Keep your promises... 

As a kid  I was  one of 11!  It was interesting to say the least and my Mom was a real manager, a micro manager.

On the way back from somewhere on a hot summers night my Dad pulled into Porkies  drive-in in Centerville, Utah. We were all piled up in that VW bus (I was in the trunk part with my sister Rachel). My Dad said you can have anything ice cream on the menu. I talked to my parents about this recently and my mom said they were thinking down the line of a banana split, a milkshake, a soda or an ice cream cone. The classics! The first, second and third child ordered and somewhere in there my big brother Aaron said with total confidence, “ I’ll have a quart of ice cream please.” We all turned in shock and my Dad said, “A quart!” Aaron, an excellent debater said, “ Dad, you said anything ice cream on the menu!” My Dad kept his promises and held his word. He did make an amendment to the rule though. The ice cream had to be finished before we rolled into our driveway. We would have 10 minutes to eat it. My brothers all promptly followed suit and changed their orders to a quart. I can promise you my Dad never ever said you can have anything you want again. I love my parents for keeping their promises and it taught me to only promise what I can really make happen. And btw Aaron you were my hero that day!

—Allison