Flashback Friday -- Home

This looks like a "first day of school" picture. Do you like my dad's mustache???

I decided since I was having such angry feelings yesterday towards finding a house I'd flashback to happier home memories. This is the house I grew up in, in the Paradise Valley/Phoenix area. I think we moved into this house when I was about 4 -- just before I started kindergarten. We lived here for 12 years, until I was 15, so I guess that would make me 3 when we moved in...who knows.

Anyhow, I loved this house. It was on Betty Elyse Lane & was the first house my parent's bought. I can vaguely remember a another house that they rented on Winchcomb Drive, but not much at all. I remember all sorts of things about the house on Betty Elyse. The realtor in me would tell you it was 4 bedroom, 2 bath and about 2200 square feet with a pool. But the kid in me would tell you all about the fabulous water basketball games that were had, about the time Lindsey put a hole in the wall & how I had to get stitches from hitting my head on a cabinet! There are tons of awesome memories stored up in that house!
I'll start with the pool. I remember it being built -- I must have been 6 or 7. Looking back, I am sure this was a huge undertaking for my parents. My dad designed it & I have to say he is fantastic at laying out a functional pool. My mom would argue that he gives up too much beauty, but no one is looking at the beauty while they are playing water b-ball, right? Anyway, this pool was the best! In the summer my dad would get home from work - sometimes after dark & my older brother would call his friend Jeff over & our neighbor Matt, who was a trash-talking-Jazz fan-young attorney would come over & they'd have a game of 2-on-2. There were always battle wounds across their chests & backs when they were done.

On the weekends they'd switch it up & all our family friends would come over to play water volleyball & bbq. The adults would play volley ball while the kids played in the deep end & on the trampoline. I think these are some of my favorite memories. I'd always head back to school in the fall really tan with my hair bleached white from the sun, but the ends green from the chlorine! We spent some time in Utah over the summers, but for the most part this pool kept us busy!

There are so many funny & memorable things about this house & neighborhood that I could go on & on. We used to babysit Christie, the girl that lived next door -- she was 6 months younger than me & both her parents worked full time. She was a part of our family & her & I ended up having babies within 4 weeks of each other. Weird.

A few quick memories that stick out...

One time my brother dared me to push Christie off our trampoline...I did it & got busted!

Another time, Ryan & I were on the tramp & wouldn't let my sister, Lindsey on -- we decided we should follow the 2 at a time rule. She got mad & slammed the sliding glass door on her way in -- the door broke shattering glass all over my parent's bedroom.

My mom & grandpa worked tirelessly to transform her "sewing" room into Kevin's room when she was pregnant.

My mom's entire family came out for my baptism & we spent all weekend by the pool & doing "shows" at night!

Lindsey & Christie once locked me outside in the FRONT yard naked! For your info I was in the middle of changing from my bathing suit.

Every Saturday was spent doing yard work. My mom's famous words, "Yard work is so fun! Isn't this fun guys?" We were not happy about it!

Christmas mornings my mom would always have to get the fire started, music playing & the video camera going (which never seemed to work properly) before we could go into the family room. Again, we were not thrilled about this!

My mom got a dining room set right before my brother left on his mission so she could use it for his Open House.

Lindsey & I shared a room & spent way to many hours awake when we should have been sleeping.

When Kevin was born we had to put a fence around our pool!