When lyfe throws you a doughnut - EAT IT! Then go work out!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Family L E G E N D.
Preston
High School
My family has been
in the Franklin County area for a very long time. We all have lived on the same street, shopped
at the same local market place and hardware store, and banked with the same
bank. Change is slow in the small town
of Preston, Idaho were all the towns people are basically related or just
really good friends. Although
transformations around the borders of the city limits is gradual, the rich
traditions and heritage stand true and strong.
I am very proud to
say that everyone in my family has been a Preston High School Indian and we
have all graduated from the same high school.
The school was built in 1939 right in front of the historic Oneida Stake
Academy one of the most prestigious educational facilities in the area at the
time. Preston pride runs through our
veins as we all participated in various activities, organizations, and
events. My grandparents and parents both
found their high school sweethearts within the school grounds and graduated as true
PHS Indians. As I roamed the halls of
Preston High School during my freshmen through senior year I could not help but
think about my grandparents, and parents roaming the same halls, singing the
same cheers, and using the same colorful lockers. The Al Ma Mater is one of my most favorite
songs. It speaks true to its words and
brings tears to my eyes each time it is sung or read.
Preston High, Our Alma Mater
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How our hearts do swell
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When thy name is breathed or spoken
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O' we love thee well.
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(Chorus)
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Raise the emblems of our power
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Hail the Blue and White
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Sound a cheer the world can hear
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Our spirit is our might
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(Chorus)
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Admiration fills the students
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At the colors sight
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Blue and White the chosen symbols
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Of our Preston High.
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(Chorus)
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Many sacred memories linger
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Round the old, stone wall
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Lo, in dreams live voices echo
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Through the time worn halls.
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(Chorus)
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When the years have bowed our figures
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And our hair is white
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Memory's hand will guide our footsteps
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Back to Preston High.
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(Chorus)
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Ever since I was a
small boy my mother put into my head that I would one day be the Student Body
President of Preston High School.
Through a lot of hard work and determination I did just that and it was
one of the best and most memorable experience of my life. I put my whole heart and soul into doing
everything I could to make the school and student body the best they could
be. I would try to reach out to those
who were not very popular or did not have very many friends.
Being from a small
school a lot of the Student Body had the opportunity to participate in many
activites. I encouraged them to do so as
well, knowing that if we had a lot of participation each organization and club
could only be that much bigger and better.
I strove to be an example and to leave a trail for future PHS Indians to
follow. I documented everything through
picture and journal.
I saved up a few
hundred dollars and my dad helped me buy an old Dodge Cargo Van. It was white and was not in the best shape,
but my Student Body Officers and I cleaned it up and painted it professionally
with 2 strong Indian figures on both sides.
It was known and is still known as the Preston High School Pride
Van. Oh how I miss driving that baby
down the road with smoke barreling behind me!
Graduating from
such a school shaped me into the person I am today. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been
like to grow up in a bigger school not knowing very many of my classmates. I consider it an honor and privilege how
everything worked out.
I could talk all
day about my experiences at Preston High School and the grand memories I had
there. My grandparents and parents set
the legacy in place for me, and I can only hope that I have left my own legacy
for future students, relatives, and possibly even my own children. GO INDIANS!
My favorite memory.
A
Team of One
Love
is uniquely the foundation of what we treasure.
With this special bond of love we have helped one another grow stronger
in spirit, mind, and health. It has been
an imperfect adventure where we have had to search and find different elements
and characteristics to bring to the team.
We are all different in our own ways, which makes things extremely
interesting. Brick by brick, stone by
stone, we as a family have created together a home. Although we all currently do not live inside
the walls of this home, we know that it is filled with safety, comfort, and
adoration. We are best friends. We are the Hemsley’s.
Families
are the best. It is so fun to be a part
of a small group that can have fun and do crazy things together. I am so lucky to have the five humans that I
was able to grow up with for over the past 21 years. Each one is so closely involved in my life
for different reasons. Many special
experiences have arisen along our journey together that have shaped us into the
group and individuals we are today.
I have always treasured a certain
moment in time with my loved ones that has been very important and memorable to
me. It was a time when I had been away
for quite sometime with very little communication or contact with my
family. I distinctly remember stepping
off the plane and racing to find them in the Salt Lake City Airport. Tears filled my eyes and adrenalin and
nervousness pumped through my veins. I
had not been in the arms of a family member for an extreme amount of time. It was as if I had almost forgotten what it
felt like to be a part of such a special group who was so willing to give hugs,
kisses, and words of encouragement.
As
I finally turned the corner and saw my Mother standing there with her arms
stretched out and large drops of tears running down her cheeks, I lost my
composure and fell into her arms and wept.
As I buried my head deep into her shoulder I felt the warmth and love of
others surround me. I heard familiar
voices and laughs that seemed so far away the day before, but yet so very close
in the moment.
This day I realized how special my family really was to me. I knew that I did not want to spend another day without each one of them. Feeling apart of such a unit and team known as a family makes me feel on top of the world and gives me a sense of belonging to something great. I love my life and the people in it and would not change it for the world.
Family S O N G.
One Team, One Family
Often
times I find myself thinking about the yesterdays and the wonderful memories I
was able to experience growing up. It
brings me such joy and happiness thinking of all the happy times with my
brother and two sisters. I like to think
we were not your normal family on the block.
We were loud and energetic and always had smiles on our little sun
kissed faces. One could probably find us
riding our bikes, attempting to rollerblade, or singing at the top of our lungs
playing an instrument. Life was simple
back then when the only thing you had to worry about was if mom would be
forcing us to eat canned peaches for dinner.
Mother
often raised us in a strong solid home with good morals and values. Always encouraging us to strive for
perfection and to do our best daily.
Many times she would enroll us in a new sport or musical lesson to push
us and make us into the humans we have become today, and I will forever be
grateful for that. Working three jobs
she gave us everything we ever needed and wanted. Mother also was always busy with a full
schedule, but through the weary tired eyes, and exhausted frail body from the
stresses of day-to-day activities and responsibilities, she always managed to
show her love with all of the heart she could offer; which was plentiful.
Every
morning before school we had a process that we strictly followed. It started with Dad opening up the door and
annoyingly starting to sing some type of song from his era in attempt to get
our sleepy eyes to open. It was never a
slow whisper or a gentle nudge, but a rocking’ roll jam in the best tone he
could muster. I remember most the song
that was sung by Dad went something like “I wake up in the morning and I get
out of bed! Rocking Roll going straight
to my head…” Following his famous singing attempt would be his raspy laugh as
he told us “get up, its time to go to school!”
After each of us
arose and finally rubbed all the sleep from our eyes we would shower, get
dressed and move on to fulfill the responsibilities that mom assigned us every
morning; music lessons. Leaving the
house was not an option unless we practiced all of our songs for at least 30
minutes. I played the piano and guitar
and I dreaded it every day, I just didn’t understand why Mom wanted me to do
something that I was not interested in and that frustrated me to the point of
tears. Looking back, I can see why she
pushed us so hard in this area.
During our
practice and study of music the kitchen was full of wonderful smells of an
array of wonderful breakfast foods. Pots
and pans clanked as steamy crispy bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs with ham
and hash browns were thrown on the stovetop.
Many courses were made depending on the day and desire of our tummies
such as waffles, pancakes, sticky buns, and muffins. Everything that was made was prepared with
love and happiness by the worn hands of our mother. Breakfast was very important to her, and she
wanted her kids to go to school and gain a good education, to focus and to
learn. Mom wanted us to participate and
do well and she knew that through a good breakfast that is where it all
started.
One very special
thing that I have never forgot and still live by today is a family cheer our
mother would send us off with. It was
her goal to gather us around and put our hands in the middle. Motivating words would be softly spoken or the
daily schedule of important events would be repeated and then the family cheer
would be shouted. “100 – 100 - GO TEAM,
BE NICE TO EVERYONE, HAVE A GREAT DAY!” Without
fail this cheer was what brought us together, it would bring hugs and words of
encouragement, it was a bond of support and love. It brings tears to my eyes looking back and
viewing the team unity of my family and the bright light that was trapped in my
house due to so much love.
Over the years
this memorable cheer has not been repeated as much since we have all grown and
left home, but it is still remembered and engrained in our minds and in our
hearts. It is often sent through a
simple text message or a lengthy e-mail, but a true smile and a cheerful heart
always is formed whichever way it is communicated.
Although cheesy
and modest to most, this cheer will carry on in my own personal family. I want the cheer to have the same impact on
my children as it did to my brother, sisters, and I. Families are a special group of people that I
like to refer to as a Team. It takes all
of the players to work together and to be successful. A winning team always has a winning cheer
that motivates, uplifts, and builds. My
goal is to have a large amount of love and peace that will flood my home and
inspire my children to be the best they can be while enjoying all the many
wonderful opportunities that surface on their path.
Family R E C I P E.
A Touch of Love
I
love to eat good food whenever and wherever possible. My mother is an amazing cook who can prepare
almost anything in a very skillful unique way.
It amazes me how she is so passionate and caring about the task at hand. I have always yearned for her skill and
talent in this area, and hope to one day improve my skills so my future family
and I can treasures these special foods in the future.
It
takes time and experience to be able to present well a certain entrée, but it
also takes finding someone to teach you how to add that special touch. My mother learned all of her skills by my
beloved Grandmother over the years of her youth. Though my mother did not like cooking or
helping out in the kitchen in her younger years, she has expressed to me
personally how grateful she is to have had the opportunity to learn, create,
and provide nutrients for her own family.
Ever
since I was little I remember my Grandmother behind the counter baking. Food was and is always a main commodity at
Grandmas house and no one ever has gone hungry.
When we get together as a family one can find tables and tables of
food. It is very unique because it is a
mix of everything imaginable. So many
different taste and flavors mixed with unique and fresh smells fill her small
quaint house. The house is slightly
warmed with the heat of the oven along with the steam of the stove. My eyes water with spices and my mouth starts
watering with the thought of the taste of the wonderfully homemade foods. These are only a few things that come to mind
as I think of food and Grandma.
My
family and I workout and do exercise to eat good foods! We love eating healthy, and trying new
recipes. One thing that I think of most
of all is my Grandmothers honey wheat bread.
It is divine and I would pay a good amount of money just to get my hands
on some. It is so light and tasty but
yet so healthy and good for the body. I
feel that one important ingredient that makes me love this bread so much is the
love that is put into the kneading and mixing.
My grandmother is one of the most special people in my life and I love
her more than words can describe.
Whenever I am having a bad day it doesn’t surprise me to come home to a
fresh loaf of her special honey wheat bread.
Love
has a lot to do with cooking and can make or break the whole outcome of a
dish. It is important to always put your
heart and full effort into any task, but in my mind particularly cooking. I love the thought that good recipes and foods
are part of my life.
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