1. Walking down the 50 yard line in a red dress, arm in arm with Aaron at the Homecoming game my senior year.
2. Scraping the woodhouse clean with Jake.
3. Standing on the tall chair watching Dad make popcorn or helping him make apricot crunch (and then having him write your name in it with the handle of the spoon)
4. The first time I successfully put a baby to sleep (Amber Smith's little boy, Ethan)
5. Watching the sunset at Buffalo Point on Antelope Island
6. The first time I stood up for myself and refused to watch a bad movie (Kindergarten)
7. Having my name called to receive the Heart of a Titan award at graduation
8. Embracing my best friend on the grounds of the Provo temple after she had gone to the MTC
9. The first time I had a truly meaningful fast
10. Midnight skinny dipping with ____, ____, and ____. ;)
11. Tearing up the stage with Colton Wade and the Madrigals, completely aware that we dominated the Davis Show Choir Festival that year.
12. The first time I ran up around the Provo temple.
13. Coming out of the testing center and knowing I was saved by grace after doing all I could do.
14. Driving home at an unholy hour so I could make it home before Beth woke up so I could make it upstairs to snuggle with her one last time before she left.
15. Playing with Beth at Grandpa Pike's funeral.
16. Singing the Briggs Family song at Granny's funeral.
17. Falling asleep in the rocking chair with Dad.
18. Watching Mom bust a gut as Beth and I danced to "Nothin' to Do But Waltz" in the kitchen. WoW.
19. Ice Escapades.
20. Coming in from recess to a necklace and note on my desk in Jantzen's handwriting: I like Annie.
21. Being given the terrorist primary class on Mother's Day (when the Laurels go in to teach to give all the mothers a chance to go to Relief Society) and having the head terror herself fall in love with me and sit on my lap all through singing and sharing time.
22. Being chosen as the guinea pig in an assembly when I was in Kindergarten.
23. The first time... Scratch that--EVERY time I draw/color/paint something that isn't one of the same drawings I've done ever since I can remember.
24. The first time I had a real conversation with a deaf person completely on my own.
25. Sitting in the bathroom with Beth being her moral support as she did her hair for school dances.
26. Helping Beth study for her spelling and vocabulary test--I shouted words to her as she was in the shower and she'd spell and define them back to me.
27. Midnight star gazing in the dead of winter for Beth's astronomy assignment in Mr. Illum's ninth grade class. That's when Orion became our favorite constellation.
28. The night in December that Mom and Dad brought Smokey home.
29. Getting to college and finding a note from Aaron stuck to a box of Mac N' Cheese that I'd packed in one of my boxes.
30. Paying for Jessica's dinner at Dragon Hill one girls night.
31. Kick the Can with all my boys in the roundabout by Jantz's old house. Here we are three years later at the end of our senior year.
32. Skipping elementary to help Dad deliver loads of pumpkins to a garden nursery and knowing we'd stop and get a hamburger and a Sprite on the way home.
33. "Sloughing" class with Chelsea the last week of senior year to make wedding dresses out of cheap vinyl table cloths.
34. Having Mr. Carter present me the Anya Kenley award in ninth grade.
35. Seeing my name on the Dean's list my first semester of college.
36. Gallivanting to Smith's with my roommates to buy ice cream.
37. Spending truly priceless time with a complete stranger a few days before she passed away.
38. Going to the funeral of the father of a student in my high school.
39. Receiving my patriarchal blessing.
40. The first time in the dental office that I assisted with an amalgam filling unattended by any of the other assistants. Also, the first time I successfully mixed a cement.
41. Singing a book to a classroom full of kindergartners that my mom sang to me.
42. Holding a baby. Having a baby snuggle with me.
43. Seeing my name on the list posted of the Madrigal sopranos.
44. Rounding the corner of the JSMB one night in October and seeing the Salt Lake Temple.
45. Sharing Christmas.
46. Passionately chewing out the band during our pre-performance rehearsal when we were slacking hardcore.
47. Hiking Adam's Canyon with my boys (and their dates) my Junior Homecoming.
48. Every time I can convert a friend over to ______. I feel like such a benefactress. :)
49. Setting up secret surprises all day during my aunt Fran's birthday.
50. Being told, "I know you don't gossip about me when I'm not around because you don't gossip about other people when I'm with you." One of the best feelings of my junior high/high school social experience.
51. Making priceless memories in faceplaces.
52. Singing at the top of my lungs on the tractor while baling hay.
53. Fulfilling a childhood dream in college: splashing in puddles in the rain.
54. After years of being afraid, FINALLY giving one of my best friends the Book of Mormon.
55. Speaking about the Holy Ghost at the same friend's baptism several months later.
56. Every time I would hurry to do the dishes or vacuum the house before Mom would get home, being excited just knowing how happy she'd be.
57. Sitting in Chelsea's car in the school parking lot bawling with her on the last day of high school.
58. Every note I've ever left for someone.
59. Having my whole family laugh, Aaron and Jake included, when I quoted "nice night for a coon hunt" and also William Tell Overture at absolute opportune moments.
60. Sundays where our family would walk over to the Peterson's and all the kids would play in the backyard while the parents talked.
61. The first time I put on my Mom's wedding ring with it actually meaning something.
62. The three-point shot I made at region ward ball, after having never made a basket the entire season.
63. Closing my eyes through an entire movie on a date because I knew I'd be afraid for several nights afterward if I watched the scary movie that the other couple was adamant we watch.
64. Eating by myself at lunch my senior year. Definitely a life-changing experience.
65. Taking a picture of the scoreboard with Jantz at the first football game of the season my senior year. We were both in shock because we were actually winning--we'd lost every single game the year before.
66. Tossing a football with Jake on the front lawn.
67. Going on dates with Jake and his girlfriend at the time. I still can't believe how good he was to me.
68. Meeting Dan and the kids for the football and basketball games.
69. Becoming a titan. Here are some of my family. :)
70. Becoming a cougar. (Pictures to come... Don't you worry. ;))
71. Gunning it on the snowmobile when Dad would say "give it the gas."
72. Riding in front of Dad on the motorbike and on the snowmobile--falling asleep on especially long bike rides when we'd go camping.
73. Skivvy dipping (not to be confused with 'skinny') in broad daylight in the river by the camp sight when the boys would go off for a motor bike ride.
74. Reading Ella Enchanted and The Tamarack Tree aloud with Beth.
75. The feeling of absolute completeness and ecstasy upon finishing the Prydain Chronicles. I'm pretty sure I cried.
76. Realizing later in the life that the reason I always got goosebumps on my arm in Kindergarten as we sang a particular song was because of the chord progressions in that song. That same progression does that even now.
77. Staying awake well into the night when I first finished the Book of Mormon.
78. The pictures I took with Beth on her sixteenth birthday before she went out on a date with Travis Rudd.
79. Going to Icebreaker with Chelsea, Mina, and Niccole, without dates.
80. Getting my tonsils out. One of the best health decisions I've ever made.
81. Discovering more and more as I get older how much I love my parents.
82. Being asked to be on a significant student panel in ninth grade. Similarly, being sent with Jessi as high school representatives to a district panel during senior year. (Because they knew we wouldn't sugar coat anything about 'Advisory.')
83. Having people be surprised when I tell them I am/can be a firecracker. Many years of blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights have gone into that.
84. Singing with Beth and sometimes Mom around the piano.
85. Piano duets.
86. Hours and hours of playing legos upstairs in Aaron's room.
87. Seeing Dan graduate from Berkeley with his PhD.
88. Watching the sunsets from the cruise ship. Midnight runs with Beth to get apples from the buffet.
89. Seeing Dan (I barely remember), Jake, Aaron, Beth, Tyler, Chris, Keegan, Jantz, and Cord open their mission calls.
90. The week of the Full Orchestra trip to California. Some of the happiest memories of my teenage years were crammed into that week. For Chelsea's benefit: princess pictures in little dresses, being overwhelmed with nostalgia on It's A Small World, bus surfing, pictures with the ultra-attractive knight at Medieval Times, the "walk of shame" on the bus, shmoochy pictures with Spanky and Friends ;), unique bonding with Kim and Sarah, rigging it so we were all in a room together...
91. Being a part of the solemn assembly when President Monson was sustained for the first time.
92. Being directed by Wayman the first time--in District Band--then having him become my director a few years later.
93. The two times I got sent to the principal's office--one in elementary, one in junior high.
94. Flying a small plane over our farm and over Antelope Island.
95. Laying on the grass in the middle of the night looking up at the black sky before a summer storm.
96. Silently watching from the tower in the Farmington wildlife preserve as the sun set in the west and the full moon rose in the east.
97. Hard core trick-or-treating when we were growing up. (And then saving and hiding my candy until the next Halloween.)
98. The night that Beth and I almost slept out in the field on the snow under the stars. Since we didn't know the specifics of hypothermia, we decided we better not risk it. :)
99. Watching The Price is Right in my little rocking chair next to Grandpa in his big one. Watching The Lawrence Welk Show with Grandma.
100. Walking home from school to Grandma's for piano lessons.
Life really is wonderful. Then, now, and I'm sure it will continue to be if we decide to let it be wonderful. In the words of Robert Browning:
"The best is yet to be."
Just thought I would let you know that I read this the other day. Your mind works in ways mysterious to me. I don't know that I could write a list of 100 things of any topic :)
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