Our Story

The following is a story I am putting together for my writing class. We have to publish (for our own personal use) one piece of writing with pictures. etc. I'm not done yet, but here's what I have so far... I still will add pictures and then get it put into book form for the final product. Anyway, here's a bit of Shanks' Family History...

Our Family Story

Once upon a time there lived a little girl named Jill. She was a cute little girl with long brown hair, freckles and round, pinchable cheeks. Jill lived in Naperville near the big city of Chicago, Illinois. Jill had two big brothers named Chris and Mark. Chris loved to tease her and Mark could always make her laugh. Jill also had three little sisters, named Kim, Lynn, and Paige, and she loved to play dolls with them.

In another land, far away, there lived a boy named David. He was four years older than Jill and he lived in a hot place called Tucson, Arizona. Dave had an older brother named Bobby and a big sister named Dina. He also had three younger sisters named Susan, Julie and Maria and a younger brother named Marshall. They were a big family, and they had fun times together. Dave’s dad was a railroad engineer, so he was gone for a couple days at a time. One time Dave got to go on the train with his dad and it was quite an adventure!

While Jill was growing up in Illinois, she spent hours playing airplane on her swing set, Barbies with her sisters, and dolls, dolls, and more dolls! When she got a little older she learned to make porcelain dolls, but they were just to look at – not to play with. She also started to babysit and spent many nights taking care of little children. One of Jill’s favorite things to do was to play school. Sometimes her sisters were her students and sometimes her dolls. She and Kim even started up a summer preschool for real kids in the neighborhood. She realized she loved teaching just like her Mom, Grandma Tanner, and Grandpa Gibson.

Dave spent his growing years teasing his sisters, riding dirt bikes, playing baseball and ice hockey. He loved to be outside playing with his friends. He wasn’t as fond of school, however. He was often late for school because he was so hard to get out of bed in the morning. He also dilly dallied in the alley on the way to school. But that’s not what he told his teacher. He had told his teacher that his mom didn’t get up in the mornings and wouldn’t help him get ready! Boy, was his mom surprised to hear that!

Jill graduated from high school in 1991 and went to Brigham Young University. Dave had finished school in 1987 and he went on to Pima Community College. They both served mission, Jill to Recife, Brazil and Dave to San Diego, California. Finally they would both end up in American Fork, Utah. Jill was teaching school and Dave was working as a roofer and crane operator. It was in this Utah town that they would meet, fall in love, and start their own family story.

On November 24, 1998 Dave and Jill were married in the Chicago, Illinois Temple. They spent their honeymoon in Chicago and Nauvoo and settled back into an apartment in Utah. Jill was teaching first grade and Dave was a crane operator. They enjoyed their time together, but wouldn’t be alone for long!

On September 6, 1999 David Scott Shanks II was born! He was a healthy baby boy who brought tears of joy to his parents eyes the moment they saw him. He had a perfectly round head, blue eyes and his mother’s cheeks! Scottie was a bundle of energy as he learned to crawl and walk. He grew to talk early on and was a delight to his parents and grandparents. Scottie loved to watch “Toy Story” and he loved Buzz Lightyear. He had a huge collection of Buzzes and even a Buzz bedroom. His love of Buzz eventually faded and he delighted in Spiderman, Superman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Indiana Jones. The newest movie would become his passion and he loved to imagine the stories and “become” the characters.

Scottie also developed a great talent for drawing. He was often complimented for his amazing drawings and of course they were always of his newest, best-loved character at the time. Scottie also loved to ride his bike or anything that would take him outside. He always had lots of neighborhood friends to play with.

On February 27, 2004 another member of the Shanks family was born – Mason Gene Shanks! His birth was a bit scarier for his parents. After he was born he didn’t start breathing like he was supposed to. A respiratory therapist had to work on him to get him going like he should. Mason was whisked right off to the Intensive Care Nursery and his dad was right there alongside him. His mom felt helpless as she lay in her room alone, but was reassured that he was doing well. After a couple of extra days in the hospital, Mason was able to return home connected to an oxygen monitor. An oxygen tank was needed later to help him get just the right level. Luckily, he was able to get off of all tubes and monitors about a month after his birth.

Mason was well received by his big brother, Scottie. He was happy to have a playmate, although it would be a couple of years before they could really pal around together. Mason, was also a handsome baby. He had a round, little head and the Gibson cheeks. He was such a mild mannered baby and was such a blessing to his family! Mason grew to be a Barney fan. He LOVED Barney as much as Scottie had loved Buzz. Mason learned his colors, numbers, and nursery rhymes from Barney, so Barney was his first great teacher! Mason also loved to draw and create art projects and plan out parties and plays. He didn’t get to host all of the parties that he had planned, but he sure wished he could have!

Not long after Mason joined the family another member would join them. On May 22, 2006, Tanna Lee Shanks was born to bring some pink into the Shanks’ home. Tanna was a healthy baby and was very welcomed by her two big brothers. Tanna had blonde hair and the same cheeks as her mom and brothers. She was a very fun addition to the family and, to her mother’s delight, one that would bring dolls back into Jill’s life.

Tanna was a bundle of energy from the time she could get around on her own. She learned quickly how to get into things and make messes. She was the one who would teach her brothers how to really make a mess. Tanna loved to draw like her brothers, but usually it was on the walls. While Mason loved to create, Tanna loved to UN-create! This would keep her parents busy and her brothers frustrated. Tanna was also a dancer. She loved to hear music and dance. High School Musical was one of her favorite movies and she loved to sing-along and dance to the music. Tanna also loved princesses and wearing pretty dresses. But those pretty dresses didn’t keep Tanna inside. She loved to escape, any chance she could, and play in the dirt. Rocks were her favorite snack and she kept her family busy to keep her in the yard. But as busy as she was, they sure were thankful that this energetic, little princess had come to join their family.

The Shanks family was a happy family and they made so many wonderful memories. But their story does not end here. They have many adventures still awaiting them. Their story has just started and they have an eternity of happily ever afters to experience. So from the little brown-haired girl in Naperville to the boy out on his dirt bike in the Arizona desert, their stories have combined to be a happy one and one that has only just begun.