times. Looking back now I can see how nasty that water was and I put my head under it. I felt that growing up in Pinetop was idyllic for a kid. I rode bikes, played pioneers, had lemonade stands, played little league, made forts, went crawdad fishing, climbed trees, had snow days, went to a good school, had races...Just great kid stuff. School was fun. I remember in the first grade my friends and I invented tree tag. It was just tag between two big pine trees that were about 15 feet apart, they were the bases. We would chase each other around those trees every recess. We also played hot lava monster, you know the sand was lava, only the monster could go in it. That game was fun. We played red rover too, someone always got hurt. I remember one time my good friend Ashley bit her tongue or lip really bad, maybe even clean through, there was a lot of blood. Red rover isn't the safest game. We would swing too, I remember when two kids were swing side by side and were in the same swing they were in your shower. We played house too until about the 5th grade, we got to old for it by then. I also played softball through the city sports. I loved it.
*Where did you go to school?
I went to Blue Ridge for my whole education.
*Who were your friends?
I had the same group of friends from joy school till graduation. Michael Horne, Ashley Paxman, and Hannah Brown were my main friends. I had lots of other friends come and go but we stuck together. In elementary school my friends were usually who ever was in my class for the year. Then when summer came I had my neighborhood friends. Kyle Lucas and Mikko Wooley. Whomever I was with I was usually having a good time, I loved to play and have lots of friends.
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Who were your favorite teachers and why?
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Maksimuck (I have no idea if that is spelt right). I think I liked her the best because that year, the 5th grade, was the first year I had a teacher make me feel smart. She was so happy all the time and encouraging. I had always liked my previous teachers, but there were always smarter kids in those classes and they usually got most of teacher's "great jobs!" I also learned how to learn that year. Before I liked school because I got to have friends and play, but she helped me learn and I liked it.
I didn't like my kindergarten teacher. She had an aide that was mean or what seemed mean to a 5 year old. She also had us watch the O.J. Simpson trial in class. Highly inappropriate for kindergarten.
My first grade teacher was Mrs. Trainer and my second grade teacher was Mrs. Ellison. They both were very kind and I liked them. I remember one day we were all making fun of Hannah because she was Hannah the banana from Montana, must have just learned about rhyming that day, anyway Mrs. Ellison must have noticed it was annoying Hannah and she looked at me and said Lee the tree from Tennessee. Blew my mind.
I also liked Mr. Babbitt. Some of my siblings had him and by the time I had him as a teacher he was teaching 7th grade history. I had him 4th hour the whole year. He made that class so much fun! I will never forget his impression of using a bazooka against the Chinese.
I also really like Mrs. Hall. She was my high school algebra teacher. I had her twice for two separate classes. She wasn't one of those teachers that made it fun or anything. But she sure made time to help me and I really liked that. Math was always hard for me, but my junior year I went in everyday after school until I genuinely enjoyed math and that was because she worked so hard to help.
I was never one of those kids that buddied up to their teachers. I came they taught. I did like my high school English teachers. At least my junior and senior years. Mr.(can't remember right now) and Mr. Bang. We wrote a lot in those classes and seriously watched like ten movies a semester. I loved it. Most of my teachers had already had my siblings before me so most of the time I was being called Heidi or Jill even Tim and Pete on occasion.
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What were your chores?
I know I was expected to keep my car and room clean. I didn't always do it though. I pretty much did whatever I was told.
