Retreat: Childhood memories

I've decided to try to do this online retreat to work on focusing more on God. The first week, they've encouraged us to focus on memories of our life throughout the day, and really work to think about the memories and look to see how God has shaped our lives through everything. So, today I'm going to think about some of my childhood memories from when we still lived in Jax.

This is hard for me, as I don't remember back that far really. I remember the house we lived in... I remember my friend down the street. She had My Little Ponies, I had Barbies, and we loved to play with each other's toys. I remember we found birds in our chimney a lot... I remember wanting to go to church and going in and waking my parents up so we could go. I remember Christmas morning, we weren't allowed to go down the hall way until mom and dad were up, so we'd sit at the very edge of the hall, waiting for them. I remember our playroom and mom every so often, coming in on one of the little red chairs we had, and starting at one end of the room and making us help her clean because it'd get SO MESSY. (I think a playroom is an awesome idea and I'm remembering it for the future...) I remember saying Bible verses in 1st grade I think and getting a scripture magnet printed on wood in sunday school. I remember the many church musicals we did, esp We Like Sheep (Aren't we all singing that in our heads now?) and Amerikids and going to Walt Disney World because of Amerikids and my mom french braiding my hair, Lauren S.'s and the other girl in our group on the bus. (There was also my brother Bryan and a friend of his). I remember having a seizure when my Aunt Jen was babysitting. I dont remember much about it except they asked me where my parents worked and I couldn't remember... I knew they worked at 2 hospitals but I didn't know which one worked at which hospital. Then I remember that when I got to the hospital, I was so upset because they had to cut my favorite jammies off of me. I remember praying before meals "God is great, God is good..." I remember we always wanted plastic Easter eggs for Easter, because then we'd gather everyone's together and hide htem all across the house/yard and have to find where they were hidden. I also remember finding a kite hidden under my parent's lazy boy, then getting it for Easter... that's when I knew about the Easter Bunny... I remember the toothfairy always took several days to visit hahaha! And I remember going to my mom and telling her I knew Santa wasn't real anymore, and I had known for a few years, but I wasn't telling her bc I was afraid I wouldn't get those gifts anymore. Funny, Santa still came even when I graduated from high school. I wonder if he'll come if we make it home next year ;-) I remember going to family reunions on my mom's side... it was all my aunts and uncles and cousins every Mother's day... The first one, we went all out, and bought bright pink shirts that said "**(Name)** Family Reunion" and we stayed at Goldhead NAtional Park and some kid drowned in the lake that year, and I had problems with my diabetes and got really sick while staying in the cabin (I had so forgotten about that!) I remember one year at Christmas, we all brought ornaments and sat around in a circle (extended family as well) and read teh Christmas story and everytime the word "angel" and another word, maybe "baby"?, was said, we'd pass the ornament to our left, and everyone got an ornament when it was done. I remember feeling special because I got to be one of the readers. I remember my granddad had dentures and I didn't know it. He pulled them out of his teeth once to show me, and scared me so much I was crying and trying to get away from him. I remember we all tried to eat Annie's dogfood and I cried so much when she died. I remember my friend Mari coming over to help me make a spaceship for a school project. I remember my bedroom was pink and the boys was orange. I remember pulling my sister out of her crib and telling mom "Mom! She climbed out of bed because she wants to sleep with me." But then, a little while later, calling mom and telling her she wouldn't lay still and go to sleep. Amazing how when mom put her back in her bed, she never climbed out haha ;-)

WOW! This is crazy.... I really haven't thought back to all of these in a long time! What fun!