52 questions, continued

• What scares you?

I am afraid of heights - bungee jumping, jumping out of a airplane with a parachute, climbing big mountains...all make me cringe just to think about it. 

• What makes you stop and go “Wow!”?

Zion National Park, October 2014

I really love going to the national parks and hiking to the beautiful places.  It is such a calm peaceful feeling to be in the outdoors and connect with nature. Especially when I can go with my family and feel that bond also. 

Shelly and Andy, ZNP, 2014

ZNP, October 2014

• What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

I enjoy exercising -- spin class, TRX - weight suspension training, boot camp, yoga, zumba.  I enjoy hiking to different places.  I love taking pictures.  I love swimming.  I like to be active an play with my family. I also like reading and taking a hot bath.  I like quiet time.  

• If you could go back in time and spend an hour visiting with yourself at age 15, what would you tell your younger self?

Don't sweat it.  Work hard and keep trying and everything will be fine. Be a good person and be friendly but always be true to yourself.  Friends come and go but family is forever. Love your family.  Enjoy your family.  Be a good sister.  And daughter. Eventually: And wife.  And mother. 

• What are some of your talents? Explain how you discovered them and what you have done to cultivate and improve them. Describe how your talents have they affected your life.

Piano Recital, December 2014
Clarks, Wrights, Carnevale & Griffin's
Dawn Wright, teacher

I enjoy playing the piano.  I used to use it as a release when I was worried or upset -- just go and play to feel better.  It is fun to play for primary and relief society.  It didn't come easy.  I really had to work at it.  But it feels good when you work at it and you can do it.  It did not come easy and there were many tears along the way as I felt I wasn't good enough or had messed up.  But as I keep trying I keep improving. 

I am also a good typist - started at about 40 wpm at my job.  Now I type over 100 wpm.  It is fun to try to keep up with typing what is going on in court or whatever.  Plus it makes it easier to get stuff done.  It is a good skill to master!  This skill came with work -  the longer I worked at it the better I got. 

• What did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career.

All these files needed scanned in the computer
(plus more!)

I am a court clerk/court administrator.  I went to school originally for Computer Science.  I found it very very difficult and frustrating and not enjoyable.  I switched to Business Information Systems and Management.  It was still challenging but much less science and math and I was much better able to do the work and enjoy it. 

This is the files after scanning, ready for shredding

I probably "settled" as far as my career goes - in that with Management I could have managed any number of things and made lots more money. And probably worked lots more hours.  However, working for the government and the court was a great fit for our family and I enjoy it. 

I like working with people and helping them through their problems.  I like the work load -- always almost too much to do.  I like the change - we have evolved and changed through the years and technology has been a part of it.  

Good feeling to have all the "open" files
available on the computer!
Shelly, 2015

I completely automated our system when I was originally hired and then eventually moved to a paperless system.  Our court is progressive and always looking to make things more efficient and that has helped to keep me interested and challenged and give me a reason to want to go to work each day. 

I love that I can work my hours so that I can go to work when my kids go to school and come home about the same time they come home too.  There is of course some overlap but it works pretty well for us. 

• What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life and what were some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs?

I worked at a Girl Scout Camp as a camp counselor.  I worked M-F.  We went on a bus every morning and came home every afternoon.  Except Thursday we slept over for the night.  I made $60 a week.  It was fun to play with the kids and help them and teach them things. 

I worked at Little Caesar's pizza in NJ and taco bell in NJ and Utah.

I worked as a transcriptionist in Provo, Utah- I listed to things and typed them up for companies. I would play shows like Oprah and if they talked about Ford - I would type up that segment.  Different companies want to know what people are saying about them. 

I worked in a day care in SLC.   I had 15 kids - age 2 - that I tended with another lady.  We changed diapers, fed them, played with them, read with them, tried to get them to nap etc.  This job helped me not be in a hurry to have kids! 

I worked in a tire shop as an auditor in Logan, Utah.  I had to go through and check their books and make sure everything looked ok.  I also had to send in rebates to the tire companies.  And I was an over the phone assistant to help with computer problems. 

I worked in the USU computer lab as a computer consultant - helping people with writing papers and basic computer use. Back in that day the computers didn't auto save and they seemed to just quit pretty regularly.  One day there was a lady that had been working on a paper for HOURS (like 6 maybe) and was just about done and had not saved.  Something happened and the system went down and she lost everything.  And she lost it too!  She had a major crying, screaming, yelling hissy fit.  Right there in the lab.  Sigh.  

I worked as an assistant to a quadriplegic in Moscow, Idaho.  He was a very smart man but had little/no use of his hands or legs.  He would dictate what he wanted me to do and I would type up his work or get things gathered up for him or whatever.  

I worked at Moscow High School - I programmed their board out front with announcements and helped with other things in the office. 

And I've been a court clerk.  For a long time.  I worked in Logan, Utah for Judge Russell for a couple years.  Then I worked at District Court in St George for 4 months.  And now I've been at Washington City for almost 20 years.  I have about 9 years or so until I can retire and I plan to stay with Washington City until that time is up.  I have been Judge Bunnell's clerk for all my years there so far and we have a great working relationship.  It will be hard when he retires next year.  Not sure if the court will remain and I'll get a new judge or what will happen but it's hard to give up a great thing!

• In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of each place you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved.

Backyard

Home sweet home for 18 years
1970-1988
(Mom and Dad still lived there but I left for college in 1988)

I spent my entire memorable childhood at 336 Orchard Ave, Somerdale NJ 08083.  I think I lived in an apartment as an infant but that my parents got the house within my first year of life.  They stayed there until after I left for college.  It was a split level 3B2b home.  Probably about 2700 sq ft.  We lived across the street from a play ground and ball field.  It was a nice home on a pretty good size piece of land.  When my parents were younger they grew a garden in the back that produced lots of squash and tomatoes.  

When I came out to Utah I lived in the dorms.  I moved around a little but always lived in the dorms that included the meal plan so I never had a kitchen while I was single.  I lived up at Deseret Towers in the Honors Hall, down at Helaman Halls also Honors Hall and then got married. 

We lived in several real "dives".  The first one in Provo was just down the road from Campus.  A one bedroom tiny place.  We only lived there a few months and then moved to Salt Lake City for Andy to attend broadcasting school and I transferred to SLCC into a 2 bedroom 1 bath place in Holiday.  It was a nice place we rented from George Harris (Diane's -- Eldon's wife's dad).  We got a decent rent in exchange for shoveling the snow.  And boy did it snow those 9 months we lived there!  Once Andy finished his broadcasting school we moved to Logan and both transferred to USU where we completed our degrees.

We moved on to Logan and found another 2 B 1 b place on the north side of town.  We lived there about a year.  Seems like rent was about $400/mo.  We found a house on main street (split into 4 apartments) for $165/mo and moved there for the duration of our Logan time.  It was a real dive but so cheap we didn't mind.  It was 2nd floor and the carpets were orange.  The bathtub just had a water weeny, no shower.  The kitchen was match box size.  But we could afford it and do school and Logan is a pretty nice place so it wasn't scary at all!  We met a lot of other super nice couples and enjoyed our time there.  We had AJ there. 

We moved to Moscow Idaho for Andy's first job as a newspaper writer for 9 months and lived in a hotel for a week because there was so little rental choices.  We found a decent 2B1b place that we enjoyed.  We liked the people of Moscow but found the overcast drab weather hard to live in and didn't like being so far from family.  So we moved back. 

We moved to Cedar City for 9 months and lived across from the old hospital in a duplex and Andy worked for the Spectrum.  He was promoted to Sports Editor so we relocated to St. George Utah. We found another similar apartment and lived there for about a year.  We had Dallas at that house.  We eventually found our home out in Hurricane and moved to our 3B 2b manufactured home.  We paid $72,000 and it was brand new.  It was really nice unfortunately it was in a retirement community (they didn't have everything properly recorded which allowed us to get in).  We enjoyed our ward and our home was quite nice but several of the older neighbors didn't really love us being there.  (Some of them really did though too!).  But we always tried to keep the kids quiet -- we had Bryce by this time too.  And that is not easy with three active busy noisy boys.  

Holly and Katie 2005

Teddy Scott and Bryce, 2005

Katie and Grandpa Laurito, 2004

Katie and Holly 2006

842 Colony Circle, Washington UT 

Back porch Colony Circle

So we were happy when our house sold and we found our home at 842 Colony Circle in Washington UT 84780.  It had 4 B 2 b about 1700 sq feet and a huge back yard.  We paid $105,000 for it.  We had Katie and Holly while there.  It was a great home and we lived there for almost 10 years.  Then the neighborhood started deteriorating and we just felt like it was time to move on.  We put our house up for sale and it sold in 24 hours at full asking price $135,000.  

587 S Ali Lane, 2012, prior to purchase

Model Kitchen before we bought the house

Griffin Family Christmas 2014

We bought our current home, 587 S Ali Lane, Washington Utah for $270,000 August 2012-- 5 B 4 b plus office and 2 family rooms - 3500 square feet. It is amazing -- like living a dream.  It is brand new and so nice.  It was the model home and had all upgrades and landscaping and wood blinds and jetted tub.  We joke that we don't need to go on vacation anymore because our place is nicer than any hotel we ever go to!  We moved while AJ was on his mission so it was quite a difference for him to come home to such a fancy place.  Shortly after moving here Aj moved to BYU.  Dallas has now gotten married and Bryce is serving a mission.  So our house is pretty huge for the 4 of us!  We are considering downsizing but hate the thought of moving all our stuff!  Plus the house is so beautiful we kinda don't wanna leave it!

• What are 5 significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects they have had on you.

    When the question is asked that way how can I NOT say AJ, Dallas, Bryce, Katie and Holly!?  Haha.  Of course none of those 5 significant events would be possible without Andy!!!  I am so lucky to have such an amazing family and I can't imagine my life without all of them!  My family has made me want to be a better person.  My family has forced me to learn to do many things that have improved my talents and abilities.  Every day I get up out of bed so that I can continue to experience life with all these wonderful people.  

Mother's Day, 2015
Griffin Family

• What are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to your descendants?

     I truly believe that if you center your life around the gospel and Christ that all things fall into place for your good.  All the things that other people feel are restrictive -- are really freeing.  For example not smoking and drinking...never tried it, never care to...don't have to waste precious resources on purchasing said items. Don't have to break any additions to said items.  Etc. 

     The list goes on -- not having premarital sex...no unwanted pregnancies.  No unpleasant people that you have to deal with forever due to said pregnancy.  

    I am so thankful that my mother chose to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and then lived it and loved it and encouraged us to do the same.  I hope that my children also learned that from me.  It really does save you from so many unpleasant things in life if you are living right. 

• If someone gave you $10,000 and told you that you could NOT give it to any of your friends, family members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it?

     Set up a scholarship fund -- education is so important and it would be great to see someone in need be able to improve themselves. 

• If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change?

     I always wonder what would have happened if we had bought the $30,000 home in Logan so many years ago.  It seemed like such a huge undertaking at the time.  Of course -- it might have changed everything.  We might still live in Logan, Haha.  I am pretty happy with how my life is turning out and I don't really think I would change anything. 

• When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Write about what you are doing now to create a legacy worthy of remembering.

     I want to be remember as a loving wife and mother.  Someone who was kind to others and served as often as she could.  I wake up every morning trying to make sure I take care of myself so I can take care of others. 

• If you were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your future posterity, what would they be?

     1 - Family is important.  Put your spouse first.  Teach your children when they are young to make things easier when they are older. If you don't put in the time in the beginning you will pay for it in the end. 

     2 - Education - spend as much time as you can learning all that you can.  It will help you in so many areas of your life.  Reading, exploring, learning -- all help make you a better person. 

     3 - Explore the great outdoors - There is so much beauty in the world.  Step out of the rush of life to enjoy the many things God put here on the earth for us.  

     4- Enjoy the journey - Life goes FAST.  Sometimes all the hub-bub of raising kids or college life or whatever seems overwhelming.  Slow down. Stop complaining.  Enjoy the stage in life that you are in.  You will miss it when it's gone.

     5- Read the scriptures, pray, go to church - There is so much good to be had by following the gospel.  But if you don't know it you can't do it.  So study and learn and then do what you are taught.  And pray -- Heavenly Father wants to bless you but he likes it when you ask for help!  He wants to hear from you.  Always.  

• Have you traveled to any place outside of your home country? If so, explain the reasons for your trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those trips.

     I spent a couple summers in Canada -- Montreal and Quebec City as an 11 and 12 year old girl with my family.  My dad worked up there and took us up for summer break.  One summer we stayed in a pop up trailer for a couple weeks.  The next summer we stayed in a high rise apartment building in Montreal downtown.  I have fond memories of both and would love to return to Canada some day.

     I spent a summer in France at age 15.  I was a foreign exchange student.  I was able to visit many amazing places like the Eiffel tower, Seine-a-marne, the coast of France, the louvre, monestary and many other places during my stay there. 

• List 20 things you think the world would be better off without.

     1 - Abortion

     2 - Racism

     3 - Hatred

     4 - Politicians

     5 - Gay/Lesbian nonsense

     6 - Divorce

     7 - ADHD

     8 - Drugs/Alcohol

     9 - Abuse

    10 - tattoos

    11 - addiction

    12 - video games 

    13 - mosquitoes, cock roaches, bugs in general

    14 - greed

    15 - cancer - disease, sickness

    16 - poverty

    17 - laziness

    18 - crime

    19 - pollution

    20 - pornography