Little Moments

I had a teal colored swimsuit when I was young. I also had a belly and I think I stood funny and never made an effort to "suck-in." I still remember what it feels like jumping into the Riverton City pool. The coolness of the water spreading from head to toe. Thinking to myself "ahhhh this is what summer is all about." The sting in my eyes, the bubbles out of my nose, the weightlessness. I loved the feeling of the summer heat on my wet face, slowly evaporating each drop of chlorinated water.

I remember many things about growing up in Utah. My light blue bike with white tires, our red pickup truck with the revealing woman painted on the hood and my father painting appropriate undergarments on her so as to not shock or offend the congregation at church on Sundays. I remember getting my pinky caught in the blender while trying to make play-doh for the first time in my life, or the first time I saw a green rock. I'd seen brown and black rocks. Never a green one. I assured my brother it HAD to be worth something. He laughed at me and threw it in the bushes and I spent what felt like hours looking for my little treasure. I never did find it.

Most of all, I remember our first Christmas in Utah. It was 1987 and we got a Nintendo that year. It was by far the coolest present EVER. I can still recall running down the red carpeted stairs and hearing the sound of Super Mario Brothers blaring from our black and white TV set. I felt lucky. Lucky to have a family, lucky to have a home. 13294 South Redwood Road, that was our first home here in Utah. A tiny two bedroom duplex where my four siblings and I shared one bedroom. In a town, where 21 years later I still find myself residing in, feeling luckier than ever before... and with my own room now :D