Houses - Blue and White House

The first home my parents owned in Utah was a small three bedroom, one bathroom home in Kearns.  We lived there when Lisa was born but had moved before Michelle was born.  Rather than sell this home, my parents kept it as a rental property when we moved into a bigger home.

My memories of this home are not from this early timeperiod.  We actually lived there again when I was 11.  Since my parents had kept this home as a rental, we were able to move back into it while our home in Draper was being built.  At this point, there were 5 of us living in very close quarters.  We used one of the bedrooms as an office and storage area, so there were only 2 bedrooms left.  Of course Mom and Dad used one, and we three girls shared the other.

I was the proud owner of a daybed, but as a punishment for some offense, I had lost the right to sleep in it.  This meant I got the top bunk, Michelle got the bottom bunk, and Lisa slept in my daybed.  Our tiny bedroom also housed all our dressers, leaving almost no visible wall space.

We only spent a year in this home, but I have many vivid memories from this time period.  They include:

• Meeting Kristin Cook, who lived across the street, and was the only girl in our primary class whose name did not start with "A."  Until I moved in, she was also the only brunette.
• Our dog, Angie, biting the beak of the goose who lived on the other side of the fence.  My dad had to literally beat her to get her to let go, and the dog teeth shaped grooves in the goose's bill never went away.
• Being the pianist of a group for the first time.  I accompanied the primary on He Sent His Son for the primary program.  Kristin and I also alternated playing for opening exercises.
• Mom's black eye.  My mom tripped over a laundry basket we'd left lying out.  She hit her face on the arm of a large rocking chair and got two horrible black eyes.  I remember her saying she didn't want to pick me up from dance because she looked like she'd been abused.
• Picking the "grapes" from the vine on the fence and making grapejuice.
• Fainting for the first time.  I was sick with the stomach flu and had to make a quick run down the hall to the bathroom.  I turned the corner and ran into an open cupboard.  I passed out, and woke up throwing up all over myself.  Good times.
• Telling Lisa there was no Santa Claus.  Not a fond memory.
• Convincing Lisa and Michelle to carefully unwrap corners of their Christmas gifts to see what they got.  Also not a fond memory.
• My favorite Christmas ever (despite the shenanigans).  All our Christmas stuff was in storage.  Dad bought a small Christmas tree, and lacking a tree stand, drilled three screws up through an end table straight into the trunk of the tree to keep it upright.  We used dad's socks (nailed to the ceiling) as stockings, and decorated the tree with paper snowflakes and popcorn strands.

The time we spent in this home was a transitional period for my family, and it happened to hit during one of the most difficult times in my life as I was trying to figure out where I fit in.  I think having my family so close was definately a benefit, and I will always fondly remember this home.