Nov 27, 2010

Share a favorite Thanksgiving memory.

One year when we were living in Verl's home (now Dawna's) we had all of her family down for thanksgiving. We were in the midst of making carrot pudding in a pressure cooker when it blew off the top and spewed carrot pudding up to the ceiling and left a lasting scar that was there until the day Dawna and Scott remodeled the house. I always liked carrot pudding and was a little disappointed when I didn't get much that year. It was quite funny though when it happened. Grandma was always a bit embarrassed over it also.

Nov 26, 2010

Share your favorite funny story of me as a child.

Strange there is really only one funny story that sticks out at this time and it is about Hayden. So I will relate it and then as I can remember others I'll try to add to this post.

Marie called me at work one day and asked frantically how to use the camera. She then used it and we have proof of the fact that Hayden is very blonde or at least was for one day. Marie had been baking and he was only about two years old but somehow pulled a bowl full of flour off the counter and onto his head leaving a ghostly blonde little boy sitting amid a world of white flour. We have smiled over that memory for many years.

One not so funny but still in my memory was actually a series of events.

Tia we called the Tick magnet because no matter where we went where there might be ticks she would get them on her. One day in fourth grade (we don't remember for sure which grade) she had two teachers one lady in the morning and another lady in the afternoon. Well the morning teacher found the tick and wasn't too worried about it as long as we got it out when she got home but the afternoon teacher freaked out and we had to go get her and have it removed at once.

Ben was a pizza delivery boy for Slice A Pizza when he was in high school. One night he called and told me the car wouldn't stop roaring. The engine was racing at full speed. Marie and I went over and I ended up riding on the engine holding the throttle back while he drove over the Max's Car Repair shop where they found that the cruise control had stuck. He removed the link to the throttle and we drove it that way the rest of the time that we owned that car.

Jeff's memory was one day when he was coaching soccer and he came running into the house looking for something and soon after a neighbor from on Larsen's lane showed up and was wanting to talk to him about driving 40 miles an hour down the road. He had motioned Jeff to slow down but Jeff motioned back to him something that made him mad so he got in his car and followed Jeff home. I cooled him down and said that I would take care of it. He didn't actually live on that road he was just there with his dad when the event happened. Jeff to say the least was pretty hot about it and so was the other guy.

Loren has a series of funny stories that have followed him. The funnest one was when as a family we went to the National Jamboree in Virginia and visited a number of sites while on the trip which included the Statue of Liberty. For some reason, and this was probably fear in a two year olds mind, he cried all the way up the narrow steps to the top of the statue where we were able to peak out small holes to the little people below in line waiting for their turn to come up. I am not sure what everyone else behind and in front of us thought but all I could do was carry him and keep telling him we could not go down because of all the people behind us, beside the fact that I wasn't going to go back anyway. When we got to the top he stopped crying and was just fine after that. We have it all on tape because I left the video recorder going the entire time as well.

OK So I'm on role and won't have to edit this later.

Brittany's was on the same trip when we were in West Virginia and had stopped at a Motel for the night. We had two rooms and while carrying in the luggage Tia and Brittany were in one of the rooms. Somehow Britt pulled a set of lockers down on her and had cut her head open. Tia couldn't do anything about it and for some reason the rest of us were locked out. When we finally got in I cleaned up Britt and then we went to the pool where the owner of the building was at and was also a doctor. He looked at her and did the necessary first aid. It was not funny at the time but since then has become one that has put a smile on our faces several times.

I am sure there are many others such as when Marie and I went to Parent Teacher's conferences and were told by Hayden's teacher that She has had to learn to tell any students that were sitting around Hayden to be quiet because it was obvious it wouldn't work with Hayden since every time she tried catch him and would ask him a question he would not skip a beat as he quit talking, told her what she wanted to know and would go back to talking.

Well that's it for now.

Nov 25, 2010

What were my other childhood addresses?

Besides the three addresses given we only lived in one other place and that was for only 6 weeks. It do not even remember the address but it was in the Jex subdivision in Spanish Fork on the bench across from Mapleton. We were there such a short time because the fellow who purchased the home on Maple Street heard that we had looked into buying it and so he called and asked us to move in for two years while he completed his occupation and could retire then move from California to Utah. So in January of 1983 he called and told us he was moving up in July. I then started looking around for a builder and we started this home on April 1, 1983 and moved into it on July 24, 1983. The loan was actually cleared on April 1, (April Fool's Day) but due to an unusually wet spring the builders, Roy and Dean Tew (Grandma Behrmann's cousins), were not able to start digging the hole for the foundation until May 24th or somewhere around that time. They were able to finish it two weeks after the owner of the Maple Street home moved to Utah and we had our things in this garage for that two weeks and lived in the old home with Grandma and Grandpa Behrmann for those two weeks.

Nov 24, 2010

What do you remember most about my first month of life?

It is all a blur now. With Ben and Jeff I was working as a TV repairman for American Television Service in Orem and for the rest of you I was working at Signetics, an Integrated Circuit manufacturer in Orem also. The thing that comes to mind first and foremost was the fact that we had a baby or another baby in our home and it was a lot of work and a lot of fun but mostly a lot less sleep during that first month after each of you came home. Usually Marie was in the hospital for three days with each of you as was the practice during that period of history.

Nov 23, 2010

What was the address of my first childhood home?

For Ben, Jeff and Hayden it was:

(Dawna and Scott's address now)

2023 S 800 West

Mapleton, Utah

84663

For Tia it was:

333 W Maple Street

Mapleton, Utah

84663

For Loren and Brittany it was:

(our current home)

2101 S 800 W

Mapleton, Utah

84663

Then sometime later the zip code was changed to 84664 for this address.

Nov 22, 2010

Many people remember just what they were doing when they heard of the assassination of President John F Kennedy. If you are not old enough to have that time etched in your memory, relate any other childhood story.

I was old enough alright and remember it well. Here is how I have written the story in my history.

President Kennedy's assassination

Nov 22, 1963 was a day that I would end up never forgetting. It was one of those days that in the years to come you would always be able to remember what you were doing, where you were doing it, and why you remembered it so well. I have had several of those years in my life and this particular one comes to mind now since it is Nov 20, 2005 when I am writing this and in two days we will remember as a country the day that John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

I was in elementary school, 4^th Grade, and 10 years old. Mr. Leo Foy was my teacher and playing marbles was the highlight of our recess periods and lunch hours. We usually spent our recess in doors during this time of year due to the cold weather but that day we were outside. My school always made me think of the Texas Alamo even though I had never been there or visited it. The front had a part that was built like the front of the Alamo. Coming straight out from the front doors was a wide sidewalk that was level and had a couple of steps several feet apart that ended up making the sidewalk level with the street by the time it got to the street. My classroom was on the second story to the right of that built up part. We had to go up a lot of stairs as I remember to get to it. But at that age that was no problem since I was built to run so it seemed.

I had some real good friends and always played with them. Marbles was not always the choice of games because we would often play kickball or baseball. Other times we would play on the swing set, pumping as hard as we could until we several feet in the air and then bailing out to the ground below. It was a contest to see who could go the highest before bailing out. I think back on it now and wonder why we didn’t have numerous broken legs and arms from the activity. Then there were the days when we simply chased the girls for whatever reason but mainly because it was fun and some of them were really cute.

This particular day however I was content to play marbles on that huge sidewalk in the front of the building. It was our noon recess so we had a little extra time to play. I had my favorite taws just like everyone else but I don’t remember ever really playing marbles for keeps. It always seemed more fun just to see how many we could win and then give them back to each other at the end of the game. There were just two of us playing that day as I remember but I can’t remember who the other person was at the time. Someone came out of the front doors in a rush yelling to us to come inside because Pres Kennedy had been shot. I don’t remember any of the rest of the day but do have some memory of the funeral services a few days later.

It was ten years later, while serving as a missionary in Texas, that I had an opportunity to go to the place where it had all happened and to see where the motorcade had gone and where the rifle had been fired. There was a special exhibit in an old building that housed all of the information. I remember it being a somewhat dumpy part of Dallas and understand that in the years since my mission it has been cleaned up and made into a very beautiful memorial for JFK.

One month and four days later, the day after Christmas, Grandma Poulson passed away in our home after suffering for an extended period of time from the effects of a stroke. That is another story but part of that memorable holiday season of that year.

Nov 21,2010

If you have a baby picture of me to share, place it here.

Ben Kent Poulson

Payson Hospital

Dr. Thomas Judd

Feb. 23, 1976

Monday, 6:13 A.M.

6 lb 9 oz

21 1/2 inches long

Jeffery Kermit Poulson

Payson Hospital

Dr. Thomas Judd

Oct 31, 1977

Monday, 4:39 A.M.

8 lbs 11 1/2 oz

20 inches long

Hayden Verl Poulson

Mountain View Hospital

Dr. Thomas Judd

Oct 16, 1979

Tuesday, 3:03 P.M.

7 lbs, 13 oz

20 1/2 inches long

Tia Marie Poulson (Underwood)

Mountain View Hospital

Dr. Thomas Judd

Aug 27, 1981

Thursday, 8:32 A.M.

7 lbs, 9 oz

20 inches long

Loren Ray Poulson

Mountain View Hospital

Dr. Frampton (Judd was on Vacation)

Jan 26, 1985

Saturday, 3:40 P.M.

10 lbs

21 1/2 inches long

Brittany Poulson (Averett)

Mountain View Hospital

Dr. Steven Nance (Judd had retired, he had been the one who delivered Marie as well)

Apr 22, 1987

Wednesday, 8:0 P.M.

7 lbs, 11 oz

21 1/2 inches long

Jeffery and Ben

Nov 20, 2010

Who was President when I was born?

(1st United States and 2nd LDS Church)

Ben: Gerald Ford

Spencer W Kimball

Jeff: Jimmy Carter

Spencer W Kimball

Hayden: Jimmy Carter

Spencer W Kimball

Tia: Ronald Reagan

Spencer W Kimball

Loren: Ronald Reagan

Spencer W Kimball

Brittany: Ronald Reagan

Ezra Taft Benson

Nov. 17, 2010

What other names did you consider for me?

Time has erased all memory of any of other names considered for any of you. It seemed to have been a fairly easy choice each time since we named you after you were each born and didn't know your gender until the day you were born.

Nov 18, 2010

How did you choose my name?

Ben not Benjamin was Marie's choice, she liked it as Ben but not as Benjamin. Where she came up with it I do not know Ben's middle name was after me, Kent.

Jeffery not Jeffrey mainly because I just mis-spelled it. I liked it better as Jeffery anyway. I saw a sign for a company in Ferron Utah while doing TV repair and just liked it. Marie seemed to like it also and we have both liked it ever since. Jeff's middle name "Kermit" was after my father who had suffered a stroke two weeks before he was born and passed away three months later.

Hayden named after Hayden McMillan in Midland Texas. We taught him the gospel but couldn't baptize him since he was not quite old enough to not need parental permission and his mother was hook on alcohol and wouldn't give permission. It was the first time I had ever heard that name and since then it has become somewhat common and I even discovered a mountain (or peak) named Haydn that is at the headwaters of the Duchesne river. "Verl" Hayden's middle name was after Marie's father.

Tia was chosen by her three older brothers who liked the name from a show called "Escape to Witch Mountain" with Tia and Tony as the stars. The name Marie just seems to go with anything really well and since it her mother's name we gave it to Tia as well for a middle name.

Loren was a favorite name of mine and I even had a relative named Loren Westover on my Grandmother Hansen's side of the family, in fact it was her brother if I have my facts correct. Loren's middle name was after my Scoutmaster Ray Hansen.

Brittany was a name chosen by Marie. It was one of her favorites and I rather liked it as well. We didn't give her a middle name due to the length of her first name.

Nov. 17, 2010

Tell about the day I was born.

Since I am writing this for all of you I will not put anything here. OK I'll be truthful I can't remember very many details on any of you. For Ben I remember the fat nurse telling Marie, when she voiced here concern that it was a false alarm, "Honey, you will be laughing at the doctor by the end of the day." with Jeff Dad had a stroke the day he was due or close to it and we went to Roosevelt to see him and the nurses were all scurrying to find a wheel chair for her and she exclaimed that she was not there to have a baby but rather see dad. With Hayden I don't remember much other than the fact that Marie was in an actual labor room with him and then was moved into the new delivery room. The hospital was new and so it was really nice and with him being the third one I was able to control my emotions so that I didn't have to go to the bathroom and putting my head between my legs so that I wouldn't faint. I was finally able to enjoy the birth. With Tia we went to the hospital while Stan and Nadine were at our home in Spanish Fork and beginning the move of our things to Mapleton. We left from Spanish Fork and came back to Mapleton two days later. Then with Loren there was a 14 hour period of labor and a lot of worry and stress before that big 10 pound baby was born. Finally with Brittany I really don't remember much other than we now had a second very beautiful daughter and it was a special time. So that is what I remember , now there should be a letter from me and mom that we wrote the day or soon after you were each born.

Nov. 16, 2010

Tell the full names, birthdays, and birthplaces of all of your children.

Ben Kent Poulson Feb. 23, 1976 Payson, Utah in the old Payson Hospital.

Jeffery Kermit Poulson Oct. 31, 1977 Payson, Utah in the old Payson Hospital.

Hayden Verl Poulson Oct. 16, 1979 Payson, Utah in the new Mountain View Hospital.

Tia Marie Poulson Aug. 27, 1981 Payson, Utah in the new Mountain View Hospital.

Loren Ray Poulson Jan. 26, 1985 Payson, Utah in the new Mountain View Hospital.

Brittany Poulson Apr. 22, 1987 Payson, Utah in the new Mountain View Hospital.

Nov 15, 2010

Tell about the most serious problem or challenge you faced during your early years of marriage.

The most serious was probably the fact that I had no job when we got married and then after just three years I was unemployed again. Three months later I was employed again and within a year making three times the income that I had been making at AM TV. Ben came just after 8 months and 1 week of our marriage so we had a family very soon and that made unemployment a little more of a concern. However through all of our years of marriage and many challenges the Lord has always been there to help us and carry us through until his blessings were there again to get us back on top.

Nov. 14, 2010

What qualities in my mom did you try unsuccessfully to change?

Her negative attitude but there was so many positive things that I never really tried to hard to change it. She is very special to me and I love her.

Nov 13, 2010

What was you job at the time.

Shortly after I was married I went to work for American Television Service in Orem , Utah. I was a TV repairman for three years and traveled around the state of Utah repairing televisions and installing antenna's. After I quit that job I was without employment for three months and then went to work For Signetics in Orem where I worked for nearly 15 years before the company was moved to New Mexico.

Nov 12, 2010 (Clair Melvin Poulson birthday)

Tell about where you lived when first married.

We moved into Verl's house in Mapleton, Utah. We spent many hours prior to the wedding fixing it up enough for us to live in the basement and then after that worked on it for nearly a year after which we moved up-stairs. We ended up living there (2023 South 800 West) for 6 years before we moved to Spanish Fork for 6 weeks and then back to Mapleton on Maple Street for two years and then built this home where we have lived since then to present.

Nov 11, 2010

Veteran's Day...

Name the veterans in your family and times during which they served.

I have had a number of relatives that have served in the military, only one of which I know was killed in action. that was a cousin who was killed in Viet Nam. However in my immediate family there are two of my brothers that have served in the military. Stan was in an Engineering Corp in Viet Nam and was discharged with an Honorable release. He developed double vision one morning that continued until he was finally sent to Denver to the VA hospital where he woke up one morning and it was gone. He was there for several months before that happened and I have always felt the Lord intervened to bring him home early. Stan was drafted into the military.

Clair was also in the military but he enlisted before being drafted. He was trained and served as a Military Police and served in Ft Ord in California. He was locked in the jail cell with several inmates once and was blessed to get out without harm. He enlisted because he had wanted a vocation in law enforcement. After he was discharged he became a Utah Highway Patrolman then became a Sherif's Deputy and then Sherif in Duchesne County. After he lost re-election too a crooked officer he was elected as a judge in the district court in Duchesne County where he is currently serving.

Nov 10, 2010

Did you go on a honeymoon?

Yes. We stayed in Duchesne and went to church sunday and then stayed at at mom and dad's house sunday evening. Monday after Leon Bright, mission companion, helped us with the truck transmission we loaded our camping gear and went to Moon Lake and stayed in a cabin there. We hiked around moon lake the following day and then met Tim, Leesa and Matthew and they stayed in a another cabin that night and then wednesday night my family came up for the evening and we played games and had dinner. It was a fun three days at Moon Lake but not the normal honeymoon as you might expect.

Nov 9, 2010

Tell about any other circumstances of your wedding day.

There are a couple of stories that I remember well.

1st. My parents and family all went to Manti the night before the wedding since we had to be to the temple quite early. We stayed in the Manti motel just below the temple. When we got to the temple we were early and Marie's family had not yet arrived. I started to get concerned when they were really late and even went outside and paced in front of the temple in my temple white suit. They finally arrived and I found out that Ann had slept in and so she was late getting ready and thus late meeting the family since she was staying in Provo and they were at the house in Mapleton. Marie was still very beautiful even though she was frustrated as well.

We didn't have the reception that night and since I didn't have a photographer there at our wedding then Uncle Orie took a few pictures of us after we came out of the temple. We then got in the old blue chevy truck that dad owned and I had taken to college. We went south from Manti and drove to Centerfield where I showed Marie where my grandparents had lived and where their graves were. We went back to Mapleton where we stayed in the house that night. When we went to bed Marie came out dressed in her pajama's complete with toes enclosed.

We went to Duchesne the next morning and had the reception that night. We stayed that night in the hotel when the reception was over. It was fun because we had rooms for all of the other guests, LD Singers, as well as others. We had our room right in the middle of theirs. However we drove around long enough that they were al in their rooms and didn't see us come in. It was fun listening to them though through the walls.

Nov 8, 2010

Who performed the ceremony?

William Bliss Daniels was our Sealer, and I believe he was the Temple President at the time or one of the counselors.

Who stood up with you?

This author is obviously not of our faith and doesn't understand that we kneel not stand for this ceremony.

However at the reception we had Scott Poulsen as my best man

and Aunt Ann was the Maid of Honor, then Marie's roommate Robin Lee, then a best friend from high school Lynette Hadden and then Marsha.

Our parents were also in the line with us and it was the last marriage dad would stand in as he passed away before Marsha was married 3 years later.

The groom and the bride.

The short fellow in the line was our Seminary Teacher Neil Decker.

Nov 7, 2010

What did you wear?

White Temple Clothing for the wedding and I wore a White Tux and Marie wore her cousins white wedding dress for the reception the next evening in Duchesne, Duchesne County, Utah.

Nov 6, 2010

When and Where were you married?

June 20, 1975 in the Manti Utah Temple in Manti , Sanpete County, Utah.

Nov 5, 2010

If you had a picture taken during your courtship to share, place it here.

Marie in the Miss Duchesne County Queen Contest

This is our engagement photo

Nov 4, 2010

Tell about how you proposed marriage to my mom.

I had been dating Marie at college for the fall semester. We went home to Duchesne for Christmas and I had decided to propose during the break. I was also working for Dad at the schools delivering groceries. I went to Roosevelt one day and picked up some roses for Marie and when I got off work I went to her home to give them to her and in reality was testing the waters for what I wanted to do later in the evening. We had planned to go with Ann and a couple of her college friends out caroling. We had taken them sleigh riding earlier in the weekend and now it was time to go caroling. So we went caroling and when we got back to Marie's home I was stuck with a small problem of getting Marsha away while I popped the question. Finally I got her to go in and look at the new pool table dad had bought for their Christmas. Then I quickly pulled the ring from my pocket and hugged Marie. I had her arms wrapped around her back so I could pull off her glove and slide the ring on her finger. Oops I got the wrong finger and for the longest time she wouldn't bring her hands around to see them. Finally she did and I asked if she would marry me and she didn't really answer for some time before finally saying yes. We then went into the house and she told everyone about it. That's how I remember it at least.

Nov 3, 2010

What qualities first attracted you to her?

She was so darn cute and fun. It was fun to be with her and she was very pretty. I also enjoyed talking to her whether it be out side of her window or in the car in front of her house until dad would flip the porch light on and off signaling it was time to come in. I enjoyed watching her perform in the debutantes and she was also very athletic. All around she was just very attractive to me.

Nov 2, 2010

Tell about your first date with her.

Neither one of us can remember our first date but I remember well my our first kiss, here is the way I have it written in my history stories.

A Stolen First Kiss

I hesitate sometimes writing about some of the events of my life since it really shows how human I am and some of my weaknesses but it is for that reason that I write concerning this particular event of which I remember only a short part. Maybe by reading some of these my young friends and grandchildren may be able to side step such temptations.

I was a senior in high school and was also very infatuated by a beautiful junior girl named Marie. She and I had actually liked each other for several years and I had officially started dating her when she turned 16 just a year and a few months before this event. We were in the same LDS Ward and so we had lots of chances to be with each other. I guess in today’s terms we were “Hanging Out” as often as circumstances would allow. We spent time together at MIA (Young Men and Young Women’s activity night) on Tuesday nights and never missed a fireside or sitting by each other’s side during them. I am sure there were other cute girls that I could have sat by but this one was definitely my choice. I also remember the often given council at these firesides, church classes, parental suggestions and advice that asked or suggested that we date many members of the opposite sex so that we would know better the person that we would like to marry. Well being young and stupid as we often are in our youth and having liked several girls throughout my youth in elementary I felt it OK to see this young lady as often as occasion would permit. I think back on the temptations that were created by so doing and am very grateful for liking a young lady that had very high standards and wouldn’t compromise them.

So now on to this stolen first kiss episode. We were going to a school dance one night and I don’t even remember which one but for some reason after I had picked her up from her home, only two small blocks form the school, we went to my home about two miles from the school either for me to change my clothes or for some other reason of which I have no recollection. That two miles however included a drive across part of blue bench where there was no lighting, other than the stars and the moon which was probably full that night, before dropping off a small hill to the rest of the road along the canal below which I lived. We were returning from my home to town and the dance when I decided to stop the car (there is a Stake Center very near the spot now) and steal a kiss from this beautiful girl that made my heart skip so freely every other beat when I was around her. I remember well that it was my senior year because I was wearing something that had been totally foreign to my style throughout my life. I had just received my Senior Key and I never wore necklaces of any kind. I had to be toward the end of the year since we didn’t get them until we were about to graduate and I was wearing it on a chain around my neck. I suppose I felt it was time for a first kiss since I would shortly be graduating and going off to college and then on my mission so I might never get to kiss the girl that had been so much a part of my life for the past few years. Well Marie was wearing a very beautiful knitted sweater. Now I would never have remembered this since I seldom notice what others are wearing and have not really felt the need to memorize what they were wearing except that this particular time that was not the right thing for her to have on while I tried to steal a long and lasting kiss. I pulled the car to a stop along this stretch of dark lonely road and of course she wondered why so it didn’t take me long to let my intensions to be known as I leaned over and stole the kiss. In those days cars seldom had bucket seats and seat belts were not yet popular so she was sitting very close to me as she most always did. It wasn’t a very long or lasting kiss except in my memory, because about that time the Lord sent the needed interceptor along as a car drove up over the crest of the hill so that it’s light were directly on my parents car and well into our eyes. I have no idea to this day who it was but I remember well the fact that we couldn’t just swing back into our seats as though nothing were happening because the loop holding my senior key to the chain around my next had ever so slyly hooked itself through one of the strands of that lovely knitted sweater so that she and I became somewhat inseparable. I was probably a fairly bright red color by the time the car passed and it wouldn’t have been due to the fact that the tail lights of the car were red either. It only took us a few minutes to finally separate ourselves but the memory of the moment lasts to this day. I can’t remember much of the rest of the evening or even when we had our second kiss but I will actually cherish that memory for it put into my mind the lasting memory of kissing my future wife for the first time. Now I am lucky that she ended up being my wife and we have had many kisses since that time. She will often come up to me when I am busy working on pictures or something where I am very involved and give me a very passionate kiss and then I want to continue with more but she puts me back to work just to painfully wait for the chance to steal another kiss.

Nov 1,2010 (Back to it.)

November questions will deal with your courtship, marriage, and my arrival in the world.

Tell about how you first knew my mother.

My mother was the librarian at Duchesne High School. The Duchesne County School District had plans to improve the school at Duchesne but it went through some strange changes to get there. There was an old gym that was replaced just before I graduated from 6th grade. We spent that 6th grade year going to gym classes across the street to the new facility and were very impressed with it. Well that vacated the old gym so while lans were being made to add a new library to the school they took the old gym and made about a 8 foot dividing wall across it and put the library in the east section of it.

Duchesne was also going through some major changes as the government was building a new dam just above town and in the west end of town there was a new trailer court being built for the government families that were moving to town to work on the dam. There were a lot of new families and a lot of new students coming to Duchesne. Well one of those families I would come to know quite well had moved into a home just two blocks (or a block and a half) from the school straight east of the school. I was then 13 years old when this was happening. The old elementary had been town down and a new one built north of the high school about a block.

So during the summer when I was 13 or just turning 14 since m birthday was in August, I was down at the school helping mom get the library ready fro the new school year. My job was to take the new books that mom was putting library cards into at the front desk and move them to the shelves properly putting them into order on the shelves. I was putting books away when the doors opened to the library and two girls came into it. They began talking to mom and I moved to the end of the shelves where I could see them but not really be seen to easily. It was not a real well lit part of the building or room at that time. The older and much taller girl introduced themselves and of course I couldn't really tell what she was saying but I do remember seeing the smaller girl staying somewhat between her sister and the door as if to be ready to make a quick escape. She was very cute, thin and quite petite. Her sister was a little larger and obviously older than I but the second one looked to be close to my age. Well I don't remember if mom introduced me to them at that point or not but I am sure she most likely did but my brain was very busy cementing that first initial image into my memory banks and must not have considered the rest to be too important.

As it ended up we would be in the same ward and her father had bought the house because he didn't want to live in the tin city, as we called it, with the other government families. I think that was a great move for me because as I have mentioned before I was able to watch Marie as she walked to school each day, or at least a lot of them from then until I graduated. We were also able to interact with each other in the ward functions at Mutual and firesides. She was a year younger than I in school but only 4 months younger in age and so we were in similar classes in the ward. She captured my heart at that time and though we steady dated in high school we did go on to date others in college. I was never able to find one though that was quite like her nor that I liked as well. She was asked to be married to another fellow just before I returned from my mission but since I was soon coming home she told him she wanted to wait and see how things went when I got back. (I ended up having known him since he had been at Snow my freshman year and apparently had not gone on a mission and dated her at Snow.) He left most likely quite broken hearted and never returned.

Nov 1, 2010 Oops Sidetracked!

Halloween at Provo Craft and our group won.

We decided to do our costumes around the theme of Toy Story. Then a couple of weeks later Product Development group decided on the same theme. They took a second place.

Ben and I

Ben's group.

HR and Legal took third in group.

Britt and I

1st place in the individual ranking. He made this himself and it took two months.

My boss took second in the individual ranks.

This is another one that made his own costume and he took a tie for third place with the tin man in the HR legal group. I didn't get an individual one of her.

I car pool with this lady and think that she should have won as well.

Another one that could easily have won who also made her own costume.

She didn't want to have her picture taken.

We had a chance to take Ben,Cat and the boys as well.