I Have Made History-by Susan Hertzler

On one cold, snowy, and windy morning at 3:14 A.M. I was born. I was born at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Reading, Pa. The day I was born I was very young. Before I was born, my dad got a plate with a picture of a little girl with blue eyes and blonde hair holding a butterfly, and that's exactly what I look like.

My dad told me I looked like an angel. My Grandma Diffenbach said, "She doesn't even look real. She looks like a doll." When I was one year old, my brother Michael, got a Boxer puppy and named him Sampson. He would always steal my pacifier. I used to be so afraid of Sampson. Mike said I even pulled on his ears.

When I was eighteen months old, my Grandpa Hertzler and my brother, Mike, were playing a game that involved flipping Mike around, and I, just a poor innocent child, walked over there and Mike fell on my leg. We went to the hospital and that's when we found out my leg was broken. So, for six weeks, I had a hot pink cast on my leg.

When I was two, some people were worried about Y2k. They thought the computeres were going to crash. But, the computers didn't crash, otherwise I wouldn't be able to type this story of my life. One day my Dad was having an auction. He was selling his tools and I wanted to hold his hand. So we went and sat down and watched the auctioneer sell his tools.

When I was three, it was the first year of the new Millenium, but it didn't feel any different than any of the other years to me. We also had an orchard of about 40 trees. Most of them were MacIntosh apple trees. One day, my dad built a chicken pen. We raised about 50 baby chickens to eat. We also fed them chocolate. It was funny to watch them wipe the chocolate off their beaks on the grass.

In the same year, my parents were looking into buying the farm we now own. One exciting day, Mike, my Mom, and I, were on the way to buy a German Shepherd puppy. We got a female puppy and we named her Angel. I remember teaching her how to climb stairs.

When I was four, my Dad took me fishing at Warwick. He told me that they had just stocked the river with trout. It was so much fun; we were fishing under a bridge. My dad would cast out the line, and let me reel it in. Seven days later, we went fishing at French Creek. It's funny: all my life since I've been able to talk, I've always said, "I've got two ones of these..." One day my Dad built a pen for some calves we bought. I enjoyed helping take care of those calves. Their names were Buddy, Bully, and Nervous.

When I was five, we built a trout pond in our woods. One day we went trout fishing at Hay Creek in Birdsboro. I caught an eighteen inch Steelhead trout. It had really sharp teeth. We kept the fish alive in a cooler and brought it home and put it in the trout pond. We think an egret got it.

I also started attending preschool when I was five years old. There my Mom taught once a month. The preschool was a mother taught preschool at our church. Preschool was fun.

When I was six, I went to Conestoga Christian School for Kindergarten. I liked my kindergarten teacher. We also moved to Virginia in the summertime. For awhile I was sad that we had moved, because I couldn't see other family. But I'm glad we did.

When I was seven, my Mom homeschooled me. It was nice to be able to stay home with my Mom. I also learned how to read from the book, "Alphaphonics," the book I am now teaching Gabriel Moore with.

That same year, we had our first pig roast that was in Virginia. That year was a hard year for us because that was the year that my Grandpa Diffenbach died. They had men playing "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes at his funeral.

When I was eight, that was a very hard year for my family because my Uncle Johnny was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was a missionary in Thailand. The morning he was killed he was on the way to church, but a drunk driver hit him. His name was Mr. Som Pon.

Also, that year I met one of my best friends, Macailah. She is a great friend in good times and bad. It feels like I have known her all my life. We are still best friends to this day. Then, I met Haley. Haley, Macailah, and I, call ourselves "The Three Muskateers."

When I was nine, our children's pastor, Pastor Bob, went to live in West Virginia. My brother, Michael, was very sad. But, a new children's pastor came, and his name was Pastor Josh. He likes us to call him "P.J." A great thing happened that year. Mr Som Pon, the drunk driver from Thailand, got saved.

Kelly and I became best friends. I mean, we were best friends. We were tight. We both have two things in common. One, we love frogs. Two, we love to make jewelry. That year, I also got a frog. I named her "Gimly." I still have Gimly.

When I was ten, my dad told me that it was time to learn how to drive the John Deer Gator. That year was the first year I went to camp. When I was at camp, I got saved. Soon after that, I got baptized.

That year I went to Delaware and saw my Uncle David and Aunt Margaret. They have five big, humongous chicken houses. We spent one day on the beach. It was so much fun! The only bummer was I got knocked over by the waves a couple of times.

When I was eleven, I went to summer camp again. This year, there were teams. And my team, the yellow team, won. The other day I went to AJ's Skating World with my friend, Sarah, for her birthday party. This year, I learned to play the piano really good.

One day, our neighbor asked me if I wanted a rabbit. I told her yes. One month later, she had babies. Their names are Nitrous, Spaz, Fats, and Rocky. Michael wanted to call Rocky, "Thumper," but, I said,"That name's too common."

This year is my first year of not being homeschooled. It is fun seeing friends every day. In September. my dad went to Kenya, Africa, on a missions trip. When he came back, he brought me a bow with arrows and some pieces of African jewelry. And guess what? I am turning twelve on March 4, 2009. :)