My Firsts

First Memory: I remember running down the hall to my mom. who was on the phone in the kitchen, I remember the lilt of her voice and hiding behind her long skirt. I peeked around to see down the hall and stuck my tongue out at my sister Audrey who was chasing me.

First Friend: My first friend was probably Quinn C* from across the street. He was also my childhood boyfriend when we were 3. We used to touch tummies all the time. His brother would say he would pay us $1 to kiss, he still owes us a lot of money. We are still friends. At about the same time Quinn's mom would watch my friend, Alicia. This was the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship. We are also still friendsm through all of school years and beyond.

First Pet: We had a dog named Sammy when I was littler than 4. I have a couple memories of playing with him in the backyard. My mom accidently ran over him one day. I remember walking across the street to go to the Cannons. When she ran out of the car crying. We then got another dog, Binksey, he got killed by a German Shepard in our neighborhood protecting me and my sister Audrey. The German Shepard tried to attack us and Binksey jumped between me and the dog and bit his neck. It was very traumatic. I was always scared of Mr Layton's dogs after that, even when I was in college.

First Memorable Gift: My doll cradle. This was the first really cool big thing that was just for me. Most of the other big girl toys I had were past down from my sisters. It was painted with Austrian flowers and even has my name on it. It is still one of my greatest treasures today.

First Time To Disneyland: My family went for the first time in Oct of my 7th Grade year. It was a HUGE adventure. We all have characters that we love and actually are.(That will have to be another post). It was one of our first big family vacations out of UT. It is something I will never forget. All of us still Loved Disneyland and go a bit crazy when we get to go.

First Bike: My first bike was a hand me down from my older sisters. It was turquise blue with a flower banana seat. THe flowers were big bright groovy almost 60's design. It had streamers that came out of the handlebars. It was awesome.

First Crush: Brandon Brose in the 3rd and 4th grade. He had dark hair and tan skin. He was new to my neighborhood. He used to show me his big muscles at recess. Me and my best friend, Heather used to leave annoymous love notes on his door step. Until one day, his big brothers caught us and grabbed my brother Nik (who was helping us deliver said note). We ran off on our bikes and stopped doing that. Heather's mom even took us once to toilet paper his house.

First Car: My dad purchused a 1981 Honda Accord, stick shift in Porsche red with tan interior, for us to share while I was in high school. I loved that car. My sister Emilee needed a car up at college and stole it for most of the year unfortuntely. That is what happens when you are the third child. Kersten called it the Porsche because of it's color. It got sandwiched when I went to UT State on main street the first week of school. My dad told me much later that he was going to let me have the car up at school before it got crunched. This broke my heart.

First Car Accident: In the said Honda, I was leaving Kersten's house and I pulled out to go down the street and hit a motorcyclist. It just put a ding in my car. But he slid across the road and had huge road rash. He was in shorts, t-shirt with no helmet. His bike was totaled.

First Job: I worked for my mom's business, which some would say was not really a real job. But it taught me a lot of skills to get a job later so that I did not have to work in food.

First Real Job: Probably when I worked at Beehive Glass. I was a glorified receptionist, but I did bids on glass, helped customers, was the assistant to the stained glass specialist, learned accounts receiveables and other such stuff.

First College Roommate: The roommate in my actual room, my first year of college was Nicki. She was not LDS and her parents smoked, so all her stuff smelled. She also claimed she was allergic to water, it gave her a rash. So she only showered once a week. She had an internet boyfriend and she spent all her time on her computer in our room chatting with him on the internet, I endured living with her and spent a lot of time hanging with my peps.

First Broken Bone: Miracle of miracles I have never had a broken bone.

First Concert: Technically, I should count Bobby McFerrin in the Sixth grade. My parents had me and my two sisters and brother go. The first concert I purchused the ticket was for James Taylor in 1995. He is still one of my absolute favorite concerts to go too. I have been blessed to go quite a bit to him through the years.

First Album:It was a totally hip band in the 80's called "The Jets". They were an LDS family that made it big back then. My parents got me all of their tapes. My Grandma and Grandpa S* took me to "Stadium of Fire" in the sixth grade for the 4th of July because they were playing there.

First Time Wearing Makeup: Seventh grade. I tried to copy my sister Emilee. She was wearing blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick at the time. Not the best combo, but funny now to see the pictures.

First Airplane Ride Alone: This was also my first airplane ride ever. I went to go visit my aunt Patty after she had her second baby, Anna. She lives in Dallas TX and it was February so very nice weather. I went to be with my Grandma Billie and hang out and help with the babes. It was my second year of college.

First Boyfriend: I don't think we will count all those little "going with's" in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. I might say Clarence D*for he was my first kiss. He lived 500 miles away and we wrote letters. Which was so romantic at the time. He was 16 and I was 14 and 15. He came down a couple times and we saw each other at diabetic camp, which is where we met.

First Boyfriend That Meant Something: My boyfriend Clint, when I was 16. He was a lot of fun and had a cool fun car. He was friends with all of my friends. He treated me well or at least what I thought then was well. He had a huge fun family. I sometimes still wonder how his brothers and sisters are now grown up. The sad thing is that he made some bad choices after we broke up. It was good I did not stay with him.

First Heart Break: The first heart break that changed everything in my life was Shaun D*. We did not date very long but we healed each other and he taught me a lot about life and how to deal with it's struggles. The break up turned ugly months after it actually happened. I found out who my true friends were and how fickle people in high school really are. Luckily, Shaun and I were able to talk and resolve everything. He was and is one of Kersten's dear friends. I was actually best friends with his wife for years. If I see him now, I don't remember it at all.

First Date: My first date was with a boy named C.R. I was totally sunburned and looked like a tomato. We had a picnic of Wendy's up at This Is The Place State park, and climbed all over the statues. This was before they charged admission. We then went to a dollar movie, I don't remember what movie but I tripped as I was getting out of the car and totally skinned my knees up really bad. All my date said was not to get blood on his back to school shorts. His friend Clint who was doubling with us is the one who helped me get cleaned up. It was fun and It makes me laugh now. CR was one of my absolute best friends through the junior high and high school and now this is freaky he is my step brother. My mom and his dad got married 3 years ago. Good times

First Dance: Monster Mash my sophomore year. It was girls choice and I took a boy named Kevin that was in my drama class. The girls dressed up like boys and the boys like girls. It was actually quite hilarious. We had dinner at a girls house that I can't remember.. I don't remember a ton about that specific dance. But Kevin eventually fell totally in love with me and was kinda freaky. Saying things like we knew each other in heaven (wrote that in my yearbook), he asked me out frequently but sporatically over the next two years. I always said yes and went with him and dodged some sticky situations.

First Prom: My boyfriend Clint took me to Jr Prom the day before I turned 16. At midnight he kissed me and wished me a happy birthday. I wore a dress my mom made. It was light blue with pink flowers on it. I don't remember where we ate or anything but the dance was at an elementary school for the theme was "Forever Young". I wrote about 5 pages in my journal about it so I should pull that out and read it.

First time out of the country: Sad to say I have never been out of the country not even Tiawana, Mexico or Canada. Someday

First Time I Met Kersten: It was the opening football game right before my junior year, Fall of 93' My friend Carrie and I (we always went to the games) were flirting with some boys that played in the band. One of these boys was Matt O* and Kersten was hangin out behind him (he doesn't play an insturment). I remember thinking "Oooh, Matt's friend is really cute". Kersten and Matt were going to go to a dollar movie with our friend Megan after the game but we persuaded them to go to the Stomp (dance) afterwards instead. I remember watching Kersten dance and trying to get his attention. He does not remember the game but remembers meeting me in the hall the first day of school. Then the flirting commenced.

First Kiss with Kersten: It was on October 1, 1994, he picked me up after he went to General Priesthood meeting. We went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. Afterwards we went to Tanner Park and talked on what turned into the Rock of Love, where he held me and told me he thought he was falling in love with me and his concern was that he was leaving for his mission in a little less than a year. Afterwards, we went to his house, and layed on the grass and talked while we looked at the stars. It got cold, so he lent me his favorite fuzzy blue hood sweatshirt. His bedroom was out in the garage and we thought it would be cool to climb on the roof. We snuggled on the roof and at about 11:35pm he kissed me and told me he knew he was making the right decision with this. We then raced me home for my curfew was at midnight. Oh,, what bliss. It still gives me tinkles thinking about it.

First Time I Realized I Loved Kersten: I think I knew it long before I acknowledged my feelings. On Christmas Eve of 94", after we exchanged gifts etc, I was leaving his house and we snuck around to the side to kiss goodbye. He was being silly as usual and I was laughing and blurted out "oh Kersten, I love you." He looked me square in the face and grabbed me really close and baried his head in my neck and said " I love you too Lou, I love you too". And picked me up and spun me around. It was a marvelous Christmas.

First Home With Kersten: We had an apartment right behind the Cottonwood Mall on Memory Lane. I loved that apartment and thought it was really nice. Now looking back it was a bit of a dump but it had good space and storage. There are such fun, crazy memories there. It was a fantastic first apartment.

First Baby: Noah Lawrence, my sweet, charming darling boy, He was born on April 14 at 1:56am. I was in labor a little over 30 hours and only dialated to a 9 1/2. I asked the doctor to knock me out so that I could rest so I had energy to push and they decided to do a c-section since he was posterior and could suffocate coming through. Kersten loved it cause he had always wanted to see that surgery. He ended up having such broad shoulders that he would have gotten stuck in my pelvis. He is a sweet miracle and brings so much joy to our home.

First Time I Realized I Wasn't A Kid Anymore: This one is hard for there are quite a few little moments. Having the realization after marriage that all the bills were mine and Kerstens responsibilityThe first time I knew for sure my parents were divorcing. That first day home from the hospital after Noah was born and Kersten went back to work the next morning and I was completely alone. And more gradually as he has been growing coming to the understanding that I am the one who is making a safe haven and good learning enviroment for my boy.