This Is Me Challenge: Growing up, Early Years

I lived in Utah until I was 2 years old.  At that time we moved to Mesa, Arizona for my dad's job.  It was fun being in AZ because Mamaw and Rich, almost all my cousins, aunts, and uncles on my mom's side lived there.  I remember playing video games with my cousins, eating at Waldo's BBQ, attending Irving Elementary School, playing barbies with Nicole and her friend (Devry) that lived across the street, my best friend Mandy Roper, and the car wash with the cool coy fish.  One of the things I remember most about our house in Mesa is the big pecan tree we had in the backyard.  I was never a super adventurous kid, but that was the best tree to climb.   Whenever Nicole and I needed to get our bangs cut we would go to Mamaw's house.  We would take a bath in the cool sunken tub, get our bangs cut, and have root beer floats.  Christmas Eve was always so much fun because we would get the whole family together to exchange gifts.  The kids would then act out the nativity scene.  I always played the angel and Nicole always played Mary.

When I was 7 we moved to The Colony, TX.  I started 2nd grade there at Stewart's Creek Elementary School.  I joined girl scouts. I played soccer (I wasn't very good, but luckily when you are young it doesn't really matter).  At church we had a good group of girls my age and we basically grew up together even though we attended different elementary schools.  Some of my church friends included Stephanie Tracy, Brittany Carter, Johna Green, and Kirsten Hauth. My first very friend in TX was Gina Weinzetl, who I met in Mrs. Williams' second grade class.  I didn't really have a favorite teacher because I felt like all of them cared for me and helped me.  My 3rd grade teacher was Miss Poole (Mrs. Nickel...she got married).  She always made learning really fun.  I think one of the few assignments I remember from elementary school was a report on an animal of our choice.  For some reason I chose a poison dart frog...to this day I am still intrigued by them.  My 4th grade teacher was Mrs. Faircloth. She had a son in my mom's class so it was kinda like they just swapped kids.  Mrs. Faircloth was one of those teachers you could tell wanted all her students to succeed and genuinely loved them.  My 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Van Meter.   Mrs. Van Meter would let me come to class early just to hang out and I often stayed in her classroom after school (since my mom was there too).  5th grade was the year all my orthodontic work began...and then lasted until I was a Sophomore (I think) in high school.

Once I hit 6th grade I moved up to Lakeview Middle School.  That was when all my friends were finally at the same school.  It was kind of a weird adjustment having my elementary school friends mesh with my church friends, but in the end it worked out and everyone got along (most of the time). In middle school I played the flute in band.  It was a fun instrument to play and I wish I would have kept it up.  I also did soccer and track in 7th and 8th grade.  I ran the 800 m and 300 m hurtles in track.  I even got some ribbons for placing.  In 8th grade they got a cross country team which I joined.  There began my running "career".  In middle school I was the stereotypical awkward kid.  I had braces and loved to wear over-sized BYU sweaters and a ponytail.  

Even as a child I loved to read.  I enjoyed playing with dolls and board games.  I wasn't much of an outdoorsy kid, but that doesn't mean I couldn't make believe inside.  Nicole and I used to make the coolest forts on our red bunk beds.