Describe your first home as a young couple.

We had the most amazing apartment in Taylorsville, Utah. It was a basement Apartment but was so beautiful! I wish I had pictures of it. When you walked in the front door and stepped to the left our living room was right there and the huge kitchen was off to the left of that. It had a huge pantry and I miss it sooooo much. From the door if you turn right there was a little hallway with a bathroom to the right and a bedroom straight ahead of that with an even bigger walk in closet. It really was a great apartment and we were lucky to have it.

Tell about your favorite relative.

I have a lot of favorites. My cousins though are simply amazing! Jerilyn, Liz and Christine are more like sisters to me than cousins. I know that I can count on them for anything.

What is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to you? The worst?

The most wonderful thing was meeting Robert and then marrying him in the San Diego Temple. That was the happiest day of my life. The days our children were born are close second.

The worst thing was losing Hayden. It took us a long time to get through that horrible tragedy but we have come out of it stronger and more united. We still miss him more than anything but we know that we will see him again and we find comfort in the fact that our children know about him and love him. The next worst day came last year on August 18, 2010 which was the day that my Mother passed away and joined Hayden. I'm still miss her everyday and love to remember her with the kids who talk about her everyday. She will always be with us and remembered for her amazing strength and courage.

What kind of foods do you consider picnic foods? Where do you like to picnic?

We love picnics in our family! Our favorite foods for picnics would be subway sandwiches, KFC, taco salads or just homemade sandwiches. We love to have picnics at the beach but our favorite place is Spanish Landing or Harbor Island.

Tell about favorite games you played as a child.

I don't really have a specific actual game that I remember loving to play. I was always pretending something. I had this little dresser with a drawer in the center just like the one in CINDERELLA, my Mom had made me little clothes just like in the movie and I would pretend to be Cinderella and dress up my imaginary mouse friends. I also loved to play Mom. I had lots of baby dolls and clothes that my Mom had made for them. The Riggins and I would play PIONEERS and roam the hill and make soup out of ice plant and mud and we always had a great time. One year when It had rained for a week straight we had a huge sink hole in our yard and so we put a 2x4 over it and we would pretend to be tight rope walkers. We also had a huge tree in my yard and we would all pretend to be monkeys hanging off the tree and swinging off it onto the grass. I had a great Childhood.

How did you feel about school?

School was a four letter word for me. It just wasn't my thing. I wasn't very good at it and had to work hard to get passing grades. It didn't get enjoyable until High School when I had Choir and Film Classes to keep me interested in going.

What do you fantasize about being or doing?

I dream about being a Professional Chef and owning my own restaurant but for now I'm perfectly happy cooking for my family and teaching my kids how to cook.

What was the first piece of furniture you bought?

The first thing that I bought was the futon couch and kitchen table for our first apartment. I thought they were so cool then. I LOVE my little table still but that futon had to go.

Describe the perfect Autumn day.

The perfect autumn day would be spent in Utah in Big Cottonwood Canyon at Silver Lake or Silver Pond as Robert and I like to call it. I still remember the day that Robert and I took our engagement pictures there. The trees were beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. That's also the place where he proposed to me at the end of Summer in 2001.

Did you have a childhood hideout? Where? Describe it.

My Childhood hideout is seriously the best hideout ever! My neighbor had a built in laundry cabinet like thing in her bathroom that had a little curtain to hide the dirty clothes. My neighbor and I would take all the dirty clothes out and hang out all afternoon in this cubby. Her Mom, who by the way the best Mom ever second only to my Mom of course. She would bake us cookies and we'd sit in our hideout eating cookies and milk while playing barbies. It was AWESOME!

What is your favorite scripture? Why?

Alma 48:17 says that if all men were like Moroni that the very powers of hell would be shaken forever. I think it's pretty self explanatory why I love that scripture. Imagine if ALL men were like Moroni, this world would be a much better place.

What are your favorite flowers, colors, activities and hobbies?

It's hard to pick just a few flowers because I love almost all flowers. My favorite color is Pink and all shades of it. I love to read and listen to music. My favorite hobby is card making and scrapbooking.

Thinking back, was there a teacher or class that had a great influence on you?

In 9th and 10th grade I had the most amazing Choir Director EVER! She taught me to love music and taught me how much joy it can bring to your life. She will always be my role model for how to teach music to my children and hopefully they'll love it as much as I do.

Tell how you feel about water - playing in it, using it.

 I love to play in water except for rivers, lakes and ponds, only because I can't see where my feet are. I prefer pools for swimming, I do enjoy going to the beach but I don't like going out too far. I think I might be more comfortable in the ocean if it were as clear as the ocean is in Oregon. I don't like drinking water by itself, it has a weird taste to it. We don't drink tap water in our house, we have water delivered so we can avoid all the funky nasty stuff in the water.

Describe your favorite outfit as a teenager.

When I was in 8th grade I had the cutest shirt ever! It was a white cotton ribbed shirt with tulips. the end of the sleeves and the hem of the shirt were kind of ruffled in the way they were sewn. It was the perfect top to wear with a pair of jeans and some sandals. I loved the way it looked on me and I loved the way I felt when I wore it. Even, my boyfriend David loved that shirt.

What was your biggest fear as a child?

Until I was out of High School I was deathly afraid of dogs. It didn't matter if they were big or small, loud or even quiet. I wouldn't go near one for all the money in the world. Finally, after visiting my brother for a few weeks after I graduated I got over my fear. They had a little poodle named Skippy, he was the sweetest dog ever and from the minute I walked in the door that dog was my best friend. I was however still afraid of large dogs and to some extent I still am afraid of certain breeds.

What do you enjoy doing today that you enjoyed when you were younger?

When I was little my Mom and I would cuddle up on the couch and watch old black and white movies, I still love doing that especiallyt since it reminds me of her.

Describe the most serious illness you've had.

In 2003 when I was pregnant with Hayden, I got really sick. So sick that my kidney's shut down and my blood went septic. Hayden returned home because of it and it was a miracle that I survived.

Where did your parents live when they first married?

I believe that they lived in a house on Bluebird Street that my Grandpa owned at the time. I was born in that house and shortly after we moved to Weaver Street and we're still here.

How do you feel about dentists?

I'm not a fan of the dentist but I know that it's neccessary to go. My kids however LOVE going to the dentist.

Did you wish you had more brothers or sisters? Why?

When I was little I always wanted a sister. I already had two brothers and I wanted someone to play with. Looking back now I'm glad that I was the only girl.

What are you frightened of? Why?

I'm afraid of many things. One the not so important fears spiders and snakes and being alone in the house top the list. My biggest fears are dying alone, something bad happening to my family, losing my husband, not having my family forever.

How do you feel about winning? Losing?

I don't think that anyone likes to lose at something. We all have the need and desire to win, but losing is important too. Losing teaches us to be good sports and gives us the chance to praise others. Winning at something is the ultimate high. I remember when I was in 4th grade the whole school had to come up with a collection of sorts to display in front of the whole school. My Dad and I came up with a bug collection, termites specifically. He worked for Terminix back then and was able to get samples of all the different species of Termites. We made this really cool case that folded out and was free standing made of plexi-glass and wood. We also had a walkman with a recording of termite sounds for people to listen to as they looked at the collection. I placed in the top 5 of the whole school. I remember feeling so proud because I had worked really hard on that project and was glad that I had won.

What kind of music do you like?

I have always LOVED music! It's always been my favorite way to express myself, I don't think I would have gotten through 6-12th grade without Boyz II Men or Mariah Carey. I enjoy Pop, Alternative, Oldies, 80's, Disco, Country, Dance, Rock, Soft Rock, R&B, Soul, and even some Rap.

Describe your Middle School years.

I attended Palm Middle School in Lemon Grove, Ca. Middle School was not such a happy time for me. I was constantly teased for being different. 8th grade was a defining year for me. I had my first boyfriend followed by my first heart break. If only I knew then what I know now, I could have saved myself lots of heart break. I discovered my love for creating in an Art class. I also had my second boyfriend. Oh and I had a major crush on my 6th grade teacher and was so depressed when he got married later that year. As you can see I was quite boy crazy.

Tell the words of a song from your childhood. What memories does it bring?

The first song that comes to mind is "This used to be my Playground" by Madonna My neighbors and i used to stand on my front porch and pretend that the tops of the railings were microphones and we would rock out all day long.

This used to be my Playground
This used to be my playground [used to be]
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Why did it have to end
And why do they always say

Don't look back
Keep your head held high
Don't ask them why
Because life is short
And before you know
You're feeling old
And your heart is breaking
Don't hold on to the past
Well that's too much to ask

(Long and movie versions only:)

(chorus)
Live and learn
Well the years they flew
And we never knew
We were foolish then
We would never tire
And that little fire
Is still alive in me
It will never go away
Can't say goodbye to yesterday [can't say goodbye]

(chorus)

No regrets
But I wish that you
Were here with me
Well then there's hope yet
I can see your face
In our secret place
You're not just a memory
Say goodbye to yesterday [the dream]
Those are words I'll never say [I'll never say]

This used to be my playground [used to be]
This used to be our pride and joy
This used to be the place we ran to
That no one in the world could dare destroy

(Short and movie versions only:)

This used to be our playground [used to be]
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
I wish you were standing here with me

(Movie version only:)

This used to be our playground [used to be]
This used to be our great escape
This used to be the place we ran to
This used to be our secret hiding place

This used to be our playground [used to be]
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
The best things in life are always free
Wishing you were here with me

What instrument do you play or wish you could play?

When I was little a took Piano lessons and then quit after 6 months or so. I just didn't have the dedication to practice as much as I should have. When I was in High School I belonged to the Show Choir and my voice became my instrument. Since then my voice has suffered and I found myself wanting to try Piano again and have some voice lessons to get my voice back.

Describe walking down Main Street in your hometown.

I cannot recall anything of importance on Main Street in San Diego as I am not familiar with it. Growing up I spent most of my time in Lemon Grove and walking down Main Street you see the Lemon, Grove Bakery which is where we used to get all of our cakes for family parties, Town Hall, Police Station and other older homes that have been turned into City buildings. It really is a gorgeous place and I so glad that I am lucky enough to raise my children there.

What is your secret for good health?

This question made me laugh. I believe that laughter is essential to being happy and healthy, so I try to laugh everyday. With Sage and Aurora around it's not hard.

Did you go to College or take any vocational training? What and where?

I attended Grossmont College for 1 1/2 years and recieved my Associates Degree in Child Development and took several American Sign Language courses.