I went to Burlington Elementary School. I would say the teacher I ended being closest with was Mrs. Troutt. She was my 4th grade teacher. It's not as though she taught my favorite subject. In fact, she taught one of my least favorite subjects- English. She was my "home" teacher, meaning that's the classroom I was in for times other than the normal class subject times, such as the beginning of the day, end of the day, etc. I loved her because she really made me believe in myself. I hated writing, but she gave me confidence that what I wrote was worth while. She definitely wasn't an easy grader when it came to our writing portfolios (required by the state to write a certain number of papers for that year). She wasn't afraid to challenge me. I had to work really, really hard for the good grades. But, in the end, it pushed me to be a better writer after that. Now, I'm not saying I'm an excellent writer now. But, the fact that she made me feel my thoughts were/are worth while probably even helped me have the confidence to start this blog in the first place.
In addition to my friends Lydia and Michelle, that I mentioned in the previous post, my other friends throughout elementary school were Alicia, Ashley, April, Morgan, Stacee, Jackie, Tiffany, and Lesilee.
During those years, I found a love for gymnastics. I went to classes with Alicia. We had a ton of fun. I even had a birthday party once at the gymnastics gym. The teachers seemed to have great confidence in me, and kept moving me to higher levels. But, living in a family of 6 kids, money was pretty tight, and as the monthly fee to take the classes became too high, I had to stop going. It was devastating at first, but then that's when I decided to move on to another sport- soccer.
I started soccer when I was about 8, I believe. Our recreational team was called the Stars, or something like that. I have honestly never been "awesome" at soccer, but I loved the sport! I played left full-back pretty much the majority of my soccer-playing years. I just loved the idea of being on defense, where the other team would be rushing down the field at me, and then I would kick the ball away as far as I could and help save us from being scored on. I played up until the 7th grade, where then my friends on the team were either going to Club teams or working to try out for the high school team. Even though I quit then, I still missed playing soccer a lot. Finally, I got the nerve to start an indoor soccer team for a little while. There was both girls and boys on the team, and I was actually the oldest on my team, which was pretty awkward. But, I found great fun in playing indoor soccer. It was a lot more fast-paced than outdoor was, but it was especially fun to be able to use the walls to help bounce the ball around your opponent.
After that, in 10th grade, I got the nerve to try out for the high school team. (That's for another post, coming soon about my high school years, though.)
In school, math and science were my favorite subjects. I loved being outdoors learning about how everything worked together. I was pretty good at math, so naturally, that's why I liked it.
At the end of elementary school, my family and I got to go to Europe to see where my brother Carl and my sister Jenny were born and raised for the first few years of their lives. They had lived in Germany because my dad was stationed there in the Army. During that trip, we got to visit Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. Actually, my family (who flew standby) made it all on the flight home, except for my Dad and I. We had to try and fly through France, but got stuck there overnight. We decided to ride the Metro and go to the Eiffel Tower together. It was so much fun, and I remember eating lemon crepes from a food truck/stand right next to the Eiffel Tower. What a wonderful memory.
I was indeed a "Daddy's Girl." Okay, maybe I still am? Everyone knew it. I just seemed to take interest in some of the same things my dad did, so naturally, I liked to hang out with him. He's a pilot, and I learned to love flying. He loves the outdoors, and went with me on a few Science field trips (to Red River Gorge as well as Tennessee). He is a big tease, and I was usually his favorite subject to tease. My dad is such a wonderful example to me. He's such a spiritual giant to me, is very tender-hearted, and has also taught me that a little sense of humor goes a long way.
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| Our "Daddy-Daughter Dance" at mine and Jonald's wedding reception |
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