Share Your Stories #5 Your Home

What was the yard like?

In the front yard there was a flower garden on each side of the porch and the rest was sidewalk and grass. Our street wasn’t very busy, so we rode our bikes all over. There was a ditch that was about a foot deep, it was covered over our driveway, but not over our neighbor’s driveway. One of my favorite things was to ride my bike through the water in the ditch.

The backyard was mostly grass. At one point about 1/3 of it was a garden that had turned into weeds. Then on a Saturday or a day off from school our whole family went out and pulled out all the weeds and put in grass. There was still a small garden after that, mostly used just for tomatoes and an occasional pumpkin.

The backyard had a great playhouse. It also had 2 plum trees that we loved to climb in. They were spaced just far enough to be good soccer goal posts. There was also a big cement thing. It was part of an old pipe from somewhere. Circular, about 3 feet in diameter on one end and 4 feet on the other end. We also had a walnut tree, a peach tree, an apricot tree and grape vines.

What was your room like?

There were 6 bedrooms in our house as I grew up. One was Mom and Dad’s, Chet and Mike each had their own rooms, and the remaining rooms were shared between the other 5 of us. As Chet and Mike left on their missions Lillie and Lydia claimed their rooms. One of my favorite things was when we changed around the bedrooms. The bedroom I remember most vividly was the big bedroom downstairs.

I always wanted to do something cool to my bedroom, specifically paint it. Whenever I asked my parents if I could paint it they said: “sure, any color you want, as long as it’s white.” Now I understand the wisdom of having all the rooms white, but back then it was annoying.

When I was 16 I finally got to paint a room a different color. I had the big bedroom downstairs, and I wasn’t sharing it with anyone. I painted it a light blue and put up a Winnie the Pooh wallpaper border. I thought that was so cool, to finally have a “decorated” room.

What was your favorite thing in the house or yard?

What my favorite thing was depended on how old I was. I loved the playhouse when I was really young, then climbing the plum trees, then riding my bike through the ditch, I loved sitting on a blanket on the grass as I got a little older and reading. I loved the basketball hoop on the garage, and then my own room where I could go to be alone.

Where has your family lived since that time?

My parents always lived in that house. My brothers and sisters and I have lived all over, but they have stayed there. In December of 2009 my parents left for their mission in the Indian reservation near Mesa Arizona, but they are going back to that house afterwards.

I remember one time when Dad was thinking about getting a job in Alaska, or somewhere in Washington State, I think he went through the interview process and was offered the job. But when he and Mom prayed about it they were told to stay in Provo. So they did. It has been nice to know that whatever else happened in my life, my parents were constant and always there.