Finding Happiness

Chapter 1

My first memory, that I can actually remembered, is being in a house with both of my parents and both of my sisters. I was probably two years old at the time and I can see us now getting ready for the 4th of July. My aunts had made a shirt for everyone in our family. They all had an American Flag with a little twist to each one to make them unique. I remember taking pictures outside on the steps with my sisters and I also remember heading over to the Parade in the next town over named Spencer. Looking back at pictures now, we all looked like a typical White family, all In those flag shirts and blue jean shorts, it was kinda ridiculous.

I remember being happy and having a great time that day.

Halloween came, probably 2002, (the same year as those terrible flag shirts..) I was going as a black cat  and I remember crying and screaming about having to wear "wiskers" on my face because I hated the feeling of makeup.

We did the usual tradition of going to my grandmother's before going trick-or-treating. All 7 cousins had to go to the front of the house and get ready to take a thousand pictures. (It was honestly torture to do that to 7 children all under the age of 8 who wanted nothing but bags of candy.) I don't remember exactly what everyone was dressed up as but I do remember my sisters being a "fashionista" and a little bee and my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin Macy (who is the same age as me) where going as Noah's Arc that year. I always loved how they went as a theme each year as a family.

I don't remember a lot of 2003, I do remember meeting my neighbor who was a year older than me and little did anyone know we would become so close. I started Dance with Cross Movement Dance Ministry and not going on stage to dance at the recital because I was terrified. I also remember that Halloween for some reason, I guess just seeing pictures constantly of that year.

That year I went as a Tennessee Cheerleader and my sister and little cousin Nate ( who are the same age too) were both dogs.

2004 came shortly after that. I remember That April my family welcomed another member, my Cousin Tessia. I still to this day picture seeing her for the first time and thinking she was tiny. I loved baby dolls (like every other little girl in the world) so I begged to play with her, but obviously my mom said no. I remember doing dance again that year and running around like someone got their head chopped off. I was crazy.  I would dance and sing to anything and I was obsessed with The Cheetah Girls. Their first movie came out in 2003 and I guess my obsession grew over the past year. My dad always talks about me getting dressed up and walking around singing and dancing constantly. I even told him one time that I wanted to be a hoochie mama because they 'sing and dance and go out to eat'.  We laugh about that constantly, still to this day.

Then 2005 came and I remember my birthday that year. It was warm for early March. All the kids played outside in our yard. We climbed the tree out front and played hide-n-seek around the neighborhood. C.J, the boy I met a few years ago, came up to my house to celebrate with my family and then the other boys in the neighborhood came out to play as well. That summer my older sister Madyson and her friends Taylor, Nikki, and Emily all played 'School' with me. I learned how to write and read a little and they taught me how to color pretty pictures (of course). And shortly after that I started 5 Days of Kindergarten, which was a program that was exactly like Kindergarten and it gave me the chance to get a feel for it before I actually started school. Because of that program, I became famous, or at least I thought I did. I was front page of the newspaper for the program and I was so excited I went around signing my name and handing them out to everyone. That year went by and then 2006 came.

I was in Ms. Sinks class. My older sister Madyson had her too so she was excited to have another Prevette girl in her class. (Little did I know, that year would change my family's life forever.) My best friend, Mary was in that class that year and I was so excited. I met Mary when I was 3 and did C.M.D.M and our friendship grew even more. I remember a boy named Miles being in that class along with Taryn. Us four were insperable.

Then November came.

My mom one day came to me, Madyson and Haylee, my younger sister, and she said "Let's go to my house" and I didn't know what that ment but we all piled in the car and went to the house my mom was moving into. Without any warning, my mom was moving out. But I was so young it didn't impact me or Haylee like it did Madyson. But it was still hard on us.