Zack turns EIGHT!

Eight years ago on a cold January night in Spokane, Washington, I went to bed feeling miserable.  I was nauseous and uncomfortable and crawled in bed and had a quiet conversation to the baby moving in my belly.  I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of "little son of mine, if it's not too soon and you're feeling ready to come, I am really anxious to meet you."  The next morning, after several hours of tossing and turning, my water broke while still in bed!  I was so excited and also feeling a little guilty because I wished you here so early.  It was 5 weeks before my due date and I knew you were going to be small.

I woke up Daddy and jumped in the shower.  It took us a little while to find someone to watch your brothers while we drove to the hospital.  I was expecting you to arrive before noon because my other labors were just a few hours long.  But you didn't come until 5 pm!  It was a long day, and I spent a lot of the time at the hospital alone because Dad went home to take care of the boys (and my nurses and doctors didn't check on me for a long time!)  When the doctor finally showed up, he got mad at the nurse for not taking better care of us and then he stayed in our room until Daddy showed up.  He covered me up well so Ben and Luke could come in the room and see their baby brother being born.  It was an awesome experience for all of us!  Your brothers were giggling and squealing when you came out and were placed on my chest.  You were snorting like a piggy and crying like a lamb.  And you were bald with white eyebrows and very blue eyes.  I loved all 5 lbs 15 ozs of you and knew right away that you were full of personality.

You were an easy baby and I was so grateful because those first few months of your life were some of the loneliest and hardest days of my life.  You were such a sweetheart and I thought the adjustment to 3 children was easier than everyone told me it would be.  And then you started crawling and I wanted to pull my hair out!  You LOVED making big messes and you were obsessed with our split-level stairs.  I couldn't keep you away and your learned to crawl up and down quickly.  You were always such a happy, bright-eyed boy!

Just before your 1st birthday, we moved away from the snowy weather and drove to Las Vegas.  You've spent all of your life in Sin City and it's been a great place for you to grow up and explore all year around!  You have played such a central role in our family.  There is a 3 year gap between you and Luke and 4 years between you and Simon!  Sometimes Dad and I feel bad that you don't have brothers closer to your age, but we always feel grateful you came when you did.  Our family is pieced together by our fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, energetic Zack!  We would have a BIG hole in our family if you weren't around.

On your eighth birthday, Dad and I woke you up before everyone else.  You were sleeping in our room on your bean bag (because you got to chose where you wanted to sleep the night before.)  We told you we were taking you on a special date out for waffles (your all-time favorite food!) and you were so excited.  You wanted to wear your zip-up pajamas to the restaurant and we didn't make you change... because on your birthday, YOU are king of the day.  We ate at The Original Pancake House and you ordered blueberry waffles and apple juice.  You moved back and forth between Dad and I and kept scratching our backs, because that's what you do-- you are the back-scratching master!

After breakfast Dad went to work and you and I went shopping.  We bought some green spray for your hair and a bright green shirt for you to wear that says, "I should get paid to be THIS awesome" and some green apple bubble gum. Did I mention you are obsessed with the color green?  We drove home to pick up your siblings and Jane, Vaughn and Mason and headed to PUMP IT UP.  But first, I persuaded you to change into pants and your new shirt :)

Jane brought green graham cracker cookies to Pump it Up and you loved them (and everything else green and loaded with sugar!)  After jumping and running around for over 3 hours we headed home.  You were going to warm up pancakes left over from breakfast, but decided to head to the park with your homeschooling buddies who were meeting there for a playdate.  I tried to convince you to stay home with Roma and I because I knew you were going to be tired, but you decided to play.  After you got home from the park, you laid on the couch and wouldn't move.  You often get sick when you eat a lot of sugar & don't get very much sleep :)  We were going to make pizza for dinner and head to the ward talent show, but because you were sick we decided to pick up Papa Johns on the way (along with a couple of your buddies).  I thought you might feel a little better with some fresh air, but you threw up on the way to the party :(  You were the first one to perform for the talent show, but we had to cancel your piano piece.  I felt bad that you were so sick on your birthday, but you started to feel better by the time it was over.... although I never was able to convince you to eat any pizza!

The next morning, we woke up early (again) and went to the church (again) for your birthday party!  All you wanted to do was PLAY SPORTS with your friends.  We invited a dozen boys to play dodge ball and kick soccer.  You got a lot of fun presents.. your favorite was a big art kit from Vaughn and Mason (Jane knows you well!)  We had donuts and chocolate milk and you ran yourself ragged (again).  But after the party, we went home and took a long nap and you didn't have a repeat sick day like I thought you might.  When we woke up from a nap I asked you on a scale from one to ten, how much fun your birthday was and you said, "ELEVEN!"  You are enthusiastic about everything you do and say.  You party until you crash and we've always loved that about you!

We've decided to hold off on your baptism until after the baby is born and then we can have a special combined baptism and baby blessing.  You already have a special connection to your new sister who has yet to arrive.  You want to attend all of her doctor appointments and you were the first person to find out she was a GIRL!  I will always remember you announcing we were going to get another sister!  You are crossing your fingers that she comes out looking like you because in your words, "Simon looks like Ben.  Roma looks like Luke and I just want a buddy that looks like me!"  I would be thrilled if she came out with white eyebrows and baby blue eyes... thrilled especially for you and happy for her too because you are so cute!

Zack, I want you to know that I am proud of you for the wonderful boy you have become.  You are so helpful and happy and eager to learn and to be friends with everyone you meet.  I can't wait to see where life takes you and what you decide to do in the years to come.  Thank you for all of the foot rubs you give me and for spending your own money on "dates" with just the two of us.  I love when you hold my hand when we go out for ice cream and when you crawl into my bed at night for one last cuddle.  We are all so crazy about our happy 8 year old.  I love you so much and feel so grateful to be your friend AND your Mom.  Happy Birthday, Son.

BIOGRAPHY questions

I've started a new writing project with the kids and we're way excited about it.  Our family history rep at church gave us a list of questions to ask our Grandparents.  Each of the four boys picked one Grandparent to "interview" which will happen over email and the phone each week.  It will take us a long time to get through all of the questions, but it's a project we want (and need) to take on.  I feel so grateful that we have all four grandparents alive to interview!  The questions are categorized into topics or time-periods in their lives and they are simple and personal.  Many of them, I would never be able to answer if I didn't ask them directly, which makes it so important to write down and document the information while we can!  (I have them on a word document if you want me to email it to you, I'd be happy to...)

After our first interview, I knew it was important for me interview my only living grandparent (my sweet Grandma June) as well as to write my own autobiography.  This gives me a chance to ask my own parents questions about myself as a child.  I really hope to inspire Aaron to answer the questions too, although he's not much of a journal or documenter.  Aaron's mom had a great idea of the boys answering the questions themselves.  There are a lot of things they haven't experienced yet, but I love their perspectives as they are, right now.  Simon and Roma aren't there yet, but they will be soon.  We're totally catching the family history bug and we'll be so excited to publish these books after our project is finished.  I even got my single aunts on board and have them walking down memory lane.  Here are a list of the questions.  You can copy and paste into a word document or into a blurb book (or however you want to print it!)

These questions were inspired from the list we were given at church and adapted/added to from others we found on the internet, etc.  I tried to compile them chronologically, but some of them are random and out of place.  Hope you can get some use out of our hard work!

BIRTH

When and where were you born?

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Did your parents tell you any interesting stories regarding your birth?

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Were there other children already in the family?

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How did your parents choose your name?

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Did you have any nicknames growing up?

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What are some of your earliest memories?

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Who was the most influential person to you as a child?

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What was your personality like?  How would you describe your personality now?  Is it the same or different than when you were a child?

HOME LIFE

What were your childhood home and neighborhood like?

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Did you have any pets as a child?  What kind?

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What kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings?   What are some of your special memories of growing up together?

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What were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of them?

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Do you know anything about your parents when they were children?

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What kind of job did your father have? What do you remember about it?

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Did your mother work outside of the home?

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What was your favorite dinner that your mother made? What was the worst?

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Describe a typical weekday as a child.  Were Saturdays the same?

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How did you spend your Sundays as a child? Did you attend church? What was your church like? Did you have to travel far to get there?

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Did you ever run away as a child, even for a few hours? Did you ever plan to?

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Did you and/or your family have a very hard trial that you went through and then recovered from?

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What were your grandparents like? Do you have any special memories of them?

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Do you remember any stories that they told you about themselves or your parents?

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Did you grow up near your extended family? Did you get to spend time together?

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What were you most afraid of as a child?

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What was the most exciting trip you've ever taken?

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ELEMENTARY

Where did you go to school?

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How far was it to your school? Did you have to walk? Was it uphill both ways?

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Did you have any memorable teachers?

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What were your favorite subjects?

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Did you ever get sent home from school? Did you ever get sent to the principal?

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How would you describe yourself as a student, both socially and academically?

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Did you play an instrument? Were you in a band or an orchestra? Did you sing?

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Were you interested in sports?

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Who was your best friend?  Are you still in touch with them?

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HOLIDAYS AND SEASONS

What is your favorite season? Why?

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What were your favorite winter activities? What did you do in the summertime?

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How did you celebrate birthdays as a child?

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How did you celebrate Thanksgiving? Where did you go? What was your favorite dish?

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What was your most memorable Christmas? How did your family celebrate?

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What was your favorite holiday growing up? Why? Has it changed?

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What is the lowest price you remember stamps costing? What did other things cost?

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What kind of chores did you do around the house? What were your favorite or least favorite chores?

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What was your favorite practical joke as a child? Did you ever get in trouble for playing jokes?

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Did you ever do anything rebellious?

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FAVORITES

Did you have a favorite radio program or television show?

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What is the best book ever written? How many times have you read it?

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Who was your favorite movie actor/actress? What is your favorite movie?

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In your opinion, what was the best invention for your lifetime?

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What was the best letter that you ever received? What was the best letter you ever sent?

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What is a special talent you have? Fixing things? Sewing? Handiwork? Green thumb? When did you realize that you loved it and how did you learn?

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What is one thing that you couldn't do, no matter how hard you tried?

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TEEN

What sort of extracurricular activities did you participate in as a teen?

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What would people you know find surprising about you as a teen?

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What was your hairstyle as a teenager? What kind of clothes did you wear? Were you always in style?

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HIGH SCHOOL

What are your favorite memories from high school?

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Did you get good grades?

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Do you still keep in touch with your friends from high school?

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Have you attended any of your reunions?

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Do you have a high school teacher that was significant in your life?

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What was your first job, and what did you get paid?

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What was your first job?

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What was your best job?

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What was your worst job?

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COLLEGE

Did you attend college?  If so, which one?  If not, why?

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What are your most memorable college moments?

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Who was your most memorable roommate?

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Why did you decide to attend college?

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What subject(s) did you study and why?

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Did you get a degree?  In what?

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If you could do it again, would you take a different academic path, or are you satisfied with the route you followed?

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What on-campus activities did you participate in?

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In addition to being paid money, how else has your career created value in your life?

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Who was the biggest influence in your career?

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What would be your ideal job?

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LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Who was your first boyfriend/girlfriend? What did you do for dates?

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Who was your first love?

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Have you had your heart broken?

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Have you broken any hearts?

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How did you and your spouse first meet?

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Do you believe in love at first sight?

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How long have you been married?

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How did you meet?

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WEDDING

Describe your wedding day.

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Where did you get married? Why?

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Who came?

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Did you have a honeymoon?

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Do you and your spouse have a special song? What is the story behind it?

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MEETING THE IN-LAWS

What was your first impression after meeting your in-laws?

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How were they different than the family you were raised in?

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What traditions did you carry on from them that didn’t come from your own childhood?

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What have you learned most about the family your spouse was raised in?

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MARRIED LIFE

What was the first house that you lived in together like? How big was it?

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What was your first car? What was the car that you really wanted?

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How long before you had children?

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How long have you been married?

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What would you tell your newled-self now that you’ve been married for so long?

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FAMILY

What does the word “family” mean to you?

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Briefly describe your children. What age and gender are they?

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What is your goal as a parent?

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How would your children describe you as a parent?

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How do you describe yourself as a parent?

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In what ways have your parents influenced you the most?

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Do you wish you had been raised differently?  How so?

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What is your relationship with your parents like today?

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Who are you closest to in your family?

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Who do you admire most in your family and why?

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Have you lost any family members to death? 

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If so, what was your relationship to them and how did their death affect you/your family?

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What was the most special way you’ve shown someone that you loved them?

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What was the most special way you’ve been shown you’re loved?

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What is the most important lesson you've learned from life so far?

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POLITICS

What do you consider to be the most significant political event that has occurred during your life?

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Which political figure do you most admire?

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Other than the present, which historical era would you like to have lived in?

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What do you consider to be the most important war fought during your lifetime?  In all of history?

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Have you ever fought for a political cause?

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What would you like to see change in the current political/social atmosphere?

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If you could meet any historical figure, of the past or present, who would it be and why?

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HISTORICAL MEMORIES

Where were you and how did you react to…

·        President Kennedy’s assassination? …

·        landing on the moon? …

·        the fall of the Berlin Wall?  …

·        the explosion of the Challenger? …

·        Sept.11? …

HAPPINESS

What is your definition of “happiness”?

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What is your most memorable travel experience?

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What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

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What is your happiest memory?

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What accomplishment are you most proud of?

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How do you think people will remember you?

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Who is your biggest fan?

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Whose biggest fan are you?

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What do you like to do in your spare time?

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What is your most embarrassing moment?

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If you could possess one super-human power, what would it be?

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What is your greatest fear?

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What is your greatest hope?

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What do you think happens after death?

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What are the main lessons you’ve learned in life?

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