05 - School Years

In the fall of 1974 I started kindergarten (5 years old). The bus picked me up in front of the house in Banida and I went all day, every other day. We spent Christmas that year at Grandma Haffen’s home in St, Gorge (Grandma Brown married Guy Haffen sometime after Grandpa Brown Passed away) with Kathy and Bill Randall (Kathy is one of Moms sisters) and other family members. I remember that his trip was very exciting. Chad and I received the same gifts for Christmas, which was a helicopter with a control on that that wet round and round. While we lived in Banida Dad bought some dairy cows. They were kept on someone else’s farm and we would ride over on the tractor every morning and evening to milk them. I was able to spend a lot of time with my Dad, which I enjoyed very much. I attended school in Preston at Oakwood elementarily through second grade (my Mom was the bus driver for part of the time I attended school there). At the end of first grade, the high school was putting on the musical the King and I. They needed some children from the elementary school to be part of the royal family. Mom had me try out but I did not make it the first time. Mom was pretty insistent that I get a part in the play. We went home and we practiced and practiced and then Mom arranged for another audition. We met privately with the director, I sang my song to him and he gave me the part. I remember being very nervous and excited. We practiced with the high school kids and I remember enjoying the whole affair right from the start. The high school kids were very nice to us and I thought that the girls were pretty. This is when my love of singing, dancing and acting was born (actually I had always sang and danced for family home evenings and for grandparents etc. This was just my first stage program). I did not make the play in time to get my name in the program but at least I was in it. I was the little boy the stands up and walks over to shake Anna’s hand during the “Getting To Know You” song. In the middle of second grade I was baptized by my father in the Preston Stake Center. I remember the day it was cold and I was the last one to be baptized. A girl that I went to school with was first then there was another boy and I went last. I remember that they had me stand dripping wet and cold by the side of the font while someone said the closing prayer. The dressing room was a funny round room with thick pink, or blue carpet (I don’t remember which). Zane was born while we lived in Banida.