Favorite memories

As a child I loved to climb high up in trees and hang from branches. I must have been real young when I started doing this because it was before I ever went to school. But I kept doing it for many years. I remember finding solace in those trees. We had the perfect tree in our front yard that just asked to be climbed.

I was given free reign of the neighborhood and some of my best fun was in exploring my neighborhood. We had frogs and tadpoles to play with and try to catch. We would bring them home sometimes and I don't remember my mom ever having a hard time with this.

We would ride our bikes and try to get lost. We would save our nickels and dimes to buy the 5 cent candies at 7-11. I would bury my toys in the sand box buy our house and then later go back and find them. I would swing on the swings at the school, it was just across the street from my house. The swings always helped me to feel at peace with my world. I remember even as a teenager walking to the school to go swing. I even remember as a teenager writing poetry at the elementary school late one night when I just needed to get out of my house.

I loved to play barbies and hold tea parties on my skateboard. I was kind of a tom boy but I loved girlie things also. I remember only wearing dresses in kindergarten because I didn't want anyone to think I was a boy with my short bob haircut that my mom and sister thought was so cute which I hated. I think that is why I grew my hair so long when I was a teenager.

During the summer my brother Clark and I lived at the pool. I don't know when I learned to swim but I don't remember not knowing how. I started the swim team when I was 7 and I stayed on it until I was 16 or 17. Swimming was my life. I remember we would go to the pool with out my mom and the life guards would let me even though I really was to young. They knew I could swim well. My nick name on my swim team was Cruzin Susan. I one most of my races growing up so I always thought this was because I was so fast I was cruzin. I did not find out until one my last awards banquet that it was because I would swim so casually during practice I looked like I was just slowly cruzin along.

My parents both came to every sing one of my very long swim meets. I remember my dad yelling and screaming for my to "Go Susan Go!" I always loved that they were their to support me.

We always had cats growing up and I would dress our cat Murray up in my doll clothes and try to take him out in my little strawberry shortcake buggy for walks. He did not love this but I sure did.

When I was in primary at church one Sunday they sung the song John the Baptist. I remember feeling the spirit so strong it made me cry and I knew what we sang about was true.

I loved to sing and I would often sing while out on my walks. I would make up songs and sing my heart out. I had high hopes that one day someone would over hear me and they would make me famous. I love childlike hopes and dreams. I also believed I would be in the Olympics one day.

My mom worked nights at a law firm and every once in awhile she would let me come along. I bet I drove her crazy but she never acted like it. I would bring a pillow and sleep on a couch they had their I believe. I remember her coworker had a junk drawer full of yummy treats and she would let me have some.

My parents loved me and I always knew it! I hope my children feel the same from me.