1.28.12 More of my story!

I am soooo happy! I got to go to my son's basketball game! He's playing on two teams this year, a competitive team and a non-comp team. The comp. team plays Sept. through May and the non-comp. from Jan to Mar. I never really liked basketball very much ever but my hubby played high school and Jr. college. In high school in Minto, there never was too much to do and basketball is huge in the Native communities in Alaska, so I tolerated it. This may actually surprise some of you because I went to all the games, cheered and even declared myself and my sister "cheerleaders". But to tell the truth, I didn't love it. Mainly I think because I thought it was a little overrated and growing up in the city, I knew there were other things (sports/ activities) to get interested in. When I was going to school in Fairbanks (first West Valley for 2 years, then Lathrop for a year and half) I was lost in the system. Or looking back now I think I became "lost" academically. My grades started to fall in sixth grade and went downhill into Junior High. I began High School in the wrong direction, although I had some GREAT friends. I skipped a lot of school at West Valley and blamed everyone around me. Of course there are times I look back and think I wish I could have done a little better, but it was all in a greater plan. My parent decided they were going to move to Minto the winter of 1992-1993. I decided I would tough it out and become an adult on my own. I found a "roommate", who basically took me in (love you Dorothy!) I lasted a month or two and followed my mom and dad. I moved to Minto where I lived. I babysat here and there and it was at one of these jobs that I met Joe Goldstein. He was a teacher at Minto School and motivated me to get it into gear. His words were something like "You'll never graduate, you might as well just get your GED." I took those words and RAN! There was no way I wasn't going to graduate! I enrolled myself in school took all the required classes plus more to graduate. I started 1993-1994 with 6 classes plus 3. In addition to the classes I ran for school president, headed up Prom and worked my butt off. I graduated in May 1994 with my brother. I can see now how God had His hand in my life and was taking care of me and answering my parent's prayers! My last line in my graduation speech was, "Dad, you always said Blink your eyes and turn your head and you'll be 40, well dad, blink your eyes and turn your head, I just graduated."