#TBT

This is the first pizza bagel I had even eaten in my life. It was at a bagel shop in downtown Seattle. It was pretty average. What a throw back, right? Wish I could go back to Seattle! #Seattle2014

Summer Days and the Kool-Aid Gang

Let's be honest. Kool-Aid is delicious. Especially when you're a little kid. That cold, sugary drink is what cools you down on a hot summer day! My mom never bought Kool-Aid, BUT my neighbors pantry was stocked! I remember those days sitting on the front porch in the summer heat, drinking Kool-Aid with my friends. That was the life!

One hot day after drinking a whole pitcher of Kool-Aid, we got a crazy idea. Kool-Aid is practically colored sugar. Add water and voila! You have yourself Kool-Aid! We filled the pitcher, added the necessary cups of sugar, and (for color) a few drops of food coloring. We stirred everything together and poured us a tall glass. I took a nice big swig and my world came to halting stop.
BLEH!!! It was disgusting! (Vomitrocious as my young self would say.) I guess you could say we forgot about the artificial flavoring that satisfies the palate.

Moral of the story: Save the sugar water for the hummingbirds.

First time

She was angry, but I wasn't sure why. But she was my friend, so I cared. And when you're friend is upset, you help her. She was running away from me. My little legs in comparison to her "giant" legs were no match. Where is Ashley? I thought as I chased after Rachel.

I spotted Ashley and yelled, "ASHLEY, GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!"

Friends, that was the first time I ever said the word 'butt' out loud. I was in fourth grade.

Memory Lane - Christmas Edition Part Two

Sleeping on Christmas Eve was the hardest thing. I'd wake up every fifteen minutes and glance at the clock. I remember one year, my mom told me I couldn't come down to see my presents until I cleaned my room. My brother slept in my room (as per tradition) and helped me clean up fifteen minutes before we were allowed downstairs. (Which really consisted of us throwing toys into the window bench.) We'd always wake up early Christmas Day. Mom wouldn't let us see our presents until 5:00 in the morning. We'd hurry down the stairs and run to the family room where all our presents were waiting for us. Only us kids would be awake, until mom and dad would finally show up. Dad would turn on The Beach Boys Christmas album and pull out the camera. We'd spend hours in the family room playing with our toys. Mom would cook us a delicious breakfast. We'd then open our presents from under the tree to top of the morning. We'd play the rest of the day and feast on leftover treats and cheese ball. (I can't even tell you how delicious that cheese ball is!) My parents always made Christmas special for our family. Now that I'm older, I've realized that even though our Christmases were memorable, they never once forgot to remind us of our Savior. It is because of Him that I am able to feel and taste the sweet joy that He has to offer. It's because of Him that I am able to be with my family for eternity! I love Him.

Memory Lane - Christmas Edition Part One

Christmas as a child was magical! The anticipation of what Santa would bring me was only a small portion of the magic. The true magic and spirit of Christmas came through the joy of being with my family. I looked forward to Christmas Eve over Christmas day! Mom would spend her day getting the treats together for the party. Dad would have The Beach Boy's Christmas album and video camera ready to go. We'd rush to put on our new pj's and call our cousins to join us for the festivities. Then Little St. Nick would be blaring through our speakers and the party began! We danced to the music and laughed. We stuffed ourselves with cheese ball and crackers! Mom would read us Christmas stories. That was my favorite. The light above the fireplace was the only light on, besides the glow of the Christmas tree. The room was quiet as she read. She never forgot to mention the true reason for the season. She always brought the Spirit of Christ into the room as she bore her sweet testimony of our Savior. As I've gotten older, I've appreciated more the true meaning of Christmas. It's because my mom taught me. I'll always be grateful for that!