Do you remember learning how to swim?

I never took lessons, so I don't really remember a specific process of learning to swim. I always loved being in the water. We swam in lakes and canals and in the ocean at Family Reunions...sometimes in a pool...I just remember loving to float. And I could do the "doggy paddle." If I ever got worried that I wasn't going to be able to "swim" I would flip over to my back and just float.



In my sophomore year of high school (at Juanita High School in Kirkland, Washington) I did take a swimming class in PE. I learned some very basic techniques, but I don't think I do any stroke the "right" way.

Do you have any "treasures" from your childhood?

I don't have many things left from my childhood. But I still have some school journals that I wrote and they are fun to read ~ if you ask me about them, I might share them with you. They are in a box under my bed.

When we were growing up our Grandma Sackett gave each of the grandchildren a set of dishes...it had a dinner plate, bowl and cup. Each of us had our own character...mine was Holly Hobbie. She also gave us a fork and spoon with our initial engraved on them ~ I thought the fork and spoon were very fancy and I didn't like to use them because I didn't want them to get dirty. All of the other things are long gone, but I still have the Holly Hobbie bowl.

One other "treasure" that I remember is a crystal vase that my mom gave me when I was probably in 1st grade. Grandma sold Princess House Crystal, and after one of her home parties, she asked me to look at everything and pick something I wanted to have. I remember looking and looking and looking, trying to make up my mind. I finally chose a beautiful cut crystal vase...I thought it was so big and pretty. I don't know what happened to it over the years, but I think it went missing in that same box as my spelling trophy.

Tell me about learning to ride your bike without training wheels.

I actually talked to both of my parents about this recently. Neither of them could ever really remember me riding with training wheels, and I can't either. I must have ridden with them for at least a little while, but Grandma says that I was a stubborn little girl who wanted to do same things as the big kids in the neighborhood. Grandpa thought I was probably 4 (the same age and Malcolm and Aubrey) when I first rode without training wheels.

Did you ever win a trophy? If so, tell me about it.

I only won ONE trophy while I was growing up (well, I have a special plaque, too, but just one trophy).

I won 3rd Runner-Up in our 3rd grade spelling bee at Sandy Elementary School in Sandy, Utah in 1978/79. I think there were 4 classes in the spelling bee. The trophy was silver and it said:

Missy May

3rd Runner-Up

3rd Grade Spelling Bee

I was upset when I missed the word: o'clock. I said "o hyphen c-l-o-c-k" instead of apostrophe. I cried, but not as much as I cried in 5th grade when I didn't even make it to the school spelling bee ~ that was a horrible day in my school career.

Shortly after I won the trophy, the name plate got scratched. I don't know how it happened, but every time I saw it, I would cringe and try to rub it out.

Daddy and I have moved 6 times. During all those moves, we only lost one box...and I am pretty sure my poor trophy was in that one box...along with a few other treasures.

Tell me about a park where you played when you were growing up...

The park I remember the most is Murphy Park in Spokane. It was just a few (long) blocks from our house on E 32nd Street. I remember walking down there with Cyndie and Karen (maybe even Sheila, but I hope not) to play in the wading pool. It was about knee deep to an adult in the center and was gradually shallower at both ends and on the sides. Both ends also had a lion's head that "spit" the water into the pool. It had huge trees and I remember talking to a mailman while he was eating lunch in his mail truck in the shade.

During the summer the small parks in Spokane would sponsor activities for the kids in the neighborhoods. And on the last day the different "Camps" would all bus to a big park and play games, eat lunch, and do arts & crafts. Our group at Murphy Park was very small, but I had fun!

Describe a house you lived in when you were growing up...

I moved around a lot when I was growing up...so I could have picked a lot of others, but this is the first address that I memorized ~ and have (obviously) never forgotten.

3139 E. 3nd Street, Spokane, WA

(you can kind of see what the house looked like on the day I got baptized in 1978)

This is a teeny-tiny, mint-green house. I lived there for about a year from 1977-1978. The house sits up off the sidewalk (short retaining wall) with a small walk-way to the front steps. There is a small living room, a very small kitchen (we used a portable dishwasher with a table top for meals), and 2 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Downstairs there was a small unfinished room to the right of the bottom of the stairs that was used for storage for most of the time we lived there. There was a larger finished bedroom where we had two sets of bunkbeds. I think the laundry room was also downstairs. The house didn't have a garage, but the driveway went up alongside the house.

The backyard was pretty big and there was a huge tree in the far, back corner. One time, my sisters and I noticed that there were some weird red spots on the leaves. We figured the tree was dying, so we pulled off as many of those leaves and put them in a box and we had a funeral for them and buried the box in the yard.

My dad found and rented this house before my mom ever saw it...she was quite surprised at how small the house was -- especially considering the fact that we had 5 kids in our family at that time!



One of our neighbors was an old lady...we called her Auntie Margaret. Her little house was even smaller than ours. She had a tiny yappy dog, who we loved to go visit.



In between our houses was an empty lot...when I lived there it seemed huge! My parents got permission that summer, and we planted a big garden in it. I don't remember what (if anything) we actually harvested, but we had fun in the garden.

(this is a picture of Me, Sheila, Karen and Cyndie on the day the garden plot was plowed)

In 1997 I flew to Washington for my friend's wedding. While I was in Spokane, I took my brother Scott on a tour of the houses I lived in. This is what the little house looked like in 20 years after I lived there...not much had changed ~ the little tree in the front yard is gone, and the house is now blue rather than green. It is still teen-tiny.

remembering the reason for the Sabbath day

My Grandma May (dad's mom) sent this to me and my sister Cyndie (she was only sister at that time). We were living in Rexburg, ID and the rest of our extended family was still in Washington (with a few exceptions). It's hard to tell from the scanned image, but this is a 3D postcard. It's got some scratches and other expected damage from the years. But it is a treasure.

postmarked 23 April 1973

addressed to:
Melissa & Cindy [sic] May
315 So. 3rd West
Rexburg, ID 83440

Dear Melissa and Cindy [sic],

Have Daddy tell you the story of the Las Supper so you can sit quietly during Sacrament. You can think about this picture and it will help you to understand why.

Love,
Grandma May
Doug
Brian

tell me something that you love about your mom

I love finding things on the "CLEARANCE" racks, and think of my Mom each time I do ~ she taught me how to love a good bargain. My mom loves to tell stories about her family. One of my favorite memories of my mom was when I was a teenager...we were having a "Sock Hop" for a Stake Dance, and she decided to get up and show me, Cyndie and Karen how to do the "Mashed Potato," the "Swim," and the "Jerk." I wish I'd had a video camera ~ it was quite a sight. :)

tell me about a time when (as a child) you followed the prompting of the Holy Ghost. How did that make you feel?

This is my journal entry from August 13, 1983. I was 13 and our family was living on 46th in Spokane, WA. The home we were renting had a beautiful swimming pool (Lake Fake) just outside the sliding glass door of the kitchen.

I have never forgotten how I felt so impressed to be in the kitchen when I was. I also remember how each of my parents were also in tune with the spirit that day. All three of us thought of Scott and realized that something was wrong at the same time. I am grateful that we listened to the spirit, and I am grateful that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

did you learn to play a musical instrument when you were growing up?

I did. My best friend, Aimee Howlett, in 5th grade (and beyond) played and convinced me that it was the way to go. So I saved some money and pleaded with my parents, and was able to purchase (for about $80) a guitar, a guitar case, capo, thumbpick, extra strings, and a month of "Instant Guitar" lessons on State Street. I took lessons for a little over a year, and I wish I had a guitar that I could play today (I still have my "Instant Guitar" music book).

I loved playing the guitar! There was a Laurel in our Ward when I was a Beehive; her name was (I think) Ellie Farris. She played the guitar so well! I'm sure it was in some kind of folksy/hippie artistic way, but I was very impressed with her talent. And Aimee was no slouch with the guitar, either...if I remember correctly, she eventually purchased a 12-string guitar (around 7th grade).

Some of my favorite songs that I learned to play include: "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Yellow Submarine." If there was an "Instant Guitar" place nearby, I'd be taking lessons again!

my guitar looked something like this...

tell me about your family's car/truck when you were growing up...

I had to ask my Dad about this memory...he said that the first car was a 1962 Nash Rambler that first belonged to my Great Grandma Leishman, then to my Grandma May, and then to us. It was the car we drove back and forth from Silverdale to Rexburg. But I don't remember this car at all...it probably looked a lot like this car:

The first car I remember was a white station wagon. It was a 1969 Chevy Wagon. It looked like this car:

When we were done with the Chevy wagon, I think we gave it to the Utah State Prison to be used in their inmate rehabilitation program...it probably needed a lot of TLC.

The next car we owned was a (very) baby blue Ford Torino station wagon. It had "wood" paneling, dark blue, vinyl bench seats, and a rear-facing seat-for-two in the way-back. The windows were automatic. The front seats buzzed if you didn't do up the seatbelts...sometimes we would lean forward and do the seatbelts up behind us. That was back before there were any sealtbelt laws (or common sense, I guess).

When we went on vacation we would lay the back 2 seats flat, throw down a mattress and a bunch of blankets and pillows, and sleep and play while my dad drove by braille through the night. It looked like this car, except I don't ever remember it being so shiny...and it was VERY baby blue ~ it almost looked white.

This station wagon is the car that I usually drove as a teenager. It barely ran, and for a long time it sat "dead" in our driveway. A fine, green mold had covered the interior, so before I could drive it on a regular basis (to and from Seminary and sometimes to school during Volleyball and Softball seasons) during my Jr. and Sr. year of high school, my sisters and I had to take bleach water and wash down the interior...we couldn't see the mold after that, but the car always had a funky smell, so I'm sure it was still there. It had also developed a leak in the gas tank, so we'd put an ice-cream bucket under the drip and then pour the gas back in before driving anywhere.

When I was 12 we moved from Orem, UT up to Spokane, WA. My dad had moved about 3 months before the rest of us, and he bought a 1957 Chevy to surprise my mom; it was the car of their dreams. I think this particular car was more of a nightmare...it always seemed to have a problem, and my dad didn't really have time to fix any of them. When I started driving (in 1985), my dad told me I had to learn to drive that car before he'd "let me" drive the family station wagon. He figured if I could master driving the Chevy's "3 on the tree" gearshifting (which means the gear shifter is up near the steering wheel), then I could drive anything. He was right. The Chevy had a HUGE steering wheel, with NO power steering. I loved that car. It was nowhere near "vintage condition" ~ the struts had rusted through the trunk, there were rust holes in the floor of the backseat (you could actually see the road through the holes while we were driving), and the alternator had some huge issues...at least once it stranded me on a dark, rainy, scary country road in Silverdale.

Before I could drive the Chevy to my Jr. Prom, my friend (and date) Andy and I had to use a wire hanger to jerr-rig the exhaust pipe up so that it didn't drag on the ground.

do you remember your school classrooms? describe them...

Kindergarten: I went to 2 schools that year. The first room was in an old school and had a wall of windows at the front of the school. The room was very big and had a bathroom in it (with an automatic flusher). I remember sitting on the rug a lot. The second school (Russell Elementary ~ Missoula, MT) was somewhat newer. I don't remember a lot about it, but I do remember that they raised all of our low tables for the Open House ~ we almost couldn't see the top of them. The room also had a "reading nook" formed by 2 walls and 2 bookcases. I liked sitting in there and reading. One time, my little sister, Karen, followed me to school. My teacher had her "read" some books in the nook until my mom came to get her...I was so embarassed because Karen was reading the books upside down, and I was sure my friends thought she was not very smart ~ she was only 2.

1st Grade: I started school at Silverdale Elementary in Silverdale, WA, but we moved to Missoula, Montana after just a month. Cold Springs Elementary was across an empty field from our house. Cold Springs was an old, small school. My classroom was in the front of the school. I loved my teacher (but I can't seem to remember her name). I needed extra help in reading and spelling at the beginning of the year. I worked really hard and I loved when our teacher read to us from the big Pug Reader (teacher's version). I remember that for one spelling test I had studied really hard. Our teacher said the word, and used it in a sentence; this is what I heard: "Boat. You must be 18 to boat." It didn't make any sense to me because I'd been in a boat, but I spelled it anyway: b-o-a-t. When the test came back, I got it wrong. The word was v-0-t-e.

2nd Grade: I went to Adams Elementary ~ Spokane, WA. We were the "Adams All-Stars." This was another old school. My classroom was (looking "through" the school from the front yard) in the back, right hand corner. It had 2 walls of windows. Standing at the door, there was a wall with a chalkboard (where the tattle-tale hung), and then Mrs. Bailey's desk in the front corner; our desks were lined up in the center of the classroom. Again from the front door ~ to the right was a wall that lead to the back of the room where we had a coat room ~ a BIG coat room ~ and I would go in for reading help with a few other kids in my class.

3rd Grade: Sandy Elementary ~ Sandy, UT was another big "old" school. Over the years it had gone through some renovations. My classroom was in a newer portion of the school. That section was very open...there were four 3rd grade classes in one big room...two classes sat back to back, and then there was a hall ran down the middle, and two other classes. Is that hard to picture? I don't think I'm explaining it very well. During story time, we would all sit together in the middle of the classes and listen to one of the teachers read to us. This was the class where I sat on a pencil ~ the lead broke off into my leg and I ended up needing to go to the hospital to have it removed. When I watch the tv show "Recess" this is the school that I think of.

4th through 6th Grade: Bonneville Elementary ~ Orem, UT: Bonneville Broncos. This was another "open" school. 3 classrooms made up a "unit." There was an open hallway space of sorts at the front of the rooms (where our coats hung up) and at the back of the room there was an open doorway that lead between the classrooms. Mr. Aikau was my 4th grade teacher (in a combined 3rd/4th grade class) and he had his desk in the back of the class. Our desks faced away from his ~ toward the blackboard. On the wall that had the open doorways, Mr. Aikau had cabinets, a sink, drinking fountain and pencil sharpener. We had our desks arranged in a huge "U" shape...I remember playing Around the World (multiplication) at those desks. I am surprised that I don't remember hearing noise from the other classrooms. I went to another teacher for spelling, and another teacher for math. But Mr. Aikau was considered my homeroom teacher. He would throw chalkboard erasers at kids who were talking while he talked.

My 5th grade teacher (in a combined 5th/6th grade class) also put his desk at the back of the room. Our desks were arranged into tables of 4 or 6 desks. Mr. Knight loved Current Events and we spent a lot of time reading newspapers so we knew what was happening in the world. I was in Mr. Knight's class when we found out that President Reagan had been shot...I remember Mr. Milne (the principal) wheeling in a TV and hooking it up so we could watch the news.

My 6th grade teacher (another combined 5th/6th grade class), Mrs. Harding, sat to the side of our room. We had different stations we completed during the day. There was a big bulletin board area where we displayed our reports and artifacts of our country reports. I did Japan so I could take in the kimono that my Dad brought home from Japan. One time Mrs. Harding needed to leave the room while she was reading outloud to us...she asked me to take over for her. But there was a silly part in the book (I wish I could remember which book it was) and I started to giggle (which I did a lot that year) and I just couldn't start...I was very embarassed, but it was also funny.

(I've searched and searched and I can't find a picture of Bonneville Elementary in Orem...next time we go to Utah, I guess I'll have to take my own picture.)

did you learn a "life-skill" as a child? who taught you?

My mom taught me how to cook, how to clean, sew buttons, iron, and to value a good bargain. When I was in Kindergarten I would invite friends over so I could show them how I could iron (little things like cloth napkins, placemats, pillowcases, etc.). And I could make macaroni & cheese (from a box) in 2nd grade. I still love a good sale, and have a knack for finding great deals others might not see...and I love to share them!!

My dad reinforced cooking skills, gardening, and how to be a story-teller. Grandma May was a gardener ~ flowers and vegetables. I am still working on my veggie skills, but I seem to have a pretty good "green-thumb" when it comes to my flower garden (I wish I could grow grass!).

tell me about a place where you loved to spend time as a kid...

We moved around so often that it's hard to pinpoint one place.

We lived with Grandma May in her "old white house" a couple of times. I loved the big willow tree she had in her yard. We would climb under the canopy of branches and set up a little table and chairs and play house. It smelled very earthy and musky. When we lived there I could tell when it was going to rain because it "smelled like rain."

When we lived in Sandy, UT, our house had a 3-story tree house in the backyard ~ it overlooked the Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-in and the smell on the third-story was so tasty!! Over 30 years later, when I smell fresh Kentucky Fried Chicken I am 8 years old in a tree house.

The one consistent place I loved was my bedroom. I would read in my bedroom and get lost in the pages. I had my own bedroom in 3rd grade...it was in the basement and had wood paneling. One time it rained a lot and the floor flooded, but since it was old cement-like linolem, nothing really got ruined. In 4th grade I shared a bedroom for a year while we rented a home. Then from 5th grade until the middle of my sophomore year in high school, I was lucky enough to have my own room again. I liked having my own space.

what school did you attend when you were my age? who was your teacher? who was your best friend?

(afternoon) Kindergarten: Russell Park Elementary ~ Missoula, MT; I am pretty sure my teacher was Mrs. Adams...I just can't remember for sure. I had a friend named Jenny. She loved horses and had lots of toy horses in her bedroom, with some horse posters, too. Jenny was not in my class.

2nd Grade: Adams Elementary ~ Spokane, WA; my teacher was Mrs. Bailey. My best friend was Kimberly Wheatbrook. Kimberly is in the pretty green, polyester dress, 3rd from the right in the 2nd row. When my family moved back to Spokane when I was in 7th grade, I had classes with a lot of kids who had been in my 2nd grade class. Nobody remembered me (except Meredith Hughes), but I remembered them. I guess that's because I was the one who moved...

4th Grade: Bonneville Elementary ~ Orem, UT; my teacher was Mr. Aikau. My best friend that year was Kuiipo Sing; her nickname was Ipo. She and Hokulani (Hoku) Aikau lived across the street from each other and we were all in the same Ward. Yes, that means my teacher was in my Ward at Church. I stayed friends with Ipo while we lived there, but later became closer to other friends. Other friends I had in 4th grade were: Marja Workman (middle row in the red dress, near Mr. Aikau), Jennifer Morgan (next to Marja), Kimberly Thornton (back row, left side near Mr. Milne ~ the Principal), Wendy Baum (top row, in the middle, pink dress), and Lisa Grudzinski (next to Wendy).

what was your favorite thing to wear when you were my age?

In Kindergarten (1975/6), I loved my Garanimals. Each item of clothing had an animal character on the tag. You could tell if your clothes matched by choosing a shirt and pants/shorts with the same character. It was genius...sometimes I still think I could use Garanimals. The best part about my Garanimals clothing was that my Great Grandma Norah won them for me when she appeared on the TV Game Show "Hollywood Squares." I don't know what year it was, but I always wondered if she met Paul Lynde...I thought he was soooo funny!

I think that in 2nd grade (1977/8) my favorite shirt was my sweater set...the one I wore for my baptism. I thought that the pastel flecks were so pretty...and I loved the pink buttons.

Nothing strikes me as being my favorite from 4th grade. But the dress I'm wearing in my school picture was pretty cool. I had 2 of them, because they were hand-me-downs from two friends whose Moms liked to dress them alike. It was a long dress, as was the popular style in 1979/80.

share a memory from 4th grade...

In 4th grade (Bonneville Elementary ~ Orem, UT), I was in Mr. Aikau's class (i-cow) ~ it was a combined 3rd/4th grade classroom. He was a Hawaiian who loved his food...when he ate in the lunchroom he would eat 3 lunches. He opened the tops of the little milk cartons all the way and would drop the cake (frosting down) into the milk...after the milk soaked into the cake, he ate it with a spoon.

On the last day of school we had a Bubble-blowing contest. Mr. Aikau gave us each a pack of Hubba-Bubba bubble gum. Somehow, I managed to WIN the contest! My prize? A whole CARTON of Hubba-Bubba bubble gum. I'm sure my mom was soooo happy when I came home with it! ;)

Other random memories from 4th grade:

we made candles. First we poured a colored wax (our choice of color) into a soda can. After it set, Mr. Aikau cut the can away. Then we glued a family picture (or another picture of our choosing) onto the candle and dipped it into clear wax to coat and seal the picture. Sometimes there were air bubbles. I did a very mean thing...there was a boy in my class named Robert Bristol. His brother was older than us (in 6th grade) and he was not nice. I managed to massage an air bubble on Robert's picture right on top of his brother's face. I was quite pleased until I saw how upset Robert was! Then I felt terrible about it...sadly, I didn't feel bad enough to confess what I had done.

We learned a Polynesian drum-beat of some sort (with "music" sticks) and performed for our parents during a "Back to School" night. We sat cross-legged on the floor and pounded the floor with our sticks. I remember daydreaming that there were disco lights and those funky starlights behind us, and that some TV news camera was filming us with weird zoomed in camera angles. It was silly, but still vivid in my memory.

I played football at recess. When I told Malcolm tonight he said, "Uh, football, Mommy? Football?! Um, don't you mean SOCCER? That's a better sport for girls to play!" I think if I were in his class he would be afraid of the 2nd grade "me." ;)

Our school had pencil machines outside of the office. For a quarter you could buy a special "Bonneville Broncos" pencil or some other silly type of things. One day as I was walking past the machine I noticed that there was a quarter jammed in the slot. I went to the office and lied and told them it was my quarter...the office lady looked at me very surprised and said, "Missy, I'm pretty sure that's not your quarter. Someone else already reported it." I was so sure they were going to call my mom and tell her what I had done. I was very embarassed about lying, and probably even more embarassed that I had been caught. It took a long time for me to walk past the office again.

were you ever in a school play? if so, tell me about it...

The 5th and 6th grades were combined at my school (Bonneville Elementary ~ Orem, UT), and there were 2 units of 3 classrooms. My unit was the Delioa South Unit (like a "Pod") and when I was in 6th grade we put on a play called, "The Hobbit." It was a musical. I was chosen to be the Head Elf. Although I was pretty sure they were going to cast me as the Hobbit, since my toes were (are) hairy.

I can't remember all of my lines (I think I had 3 or 4), but I remember part of a song called, "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates." and I remember at one point in the play we Elves had taken a tray to the Dwarves...I asked the Dwarf if they needed anything else and he was supposed to shove the tray back at me. But for some reason during the dress rehearsal for the school, he slammed the silver tray to the ground (along with all of the silver'ish dishes and utensils it was holding) and the noise it made was so LOUD! and unexpected. We all had to carefully regain our composure before continuing on with the play.

It was a lot of fun and I thought wearing a costume and make up was really cool. I also loved that my Mom came and helped put make-up on the actors and actresses the night of the play.

what did you do at recess when you were my age?

I don't remember recess in Kindergarten (Russell Park Elementary & Jefferson Elementary ~ Missoula, MT)...I'm sure we had a couple, but I just don't remember them. I do remember that the first school I went to had an automatic flusher...not the new modern ones we have now (with the infrared "eye")...the black toilet seat would sink a bit after you sat on it, and when you stood up, it triggered a flush. It was LOUD and we would go with a buddy, and they would hold the door open for us so we would run out as soon as we were done.



The rest of this is suspiciously like another post called "what was your favorite game when you were my age"

In 2nd grade (Adams Elementary ~ Spokane, WA) the movie STAR WARS was the coolest movie EVER. We all LOVED it. At recess we would gather en masse on The Big Toy (which at that date in time was fairly new playground equipment). My best friend, Kimberly Wheatbrook, had long beautiful hair like Princess Leia, so that was her role. A blond boy (name long forgotten) was Luke Skywalker, and a brunette played Han Solo...other kids filled in the rolls of Chewbaca, R2D2, C-3PO and the dreaded StormTroopers. Me? I was a Nurse. We ran around The Big Toy with pencils (our guns) and shot at the bad guys. When a good-guy got shot, my job was to go and fix them with my pencil. I always wished I had beautiful long, brown hair like Kimberly...

In 4th grade (Bonneville Elementary ~ Orem, UT) I loved to play 4-Square, tetherball and the "cherry drop" bars. 4-square was fun, but it was pretty popular, and I hated to stand in line and wait. Tetherball was soooo much fun! I would play it so much that my hands and arms would be bruised from hitting the ball so many times. We also liked to play on the "cherry drop" bars. I only remember doing one free-fall cherry drop in all my elementary school years. But I would spin and spin and spin until my hands were covered in blisters...

On rainy day recess my favorite games were: Hi-Ho-Cherri-O, Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, Sorry, Trouble, Hi-Q, and Mastermind. Sometimes, though, I would crawl under a table or a set of desks and get lost in a book.

who baptized and confirmed you? what else do you remember about your baptism?

My dad baptized and confirmed me. Uncle Doug was on his mission and I tried to get my parents to wait so he could do it, but they felt that 7 months was too long to wait. I was the only one baptized on Saturday, May 6, 1978; I was confirmed the next day during Sacrament Meeting.

Grandma May and Granda & Grandpa Sackett came over to Spokane so they could be there for the baptism. Grandma May cut my hair. She asked me how I wanted it cut, and I told her I'd have to be sure because, "If I don't like it, you can't put it back on." I wore a special sweater (it was white and had flecks of pastel colors and it looked like 2 sweaters, but was really one) and a long blue skirt ~ quilted with a ruffle at the bottom. On Sunday I must have worn a different dress, because Grandma Sackett had a picture of me in one labeled, "Melissa on her baptismal day."

We sang "Come Follow Me" as the opening song. My dad baptized me. I don't remember who spoke. But I remember the building and the room where the font was. It was a beautiful old building in Spokane that sat on a big hill (it's now the site of a Safeway shopping plaza). My Grandpa Dan and my dad were both baptized in the same building. Whenever I sing that song I remember my baptism day and how special I felt.

I was confirmed the next day in Sacrament Meeting. My Sunday School teacher was a young man who had recently returned home from his Mission ~ Brother Middlestat. He stood in the circle as I was confirmed, and I watched his knees during the prayer ~ he was very shaky. I asked him later if he was nervous, and he said that his platform shoes were hard to stand in.

After I was baptized, I really wanted to be clean and perfect. The first time I did something wrong, I felt so awful. I tried to remember the covenants I made that day and how good it felt to be clean and perfect.

have you ever had a nickname, and if so, how did you get it?

I was named Barbara Melissa ~ since Barbara is my mom's name, my parents decided to call me Melissa...and immediately shortened it down to Missy. So my whole life, people have called me Missy. In grade school kids would sometimes call me "Missy Kissy" but I don't remember it bothering me.

Before I turned 2, we moved to Rexburg, ID so my dad could attend Ricks College. The house my parents rented came with a dog ~ a beagle, I think, and her name was Missy. My Aunt Denise began calling me Missy Mutts. It stuck (with her, anyway), and to this day, she calls me Mutts.

It wasn't until I met Doug that someone insisted on calling me Melissa. He sometimes calls me Mel...and some of our friends have picked up on that nickname, too. Doug has a nack of assigning someone a nickname that sticks. Our kids tend to think of their nicknames as their middle names.

sing me a song you learned in Primary...

One of the first songs I remember ever learning in Primary was "Tell me the stories of Jesus." I can vividly recall the feelings I had as I imagined myself at His knees ~ listening to stories He wanted me to know.

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear; things I would ask him to tell me if he were here; scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.


First let me hear how the children stood round his knee;and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me; words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, all in the lovelight of Jesus' face.


Into the city I'd follow the children's band, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand; one of his heralds, ys, I would sing loudest hosannas! Jesus is King!


Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea, tossing the boat in a tempst on Galilee! And how the Master, ready and kind, chided the billow, and hushed the wind.

One of my favorite songs was "I hope they call me on a Mission." I sang it over and over and over. I didn't serve a mission before I got married, so I hope that Doug and I will have a chance to serve a mission together when we're all grown up and old.


I hope they call me on a mission when I have grown a foot or two. I hope by then I will be ready to teach and preach and work as missionaries do.


I hope that I can share the gospel with those who want to know the truth. I want to be a missionary and serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth.

Some of my other favorites (straight from the Sing With Me songs for children book)...


Jesus Said Love Everyone Jesus said love every one, treat them kindly too, when your heart is filled with love others will love you.


Give Said the Little Stream Give, said the little stream, giv, oh! give, give, oh! give, Give, said the little stream as it hurried down the hill; I'm small I know, but wherever I go, the fields grow greener still. Singing, singin all the day, give away, Oh! give away. Singing, singing all the day, give, oh! give away.


The Golden Plates The golden plates lay hidden, deep in the mountainside, until God found one faithful, in whom he could confide. A record made by Nephi, a godly man of old, now, in the Book of Mormon, the story is retold.

what was your favorite book when you were my age?

Kindergarten: I can't remember any specific books from Kindergarten. But I do know that I loved the Little Golden Books. I also loved my "Tithing" and "Prayer" books.

2nd grade: I loved reading Tiki Tiki Tembo. I think I checked it out every week from the school library. I still remember the corner where it sat on the shelf.

4th grade: Trixie Belden. I loved that series! I think I had over 30 books in my collection at one time. I loved that I lived in the Hudson River Valley (after I grew up). And I love that my adult friend grew to love the books, too. :)

tell me a memory from 2nd grade...

When I was in 2nd grade (1977/78 ~ Adams Elementary ~ Spokane, WA), I had my turn to be the Spotlight Student. I sat in the hallway for about 5 minutes, while the kids in my class raised their hands and said nice things about me. Over the weekend our teacher, Ms. Bailey, made a big poster that hung at the front of the room.

Some of the things may have read like this:

1. Missy has pretty hair.
2. Missy is kind to animals.
3. Missy is good at Star Wars at recess.
4. Missy is a good friend.
5. Missy is an excellent student.

I don't really know if those things were said, but since we had to say NICE things, what else is there to say? I'll tell you what:

10. Missy is a foxy lady.

That's right ~ a foxy lady! It turned my face very red, and I still get embarassed when I think about how I felt that day. I look at that class picture and wonder which one of those boys thought I was a foxy lady.

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Mrs. Bailey kept a special thing hanging at the front of the room. If we chose to be a tattle-tale, she would pin the 3 foot, crocheted tail to the back of our pants and we would have to wear it around all day. I think that's why I still have no tolerance for tattle-tale'ing.

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We had behavior incentives on our desk. They were construction paper rectangles divided into 6 squares. If we got in trouble for any reason in class (talking to neighbors during silent time, came in late, etc.) we would lose a square (she cut it off or colored it in). Each square represented 5 minutes of recess. On a special day, our whole class would go outside. Those who had lost squares had to wait at the bike rack with Mrs. Bailey until our "punishment" time had ticked off. I lost 5 minutes once, and it was so hard to stand there and watch all of our classmates play while we just stood there!

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My favorite book was Tiki Tiki Tembo and I read it a LOT that year. I'm sure the Librarian wondered why my parents didn't just buy it for me.

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One day our class lined up at the front of the classroom for lunch. I remember Mrs. Bailey looking right at me saying, "We have a special guest joining our class for lunch today. Let's be on our best behavior." Imagine how I felt when the door opened and my MOM was standing there! She came to have lunch with me for my birthday!

do you remember when any of your brothers or sisters were born? What do you remember?

I was too young to remember when Cyndie and Karen were born...(Rexburg, ID ~ March 9, 1972 and June 26, 1973). I've been told that I was happy to have sisters and that I was a good helper.

I vaguely remember when Sheila was born. My parents called from the hospital to tell me that I had another little sister. I told them, "I don't want a sister. I want a brother. Put her back!" (Provo, UT ~ April 24, 1975)

When Lisa was born hospitals didn't allow siblings to visit, so my dad took us and stood us on the lawn of the hospital where we could wave up at my mom and baby Lisa. I don't know if this is an actual memory, or something I've made up, but I then rememer my dad coming back down to us on the lawn and sneaking us into the room so we could see baby Lisa and my mom. (Missoula, MT ~ July 28, 1977)

I was in 3rd grade when Julie was born (the day after Thanksgiving ~ just barely). We had friends over for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom cleaned up the dishes and kitchen and sent us to spend the night with friends. They lived on a mink farm and it was S-T-I-N-K-Y!!! I was glad when they finally called to tell us she'd been born, so I could fall asleep. (November 24, 1978)

Scott was born just before I turned 12. I was so excited to FINALLY have a brother! I promised him I'd teach him to throw a football, play baseball, and dig in the dirt. We called him Colonel Mustard ~ if you've changed a nursing newborn's diaper, you'd understand. Scott was a happy baby with 7 moms (1 real mom and 6 older sisters). (Orem, UT ~ April 9, 1982)

When Vicky was born I was in 8th grade. I had finally gotten over the shock of the fact that my parents were still having kids. When my parents first told us they were going to have another baby I was pretty upset for a while. Then my friend Char helped me get over myself, though, because she was so excited. Her only sister was about 6 years older than she was and she was fascinated by my big family. Vicky was a very happy baby. I don't really remember her crying much. (Spokane, WA ~ June 16, 1984)

did you have a favorite aunt or uncle when you were my age? if so, tell me about her/him...

Uncle Doug was my favorite Uncle. He is only 12 years older than I am and I think I felt close to him because he was so young. I remember taking a road trip with him about the time I was in Kindergarten. I don't know where we went or how long we were gone. But I think I remember a VW bug driving through the night.

Aunt Denise was my favorite Aunt. I am not quite sure why, but I always think of Aunt Denise when I see Carol Burnett. Aunt Denise had a big house (relative to how small I was at the time, of course) on the hill in Centerville. They put in a swimming pool and hot tub. When I was 11, my mom was away for the summer, and we spent the weekend (maybe longer, I don't remember) with Aunt Denise's family. One morning in particular we got up with the sun and jumped into the pool right away...Aunt Denise got us out for breakfast (which we ate poolside) and then got right back into the water. At lunch we also ate at the poolside. And dinner, too. As it was getting dark (and a bit chilly, we thought), we would jump into the pool and then get into the hot tub and then jump back into the "cold" pool. We must have done it for about an hour. I was supposed to babysit (with her neighbor who was my age) the little kids. I vaguely remember the adults leaving. But my stronger memory is being worried that my aunt was trying to give me a bath. I was hot and cold all at the same time and I just wanted my mom to take care of me. Turns out I had heat stroke...my shoulders had 2nd degree burns, and the blisters started forming right away. For about a week it was very painful to wear shirts. I slathered myself in aloe vera gel. The blisters were quite large and I remember some of them had water inside of them; I could wiggle my shoulders and hear the water sloshing inside of them.

I also have very strong memories of Uncle Alan and Aunt Jonna from when I was 4 or 5. We all lived in Provo. I wrote their phone number inside of our "Sing With Me" hymn book and I liked to call them. I remember the house they lived in had big, wide steps. There was a fireplace inside the living room, and I think the stairs going upstairs were just inside the front door. The kitchen was at the back of the house. There was a huge tree in their front yard. I believe the house was a "craftsman" style (very popular in Provo). Aunt Jonna has always been happy and kind. Uncle Alan was always funny, and I always thought he reminded me of Steve Martin.

When I was 4-1/2 Santa Claus came to our trailer home on Christmas Eve. I don't so much remember the visit. But after he walked out of the front door I remember going to the window and watching him drive away in Uncle Alan's old blue pick up truck. I asked WHY he was driving Uncle Alan's truck and my dad said, "Oh there are a lot of trucks that look like Uncle Alan's." And I answered, "Not a lot of them have brooms sticking up on them!" Uncle Alan always had a broom that stood up behind the driver...there was a hole (by design or flaw I don't know) in the body of the truck bed that held it in place. It was a very curious evening for me, for sure...

This does not mean that I don't love my other Aunts and Uncles! These are just memories from a child's mind...

what is someting you enjoy doing today that you enjoyed as a child?

I love reading. I think I have always enjoyed it. In 7th grade I even read a book every night. I was at the school library every day, pouring over the shelves hoping to find a good book to read that night. One of my favorite series was "Trixie Belden" ~ I daydreamed about being asked to play Trixie in a series of after-school specials. Trixie had short, sandy brown, curly hair and freckles across her nose. I think I started reading her books in 3rd or 4th grade...I would beg my mom to take me to KMart to buy new ones. I don't know what happened to my vast collection (I had over 30 of them at one point). Other favorite books I remember: Tiki Tiki Tembo, Judy Blume books, the Outsiders, mysteries, Tawny Scrawny Lion, Saggy Baggy Elephant, Poky Little Puppy, The Monster at the End of this Book, and others...

I don't read as much as I would like to now, because if I have a good book to read, all else will fall to the wayside...


I also still love to play softball and volleyball. I didn't get to play on community or club teams when I was growing up. But in 8th grade I started playing softball and volleyball at school and I loved them. I played all the way through High School (except for volleyball my sophomore year ~ I didn't want to do bench-blasts during the conditioning week). I even earned my varsity letter in both sports. I don't remember anyone being cut from the softball team, so I guess that's how I kept my spot. And in Volleyball, my coach pulled me aside and told me he probably should cut me because my skills were not really as good as they should have been ~ but he thought that I had a great attitude so he was keeping me on the team. I played (as he promised) just enough time to earn my Varsity Letter.

tell me something you love about your dad.

I love that my dad is funny. His sense of humor is something that I've always enjoyed...as I've gotten older I've realized that he's a bit corny...but still funny.

I love that my dad has always loved me. Despite the fact that there have been times when we have differences of opinion, I always know that he loves me.

I love that my dad raised me in the Church. I always thought he was "smart" about the gospel because he was called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher at one point...

I love that my friends always liked my dad.

I love that he cooked Sunday dinner for us. That is a tradition I wish we had in our family.

I love that he can recall strange details about my life that I can't recall. Tonight, for example, he described in detail an apartment we lived in when I was about a year old. It was an old church and we lived in the basement.

I love that he brought us souvenirs (even if it was airline silverware and a bag of peanuts) when he traveled for work. It meant that he was thinking about us even though he wasn't with us.

freeze-dried love

When I was in 8th grade (Sacajawea Jr. High ~ Spokane, WA) I was able to take a Class Trip to Washington, D.C. I have no idea how my parents managed to pay for it, but I went. None of my friends went, so I roomed with 3 other girls who were best friends. I spent a lot of time with one of the Mom Chaperones (whose name I no longer remember, and whose daughter was not my friend).

There are lots of things about that trip that are very vivid in my memory. But I have already done a whole scrapbook on it, so I won't tell you about that stuff now. This is what I will tell you...

My parents gave me $40 to buy things for myself like postcards and souvenirs and treats. At every gift shop I thought long and hard about what I wanted to buy. I finally decided that I really wanted to take something home for my 5 sisters (Victoria wasn't born yet) and for my little brother.

I remember buying Cyndie a penny in a bottle (a little, teensy, tiny bottle ~ just the kind of thing Aubrey would love now). I may have given Karen the same thing. I bought my mom a Spoon for her Spoon Collection. At the Air & Space Museum I bought some freeze-dried ice cream to share with them. I can't remember all of the other things...but I was eventually able to find something for everyone in my family.

At one of the stores (the gift shop at the base of the Washington Monument) I gave the cashier a $20 (for the penny in a bottle). He gave me change for a $10, but I didn't realize it until I was almost to the front door. I went back and explained what happened and he told me I was wrong. I knew I wasn't wrong...I was very careful with my money and I knew that the $20 I gave him was the last of it. I felt myself starting to cry and I didn't want to cry in front of my classmates (even though I didn't really know any of them), so I went back and sat on the bus. When my Chaperone friend saw me she asked what was wrong, and as I explained, I started to cry. She marched me off the bus and took me back up to the cashier, but he gave her the same answer and refused to give me the correct change. She gave him our hotel phone number (and her home number) so he could call if his till came up wrong ~ but he never did.

Because of that error, I only had a few dollars to get something for myself. Which made me very sad because I had wanted to buy a charm, a t-shirt and some other things that I thought were cool. I ended up with enough money to buy a small bag of shredded money at the US Mint...and probably a soda and a few treats for the return airplane ride.

I was very happy to give everyone a souvenir when I got home. It made me feel very grown-up. My dad always brought us something (even if it was the airline knife, fork and spoon he stole from first class) when he came home from a trip, and I wanted to do the same thing.

I wasn't sure if any of my sisters remembered that trip (I knew Scott didn't because he was too young). But Sheila took a business trip to Washington, D.C. this week, and when she got home she said she had a surprise for me. I asked if it was shredded money...not thinking she'd remember. She said it was better, and this is what she gave me (I think technically it was for the kids):

I don't think Sheila knows how much this little bag of freeze-dried love meant to me. She remembered that I was nice to her! And hopefully that means that she knows that I have always loved her.