This is my dad....
Dell Marty Howell
and this is my mom...
Trista Lee Howell
and together they made us..
Mandy Brooke (me) and Mallory Sage (my twin sister) Howell
They were married for about a year before I was born. Here is a picture of their wedding announcement..
1986
I was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I came into this world 10 minutes after my twin sister Mallory. We were born on November 6th. My mom was working at a hair salon and my dad was a carpenter. They lived in Idaho until I was around 10 months old.
1987
My family moved to federal way WA. they moved into the Heatherwood apartments. At the age of one I was probably fighting my sister for her binki. For my first birthday I had a Minnie Mouse theme. I think that's funny because Brady loved Mickey Mouse at one.
1988
Age two I loved playing with my sister and all of our toys. I hated when my mom tried to cuddle with me, my sister was the cuddler. I was a good listener and I loved my parents. October 7Th my family was sealed in the Seattle temple. This might sound odd but I feel like I remember that day. I remember tall white walls and feeling warm and safe.
here is a picture of my family the day we were sealed together.
1989
My parents moved in a 3 bedroom rambler house. At the age of 3 I was probably fighting with my sister and throwing some mean fits.
(I'm on the right)
(and on the left here)
1990
age 4 I started ballet with my church. I was with my sister, friend Kendal, and cousin Lauren. The ballet teacher didn't bother teaching me because she knew I wouldn't do what she said.
I love this picture, Brady makes that face all the time!
1991
I started soccer at age 5. Soccer became my everything for me next 13 years. I remember being excited to wear the soccer cleats. I just ran around the field trying to kick the ball.
1992
In kindergarten a neighborhood friend cut my hair into bangs. My mom was not happy about this. Around this time I went into my moms salon (my dad built my mom a salon in our house) and I cut her clipper wire with scissors, It shocked me and burnt a hole in the scissors.
1993
the only thing I remember about first grade was walking to school. I went to North East Elementary. I played with my neighbors all the time. We played with two other set of twins across the street. Three sets of twins right by each other was kinda crazy. Tom and Tracy, Amber and Ashley (these two looked and acted like a Olsen twins, I was totally obsessed with Marykate and Ashley Olsen), and Mallory and I.
1994
I don't remember much of the year of 1004...but I did find this picture!
1995
2ND grade is when my family moved to fife, WA. My sister was invited to a friends house and my mom just figured that I was invited too so I came along and that's when I met Bethany Sutherland. Beth (I used to call her beef or beefy) and I have been best friends ever since. I was baptized when I was 8 to the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. My grandpa bell baptized me. I don't remember the exact date of my baptism, but it was close to July 4th because I got a little piece of fire cracker in my eye and everyone thought I was crying at my baptism but I really wasn't, my eye just was watering. My parents gave me a ctr ring and some scriptures with my name engraved in them. I loved my ctr ring, I wore it everyday and it reminded me to choose the right...(maybe I should have wore that ring in my high school years, maybe I would have made better choices :) )
1996
3rd grade I remember I had Mr. Brown as a teacher. I was a monkey in the play The Kapok Tree. I loved wearing the costume. I was chased by a boy and tied to a fence because he wanted to kiss me. That boy got detention and I was happy. This year we also got a puppy named Barkley. He was the cutest little shitzu puppy. My parents took us to Disneyland. We went with our cousins and it was a blast. My favorite part about Disneyland was the Minnie Mouse house with the 3d cookies on the kitchen table.
Puppy Barkley
cousins and sister on thanksgiving of '96
1997
4th grade I was probably playing with my cousins Audrey, Lauren, and friends Beth and Lauren pace. My cousins and I were really close, they were my sisters. I was with them just about every weekend and most days of the summer. Some of the best memories I have are all of us driving to Moses Lake and going tubing on the lake. We also loved to go camping. Now we are all grown up and scattered around the state of Washington and Oregon. I miss family outings, I miss my cousins. Growing up my family spent very holiday with my cousins. I really hope Brady and Connor are close to their cousins. Cousins are best friends that love you forever.
1998
5th grade my friends and I would put on these fake weddings at recess, we would force the boys to be our husbands for the day. These friends told me I was going to Hell because I was mormon at a "bible study" I went to, I cried because I believed them and I never went back to the bible studies. I remember always wearing Adidas jackets and soccer shorts.
Middle school
1999
6th grade I started middle school. I was so excited to actually have lockers. I felt so old. I met my friend Lauren Pace (one of my best friends growing up and even now). She lived right down the street so we would meet half way and play together. I taught Her how to shave her legs, put makeup on, and straighten her hair. We would put on fashion shoots, we liked to pretend we were models. Lauren, Mallory, Bethany, and I were together everyday.
2000
7th grade our dog Barkley got hit by a car. I cried myself to sleep for a week. I loved that dog. Three months later my parents got another shitzu named Harley, I wasn't ready to replace Barkley and I was mad. Harley still bugs me haha.
Lauren and I..total awkward stage.
most summers we would go to Idaho to visit family. My great-Grandpa owned property right on a river. That property was where we had family reunions.
2001
8th grade I had my first kiss..I won't say who it was but I was really excited. I think we dated for a whole 3 days, typical middle school relationship. I remember my first formal dance, it was called "Moving On Night" only the 8th graders could go to it. I wore a teal dress and I felt pretty.
High school
When I think of high school I think of friends, cousins, boys, and of course soccer.
first high school dance 9th grade
2002
freshman year of high school I made the varsity soccer team. It was rare for a freshman to make varsity so I was proud of myself. My first soccer coach I ever had passed away this year. That man was also one of my best friends dad. It was a shock to everyone and very very sad. I remember going to his funeral and crying.
2003
sophomore year of high school I tried out for a premiere soccer team called The FC Royals. I made the team and I was proud to be a royal. I had my first "real boyfriend" I fell in love with him and we dated for a year. He and I were our schools dutch and duchess .He kissed another girl and I was devastated for about a year (I really liked this kid) I lost a bunch of weight and my friends were stuffing candy bars down my throat so that I would gain weight. I got my license and my dad bought my sister and I a car to share, a white chevy cavalier.
"my first love"
2004
Jr year of high school I left the royals, tried out and made the federal way reign soccer team. I had a Irish coach that yelled and said the f word about every other word, he would say "be here at four-turdy" because he had a thick irish accent. I loved him as a coach, he made me cry almost every game but I respected him. He was my coach until I was 18 and done with club soccer. I has a close "older guy friend" who died of an ecstasy overdose. I had to go to his funeral the day we were playing White River (my high schools biggest rivals), we lost that game and I remember feeling so depressed. My days in high school were usually long. After school I would go strait to school soccer practice, then to club practice, then sometimes to indoor soccer. I don't know if you knew this but soccer was my life. In my eyes soccer came before everything...school and even boys! Every year we would had cabbage patch olympics (a series of games we would play against the other grades in our school) junior year on the night before cabbage patch we all went out to "get the seniors", well they got us with eggs, pumpkins, and spit. We cried and battled well into the night. Cabbage patch was war for us. Looking back..stupid. This year I had had mono. I was out of school and soccer for a couple months.I ended up giving my really good friend mono..I must have sneezed on him. My face swelled up so bad that my dad called me "Angel the vampire on Buffy the vampire slayer" nice, I know. During winter break I almost drove my dads suv off a cliff because of the snow. are to this day. I had so many great friends in high school. I was with my soccer friends (and a couple cheerleaders) most of the time. Friends made my high school fun!
I was also in a newspaper!
Beth, Alicia, Anna, and I during winter break.
2005
senior year of high school I was really involved with school assemblies and school spirit. I was awarded "1st team all league" in soccer..that just means that all the coaches of all the teams voted on who was the best at that position and they voted me best for defender..this was a big deal for me. I couldn't believe I would get 1st in the league. At the end of senior year we had a bunch of seniors play capture the flag at this big property by my house. We played boys vs girls. There was a boy there that kept telling the boys where our flag was and all the girls were so mad at him. This boy was my future husband. He asked me if he could give me a hug and I said no. I had talked to him on the phone once when he was talking to our mutual friend Kendal. Kendal and I were shopping for prom dresses and she asked if i could talk to him real quick. After 30 seconds of talking to him I gave the phone to Kendal and asked her if he was a little mentally retarded. She laughed and said yes. I wrote to him on myspace and I gave him my number to call me so we could hang out. He called me and we went to my friends house to watch a movie. Two weeks later we were driving and I had told him i hate him ( jokingly) and he said " I love you too". After that we have been saying the love word ever since. Joe got accepted into BYU Utah and I was going to college at CWU. I missed him so much, I couldn't stand to be away from him for the four months he was there. I left central to be closer to Joe and to get married. I graduated from Fife High school. later that year Joe had my friends to decorate his house for a romantic dinner and that night of November 19th Joe asked me to marry him. I was happy.
here is a grad pic fo Beth, Mallory, and I with Mr. Snider.
2006
August 19, 2006 Joe and I were married in the Seattle temple. It was the best day of my life. Joe and I went on a honeymoon to disneyworld. We moved into an apartment in Milton. I was excited because my close friend Brooke moved into the same apartments. Brooke had a baby boy named Landon, the birth of this baby made me want my own baby. Brooke and I became best friends.
2007
The first year of marriage was hard, I don't know if would be willing to repeat it. We moved to Utah for about a year. I worked as an assistant manager for the modest clothing store Down East Basics.
My parents came to visit me in April and the next day I found out I was pregnant. Joe wouldn't talk to me for a couple days, he was in shock.
2008
I was pregnant for the most of 2008. Joe joined the Navy in August. He was gone for almost 10 months. My mother-in-law and I flew to Joe's boot camp graduation in Chicago. The last day i was there I fainted at the presidents marine band concert and ended up in the hospital and had to say goodbye to joe for another couple months. Brady Dell Johnson was born on December 15th, weighing 7 pounds 11oz, 20 inches long. I had him at Valley Medical Center hospital in Renton. He was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Joe was in Fl when Brady was born. The day after Brady was born he flew in and got to hold Brady for the first time.
2009
was a fun year full of trips to disneyworld and a nice two week vacation to Pensacola fl to see joe at his school. Joe picked orders to NAS Whidbey Island. We moved there when Brady was 6 months old. Brady was ten months when I found out I was pregnant. I was really grouchy one day and I thought "maybe I should take a pregnancy test." I took a cheep dollar store test and after a few seconds I saw two pink lines and I screamed, I fell to the floor in shock and started crying. Two hours later I was at a drive-inn movie with the Stuarts and I got excited and had an urge to buy some baby clothes!
2010
Connor was born June 24th, weighing 7 pounds 13oz, 20 inches long. I had Connor at Whidbey general hospital. Joe was by my side the entire time.
Joe will be gone for the most of 2011. He goes on deployment in a couple weeks for a month and a half and also again in May for 7-9 months. I will probably be living with my parents this year. Joe will be back in December and hopefully we will be together for the year of 2012.
Dell Marty Howelland this is my mom...
Trista Lee Howelland together they made us..
Mandy Brooke (me) and Mallory Sage (my twin sister) HowellThey were married for about a year before I was born. Here is a picture of their wedding announcement..
1986
I was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I came into this world 10 minutes after my twin sister Mallory. We were born on November 6th. My mom was working at a hair salon and my dad was a carpenter. They lived in Idaho until I was around 10 months old.
1987
My family moved to federal way WA. they moved into the Heatherwood apartments. At the age of one I was probably fighting my sister for her binki. For my first birthday I had a Minnie Mouse theme. I think that's funny because Brady loved Mickey Mouse at one.
1988
Age two I loved playing with my sister and all of our toys. I hated when my mom tried to cuddle with me, my sister was the cuddler. I was a good listener and I loved my parents. October 7Th my family was sealed in the Seattle temple. This might sound odd but I feel like I remember that day. I remember tall white walls and feeling warm and safe.
here is a picture of my family the day we were sealed together.
1989
My parents moved in a 3 bedroom rambler house. At the age of 3 I was probably fighting with my sister and throwing some mean fits.
(I'm on the right)
(and on the left here)
1990
age 4 I started ballet with my church. I was with my sister, friend Kendal, and cousin Lauren. The ballet teacher didn't bother teaching me because she knew I wouldn't do what she said.
I love this picture, Brady makes that face all the time!
1991
I started soccer at age 5. Soccer became my everything for me next 13 years. I remember being excited to wear the soccer cleats. I just ran around the field trying to kick the ball.
1992
In kindergarten a neighborhood friend cut my hair into bangs. My mom was not happy about this. Around this time I went into my moms salon (my dad built my mom a salon in our house) and I cut her clipper wire with scissors, It shocked me and burnt a hole in the scissors.
1993
the only thing I remember about first grade was walking to school. I went to North East Elementary. I played with my neighbors all the time. We played with two other set of twins across the street. Three sets of twins right by each other was kinda crazy. Tom and Tracy, Amber and Ashley (these two looked and acted like a Olsen twins, I was totally obsessed with Marykate and Ashley Olsen), and Mallory and I.
1994
I don't remember much of the year of 1004...but I did find this picture!
1995
2ND grade is when my family moved to fife, WA. My sister was invited to a friends house and my mom just figured that I was invited too so I came along and that's when I met Bethany Sutherland. Beth (I used to call her beef or beefy) and I have been best friends ever since. I was baptized when I was 8 to the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. My grandpa bell baptized me. I don't remember the exact date of my baptism, but it was close to July 4th because I got a little piece of fire cracker in my eye and everyone thought I was crying at my baptism but I really wasn't, my eye just was watering. My parents gave me a ctr ring and some scriptures with my name engraved in them. I loved my ctr ring, I wore it everyday and it reminded me to choose the right...(maybe I should have wore that ring in my high school years, maybe I would have made better choices :) )
1996
3rd grade I remember I had Mr. Brown as a teacher. I was a monkey in the play The Kapok Tree. I loved wearing the costume. I was chased by a boy and tied to a fence because he wanted to kiss me. That boy got detention and I was happy. This year we also got a puppy named Barkley. He was the cutest little shitzu puppy. My parents took us to Disneyland. We went with our cousins and it was a blast. My favorite part about Disneyland was the Minnie Mouse house with the 3d cookies on the kitchen table.
Puppy Barkley
cousins and sister on thanksgiving of '96
1997
4th grade I was probably playing with my cousins Audrey, Lauren, and friends Beth and Lauren pace. My cousins and I were really close, they were my sisters. I was with them just about every weekend and most days of the summer. Some of the best memories I have are all of us driving to Moses Lake and going tubing on the lake. We also loved to go camping. Now we are all grown up and scattered around the state of Washington and Oregon. I miss family outings, I miss my cousins. Growing up my family spent very holiday with my cousins. I really hope Brady and Connor are close to their cousins. Cousins are best friends that love you forever.
1998
5th grade my friends and I would put on these fake weddings at recess, we would force the boys to be our husbands for the day. These friends told me I was going to Hell because I was mormon at a "bible study" I went to, I cried because I believed them and I never went back to the bible studies. I remember always wearing Adidas jackets and soccer shorts.
Middle school
1999
6th grade I started middle school. I was so excited to actually have lockers. I felt so old. I met my friend Lauren Pace (one of my best friends growing up and even now). She lived right down the street so we would meet half way and play together. I taught Her how to shave her legs, put makeup on, and straighten her hair. We would put on fashion shoots, we liked to pretend we were models. Lauren, Mallory, Bethany, and I were together everyday.
2000
7th grade our dog Barkley got hit by a car. I cried myself to sleep for a week. I loved that dog. Three months later my parents got another shitzu named Harley, I wasn't ready to replace Barkley and I was mad. Harley still bugs me haha.
Lauren and I..total awkward stage.
most summers we would go to Idaho to visit family. My great-Grandpa owned property right on a river. That property was where we had family reunions.
2001
8th grade I had my first kiss..I won't say who it was but I was really excited. I think we dated for a whole 3 days, typical middle school relationship. I remember my first formal dance, it was called "Moving On Night" only the 8th graders could go to it. I wore a teal dress and I felt pretty.
High school
When I think of high school I think of friends, cousins, boys, and of course soccer.
first high school dance 9th grade
2002
freshman year of high school I made the varsity soccer team. It was rare for a freshman to make varsity so I was proud of myself. My first soccer coach I ever had passed away this year. That man was also one of my best friends dad. It was a shock to everyone and very very sad. I remember going to his funeral and crying.
2003
sophomore year of high school I tried out for a premiere soccer team called The FC Royals. I made the team and I was proud to be a royal. I had my first "real boyfriend" I fell in love with him and we dated for a year. He and I were our schools dutch and duchess .He kissed another girl and I was devastated for about a year (I really liked this kid) I lost a bunch of weight and my friends were stuffing candy bars down my throat so that I would gain weight. I got my license and my dad bought my sister and I a car to share, a white chevy cavalier.
"my first love"
2004
Jr year of high school I left the royals, tried out and made the federal way reign soccer team. I had a Irish coach that yelled and said the f word about every other word, he would say "be here at four-turdy" because he had a thick irish accent. I loved him as a coach, he made me cry almost every game but I respected him. He was my coach until I was 18 and done with club soccer. I has a close "older guy friend" who died of an ecstasy overdose. I had to go to his funeral the day we were playing White River (my high schools biggest rivals), we lost that game and I remember feeling so depressed. My days in high school were usually long. After school I would go strait to school soccer practice, then to club practice, then sometimes to indoor soccer. I don't know if you knew this but soccer was my life. In my eyes soccer came before everything...school and even boys! Every year we would had cabbage patch olympics (a series of games we would play against the other grades in our school) junior year on the night before cabbage patch we all went out to "get the seniors", well they got us with eggs, pumpkins, and spit. We cried and battled well into the night. Cabbage patch was war for us. Looking back..stupid. This year I had had mono. I was out of school and soccer for a couple months.I ended up giving my really good friend mono..I must have sneezed on him. My face swelled up so bad that my dad called me "Angel the vampire on Buffy the vampire slayer" nice, I know. During winter break I almost drove my dads suv off a cliff because of the snow. are to this day. I had so many great friends in high school. I was with my soccer friends (and a couple cheerleaders) most of the time. Friends made my high school fun!
I was also in a newspaper!
Beth, Alicia, Anna, and I during winter break.
2005
senior year of high school I was really involved with school assemblies and school spirit. I was awarded "1st team all league" in soccer..that just means that all the coaches of all the teams voted on who was the best at that position and they voted me best for defender..this was a big deal for me. I couldn't believe I would get 1st in the league. At the end of senior year we had a bunch of seniors play capture the flag at this big property by my house. We played boys vs girls. There was a boy there that kept telling the boys where our flag was and all the girls were so mad at him. This boy was my future husband. He asked me if he could give me a hug and I said no. I had talked to him on the phone once when he was talking to our mutual friend Kendal. Kendal and I were shopping for prom dresses and she asked if i could talk to him real quick. After 30 seconds of talking to him I gave the phone to Kendal and asked her if he was a little mentally retarded. She laughed and said yes. I wrote to him on myspace and I gave him my number to call me so we could hang out. He called me and we went to my friends house to watch a movie. Two weeks later we were driving and I had told him i hate him ( jokingly) and he said " I love you too". After that we have been saying the love word ever since. Joe got accepted into BYU Utah and I was going to college at CWU. I missed him so much, I couldn't stand to be away from him for the four months he was there. I left central to be closer to Joe and to get married. I graduated from Fife High school. later that year Joe had my friends to decorate his house for a romantic dinner and that night of November 19th Joe asked me to marry him. I was happy.
here is a grad pic fo Beth, Mallory, and I with Mr. Snider.
2006
August 19, 2006 Joe and I were married in the Seattle temple. It was the best day of my life. Joe and I went on a honeymoon to disneyworld. We moved into an apartment in Milton. I was excited because my close friend Brooke moved into the same apartments. Brooke had a baby boy named Landon, the birth of this baby made me want my own baby. Brooke and I became best friends.
2007
The first year of marriage was hard, I don't know if would be willing to repeat it. We moved to Utah for about a year. I worked as an assistant manager for the modest clothing store Down East Basics.
My parents came to visit me in April and the next day I found out I was pregnant. Joe wouldn't talk to me for a couple days, he was in shock.
2008
I was pregnant for the most of 2008. Joe joined the Navy in August. He was gone for almost 10 months. My mother-in-law and I flew to Joe's boot camp graduation in Chicago. The last day i was there I fainted at the presidents marine band concert and ended up in the hospital and had to say goodbye to joe for another couple months. Brady Dell Johnson was born on December 15th, weighing 7 pounds 11oz, 20 inches long. I had him at Valley Medical Center hospital in Renton. He was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Joe was in Fl when Brady was born. The day after Brady was born he flew in and got to hold Brady for the first time.
2009
was a fun year full of trips to disneyworld and a nice two week vacation to Pensacola fl to see joe at his school. Joe picked orders to NAS Whidbey Island. We moved there when Brady was 6 months old. Brady was ten months when I found out I was pregnant. I was really grouchy one day and I thought "maybe I should take a pregnancy test." I took a cheep dollar store test and after a few seconds I saw two pink lines and I screamed, I fell to the floor in shock and started crying. Two hours later I was at a drive-inn movie with the Stuarts and I got excited and had an urge to buy some baby clothes!
2010
Connor was born June 24th, weighing 7 pounds 13oz, 20 inches long. I had Connor at Whidbey general hospital. Joe was by my side the entire time.
Joe will be gone for the most of 2011. He goes on deployment in a couple weeks for a month and a half and also again in May for 7-9 months. I will probably be living with my parents this year. Joe will be back in December and hopefully we will be together for the year of 2012.
2 comments:
Mandy, that is just about the sweetest post ever. I bet that took ages to put together. Your kids will love that you have this written down. :)
I LOVED this, Mandy! I'm so glad you took my "challenge," and decided to do it. I think it will be so fun to look back at it years and years to come.
I love all the old pictures you found. You look JUST like your mom in her wedding picture. Also, the picture of you and Lauren in Tommy Hillfiger shirts made me LOL! I remember those days ;)
Post a Comment