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Birth- St. Joseph's Hospital
I wasn't planned, but my parents were married when they got pregnant with me. They were both in their younger twenties and very scared and didn't have any money. However, they were overjoyed when I was born and they did their best with what they had. -
Baptism- Huntingburg United Methodist Church
I don't remember this event, but I am very thankful that my parents chose to baptize me. I am not sure where I would be today without my faith. -
1st Birthday
By the time I turned 1, my parents had taught me how to speak and say a few different words. -
9/11 Terror Attacks
I don't speciffically remember this event, but my mom said she stayed home with me that day because I was sick. It didn't directly impact me, but it threatened America's peace and freedom and hurt many families through the country. -
Luke is Born- St. Joseph's Hospital
I was so excited when my little brother was born. I constantly asked to hold him and play with him in the hospital, and I even wanted to help name him. My brother is my best friend, and I am very thankful to have him in my life. -
1st Day of Preschool- Color My World
My mom said that I was nervous to start preschool. Although I was a very smart little girl, I was very shy. Preschool helped me come out of my shell and make new friends. -
5th Birthday
This birthday was special because my parents bought me an electric powered 4 wheeler. I rode that around the yard every day. Dad said from that moment he knew I would love to take cruises and drive around for fun just like he does. -
Move Homes
We moved from our farmhouse to our house in town. I was sad to leave our horses and huge yard, but I remember meeting our new neighbors and feeling at home. They were kind people, and they grew to be like a family to me. -
Brutus Died
Brutus had been alive since I was a newborn baby. He was very protective over me and my brother, and I cried when he died. It was sad to see a life long companion go, but he had very bad cancer and it was better that he passed away. -
1st Day of Kindergarten
I remember being so terrified to start kindergarten. I was still pretty shy, the building was huge, and I didn't know a lot of the teachers. Mom and Dad comforted me through the first few days at school because I cried a lot when they dropped me off. -
Brian and Devin Married
This was important to me because my uncle Brian was 17 when I was born and had been dating Devin since then. I thought she was the coolest person ever, so I was very excited to see them get married. To this day I am still very close to both of them.This was also the 1st vacation I remember, and I enjoyed every minute of being at the beach. They got married in Florida. -
Softball Practice
Softball was the first sport I ever played, and I was horrible. I was always so self-conscious because I felt like all the other girls were better than me. Thank goodness I quit that sport, I was much happier after I did. -
Great Recession
I remember when the economy went down, my parents were scared because they both owned their own businesses. My dad didn't realize this at the time, but the recession actually helped his business. Seeing my parents fearful of what may have happened made me scared, too. -
Henry
When we got Henry, I was pumped. He was one year old when we adopted him and Luke and I had to BEG my dad to let us get another dog. I love Henry so much because he is like the quiet little brother I have always wanted. At this point, he has been around for over half of my life. Seeing him get old with grey fur makes me pretty sad. -
Obama Elected
I did not know anything about politics, but I was excited to see the first black person become president. -
1st Academic Honors
I was very proud of myself for making the Gold Honor Roll and being recognized for my academic achievements. This made me realize that I wanted to work hard to be a part of these awards for the rest of my school careet. -
10th Birthday/1st Phone
I was finally double digits! I felt like being 10 meant I had more authority over Luke. I also got my first cell phone because I was allowed to start staying home alone. -
1st Day of Middle School
I was a nervous wreck before middle school started. I barely slept the night before my first day because I knew I would be meeting new people and I would be an underdog. In all honesty, my first year of middle school was a really awful time for me. -
Weight Loss
I was tired of being made fun of for my weight by some of the boys in my grade. I was chubby and very sensitive about my weight. I cried a lot of nights because I wanted to look like the pretty girls at school, so I decided to make a change for myself. I lost 20 pounds between 6th and 7th grade. This might not sound like much, but it made all the difference in the world. -
13th Birthday
I was so excited to finally call myself a teenager! I felt like I was very grown up when I reached 13. -
Dad
Dad grew up in an abusive household for the first 7 years of his life. His biological mom had him at 15 and wasn't capable of raising him. My dad was abused in every way by his stepdad at that time. Dad's grandpa saw this & took him in. Dad started calling his grandparents Mom & Dad, & they are who I know as Grandpa & Grandma. Early details of Dad's life made me sad. After he told me what he lived through I gained a new insight on life. I refuse to judge people based off of where they come from. -
Sandy Hook Shooting
This was the first school shooting that I remember occuring. It made me feel like there was a lot of evil in the world, but the heros during those situations show that there is a lot of good in the world, too. -
Otis Died
When my second dog died, it was a repeat of the first time. I was sad that he would no longer be with us, but it was better that he died than to be in pain. But, Henry was left without a friend, and I didn't like seeing him lonely. -
Confirmation
I felt excited to be able to take responsibility for my own faith. Faith is the most important thing in my life, and without it I’m not sure what I would do. -
8th Grade Graduation
I was excited to end my middle school career. I always heard that high school was full of new friends and better experiences, so I wanted to leave middle school behind and start over. -
1st Day of Freshman Year
I wasn't very nervous to start high school because my cousin, Aubrey, was a senior. She was my go-to when I needed advice or help. I knew she would protect me if anything bad would happen. -
1st Boyfriend
I was overjoyed to have my first real boyfriend. We spent a lot of time together and grew pretty close over time even though we already knew each other. I learned a lot about myself from that relationship, but at the same time I am thankful it didn't work out. -
Roxie
I did NOT want to adopt Roxie when we did. I felt as if Mom and Dad were trying to replace Otis, and I felt as if he could never be replaced.. Now, I love Roxie with all of my heart. She is a big lug of a dog, and she always makes my day brighter. -
16th Birthday
I was so excited to be 16 becuase I knew I would be getting my licesnse in 90 days! I couldn't wait to be free. -
License
Getting my license gave me a new sense of freedom. I drove around just to listen to music (don't tell my dad) and I picked up all of my friends to go out of eat. I felt pretty cool since I was one of the few people in my grade who was allowed to drive. -
Moved Again
We moved around Christmas time of my sophomore year. It took me a long time to get used to living in a new house, because it didn’t feel like home to me at first. -
Grandpa Died
When Grandpa Arnie died, I felt a sense of sadness I had never experienced before. He was the first of my grandparents to pass away, and I wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. With the help of my parents, I got through the tough time. -
Trump Elected
This was a major event because he was the first person who wasn't seen as a politician to be elected. He won with electoral votes, but he had less popular votes than Clinton, which is very rare. -
Lexi
Lexi was one of my close friends. We grew very close through tennis season and planned on going to prom together. When she passed 2 days before prom, I felt lost, devastated, and I couldn’t see why this happened to her. I still miss her greatly, and I’ve even had a few dreams about her coming back to visit since this all happened. -
Prom
Prom was a sad time for me because I was supposed to go with Lexi. But, Cole was extremely kind and asked Mr. Sickbert if he could take me so I didn't have to go alone. He got a tux in one day, we got a cool car to take, and it was a bittersweet day overall. -
2nd Boyfriend
My 2nd (current) boyfriend is a very special person in my life. Right now, I am a more mature person who can handle relationships in a better way, and I am grateful we met. Lukas is one of my very best friends. Like my dad, he has also taught me valuable life lessons through what he has been through and experienced. -
18th Birthday
My 18th birthday was special because turning 18 is the first step to adulthood. I feel as if I started taking more responsibility for myself when I turned 18. For example, I don't really ask my parents for spending money anymore. I tend to use the money I made over the summer to buy extra things for myself. I bought lottery tickets too :) -
Homecoming
Homecoming was special because it made me feel loved and respected by my classmates. It was an honor to represent Southridge twice on homecoming court. -
Accepted to IU
Getting into my dream college made me feel as if all my hard work though the years has paid off. I am so excited to start the next chapter of my life at IU with Nicole. -
Football State
Seeing the guys at Southridge achieve something so wonderful and working as a team to get there was a one of a kind experience. I’ve grown up loving the game of football since my dad was a coach for so long, and this was the best way to end watching Raider Football. -
Graduation
Graduation is in the near future, and it can't come soon enough. High school has been a roller coaster ride full of learning experiences. I am glad I had the opportunity to go to Southridge and meet so many wonderful people. At times I will probably miss being home, but I know going to college will help me be successful in the future.
