Diary Diddle - July 4

July 4 - 1970
Tonight I had another date with Clayton.  We went and saw "Paint Your Wagon".  Joanie and Bruce wanted to see it so we rode with them.  After the movie we came home and had some homemade ice cream.  After we finished, Clayton and I went on the porch for awhile.  All we did was talk and hold hands.  When it came time for him to leave he gave me a big kiss right on the mouth.  It was really quite an experience.
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Note:  So this was my first real kiss  and it was from Clayton and I was almost 17 years old.  Isn't that sweet?

July 5 - 1970
This morning all of us including Clayton went to Tifton for Fourth of July reunion.  Most of the morning Clayton and I just sat on the tractor holding hands.  Later in the afternoon we all went and played softball at Aunt Rachel's'.

July 8 - 1970
Today Mom, Dad, Uncle Dave and Aunt Erma and family went to Florida by way of St. Augustine and Gainesville.  Clayton wanted to take me out Friday night, but since it's Dad's last night we won't. 
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Note:  This is when Dad was leaving for Vietnam.

July 9, 1970
Tonight around 6:00 Mr. Bill came. 

July 10, 1970
This afternoon I made Dad a goodbye cake and it wound up being an awful looking thing.  Dad gave me a blessing this afternoon and I wound up bawling.  Tonight the Cooper's, Wilkerson's and Solomon's came over and brought some ice cream and goodies over for a little party.  Wally Allen called me from Live Oak for a date tomorrow but we put on the roadshows.  We just finished having a little party for Dad in his room.

July 11, 1970
This morning at 4:45 we got up to see Dad leave.  We had a prayer before he left and when Dad finished everyone was crying even Uncle Dave.  It just seems unreal still.  We had family prayer tonight.

July 12 - 1970
There were gobs of people at Sacrament Meeting tonight.  Before it started, Ken called me in the Branch President's office and told me that I had been chose by the branch presidency to be Youth of the Year.  Then he had to write down a lot of my qualifications.  It would be so neat to win it in the mission.