Ten of my most cherished memories.

Tonight's "Top 10" list is going to be a little different. Instead of the "top" ten, this is going to be a random grouping of ten.

Tonight's adventure? 

Ten of my most cherished memories. These will be in no particular order, but I hope that this list gives you a little glimse into my past and present.

One. The first time I ever fly on a plane by myself, I was going to Denver to spend a week with my Aunt Pam and Uncle Chuck. It was just about the scariest thing I've ever done. My mom grought me to the gate, which we didn't know would be the only time that's ever happened. (A month after this excursion, September 11th happened) When I stepped through the gate into that little hallway that leads you into the plane, I literally thought I was going to throw up. Ha!  The flight went fine. I remember that I learned what turbulence was, but the airline attendants were very nice, and luckily Colorado isn't that far away, so we weren't in the air all that long. This was a liberating moment for me. It was the first time EVER in my life that I was on my own, even if it was only for a couple hours. I felt so cool.

Two. When I was in the fifth grade, I discovered my love for broadway plays. I'd always loved movie-musicals, but I'd never gotten to experience the magic of seeing a story unfold on stage. For my 11th birthday, my mom and I took her work-friend Ann and we went to see "Grease" live. It was the perfect birthday. Oh gosh. I felt so special. I got to pick where we ate lunch. My mom's friend bought me a Build-A-Bear (which I made 1950's themed, of course!) and we saw one of my favorite movies translated on to a stage. It was perfect.

Three. When I was 5 years old, my cousin Andy was getting married in Denver. I was thrilled! I was going to be one of the two flower girls in the wedding, and I felt so special! It was going to be the first time I was ever going to be in a wedding, and I knew I had to look perfectly perfect. We woke up on the morning of the wedding, and did my hair ad got my dress ready. We had a little extra time, so we decided to go to the local art museum and see what mischief we could get into. My mom and grandma went inside, and my dad and I stayed outside so that he could finish his cigarette. It was the first time I'd ever seen ice on the sidewalk, and I was having an excellent time sliding on it. I'm sure, dear reader, that you can see where this is going... I slipped. I knocked out my two front teeth, and bled ALL OVER the concrete. I don't remember all that happened next. It's in bits and pieces, but my dad scooped me up and ran me inside. (Still bleeding) My mom and grandma cleaned me up and we went back to the hotel and put ice on my face. The wedding turned out beautifully, and I even looked cute. I could DEFINITELY pull off the toothless look!

Four. The first time I ever sang in front of people, was awesome. I've written about it before, but it's worth repeating. I was in eighth grade. I had transfered to a new school (Leavitt), and I was so excited to be in choir! I tried out to sing, got the part, and the night came for the reciital. I sang my little 3 year old heart out, and was grinning ear to ear for the rest of night. I was nervous, anxious and basically ready to throw up in front of a few hundred perfect strangers.  It was one of the greatest moments of my life. You can read more about this experience and the person responsible here:     

http://whitneyelizabethsphar.blogspot.com/2014/01/important-people-part-four.html

Five. I remember the first time I made cinnamon rolls with my grandma. If you don't know about our family, these cinnamon rolls are legendary. They were a coveted treat that didn't get made all that often, but when they did... My word. Since my grandma went home to be with Jesus in October 1999, no one has made them the same way. People have tried. Some people have even tried using the "magic pan" that she used when she'd make them. The first time I made them with her was so special. I got to hand make the dough and punch it down... Let it rise... and punch it down... And then we added the cinnamon and sugar and butter and baked them. It was a bonding moment that will always remain one of my favorite memories. 

Six. When I turned 16, the first thing I was excited to do was to get a job. I was raised in daycare, so the first (and in my mind, the only) job I wanted was to go back and work at the same daycare I was raised in. The family who ran it was basically family, so getting the job was no big deal, but actually DOING it was a whole new ballgame. When I showed up the first day, I had NO IDEA what I was getting into. I learned to change diapers. I scrubbed floors and cleaned toilets. I cooked lunched for a couple hundred kids. It was insanely busy, but I loved every single minute of it. I didn't end up working there long. I got another job with better hours that would work around my school schedule, at the YMCA, but it was definitely a learning experience.

Seven. One of my most vivid memories of my childhood is the first time I ever struck someone out. I played softball for a number of years. More than I care to think about sometimes, and I was the pitcher. Not to sound cocky, but I was a very good pitcher, especially for as young as I was. The first time I ever struck a batter out was one of the coolest moments I've ever experienced. The batter was noticably angry, but as I looked over into our dugout, my dad and Richard and Fred and Angela and my mom and Julie... Everyone was grinning. It had happened. I, as a little nine year old, struck someone out, and helped us win the game. I'll never forget it.

Eight. The first time I was ever around a horse was the day I decided I hate them. Ha! My cousin Hollie has a horse ranch just outside of Las Vegas, but when I was a kid, she had one special horse named Kasey. Kasey was a beautiful horse. He was young, so he wasn't truly broken yet, but she'd been working with him enough, and she thought he was calm enough for me to ride. I was so scared, and to be perfectly honest, I knew I wasn't going to go through with actually riding him. Ha! But then something happened. Across the street, something spooked Kasey. He began to buck and kick. I, being the naive nine year old that I was, I moved back... towards his back legs. He ended up kicking me pretty good, and injured my shoulder, and I decided that I hated horses. Ha!

Nine. The first night I slept in my aparment was the scariest night of my life. My wonderful friends helped move me into my apartment, and then when everything was settled, they went home. I had never expereinced that level of alone-ness.  I was living alone, on my own, in an apartment. No parents. No friends. (At least none IN the apartment), and I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I watched a movie or two, microwaved dinner, and went to bed. The rooms seemed darker than I was used to. I kept "hearing" noises, and I probably checked the front door 10 times to make sure that I'd locked it. It was a freaky night, but one that grew me as a person.

Ten. The first time I met our awesome British cousins was one of the more memorable moments of my life. Joe and James came to America in April of 2003, and stayed in Las Vegas for the second week of their American journey. I fell in love with these new family members. We have lots of cousins on our side of the pond, but it was interesting to meet some that had been raised in an entirely different culture than what we were used to. They had cool stories. They'd been all over the place, and let's not forget those accents!! We hung out ALL week, and at the end of the week, we took them to the Circus Circus Adventuredome, and had the time of our young lives! I rode my first roller coaster, and they got to experience some American carnival food. It was amazing.