Growing Up the Teenage Years...

*What activities did you participate in? (Sports, dancing, music, arts, etc.) Explain what you did with each activity.
I did every sport available except basketball. In jr. high I played softball, volleyball, and ran track. I also sang in the chior in jr. high. Once I hit high school though I stopped singing, playing the piano and softball. I played volleyball and ran track. Growing up I saw my older sisters play sports and my sister Heidi play volleyball and I was sold after my first volleyball camp. It was awesome! From 7th grade till my first year of marriage I played volleyball. Its was I did except maybe a month or two out of the year. I even played club while running track. I played as a starter all four years all the way around. I was lucky to have a sister who played and helped me learn. By the time I was a senior I was the best in our region in the 3A. I didn't get player of the year though because small town politics are stupid and the Snowflake coach must have really not liked me : ) My friend who got it came to after and said that this was a joke and that I deserved it. I worked really hard at volleyball and I don't regretone bit dedicating so much of my teenage life to it. I hated track. I decided to do track instead of softball because the group of softball players were girls I could live without and their record stank. Plus boys got to run track... My freshman year I was nervous. I was always the fastest in jr. high, but not in high school. I remember my first meet I came in 5th or 6th, I didn't realize you had to run that fast. I caught on by the middle of the season though and I remember some of the senior boys telling me they didn't know I could run that fast. I qualified for state in all my events but I don't remember doing that well once I got there. I would tighten up and get out of  the blocks to slow. My sophomore year was more of the same. So I decided not run my junior year and I loved it. My dad didn't but I did. I decided to run my senior year to keep in shape for volleyball, and I realized how much I loved track. It was hard but it felt so good to run fast. My goal for the year was break 13 seconds, I did it our first meet. I ran faster my senior year than I had when I was younger. I only lost two races that year, I lost at state to a very very fast black girl. I set the record for the 100 and 200 at my school, they are probably broken now, but it was fun to beat my older sister's times. I loved track that year.

*How did you learn how to drive? What kind of car did you have?
The first time I drove was on my 15th birthday. We went up into the mountains to dutch oven and listen to conference. My brother-in-law John let me drive their new truck. I would say though that my Mom and Dad took turns teaching my how to drive. I don't think I did much driving until I got my permit. I remember my Mom made me drive home from the DMV. We had a suburban then and it was huge. I was so scared, but we survived and I drove a lot after that I am ashamed to say that I am the only person in my family that cannot drive stick. I could in an emergency but it wouldn't be pretty. My Dad tried to teach me on our 30 year old jeep. I remember killing it 16 times in a row and seeing the sweat start to gather on my Dad's temple from frustration. I would do okay until we go on the main road, then I would panic just a little bit. I never really had a good car to learn on. Aaron tried teaching me on our Honda before he left for boot camp, I did okay. But that car was stolen and now I have no car to learn on for real.

*Who were your friends?
I had my group of friends that I had had forever same as listed above. I kind of had two groups of friends though. Those who played sports and those who didn't. Sometimes they overlapped. I was friends with most anyone who would be my friend, but I usually only hung out with my group of friends outside of school. I look back on my high school social life and am thankful for the good friends that I had. I had a lot a fun with them and made a lot of good memories. I loved my volleyball teammates. All those girls were so much fun to play with, I was mostly bummed when the season ended because I didn't get to spend as much time with them anymore. High school is stupid though. If I could go back I would have branched out more and been more creative. And by creative I would have thought of more things to do than make cookies and play Disney's Scene it :) I had fun doing those things, but I think we thought we couldn't do anything else because the only other option was to party and none of us did that. We also didn't have very many guy friends. Pinetop guys were not great. So that also limited what we could do, none of us were brave enough to go up into the mountains and have a bonfire without some guys to do it all.
*Did you have a girl/boy friend? Talk about him/her (if your spouse is okay with it!).
I had crushes and kind of dated one boy my senior year. We pretty much had a whole relationship though texting, so pathetic. Like I said above Pinetop guys were lame jerks. There were some fun mormon boys that I started hanging out with when I was a junior and they were all seniors. I don't know if they thought I wouldn't have anything to do with them or what, but I would have dated some of them if they asked. Overall though I am very okay that I didn't have a serious boyfriend in high school. I thought it was a waste of time then and I still think that it is a waste of time to dedicate that much emotion to someone when you are 16.

*What did you like/dislike about school?
I didn't like the social workings of high school. I was so entrapped by it and it wasn't until my junior year that I finally got over most of wanting to be oh so popular. I didn't like walking through freshman hall you could ever breathe axe body spray soaking up the air. I didn't like ages 13-16 and most everything to do with those ages. I liked volleyball, english, driving, my friends, and that fact that all my money got to go to clothes.

*What was your first paid job?
My first job was working as an ice cream scoop in Colorado. That was my favorite summer ever. I am so glad my parents let me go up there with Heidi. I loved every second of it. I loved living in the Rockies, I loved being with my older sister and feeling like I was cool.

Growing Up the Early Years

*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.

*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.


*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.

Finally! and This is Me...

After four years of marriage Aaron and I are finally getting our own Internet. We have never had it at our house and have currently been using our phones as a mobile hotspot to use the computer. For quite a while now I have been suggesting to Aaron that we get rid of television and get the Internet then just have netflixs. Well he finally changed his mind and I am so excited to have the Internet. I mean I really only use it to look at Pinterest, Facebook and blog, but it was so frustrating to try and blog. A simple post that only should have taken 10 minutes or less took an hour! I am not even exaggerating. Such a waist of time! My computer also need to be rebooted or cleaned or whatever you call it. It is slow! I am also glad to be getting rid of TV. I have watched it too much in the past and have been making an effort to watch it even less. So this will help with that goal. Plus I don't like the horrible commercials in my home!

I am so pooped right now. It is only 8:15 and I can hear my bed calling to me. I got up at 5:30 this morning to work out and I am feeling it now. I had big plans to clean up my house with out a little "helper" but I am thinking that is not going to happen. So I thought I would blog to get a point for the day. My sister is doing a THIS IS ME challenge and I am going to as well.
http://ldsthisismechallenge.blogspot.com/p/personal-history-in-depth.html


Your birth and family:



*What is your full name and how did you get that name? Do you have any nicknames?
My full name is October Lee Brooks. Merrill is my maiden name. My parents have always told me that they chose October because they loved fall, it was their favorite time of the year as the leaves changed and the new season came. Plus they couldn't think of anything else :) My mom also told me that she always liked the name Lee and had an uncle named Lee that she always really liked. I have had a lot of nicknames probably because I am the youngest and have played sports. Growing up my family called me weedee, stink, LeeLee... Bean is the one I remember the most, after Mr. Bean. I remember during volleyball some of my friends called me Limeral because it sounded like Lee Merrill when you said it fast. My senior year people called me sub zero after mortal combat. I was always embarrassed but secretly I liked it because I hit the ball hard.

*What are your parent's full names and birth dates and places?
My Dad's name is David Alden Merrill, born December 20th, 1953 in Tucson, Arizona. My Mom's names is Patricia Lou Brewer, born January 9th, 1953 in McNary, Arizona.

*What is the date of your birth? Where were you born? What are some of the circumstances (when your mom went in to labor, how long, her doctor, your dad fainting, etc.) of your birth?
I was born October 3rd, 1989 in Show Low, Arizona. My mom had a horrible pregnancy with me. She had hives the whole time. Sorry Mom! Also they thought I was going to be a boy. My name was going to be Benjamin. I came out a girl obviously and they said they didn't believe I was girl when the doctor said so because they were so sure I was suppose to be a boy. My Mom also told me that my shoulders were very broad and that caused some trouble.
*What are your sibling's full names?
Peter Cole Merrill
Michael Paul Merrill
Sarah Jill Papa
Timothy Reed Merrill
Heidi Elyse Joncas


*How was your relationship with your siblings and parents?
I think that we had a good relationship all around. I am almost six years younger than my next closets sibling, so my younger memories of my siblings are much different than theirs. My oldest brother was 14 when I was born, so I got to go to endless sports games, concerts, and whatever else they were doing. I remember my brother Pete's track meets and thinking he was so fast, I remember him winning state in the 100 meter. Jill blowing out her knee and her long beautiful blond hair, sneaking onto her water bed on Sunday afternoons. I remember breaking Tim's windshield with a rock and a bat and watching him play video games in his room. Most of my more clear memories are of my sister Heidi though. I was a live doll for her for the first few years of my life. I enjoyed that. She would always dance with me and swing me around. We would pretend we were on the Sound of Music. She also made the best forts. However once I realized I was big enough to wear her clothes that when we started fighting :) I just remember thinking "wow there is a whole other closet full of clothes I can wear if I am sneaky". I had a good relationship with my Mom and Dad. Most weekends when I didn't have volleyball or track I was home with them and liked it. I enjoyed being around my Mom and Dad. That is probably weird for a teenager.

*What are some lessons you learned from you parents?
I am sure that almost every good lesson I have learned I learned from my parents. This list is too long to put down here, but the most important things I learned were living what you believe is the most important, do whatever you're doing right the first time (I am still working on this one), how to function as a good citizen, and to make family first.

*How did you help in your home?
I did whatever I was told. My main job growing up though that I had consistently from age nine till I graduated was to mow the lawn. We did yard work most Saturdays, pulling weeds, stacking wood, landscaping... whatever we were told. Inside was the same. I started doing my own laundry in the 5th grade and I thought I was cool. My Mom still did loads every now and then, which was always appreciated, but it was up to me. I also painted the exterior of our whole house one summer.

I Want Linner...

At our house I do my best to enforce the rule of eating the dinner placed in front of you. No special orders here. Daisy is usually pretty hoof at eating her dinner but not last night. She passed on chicken enchiladas and greens beans. Eventually it was time for bed and she hadn't complained about being hungry so she went to bed without dinner. (Don't worry we do feed her). Anyway around 11 I her crying, when I went to investigate she told me she was "hungy". I said well you didn't eat your dinner. At the word dinner she popped up and said "I want Linner" and ran to the kitchen table. She ate a bowl of apple sauce and then went back to bed. She makes me laugh. The look on her face like I am hungry and I am going to eat dinner even though its the middle of the night is just so Daisy. We love her!

Easter 2013

I love Easter. I love celebrating the atonement and Christ's Resurrection. I love the spirit that it brings. I also love being around family. And this year we got to spend a little time with both sides. On Saturday morning we met my family at the Arboretum just outside of Superior. We had never been there and it was actually pretty neat. We hiked around some trail, had a picnic, and finished with an Easter egg hunt. Then on Sunday we ate a very good dinner at Grandpa Steve and Grandma Rena's house. We also had an Easter egg hunt there too, but I was forgetful and didn't take any pictures. It was so cute though!

Hiking....

This was a little fountain with fish. The best part of the hike was when our nephew Jett fell in. He was pretty good about it, but it was funny.

Our niece Melanie is so good to take Daisy under her wing.

Hunting....

She did need a little help at first but caught on quick.

Jett was helping Daisy find an egg...

All the Grand kids who were able to come...they are all getting so big!

And of course we needed a picture of Rockwell...

                         
                                   
                                                            The Easter Bunny came!

Happy Easter!

Look What I Can Do!

Rockwell can now grab things with his little hands. I took this picture about two weeks ago.

And yes he is using his sisters pretty pink bouncer :)

A Get Away!

I have a love hate deal with my parents living 4 hours away from us. I wish we lived closer for a lot of reasons. But I have to say I love that I get to go up to Pinetop. I love that my kids get to have an adventure when they visit Grandma Trish and Grandpa Dave. I love that I get to go to a familar place and leave the business of living in a city

cute faces...

nice and warm....

I love the back of his head, bald spot and all.

watching tv...

A much needed get away. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

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