ODE’ To Candy:
I spy with my little eye someone I absolutely adore and LOVE to be around. This gal is completely lovable, spiritually tender, super duper funny, and breathtakingly beautiful. She’s my sweet saucy sista and I call her Candy.
- The first time I remember Candra in my mind was when I was in Kindergarten. Dad brought us to the hospital to meet the new little gem of our family. I didn’t see her anywhere, until Dad cupped his hands and began to slowly open them, to my utter disappointment NO BABY inside! Cruel trick. What a relief to find the real baby was with the Nurse.
- I remember bringing her to Show-and-tell and being a proud big sis.
- Mom let me help change her clothe diapers.
- I remember her loud-baby-belly laugh.
- I remember teaching her and Katie Slade school in the barn and grading her papers. No child left behind!
- Once on vacation in Utah we were on a picnic in the Provo Canyon. Candra had crimped hair and a red tank top, white shorts with little colorful hearts, and white sandals. She looked so cute! Chalonn and I would hold her hands and swing her in the grass. Then we found dandelion seedlings to blowing the wind as we danced singing, “It’s snowing!”
- I remember when she was finally old enough to come sleep with us in the “Girls Dorm” in the west wing part of our AZ house. Trundle bed heaven! We would giggle at night.
- I remember training her to be a gymnast on our trampoline as well as on the bars at the Bentens. We called ourselves “The Puppy Princesses” or something and
- held a Gymnastics Recital with flyers that no one showed up to.
- The 4 girls and Devin would set up library, store, or church in the Dorm and after setting up, we’d play for a few minutes and then get bored and not want to clean up. Remember that toy closet? What a mess!
- I remember I directed a play of the “Frog Prince” – with Candra as the princess.
- When we moved to Michigan we would spend hours downstairs in the basement setting up a Barbie Universe. I eventually felt like I was growing out of playing Barbies, but I would tell Candra and Chenae that I was just helping them “set up”.
- We put together a cabbage patch doll slumber party in Chantel’s pink room in Michigan. Remember all of us had crushes on the Hammond boys? – There was one for each age.
- I remember playing with Candra and her little Yugoslavian friend, Yola.
- I always wanted to make things for Candra cause she would always graciously play and make believe with me. I remember making her a cardboard dollhouse, and a camera, paper cake & crowns, and a table out of buckets and a tree stump.
- I remember seeing her on the playground and feeling protective of her at Lincoln Elementary especially from nasty kissy-face Buddy McPherson.
- I remember presenting her to the Young Womens’ Organization once she became a Beehive when I was a Laurel in Rexburg.
- Remember Creshel’s wedding, Grandma’s funeral, Aaron’s farewell, Bear Lake, my car accident, Smokey and Chaboo, Palmer’s Candy Store, the summer we repainted the kitchen (twice) and built the deck, walking down to the college, Spud Harvest, Becky Hansen, ski school, ah – good times!
- On road trips, Candra was known as the Pillow Princess. Somehow she was always found cuddling and tucked into 4 -5 pillows!
- I have so many memories with this girl, but I really remember seeing her in a new light when we moved to Florida. It was there, that she became more of my friend, instead of just a cute little sister. I remember seeing her personality come out. I remember feeling more connected to her.
- We had fun together playing in the pool, dancing in the living room, and watching Lion King over and over. One day Dad told Chenae and I that he was going to take us to the Keys with him and that we were going to kidnap Candra from school and take her with us. It was so fun to see her face as she discovered what we were doing. Remember Dad’s green little Dinosaur-head CES car? The Keys were dreamy with just the 3 girls and Dad.
- We had fun in those days being in mutual and Young Womens, singing YW songs that made Mom proud, going to sticky, hot Girls’ Camp and Temple trips together, making fun of the same people (Callus Carleton) and dancing to the Macarena Latin-style. We made home videos (about Speedo-wearing neighbors) and Mother’s Day breakfasts, rode bikes around the neighborhood, jumped on the tramp in the rain, built sand castles, and walked the Sawgrass Mall (shaped like an Alligator). Those were fun days in Florida. I remember Chantel almost bit off Candra’s finger in that house. And it became ‘okay’ for Candra to borrow my clothes – too bad I couldn’t fit into hers! When I went to Germany for a few months, I think Candra moved out of the room with Devin into my bed.
- The summer I graduated and went to Ricks, the family followed. Rosemay came to live in Candra and Chenae’s room. Candra began high school and to become more and more grown up! I think her and Chenae had fun at Madison together. We had fun being aunts to the little Allowitz 2 and Taylor was just a baby.
- In Chile, I view my relationship with Candra to have grown another leap, because we got to experience some of the same changes. Both of us in the same foreign land. It was fun to experience that with her. After my mission, I got to share a room with her for a while. I got to see how cute she was and how fun and more like a friend she had become. She made my transition back into ‘real’ life so fun – like a companion! We had synchronized bed dances in that Chilean suite. We danced and sang and listened to “Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites” the book at night.
- It was fun to be in America at the SLC Airport the second Candra returned to US soil. She had just graduated and was ready to begin school at BYUI. What a gal – made it all the way from Chile all alone, but her stomach didn’t. It was fun to help her get situated in her dorm and ready to start school. We got to see her everso often as she was in Idaho, and Chalonn and I in Utah. I remember coming to her dorm and enjoying being with her whenever we could. I loved my sister! It was huge to have Candra around at this point during my life, because our other sister, Chalonn was so distracted and busy with dating her future husband. I felt sort of abandoned until Candra would come around from Idaho and it felt like I was “home” with her. We had fun times with beautiful fall and Thanksgiving in Grace.
- Mom and Dad returned. We got to be all together again! Candra was growing up more and more. So fun, sweet, sophisticated. She seemed to have four great years at school. Chenae got married.
- Candra and I took a trip in May 2003 to California. I needed to take a test for school out there, so Candra accompanied me in the little blue Corolla. We made music for the trip and listened to Les Mes (we went to see it together in SLC a month before hand). That trip we stayed with Quinn’s family. Her mom made us sandwiches with sliced red onions. We hiked down to the beach. Quinn said, “Chelise is my only friend.” And Candra said, “Like in the whole world?” We visited Pepperdine University and the Las Vegas Strip. That was the summer before the lion betrayed Master…. We drive back to Utah in a caravan with Ken and Ken in their corvette.
- Candra and I had another trip in 2004 together in Cali. Her and Linda came out to visit me!! We went to Price is Right, visited Hollywood, spent time at the beach, and sitting in Britney Patterson’s pool.
- Our 3rd annual trip was now on a Cruise in 2005. She, Linda, and Brynne barely got their car out here. Brynne cried. Tiffany went too. We danced the night away with Tina and pigged out on at the chocolate buffet. It was fun to kayak in San Diego, drive the run-away golf cart in Catalina, and shop for Tina’s braids and fine jewelry in Ensenada. Candra was so fun to be with!
- Our 4th annual trip, in 2006, was to NYC baby! We trekked through the streets of Manhattan. Crazy taxi rides, “History! Please know the facts!” at Ground Zero, double decker tour buses, nasty red pastrami sandwiches, random strangers asking to pay for our dinner, almost winning tix to Wicked, getting lost in Central Park, running a 5K down Times Square, our favorite walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and roaming the charming neighborhoods on the other side, getting pizza, H & M shopping, the tulips in Rockefeller Plaza, dancing with Quinn in her little studio apartment, watching a scary movie and Quinn not letting us watch something to “unscare” us, clogging the toilet and having to go to the basement bathroom in the laundry room,
- Staying at Candra’s apartment in Provo, being the stay-at-home-sister, when I got back from Taiwan. Candra lovingly pulled her mattress off the cinderblock frame so that we could spoon comfortablely on the floor. It was a nightly ritual…and sometimes, instead of falling asleep toYanni, we would put a chick-flick in the laptop. We watched the Office and got in the hot-tub with her roomies. We ate yummy salads and I would sometimes meet her for lunch at her work park. We snow shoed with M & C, and went to Yoga with Rochelle. Awe! I love this girl!!!
I have been so privileged to share so many cherished experiences, talks, memories, and laughs with this girl! She is one amazing person and I most certainly love and look up to her.
I spy with my little eye someone I absolutely adore and LOVE to be around. This gal is completely lovable, spiritually tender, super duper funny, and breathtakingly beautiful. She’s my sweet saucy sista and I call her Candy.
- The first time I remember Candra in my mind was when I was in Kindergarten. Dad brought us to the hospital to meet the new little gem of our family. I didn’t see her anywhere, until Dad cupped his hands and began to slowly open them, to my utter disappointment NO BABY inside! Cruel trick. What a relief to find the real baby was with the Nurse.
- I remember bringing her to Show-and-tell and being a proud big sis.
- Mom let me help change her clothe diapers.
- I remember her loud-baby-belly laugh.
- I remember teaching her and Katie Slade school in the barn and grading her papers. No child left behind!
- Once on vacation in Utah we were on a picnic in the Provo Canyon. Candra had crimped hair and a red tank top, white shorts with little colorful hearts, and white sandals. She looked so cute! Chalonn and I would hold her hands and swing her in the grass. Then we found dandelion seedlings to blowing the wind as we danced singing, “It’s snowing!”
- I remember when she was finally old enough to come sleep with us in the “Girls Dorm” in the west wing part of our AZ house. Trundle bed heaven! We would giggle at night.
- I remember training her to be a gymnast on our trampoline as well as on the bars at the Bentens. We called ourselves “The Puppy Princesses” or something and
- held a Gymnastics Recital with flyers that no one showed up to.
- The 4 girls and Devin would set up library, store, or church in the Dorm and after setting up, we’d play for a few minutes and then get bored and not want to clean up. Remember that toy closet? What a mess!
- I remember I directed a play of the “Frog Prince” – with Candra as the princess.
- When we moved to Michigan we would spend hours downstairs in the basement setting up a Barbie Universe. I eventually felt like I was growing out of playing Barbies, but I would tell Candra and Chenae that I was just helping them “set up”.
- We put together a cabbage patch doll slumber party in Chantel’s pink room in Michigan. Remember all of us had crushes on the Hammond boys? – There was one for each age.
- I remember playing with Candra and her little Yugoslavian friend, Yola.
- I always wanted to make things for Candra cause she would always graciously play and make believe with me. I remember making her a cardboard dollhouse, and a camera, paper cake & crowns, and a table out of buckets and a tree stump.
- I remember seeing her on the playground and feeling protective of her at Lincoln Elementary especially from nasty kissy-face Buddy McPherson.
- I remember presenting her to the Young Womens’ Organization once she became a Beehive when I was a Laurel in Rexburg.
- Remember Creshel’s wedding, Grandma’s funeral, Aaron’s farewell, Bear Lake, my car accident, Smokey and Chaboo, Palmer’s Candy Store, the summer we repainted the kitchen (twice) and built the deck, walking down to the college, Spud Harvest, Becky Hansen, ski school, ah – good times!
- On road trips, Candra was known as the Pillow Princess. Somehow she was always found cuddling and tucked into 4 -5 pillows!
- I have so many memories with this girl, but I really remember seeing her in a new light when we moved to Florida. It was there, that she became more of my friend, instead of just a cute little sister. I remember seeing her personality come out. I remember feeling more connected to her.
- We had fun together playing in the pool, dancing in the living room, and watching Lion King over and over. One day Dad told Chenae and I that he was going to take us to the Keys with him and that we were going to kidnap Candra from school and take her with us. It was so fun to see her face as she discovered what we were doing. Remember Dad’s green little Dinosaur-head CES car? The Keys were dreamy with just the 3 girls and Dad.
- We had fun in those days being in mutual and Young Womens, singing YW songs that made Mom proud, going to sticky, hot Girls’ Camp and Temple trips together, making fun of the same people (Callus Carleton) and dancing to the Macarena Latin-style. We made home videos (about Speedo-wearing neighbors) and Mother’s Day breakfasts, rode bikes around the neighborhood, jumped on the tramp in the rain, built sand castles, and walked the Sawgrass Mall (shaped like an Alligator). Those were fun days in Florida. I remember Chantel almost bit off Candra’s finger in that house. And it became ‘okay’ for Candra to borrow my clothes – too bad I couldn’t fit into hers! When I went to Germany for a few months, I think Candra moved out of the room with Devin into my bed.
- The summer I graduated and went to Ricks, the family followed. Rosemay came to live in Candra and Chenae’s room. Candra began high school and to become more and more grown up! I think her and Chenae had fun at Madison together. We had fun being aunts to the little Allowitz 2 and Taylor was just a baby.
- In Chile, I view my relationship with Candra to have grown another leap, because we got to experience some of the same changes. Both of us in the same foreign land. It was fun to experience that with her. After my mission, I got to share a room with her for a while. I got to see how cute she was and how fun and more like a friend she had become. She made my transition back into ‘real’ life so fun – like a companion! We had synchronized bed dances in that Chilean suite. We danced and sang and listened to “Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites” the book at night.
- It was fun to be in America at the SLC Airport the second Candra returned to US soil. She had just graduated and was ready to begin school at BYUI. What a gal – made it all the way from Chile all alone, but her stomach didn’t. It was fun to help her get situated in her dorm and ready to start school. We got to see her everso often as she was in Idaho, and Chalonn and I in Utah. I remember coming to her dorm and enjoying being with her whenever we could. I loved my sister! It was huge to have Candra around at this point during my life, because our other sister, Chalonn was so distracted and busy with dating her future husband. I felt sort of abandoned until Candra would come around from Idaho and it felt like I was “home” with her. We had fun times with beautiful fall and Thanksgiving in Grace.
- Mom and Dad returned. We got to be all together again! Candra was growing up more and more. So fun, sweet, sophisticated. She seemed to have four great years at school. Chenae got married.
- Candra and I took a trip in May 2003 to California. I needed to take a test for school out there, so Candra accompanied me in the little blue Corolla. We made music for the trip and listened to Les Mes (we went to see it together in SLC a month before hand). That trip we stayed with Quinn’s family. Her mom made us sandwiches with sliced red onions. We hiked down to the beach. Quinn said, “Chelise is my only friend.” And Candra said, “Like in the whole world?” We visited Pepperdine University and the Las Vegas Strip. That was the summer before the lion betrayed Master…. We drive back to Utah in a caravan with Ken and Ken in their corvette.
- Candra and I had another trip in 2004 together in Cali. Her and Linda came out to visit me!! We went to Price is Right, visited Hollywood, spent time at the beach, and sitting in Britney Patterson’s pool.
- Our 3rd annual trip was now on a Cruise in 2005. She, Linda, and Brynne barely got their car out here. Brynne cried. Tiffany went too. We danced the night away with Tina and pigged out on at the chocolate buffet. It was fun to kayak in San Diego, drive the run-away golf cart in Catalina, and shop for Tina’s braids and fine jewelry in Ensenada. Candra was so fun to be with!
- Our 4th annual trip, in 2006, was to NYC baby! We trekked through the streets of Manhattan. Crazy taxi rides, “History! Please know the facts!” at Ground Zero, double decker tour buses, nasty red pastrami sandwiches, random strangers asking to pay for our dinner, almost winning tix to Wicked, getting lost in Central Park, running a 5K down Times Square, our favorite walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and roaming the charming neighborhoods on the other side, getting pizza, H & M shopping, the tulips in Rockefeller Plaza, dancing with Quinn in her little studio apartment, watching a scary movie and Quinn not letting us watch something to “unscare” us, clogging the toilet and having to go to the basement bathroom in the laundry room,
- Staying at Candra’s apartment in Provo, being the stay-at-home-sister, when I got back from Taiwan. Candra lovingly pulled her mattress off the cinderblock frame so that we could spoon comfortablely on the floor. It was a nightly ritual…and sometimes, instead of falling asleep toYanni, we would put a chick-flick in the laptop. We watched the Office and got in the hot-tub with her roomies. We ate yummy salads and I would sometimes meet her for lunch at her work park. We snow shoed with M & C, and went to Yoga with Rochelle. Awe! I love this girl!!!
I have been so privileged to share so many cherished experiences, talks, memories, and laughs with this girl! She is one amazing person and I most certainly love and look up to her.
3 comments:
Thanks, Chelise!! You are too nice to me.
Who needs t.v. when you've got siblings! Thanks for letting us share in your memories!
These memories make me cry. I love that you love to make memories with each other. I love this Candra girl...she brought such joy to all of us. Thanks for capturing such rich memories.
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