Childhood Memories

I'm a little late on this tag...Oh well I've been a late on a lot of things lately. Except Parent Teacher Conference this morning to which I was exactly 24 hours early!!!

I grew up in a small town in Northern Utah. It was an extraordinary town. Not a city, but a town. One of those places that people know where they're from and are very proud of it. I grew up in Hooper. I was related to most of the town and that made me an "insider". I lived on the same street as my Grandparents and 3 of my Haws uncles and their families. It was the kind of place where "everyone knows your name."

Our street was a quiet street. Very few cars traveled 4600 S. There was a sign posted that read 35mph. I looked at the sign many times wondering if it was really necessary on a street like mine.

I had one fabulous older brother, and 6 amazing little sisters. There was always someone to be with. It was the kind of childhood with magical summers. We would go swimming at Grandma's pool every day. We played Marco Polo and our favorite...SHARKS!! After we were wrinkled like prunes we would head back to our house. On my way past the garden I would be reminded of my favorite lunch...tomato sandwiches. If you've never had a Hooper Tomato warmed by the sun and salted to perfection, well you've never lived! I would pick a couple red jems and head for the house. After toasting my bread and aligning my tomatos just so I'd head for the family room. We loved sitting under the swamp cooler feeling it's cool breeze. There I would sit, watching Matlock and eating. Of course I was never alone. I always had a sibling or two to sit in the breeze with. Oh how I love the smell of swamp coolers.

There were so many things to love that I hardly know where to start and I could never find a way to end. Rootbeer on the top deck of the House Boat, football games in the Shiffman's yard every day, Hoooper on the 4th of July, riding my bike with no hands, Disneyland and the 3 Musketeers, Beach Houses, cleaning with mom (so I could get private time to talk), Valentine Dances, Daddy Daughter dates, a big green van filled with laughter and fun, I was truly blessed to be a Haws.

How can you measure a childhood? With Love!!! These experience would mean very little if they weren't little packages of love in my past. Each experience occured with people I love and who I know love me. My parents worked tirelessly to give all 8 of us the most amazing start at life. They taught us to share, to obey, to work, to play, to pray, and most of all to Love!!! To love ourselves, to love each other and to love the Lord. I am eternally grateful for the childhood I had. I am thankful for the sweet memories that are like old friends waiting to be visited.