My Life: Family History Pt. 2

Growing Up: The Early Years

Where did you grow up? Describe it?
I have lived in Spanish Fork my entire life, until now. When I was born my parents lived in small house near the Spanish Fork Jr. High, but I only lived there until I was three or four. So any memories I have of there come from seeing pictures.
The house my parents live in now is where I grew up.

That is not a very good picture, haha. But it is the only one I could find. My parents house is on the left. There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms.

What was your earliest memory?
I remember when the house was being built and playing in the big piles of dirt with Garrett. When it was first built my parents didn't have the basement finished. So Garrett and had our bedrooms upstairs. Then when Matthew was born in 1998 we had to share a room (ugh) while the basement was being finished. Sharing a bedroom with Garrett wasn't so bad, at least I don't remember it being that bad. We didn't really hang out in there that often. We also had bunkbeds and we would trade off who slept on the bottom and who slept on the top. That was also the time that Garrett and I got hamsters. I dont think they lived very long. They would escape their cage and then eat the carpet and then it would kill them. It was horrible and I think my parents regretted it the moment we brought them home.

What games did you play as a child?
Hmm. Well one year for Christmas we got this thing called a Pico. It was a game console type thing. Except it wasn't like playing video games because it was more learning oriented. It hooked up to the tv and you had these books that plugged into it based on different things. I think we had a Mickey Mouse one, Bernstein Bears, etc.

Then when I was in second grade Garrett got a Nintendo 64 for his birthday. We only had two games for the longest time. Diddy Kong Racing and Yoshi Story. I played for a long time, but later on I lost interest and it became mostly Garrett's think.

We got a trampoline when I was in second grade too. We did that a lot. We would make up games and put the sprinkler under the tramp. In fifth grade is when scooters became really popular. I had a blue Razor and Garrett and I would ride them all the time. We played outside a lot as a family. My parents would sit on the porch and watch us. Garrett usually on his skateboard, me on my scooter and Matthew had this firetruck thing that he would race down the driveway.

Where did you go to School?
For Kindegarten through 5th grade I attended Larsen Elementary. It is right by my parents house.

(This is a not so great picture of my school)

For 6th and 7th Grade I attended Spanish Fork Middle School (Now it is called Diamond Fork Jr. High). I couldn't find a very good picture but it was also pretty close to my parents house. It was kinda on a busy street though.

For 8th and 9th Grade I attended Spanish Fork Jr. High. (Spanish Fork has since gotten bigger so they have changed the way it is divided up. Now instead Elementary School is K-6, then Jr. High 7-9 and Highschool is 10-12)

For 10th-12th Grade I attended Spanish Fork High School. That was pretty far from my parents house, but close enough that they didn't provide a bus. (Not that I would have rode it anyways) I got rides to school from my mom and my friend Jerrica until I could drive myself).

Who Were Your Friends?

Jerrica and I lived a house a part and we pretty much grew up together. The only problem was that she was two years older than me and we weren't in the same grades. We were really good friends up until about 10th grade. We kinda just grew apart I guess

I kinda had a lot of trouble with friends growing up. I always felt left out because I didn't grow up with the rest of them the way the others did. But for the most part I hung out with Andrea Myrup, Kearsten George, and Kylee McDonald. We all lived really close and Kearsten and Andrea and I had a lot of classes together and we were in the same church classes. I hung out with them pretty much through middle school.

When Jr. High came I had sort of an identity crisis or something. I didn't really fit in with those friends anymore. I hung out with Tana Clarke, Mary Jacobsen, Melissa Fifita, Whitney Maughan, and some others. It was pretty temporary. Those group of girls had pretty much grown up together so I never really felt like I fit in. Then in ninth grade I became some sort of drama geek or whatever. They were all really nice and I never felt really left out. I hung out with Tristen Houghton the most though.

In highschool Jerrica and I were finally in the same school. So that was much better. I hung out with her and Shayla throughout Jr. High too but because we werent in the same school it made things a little harder. We hung out toghether all throughout 10th grade with Jackie too. Then things started to change and we weren't friends anymore. I still hung out with Jackie and Shayla though.

Jackie Beardall, Ryan Bernall, Me, Jerrica Olson, and Shayla Sperry

We only got one year of school together though... After that I pretty much still hung out with Shayla and Anthony. Later on though I started hanging out with Trevor and Josh. We had always been friends. We all had known each other since elementary school, but we never really hung out. I hung out with them through my senior year and we still hang out. They really made my last year at school so much fun. We went on a senior trip to Catalina and Mexico on a cruise it was so fun.

Me, Trevor Carter, Kylie DeBrine, Josh Butler, Shantel Carter

Who were your favorite teachers and why?

Let's see in Elementary School it would have to be my fifth grade teacher Mr. Teuscher. He was so much fun. We would do pranks and stuff to other classes. I still see him all the time and he still remembers me. He also taught my little brother Matthew.

I don't really remember too many teachers in middle school...

In Jr. High my favorite teacher was Mr. Hubbard. He was so awesome and funny. I actually interned with him while I was in high school. He taught me so much.

I also really liked Ms. Farmer. I had her twice for English. She was an awesome teacher too. I really think she is one of the reasons that I chose to get into English as a profession.

In Highschool I really like Mr. Bundy he taught U.S. History, and I liked Mr. McGuire a lot, I had him twice, once for World Civilzations and U.S. Government.

What were your chores?

My parents honestly weren't very strict on chores. I had them, but it wasn't a lot. I helped out with cleaning the bathroom, loading and unloading the dishwasher and I would have to vacuum the upstairs and ofcourse my room. I sometimes did poop duty outside, but later my brothers mostly did that. My dad had my brothers do most of the yardwork. My dad was always really the one who made us do stuff. In the summer he would call home from work to make sure that we actually did something haha. Once I got a job I didn't have as many jobs.