the people around you

yesterday i taught a lesson in church about living good lives in times that are hard. while scanning all these pictures i realized that i have made a collection of small and good choices over my few years that have kept me safe and happy. i also realize that i was greatly influenced by my friends and family to make those good choices.  i once heard a saying that said,

"pick 5 people to spend your time with every day, and in 5 years you will be just like them".

i was lucky i had many friends and family to spend my days with, and lucky that they were kind and happy.

curtis kids with grandma and grandpa gold, Yellowstone 1985(?)

(i'm the little one on grandma's lap)

 sarah, danna and me- 1989

my brother put this picture on his fridge in college for 2 semesters. 

apparently every guy that saw it would bust out laughing. and every girl that saw it would say, "ohhhh" in a sad way. 

explanation: i had a huge underbite growing up. in second grade i wore this headgear 24 hrs a day.  nope, not just at night like all you other sissy headgear wearers, twenty-four hours a day. it took me a few weeks to take the rubberbands out at lunchtime without snapping my face with them. 

my parents and teachers were really nice to me that year.

ashleigh lynn, billy, me, sarah

camping 1991, juniper lake

i obviously was very heartfelt about those reptiles

 

baby me, 1981.

 mom! that dress is strangling me! 

 grandma gold's 95th birthday 2001

 annalise nelson and me, camping 1994

*can you find the two puffy paint shirts in these photos. i don't know what i liked more about those things, making them, or picking the paint off when i was bored in school.