The Basement

This is one of those memories I'll never forget because as soon as I light a wood burning fireplace, I'm transported right back to the basement of the house I grew up in.

The basement, now home to a new guest bedroom with a gas fireplace on the wall, and the laundry room was once our main living space. The upstairs living room used to be full of antiques and was more of a formal living room.

There used to be an ugly green and off-white-ish sort of couch as well as a burnt orangish red lazy boy chair.

There was a large hutch, which I believe is still there that used to hold our box TV and if I am remembering correctly it had a dial to change the channels. I remember watching cartoons and Sesame Street on it! I remember my dad coming home for lunch and us RUNNING upstairs

Most of my memories stem from looking at pictures of my childhood which might be why I LOVE pictures so much! But we had many birthday parties down there. We had a long table set up along the front side of the house of the basement... There are home video's of these parties and I love seeing my Grandma in them!

We also used to have Christmas down in the basement. We used to get a REAL Christmas tree that went in the basement every year and the fake one in the living room upstairs. The one down stairs had all the goofy, animated, colourful ornaments and the bead strands. We also have a wood burning fireplace in the basement which is why we lived down there. Once we got the "fake" one upstairs the downstairs ceased to exist as "the" hang out place.

My brother and I used to make some forts down there that were pretty cool! I remember a series of tunnels we made with the amazing cardboard boxes my dad used to bring home from work! I need to remember to bring home random stuff like that for when I have kids!

I also had a fancy tea party birthday down there one year!

I remember falling in love with  Kristi Yamaguchiand Scotty Hamilton's backflips there, snuggled up under ugly but warm (yellow, brown & orange zigzag striped) blankets, sipping cocoa, replacing wood in the fire. Such wonderful, wonderful memories!


One year I hosted a big dinner for 21 girls! It was formal attire, and it was a full turkey & potatoes spread on Valentines Day! After dinner we had an awards show in the basement that Carrie helped me plan! We had a red carpet lined with Christmas lights, and a podium! We invited Anne - the Youth Leaders wife, and we even had entertainment; Nikki & Nicole sang a duet! We gave each girl an award based on something from their personality!  That could be a whole other blog post as well!!  But here's a picture of the senior girls from the party!!

The Ghost of Valentines Day's Past

This will be our 4th Valentines day together. I think.... but here's a look into my past Valentines days!

The first one was particularly nice... we have been dating for 3 months and I talked him into buying tickets to the Piston's game through his dorm RD. He bought me the Rip Hamilton Jersey. We went with Adam/Cheryl & Chris/Kd. That night after the game, about 1am on the morning of the 15th - we had our 1st kiss.

Our 2nd Valentines day, we had passed the next milestone in our relationship of the saying of "I love you" 3 months earlier after 1 year of dating. We were busy and poor, so we unconventionally had a date in the SAU Library... we took over a study room on the 3rd floor and watched I believe Newsies on my laptop... we hooked up speakers and everything. We ate cougar den food for dinner and spoiled ourselves with coffee from the Sacred Grounds (Starbucks) in the Library. We also babysat Hailey Rae Pollak for a night so that Nich & Jennie could have a night out with out their baby, and me and my Babe got to hang out with the CUTEST girl in the world!

Our Third Valentines Day is documented here: but the nutshell version is 3 roses, swept off feet, a night at the theater.... check it out.

Our 4th Valentines day was our first as a married couple... here's a link to last years Valentines Day, which in a nutshell was Olympics in Canada, 1 small box of chocolates shared, yoga & chinese food.

Before I got the boyfriend, I still celebrated Valentine's day! My senior year of high school, I hosted a party for all the girls in my youth group. 21 girls came over to my house in FORMAL gowns! We all have them, we all want an excuse to wear them more often. I had this idea, and my bestest friends helped me to set it up.

 My parents and aunts helped cook the meal; a full 4 course meal,

with ambiance music, followed by a Red Carpet...

 ....awards show that awarded each girl with an award catered to their personality!

We also had special music!

We even had a photo shoot individually and in groups:

and a Dance party afterward:

You can't beat that! Pretty much a really fun night!

Before that my parents always made sure my brother and I each felt special on this most uniquely weird day that gives an outlet to those who love.  We would wake up to a heart shaped box of chocolates on our pillows every year! No matter if you love, you can celebrate that tomorrow!

These wonderful things are the things we remember all though our lives.

I remember: the years of TICS when every Christmas we had a surprise Christmas video and a Surprise guest to our youth group nights, during Christmas....  It was always 1 of 2 Christmas movies, and I can only remember 1 of them, but it rotated every year, so it was never really a surprise! 1 of the movies was the Grinch... the old one, the cartoon one.... Melissa - do you remember the other one? Every year 1 of the Ottaways dressed up like Santa Clause! I remember 1 year it was Marty, the years before he was old enough to be in the youth group. I don't really remember what he did or brought. But That is my memory of the TICS Christmas's.     (TICS stands for Teens in Christ's Service)

I remember: the Christmas that my family took off on Boxing Day for Disney World! That was certainly a different Christmas than I had ever had before! We had to go to bed early that night, so that we could get up early and fly to Florida! That was my first and only time to Disney! I will never forget it! We took Aunt Steph & Aunt Bessie!! How cool is that!!!?

I remember: the year that Dana got a Calendar for Christmas and as she was pulling it out of the wrapping paper, she hit me in the nose with the calendar causing me a bloody nose all over new clothes I had just received that morning and was wearing for the 1st time!

I remember: the years at my Grandma's house for Christmas. I really hope I never forget, I was very young when we used to have all the kids over there, we were all kids then - young even Chad & Ryan were kids so I was like 3 or 4 probably. I remember 1 year my Grandparents had gone to Florida and brought us (Jacqi, Michael & I) back dresses and new clothes! I don't remember, but I have pictures to solidify the memories of making Gingerbread houses with Grandma and Michael and Jacqi.

I remember: chocolate chip muffins, yule log cookies, & crepes!

I remember: wearing my new PJ's to bed and then staying in them all day, or until I got something new to put on instead!

Going Down in History

This memory goes down in history!

Do you already know what it is?

Yes its the time that my mother forgot me, when setting the table for Thanksgiving! Yes believe it or not! It was the first Thanksgiving home from College, so yes, I had been gone for about 2 months. My mom counted each family, Kathy had 4, then there was the Grandma/Ron/Bessie combo and then she said our family had 3. Well our family had 4!!!!!!! Now to be honest she actually counted more than once. We all sat down to eat only to find we were one chair and one place setting short.

That's it.