JAJ Installment 2: Erin

First of all, you should know that I am eating a piece, oh okay two pieces, of apple pie as I type this. I took the brown bag pie to Relief Society last night and only 3 pieces were taken. So now I am taking it personally because that pie was good and I thought it even looked pretty. They just don't like me to bring food, I get it. I will not be taking anymore treats to Relief Society functions. I have officially learned my lesson. Oh, and their loss because this is thoroughly entertaining my taste buds right now.

On to the questions

Erin asked: Can you come over for dinner next week? I promise to make all your favorites, whatever they are.

I wish so much that I could. I think I would request your steak tacos. I haven't made those yet and I am not sure why. My mouth waters when I look at them and if they are your favorite out of all the zillion recipes you make, then I need to try them. Last summer I was actually driving from CA to UT with my mom, Glenn, Kelly and my kids. On our way through St. George we joked about stopping on your porch and singing "If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake." So corny, but we thought we were funny. I regret that we didn't stop and in the future I will, hopefully with enough advance notice to have a cake waiting.

Erin asked: Tell me about your writing background. Did you have a teacher that encouraged you? Did you always enjoy it? Did you keep a journal when you were a little girl?

Good questions. I was actually going to post about this on Mary Poppins Monday once but Grammy snuck in to my head that day and she trumped all other candidates. Let's go back for a minute to second grade. I was 6 years old. My dad was recently remarried and I had moved in with him, my step mom and 4 new siblings. It was positively terrifying to me.

Me and Jeff moved, Valerie stayed with our mom. I missed my baby sister, my school, my mom, and my life. No one had divorced parents back then, at least no one I knew. I had a hard time adjusting. I never talked, which is weird because I always talk, but I didn't. I think that is where my phone phobia started too. I remember the first time I actually answered the phone, everyone was cheering for me. I was a very frightened and insecure little girl.

I started second grade at Mary Bragg Elementary School in Cerritos, CA. It was a weird school. We were only there for one year but if I remember correctly the whole school was in one massive room. There were dividers between classes but very few doors. If I leaned back in my chair I could see my step brother Jimmie across the way in his class.

I do not remember my teachers name for sure. I think it was Mrs. Nicholas, but it could've been Mrs. Nicholson. I remember my Kindergarten teacher and First grade but Second grade was a weird year and I just can't recall very much. I do remember learning about dinosaurs and I remember writing for the first time.

We were instructed to write about an alien encounter. All I remember is that I described the appearance of the aliens by comparing their features to food, donuts and such. Remember I was only 6. While I don't remember the words, I do remember loving words and the act of putting them on paper to create something that was all mine. My teacher, you know Mrs. What's-her-Name, said my story was good and submitted it in to a school writing contest. That is the first time I remember anyone telling me I was good at something specific. As for the contest, I was one of the winners. I got to sit at a a special table for lunch one day, with mostly 4th and 5th graders, and I got a trophy. Alright, it was actually just an ice cream bar. But sitting there I felt strong, confident. I started to build my own identity, independent of my circumstances. I was Julie, who loved to write. Of course, I have never taken the next step and become Julie, the writer but I love being Julie, who loves to write.

Through the years I was lucky enough to have other teachers support and encourage me, and even some who told me that I needed to go in to a field where I could share my writing. It always meant so much to me, but honestly my writing has always just been for me. I don't want to edit, or be edited. I don't want to be troubled with proper grammar and punctuation. I don't consider myself a story teller, and I don't have some fabulous idea itching to get out to the world. I write to express myself.

As for journals, yes I was once a devoted journal writer. I filled one about every month. Half way through my mission I quit. I was so busy and so tired and I was already getting up at 5:00 AM or earlier and I just couldn't keep up with it. Unfortunately I never took it up again, until now, in the form of blogging.

Previous to the blog, I had not written anything in 8 years. I don't really have a "writing background" per say. I have never written anything other than journals and school papers. I think I even forgot that I loved it until I started this blog. Now I remember that it is my outlet and a gift that was sent to a 6 year old girl. A gift that I am so grateful to be unwrapping again.

Wow, that got really long...perhaps that was way more than you wanted to know.

Erin asked: Did you ever think your cousins were obnoxious and overbearing?

Ha,Ha! Overbearing, no! Obnoxious, sure but I loved that you were obnoxious. I am super obnoxious once I warm up (someone leave a comment validating that statement please). I just wish I'd been around more and warmed up enough so that we could have all been obnoxious together. I will tell you more about how I felt about your family parties later since Leslie asked that specifically.

Erin asked: Did you ever wish you could have a Dorothy Hammil like the Renouf girls? They were really sexy, in case you didn't remember.

Ha,Ha again! I do remember and while I can't say that I was "jealous" I will say that I had it just as bad with the bangs that wrapped all the way around the sides of my head and created what is more commonly known as a mullet. We love to watch the old home movies that Nonnie took. We laugh at all of us and I think we feel more connected to all of you when we watch. Even Kelly Kristen and Steven love to watch. They aren't in them because by the time they came along Nonnie had a camcorder. Woooo..weeee! We thought she was so high tech. First person I knew with a car phone, and a camcorder. Never mind that it looked like a Cadillac parked up on her shoulder. It was so brag worthy. I love that she was always taking pictures and videos. They make my heart so happy, even with the Dorothy Hammil cameos.

Erin asked: Have you been back to upstate NY?

I have! A year after I came home my mother in law was in Cleveland, and invited us to fly out and meet her and we drove with her back to NY. I got to show Seth around my old stomping grounds, go to the Sacred Grove with him, which I had wanted to do for so long, and go to the Palmyra temple (which was just getting underway when I went home). I even got to go to the Canada side of Niagara Falls. I saw the American side on my mission but due to those darn boundary rules I was not allowed to go in to Canada. It was great. I had a hard first year home and it helped me so much to go back and feel it all again. It also helped me to go back and watch the sister missionaries in action. I realized that that wasn't me anymore and that wasn't where I was supposed to be. It was a huge closure moment for me. I am dying to get back and take my kids though. I got spoiled on a mission there. I came to believe that the only proper way to teach someone about the Restoration was to take them there and let them stand on holy ground. I want my kids to hear the Joseph Smith story there. It is true anywhere, but it is better there.

Erin asked: Where is Jeff? Does he ever comment?

Jeff, are you out there? Maybe if we call really loudly he will come. Jeff does pop in here to look at my kiddos. He loves my kids. All my siblings will listen to stories about my kids all day. He never leaves comments but maybe he will at least wave and say "Hi Erin!" Did you do it Jeff? (Now, he is shaking his head and calling me a dork or something.) He lives in Salt Lake City still. If you have any hot friends up that way, link him up.

Erin asked: Do you ever do human fireworks shows like your Dad used to do in Yosemite? We still do them every year.

Okay, I have to say that I have scoured every corridor of my memory and I have NO idea what you are talking about. Totally blank. What is a human fireworks show? Dad, come in and explain, and say hi to Erin.

Erin asked: What was plan B for you if you didn't end up being a wife and mother? Plan C? D, E, F G, now I know my ABCs?

Okay, I must say that my life just kind of happened to me. I don't know that I ever made too many plans. In my mind I think the wife and mother thing was actually plan B,C,D.... At some point Heavenly Father just handed me the game plan and it looked good so I thanked Him and went with it. I was never the wife/mommy type in my mind. I wanted to be either an advertising exec and work in a big tall office building in NYC, and live in a high rise apartment with a door man. Or, I wanted to write for the newspaper, an op-ed column. Or, I wanted to write human interest pieces for the news/television events. You know on the Olympics when they cut away from the event and show you the sob stories of the individual competitors? Those cheesy pieces where they can make a splinter look like a tsunami? I think I could write that crap. So could my mom. I know I don't seem like the big city career girl type now, but in the working world I am a very different Julie than who you see here. In work/school I get competitive and ambitious and I have to be the best. I have never even had a real job, you know the kind that you go to school for and are excited about, but even still I love to work and to accomplish and exceed my goals. Even after I married Seth I told him I would not be a stay at home mom, but dang it all if I didn't end up eating my words and begging to be home with my kids. I love the plan that was given to me and I love Heavenly Father for knowing me far better than I know me. Do I still want to go back to the original "plan A" someday? Maybe. If I find something that I am passionate about that doesn't take me away from what I am most passionate about.

Alright, your turn.

Julie asked: Why did you choose to homeschool? Will you always homeschool?

Julie asked: What was the first cooking contest you ever entered? What was the first one that you won/placed in? Which one was your favorite to compete in? What will you do with the money if you win the French's one? What is your motivation for entering the contests? Do you want to go be in the Pilsbury one together if I ever get brave enough? I already saw you in it once. I don't even care about winning, I just want to go.

Julie asked: You seem invincible to me. You always have. You homeschool, and craft, and cook, and teach college, and serve on the charter school board. I mean, really, is there anything you can't do? Is there anything that makes you nervous? Anything you are not confident about?

Alright, thanks for playing and I can't wait to hear your answers.

On Deck: Makinzee