Teenage Pictures Age 12 to 15–Chris

1986 Vacation to Yellowstone National Park

“Nine days ago was my birthday. I turned twelve. I got a lot of things for my birthday. I got a tent, a watchcase, a first aid kit, a compass, an air mattress, 3 books, a candy bar, socks, underwear, blue shorts, brown cords, blue cords, plaid shorts, an OP shirt, and a nice oxford shirt. It was really fun. My party was on a monday. That monday, tuesday, and wednesday I went to tracy wigwam. It was fun. My troop won first place in war games there. I was the Patrol Leader. Now I’m in Boy Scouts instead of Blazer scouts. Today something very special happened. I was ordained as a deacon. The Bishopric and Grandpa Polson and Grant Sorenson and Dad ordained me to a Deacon. I felt very good after. In priesthood we had a good lesson about the temple, and I have a goal to go on a mission and be married in the temple.”  Chris’ Journal July 28, 1985

1986 Family Picture

1986 12 years old, I like this picture because I look like my Dad                     1986 13 years old

1988 Playing football in our backyard with Greg, Aaron, Robert, Jeff, and Lindsey

“In school last year first quarter I got 5 A’s, 1 A-, and 1 B+. 2nd quarter I got 6 A’s and 1 A-. 3rd quarter I got straight A’s. 4th quarter I got 6 A’s and 1 B. I did pretty good. Tomorrow morning I am going on a business trip with my Dad and won't be back until Friday night. Then monday afternoon I am going on a Scout camp till Saturday afternoon. I will hopefully earn a lot of Merit Badges.”  Chris’ Journal July 28, 1985

1986, 12 years old, Receiving a Scouting Award from Grant Sorenson, Darren Burrup and Chris Utley in the background

1986 Scout Camp, 13 years old

“Boy, it’s almost been a year. On my scout camp last August I earned 3 merit badges. I went on a camp in January with the troop. We went to Brother Howcroft’s cabin. He has 4 snowmobiles so we rode them all over. We also went ice fishing. I didn’t catch any fish, but Chad H. caught 2 and Brother Riches caught 1. Everybody else was freezing to death. Brother Howcroft also had a motorhome so we rode up and back in it. His cabin is huge.”  Chris’ Journal May 2, 1986

                                             January 1987, 13 years old, just home from a winter scout camp

“We’ve gone on a camp every month this year because we are trying to earn our monthly camping award. Last month I missed it because of three things. The #3 thing was a piano thing I had to play in. The #2 was a soccer game. The most important thing was a party that Marcia Moore invited me too. It was a fun party. 17 days ago on April 15, 1986, during a fire drill at exactly 1:48, I asked Mindy Oliver to go with me. She said YES! It’s great! When I get two pictures of her, I’ll put one in here. I could be at another party right now, but I’m grounded this week. That’s dumb. I hope Nikole doesn't look at this. She probably will. She’s nosy. She goes with the ugliest boys. I think she just tried to impress me and her friends by going with someone. I tried to call Mindy lately, but I either couldn't or I chickened out. Her # is 571-3345. She’s a total babe. Lately everybody is getting together. Micah and Mark, Suzy and Justin, Cynthia and Matt, Paul and Heather, and Amy and Ben.

My 20 best friends are Mindy, Mark, Paul, Kyle, Justin, Darren, David, Drake, Dan, Joe, Cynthia, Micah, Suzy, Amy, Jennifer, Mindy A. Kim, Wendy, Ben, and David L. Especially Mindy! Lately there’s been a special plan. Micah and Mark did their plan. Me and Mindy were supposed to but we didn’t. I wish we would. The plan is a kiss. I plan on Tuesday or Wednesday, but Micah and Mark are the official planners.”  Chris’ Journal May 2, 1986

1987, 13 years old, Dad was my basketball coach

“I got on a competition soccer team. Last year we were bad. This year we are great. People on my team are Joe C., David W. Brandon Ren, Matt Despain, Darren B, Chris Call Justin Naylor, Jason W, Xavier Monge, George Taylor, Chad Hansen, Mark Densmore, Brian A, David L, Kim Day. And me of course. I’m # 16 and I play midfield. Coach never takes me out of the game because he needs me on the field. Same with Darren and Justin. I’ve scored one goal. Our team stats are 4 wins, 1 tie, 1 loss.”  Chris’ Journal May 2, 1986

1987, 13 years old

“1986 was a great year in some ways. At the start of the year I got very popular with everyone at school. I was invited to all the parties, I knew all the good looking girls. I went out with one of them, Mindy Oliver. She's cute. After she dumped me, I pretended I was going to dump her anyway and didn’t feel bad at all. It was a lie. I sulked over her for a long time until I realized that other girls liked me. Heather Jensen showed me that. She told me that she had like me before and other girls liked me. I told Heather I had liked her too, but she was going out with one of my best friends Paul. I felt guilty about it and Paul and I didn’t get along for a while. Then I didn’t like Heather, but she dropped Paul and liked me again. I like her but haven’t told anyone yet. She’s so good looking.”  Chris’ Journal January 14, 1987

1987, 13 years old                                                                                                                               1987 School Project

Lists and journaling from my Notebook Journal, 1984 to 1986

“I haven’t earned much money this year. I didn’t work any days with my Dad. This year has been anything but boring, though, and I had a great Christmas. Our whole family did.”  Chris’ Journal January 14, 1987

Christmas 1986, 13 years old                                                                      Easter 1987

“Oh Boy! What a year! Last year, I screwed up my reputation. But when 8th grade came along, I built it back up again. Then just like the year before last, I jumped to the top of the scales again. I became friends with all of the popular people - it was even better than 1986. I guess I sort of became a little stuck up then because I decided I was better than some of my old friends like Kyle and Paul and others. I shouldn’t have done that but I was really good friends with everyone - especially Kim, Heather, Marcia, and all the other good looking girls.”  Chris’ Journal January 1988

Christmas 1987, 14 years old

“Pretty soon my 8th grade year came to a close, unfortunately, because it was going great. I promised to keep in touch with everyone over the summer, but I didn’t. In fact, the only time I talked to most of them was at Marcia’s party in July.”  Chris’ Journal January 1988

July 1987, 14th birthday party.  The Polsons and Barratts and Wares would always come to our birthday parties. 

“Then it was 9th grade. I became good friends with Adam and Kyle again even though I had treated them lousy the past year. Our school had split that year. They build another school called Crescent View Vikings. I had to go to this school but a lot of my popular friends stayed at Indian Hills. So me and Kyle and a few others are pretty much on top. Our school doesn't have many popular boys but we have a lot of good looking girls, so I started thinking more about them. In 8th grade, I was totally stuck on Heather Jensen, but she stayed at Indian Hills so I forgot about her. I have liked Micah and Tami and Mindy.”  Chris’ Journal January 1988

I brought a camera to the last day of 9th grade to take pictures of all of my friends.  Some of those pictured include Adam, Kyle, Christa, Micah, Cynthia, Kim, Mindy, Destiny, Jen, Suzy, Erin, Joe, Chad, Nathan, Derek, Darren, Gus, Tami, Jodi, Jen, Mindy.  It was a great year.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve written in my journal. I guess I should start out with me and Mindy. We went together for about a month. I only kissed her once, but I wish I would have kissed her more. She broke up with me and I pretended not to care, but I felt really bad. After that, I liked Heather Jensen. Then last February I liked Mindy again and we went out again. We were together for about 20 days but it didn’t work at all.  Then I started going out with Jodi. Me and Jodi didn’t work in my opinion but she still likes me. There are a lot of girls I like but Mindy is still at the top of the list. There are a lot of girls that like me but I have been so stuck on Heather, Tami, and Mindy that I have just sort of ignored other girls. I now have a wide selection, but my sights may be set a little too high with Heather, Tami, and Mindy being the most popular and good looking girls in the school, so I am pretty high up on the social scale too. I’m glad I am.

This year has been great for sports, too. In the Spring, I played soccer on the 73 Express but when summer came around I begged my Dad to let me play Football that fall. At the last moment, he agreed to let me so I signed up. I ended up on one of the “B” teams with other “rookies”. I was the starting tight end and star receiver on offense and played in the secondary on defense. We had a great year. We only lost 2 of our seven games and then we were jipped on the playoffs. They let the fourth place team go because we were tied for second - really dumb.”  Chris’ Journal January 1988

9th grade football

“After football ended, I got into basketball. I played church and was our star, scoring 25 points one game and 23 another. Then it was our school tryouts - I MADE IT! I got on the Junior High team. We have been practicing really hard and a lot. We even practiced on Christmas Eve. Our coach is the brother of Robbie Bosco, the famous BYU quarterback, and he’s really persistent. Our first game is January 9th and the 8 Saturdays after that we have games. I’m really excited. I hope we do good.

I also worked this year. I mowed lawns and during the Christmas season I worked for “Airplane Gliders of America”. I worked there for about 6 weeks and earned a lot of money. But in between work and basketball and school, I was really tired.”

Well, it was a great year and I hope I have another one like it. I hope a lot of girls like me this year just like last year even though I turn them down - mostly.”  Chris’ Journal January 1988

1988, 14 years old

Easter 1988, 14 years old

1988 Visit to Little Cottonwood Canyon

“Dear Chris, how is the future? I’m here in 1989 writing myself a letter. Right now, I am 15 years old and in the 10th grade at Alta High School. I am writing this letter in my history class to let myself know what I was like in 1989. I like to do a lot of things. I love sports. I played on the sophomore Football team this year and last year I played on the Junior High Basketball team. I was a receiver in Football and a point guard in Basketball. Now I am on the high school Soccer team. I start on the JV team, but I hope to play some Varsity by the years end. We have a good team. our JV team has only been scored on once in five games. Our record is 4 wins and 1 loss. If I keep improving, I may be able to letter this year. I also like to play golf at St. George and Bear Lake.

I get to drive this summer, and I can’t wait. I get to drive a lot when an adult lets me, or when I steal my Dads truck when he’s not home. But it will be fun to drive legally. I have a lot of goals I am working on. I am working hard to improve my soccer and basketball skills because starting Varsity in soccer and making the high school basketball team are two of my biggest goals. I also want to continue doing good in school work because I want to get a scholarship to a good college. But to do this, I must have straight A’s throughout the rest of high school, which is very hard to do. But last quarter (2nd quarter), I earned a 4.0, so I know that I can do it. This quarter I think I am only going to get a 3.9 (2 A-’s). But these are still excellent grades. The reason I want to go to a good college is so that I can get into a high paying field of work, hopefully a surgeon or another type of doctor. It’s going to be very hard because as a Junior and Senior, I will have 3 AP classes each year. I hope I can handle the pressure and still pull straight A’s.

Right now I am involved in Silver Moccasin, the week long scout camp at East Fork of the Bear River. I attended the camp two years ago as a candidate and last year I was on staff as a Patrol Counselor. This year I am the Senior Patrol Leader and I can’t wait for the camp. It is so much fun. Rob Larsen, my scoutmaster at Silver Moccasin, is the greatest. He is such a stud (choice, mate) and I hope I can continue to associate with him. I just recently received my Eagle award in scouting and I am glad I finally finished it.

I also hope to go on a mission when I reach the age. Hopefully I will go to Australia or New Zealand or somewhere cool like that. My best friends right now are: Kyle Brakensiek, Adam Bringhurst, Justin Naylor (Gus), Darren Burrup, and David Utley.

Right now, President Bush is our President and I like him. I think that he is doing an OK job. The biggest problem in the world is the terrorist acts that are happening all over the world, more frequently all the time.

I hope I will be as successful in the future as I hope I will be.”  Letter written to my future self on April 7, 1989

We spent a lot of time in the “new room” at Grandma and Grandpa Polson’s house.  The first picture is Easter 1988 and the second picture  is Christmas 1988.

1988, 15 years old.  This picture was taken at Bear Lake.  We are mad because we are only driving through and we were no longer having our annual Bear Lake vacation.  That was a real highlight of my childhood, annual trips to Bear Lake and St. George.

Luckily we continued to do our annual St. George vacation with the Polsons over Memorial Day weekend.  This is in one of the rooms at the Days Inn.  We thought the pull down Murphy beds were so cool.

1988, 15 years old.  These pictures were from our Ward Youth Summer Activity.  We floated down the Green River and it was a blast.  The first picture happened because I had to go back and retrieve my paddle which got stuck sticking straight up in between rocks  when I put it in the river to paddle.