Team Member Spotlight: Kammy

I was born in Kanab Utah. After my twin brother was born, at some point they realized I was also coming to be the 3^rd of 7 children to this wonderful family.  No one knew I was coming. Not my mother, father or even the doctor.  Looking back, my parents tell me that my grandfather gave my mother a blessing before the 26 mile trip to the Kanab Hospital. While giving the blessing he said. “Bless him”, then he paused and said, “Bless her”, then went on the finish the blessing. They thought, “…that’s funny”, but off to the hospital they went. To everyone’s surprise grandpa was right. My twin brother was born, and then the doctor thought he was finished, but my mom said, “I think there is another one.” He checked, and sure enough, I did not want to be left out. 

I have a large extended family who seems to stay connected and close.  I have a natural built-in support group who I am grateful for and love that I am a part of.

When I was 4 years old, my family moved to Blanding, Utah. I have lived here ever since. I hope to until the day I die. I love to see the other places of this beautiful world, but to me San Juan County is home. I love the mountains, the deserts, the canyons, the mesas, the buttes, and the vistas. There is no place like it.

I have lived outside of town most of my life allowing me to have many animals over the years. I showed hogs and lambs at the local fair as a child. I always wanted to show a steer but we did not have the money to put into it. But I was privileged to milk a goat, then a cow, for the family’s milk and cream, which was used to make homemade ice cream. We always had chickens of many kinds over the years. In addition, I always had a dog.

Springtime was the best. We always found baby kittens in the haystack and featherless birds that had fallen out of the nest and others learning how to fly. I loved to catch little toads and frogs for the large family garden. They helped get rid of bugs. I had the best childhood and best family. We are still very close.

 I love to garden.  My favorite colors are blue, green and brown. My favorite sport is basketball, which I played in high school. I enjoy running San Juan county roads. Out in nature I run faster because I do not want to be eaten by a cougar. I love to photograph wildlife and sports.

As a child, I was very shy around adults, but when it came to bullies in class, I would stand up to them and ask, “What are you doing? Be nice.” That is usually all it took. I love good music. I played the saxophone in the high school band. I wish I could play all the instruments, because I like them all. My favorites are the violin and piano.

I have five children, 4 boys and a girl, and one grandson so far. My youngest children are identical twins. They were preemies and I learned a lot from that experience.  Did you know you can have 4 different identical twin situations? It all depends when the egg splits after conception. My twins were almost conjoined and in a very dangerous place, but they were meant to be here for a reason. 

I started to drive a school bus when they started school and was their bus driver until they went to high school. They are almost done with high school now, and I thought I would be a stay a home grandma. Life always seems to take unexpected turns and I find myself learning new things and meeting new people, being tested in ways I do not always want to be. Sometimes I think, “Let me just read about this, not experience it,” but I have learned going through tough things can, if you let them, be a blessing to help others.