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Adopting the first cat that came to live with us
Shortly after we moved into a new house in Oakely, California, my family adopted a new cat. When we got him, the animal shelter had named him Amaryllis. We thought that name was too girly, so we changed it to Dakota. -
Switching from carpet to wooden flooring in our house
One weekend, my mother went away for a women's retreat with some ladies from church. While she was gone, my dad and a family friend pulled out the carpet from our house and replaced it with wooden flooring. I learned that with a lot of hard work, even impossible tasks can get done quickly. -
Getting a second cat
My mom got a new job shortly after we moved into that house, and one of her new coworkers had a litter of kittens that they were trying to give away. One of them came home to live with us, and keeping with the theme of naming our cats after states, we named her Carolina. She became very attached to me and I am still her favorite person in the family. We have a third cat now, that we named Cali, short for California. Having pets has taught me a lot about being responsible. -
Moving to Arizona
About 9 years ago, my family made the decision to move to Arizona from California. It was very hard picking up everything and leaving our friends behind. But the move was necessary because my mom had lost her job. I was able to settle in Arizona and we have made many new friends since, while keeping our old friends, too. I learned that, although change is sad, sometimes it is worth it in the end. -
My parents pranking the kids when were home alone
A few years ago, my mom and dad went out for the evening with some other friends, leaving us kids home alone for the first time. When they came home, they started playing with the fuse box outside and making the lights go on and off. They also started banging on doors and windows. But we stayed calm and called them on their phones, which ultimately gave them away. I learned that it is important to stay level headed, even when you are scared about something. -
Becoming friends with Jonah
While I was in elementary school, there was a kid that I met in class names Jonah. We weren't really that good of friends that year, but the next year we actually became much closer friends. He is still my best friend to this day. We hang are able to hang out and have fun and we are able to share things with each other that we may not be able to say to others. It's nice having a friend like that. -
Received my first video game system ever
For Christmas one year, our family received a Wii Entertainment system as a gift from our extended family. This was the first video game console that we ever owned. We have purchased an Xbox since, but this was the first one, so it was very special -
Making a Little League team
When I was 11 years old, I tried out for and made a team in Little League. It was a lot of fun playing baseball with other boys my age. I learned a lot about the game and was able to make some friends through my team. I played again the following year and enjoyed it just as much. I learned to work as a team with others, even though I may not have been the best player on the team. -
Receiving a dog as a gift from friends
Some family friends of ours from church had a large dog that their son grew allergic to. They asked around to see if anyone they knew might be interested in giving their black lab, Midnight, a good home. My dad decided to take him, even though the rest of the family weren't really dog people. After a while, I learned to take command of the dog and to continue to show him that I was in charge of him. He is a good dog that usually listens to me, except when he digs into the trash. -
Starting school at Primavera online
As I finished up Middle School, I was having a lot of issues with other kids in school. That, coupled with the fact that my mom was having issues with the local school district, prompted my parents to look for a different school arrangement for me. They decided to enroll me at Primavera. I have been enrolled her ever since. School has never been my favorite thing, but I do learn things through it every day.
