Random memories

So… Last night after taking my antibiotic- I have to take it at night, but ironically makes me antsy and sleepless for a bit- I went looking for some postcards I had gotten in San Francisco to frame, I found something else instead. I found pictures from all different times in my life- some fun and crazy experiences.

I found pictures of when I was little: pictures with my leg in my cast, (poor Mom having to deal with a 12-month old in a full leg cast for 8 weeks…) pictures from birthday parties over the years, (do you remember the spanking machine?!?) I found formal family pictures (Wow! There’s always jokes about Don King’s hair, sorry Dad, but you could have definitely given him a run for his money way back when…) I found random family pictures of getting together and just having fun and being silly (it’s amazing how you appreciate siblings a lot more as you grow up…) Putting ceiling fans up using our heads- quite literally! Trips across all over, including cross country where we stopped in St. Louis and went to the arch as well as saw the major floods, going to Ohio to visit Oma and Opa… Taking a day trip to Niagara Falls-before you needed a passport to cross the border- and telling Opa to not say a thing! J I found and lots and lots of pictures of the family at Disneyland- imagine that!

So- that’s all I was going to say about Disneyland as a family, but I started thinking about the memories and started laughing- so I decided to share some of my favorite family Disneyland memories. My first ride on the newly opened Splash Mountain-I was sitting in the second to last seat and was holing on to my mom *SO* tightly that it just looked like she had long blonde hair in the picture… My brothers proceeded to take me back on the ride and made me sit in the very front seat. Waiting in line for the Rocket Rods (REALLY lame ride! I miss the People Movers!) And Tyler (who is now happily married) discussing his dates, the hot tub and the size of their swimsuits as the number of dates grew. (I’m sure he’d kill me if he read that I posted that store, but it made me laugh and I know he doesn’t read this, so I feel safe.) Kristin, knowing what parking spot she wanted, and threatening to run over the parking attendant to get it. (She was successful in getting her parking spot.) Breaking two toes the day we left for California-which meant Disneyland in a wheel chair, which wasn’t as fun as I always had imagined it would be… Though that may have been from the crayon blue foot and extremely sore foot. (People don’t pay much attention to wheelchairs, so I got quite a few bumps, quite painful with newly broken toes.) Going to Disneyland with the boys (Dad, Tom, Von and Matt) before going to the BYU-UCLA game. Disneyland with just me, Tom and Lisa, which was the trip that I got my “Mom” Mickey ears. Taking Ashley O on her first trip to Disneyland, the lots of attempts to get a picture with Goofy before finally succeeding, and Miss Ashley O being more interested on the ties on Mom’s sweatshirt hood than anything else. Getting stuck on Space Mountain and finishing the ride with the lights on, which is much scarier than riding it in the dark. Seeing Dad’s face anytime we would go to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, and even better when we got the change to meet and take pictures with them! When California Adventure was, well, a parking lot- driving through the parking log, looking at all of the license plates to see how many states we could find. Lisa telling ME that I take too many pictures! The first time we took Hans on Soarin’ Over California, getting the top, center row, and watching him push back as far as he could when the attraction starting while Dad was leaning over in the Superman pose. Going to Club 33!! A real highlight of my Disney life- making many of my cast member friends jealous! J Captain EO! Taking pictures of how many 3-D glasses the boys could fit on- it just wasn’t the same for Honey I shrunk the Audience. (I can’t wait to see Captain EO again this spring! “See you later trashcans!”) Kristin, Tyler, Amanda, Lisa and myself nearly sinking a Small World boat. (Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration- but there was a good 4 or 5 inches of water in the bottom of the boat.) Hans being so excited for the Storybook Canals. (Apparently this attraction is very exciting in the world of gardening.) This one’s just for Lisa (though it happened when we were there with friends, she’s sill my family.) “1-0-1! Indiana Jones is 1-0-1 people!”

As you can tell, I could go on, and on, and ON about family memories at Disneyland- and why it really is the Happiest Place on Earth!

I found pictures from junior high and high school… All of those times we’d “never forget” and those people who “you’ll be friends with forever!” While I’m not the closest with most of the people from high school, I still remember all of the wonderful times we have together and will always have a special place in my heart for them. There’s so many memories that made me laugh, sigh, and just be all nostalgic. Building sets for junior high plays (I got a drama award though I never was actually in a drama class or a play, just back stage. J ) Dances and all kinds of school functions. Deciding at the last minute to go to prom my senior year… and instead of going out to dinner, we got dressed up, ate pizza and watched Emperor’s New Groove; instead of going and taking formal pictures, going to the park and taking pictures on the slide and swings, just being silly, formal dress, slippers and all! (Yes, I wore pink fuzzy slippers to Prom.) Pictures of the night I had my first kiss, pictures of old boyfriends and crushes… I’m glad I dated MOST of them… but I still look back on them with a smile. Playing in mud and getting covered from head to toe while in Lake Powell just because it sounded like fun. Late night chat sessions and sleepovers with chips and salsa, Little Caesar’s pizza and crazy bread, painting nails, and laughing until our sides hurt. Watching all kinds of movies from Emperor’s New Groove (we really liked that one.) and That Thing You Do, to the Lord of the Rings (which I’ve still never actually stayed awake during.) We made sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cakes, all sorts of fun things. We spent summers in the pool, swimming in the sunshine and occasionally rain! We even spent some New Year’s in the warm pool with snow all around us. These were incredibly special time in my life- and while I wouldn’t go back and unfortunately I’m not close with so many of the special people I once spent most of waking hours with or talking to on the phone- they all make my smile and have a special place in my heart.

I found lots and lots of pictures from my College Program. Though it was only five months long, it has definitely changed my life. I got out on my own for the first time 0 I learned and grew. I met friends who once again have come in and out of my life – and many who will I will truly be friends will for a long, long time. I found pictures of some crazy fun times, most I haven’t thought about in a LONG time! The Tinks, signing underneath our counter before we left, our random wall full of pictures, phrases and words that were just too funny and brought back all kinds of other memories! I found pictures from the night of Mexican food and lots of Chinese fire drills all over I-Drive and Downtown Disney. Stuffing into Frances’ car- and I do mean stuffing- on more than one occasion. Drew in the trunk on the way home from P.I. though he had his ID all ready, and Erika running away from security while the rest of us waited for Ray and Drew… Dressing up and going to Olive Garden as a big group for Valentine’s Day. Oscar night and eating the chocolate Oscar Amanda’s parents sent. Random pictures of me in all of my crazy costumes I wore for random extra hour shifts I would pick up- Casey’s corner, emptying mini-bars, Parade and Audience control in Fantasyland costumes, Tomorrowland costumes, Main street costumes… Pictures of dying my red hair- Oh my red hair! Meeting new people - saying hello and goodbye. I had never cried when having to say goodbye until then… and I’ve had to say goodbye and cried many times since then.

I found pictures from so many other times of my life. Weddings, both family and friends- the wedding cakes I’ve made… (Seriously?!? How did I get into making wedding cakes… and how did I get talked into making them over and over again?!?) Trips with friends to California, Florida, Boston and everywhere in between! Random pictures of just hanging out, pictures of my puppy that I miss so much, and now pictures of the crazy kitties that live in the basement… Nieces and nephews – oh how much they’ve grown!!

While obviously pictures haven’t made my life- the experiences as a whole have made me who I am today. The pictures just remind me of those crazy, fun and special experiences. I still have lots of growing and learning still to come – but I am grateful for all of my friends and family who have been there for the ups and downs of this crazy thing called life.

I’ll hopefully get some of the pictures who inspired this post scanned and posted on here or on Facebook someday soon.