Claudia Bischoff Smith

Oh my! . . .since 1969. . . well. . I married David Craig Smith (many of you may know him . . .that #24 Cubby basketball player) 30 days after graduation and much to many peoples' surprise we are still married!! 40 Years! We still didn't beat the VanderVeurs' tho - but we sure as heck beat the odds!

I went to work for Walker Bank in June of '69 and worked there full time until I had my first son ,Craig in 1975. . . then - due to a baby with a HORRIBLE stomach - I went back to the bank part time - to save my sanity and his life!

My daughter came in 1978 and my baby boy in 1980. Whew! Being a mom was a bit overwhelming for me!! Only after grandkids did the Great Payoff for surviving motherhood come! I often wish I would have been a grandma first - then a mother. . I would have been much more relaxed and enjoyed "the ride"instead of hanging on for dear life!!
(Does anyone else out there feel the same?)

Not that my kids were naughty, just very hard babies! I already mentioned Craig had a BAD tummy and cried at least 18 hours day (I am serious!) - Becky had some "technical difficulties" with her nose/throat equipment and when she threw up it would come out her nose - making it difficult to breathe. (Gee- do ya think?!) We call her our "Mercedes" - we could have bought one with all the $$ we spent on her care!. . . Mike had a very low threshold of pain and when he got hurt he would cry really hard - then pass out! Totally! Being out in public when that happened WAS a happening!

In 1985 when Mike went to kindergarten I went to work at Hartvigsen School! An amazing place for severely handicapped children ages 5 to 22. . .I really loved working there! It is a wonderful place for these kids. . Many of the students were totally dependent on us for all their care :-feeding, bathing, swimming, changing, therapys, etc.. . however your back gets the brunt of it! Ouch I still have problems!

Then came the summer of 1998 - BREAST CANCER!!

I took a 6 month leave of absence from Hartvigsen and all hell broke loose on this bod'. . First : Mastectomy (bye bye booby) - then: Reconstruction (so invasive and still uncomfortable!) - and last but certainly not least :CHEMO 6 freaking months of it (I seriously want to puke just typing that dreaded 'C' word!) But here it is 11 years later and this girl is still kickin' it! SURVIVOR!!! Can't kill this bitch! Oh - and I still have Chemo Brain (alot like dementia) - no one would believe there was such a thing -until I came upon an article in USA Today!! It is REAL! I have proof!! Just another wonderful side benefit from cancer! So now when you see me and are aghast at my physical and mental state - CANCER is why ( That folks is my excuse and I am sticking to it!!)

Each year my family and I participate in "Race for the Cure" and lucky me "gets" to wear the special PINK shirt. It is a 3 mile walk around Gateway.(One year when my youngest grandson, Carter was 3 we were doing the Walk and about the 2 mile mark he said "Grandma. I got a great idea - next year let"s do "DRIVE for the Cure"!!

This past May 18,000 people came out in support of Breast Cancer - Sadly there were way too many pink shirts - with girls "way-too young" wearing them! It is an overwhelming experience - especially being a survivor (I have a lump in my throat just writing about it)

Then after all that nasty s-h-i-t (I am spelling it like Rourke McDermott does when he "says" a swear word!) my 6 months were up and I had to go back to Hartvigsen. "Holy Crap Grandma" (that is what my 4 year old granddaughter, Chloe, always says to me). .However because the kids are so physically involved the job literally kicked my big butt!!!!(This ol' girl just ain't what she used to be!!) So after another year I had to "retire" and now I am a HOUSEWIFE!

Does that mean I am married to my house???

Anyway I keep very busy with my family, my home, my yard, and just to keep on keeping on!! I am grateful to my dear ol' Smitty (thank you) that I am able to stay home - he has to make all the money and I get to spend it!!

So this is a sneak peak at my life the last 40 years - not too exciting but it's MINE!.........

Love to all you Cubbies! Come to the reunion!

AHHH the cinnamon rolls in the cafeteria and the creepy black cockroaches. . .

I vaguely remember a cute basketball player #24. . .

Long hallways, fun ramps, and the fear that I couldn't remember my locker combination.
I actually wrote my combination on the locker next door!. . .

Coach Souvall's seatbelt. . . .

My yellow 65 Mustang, and doing donuts in the snow at Sugarhouse Park with Jan Carling and Kathe Taylor...

Always trying to get out of going to class! Sluffing 5th & 6th period with #24. Once we went inner tubing and I sprained both my ankles - We drove back to South - Dave HAD to go to 7th period ATHLETICS and he LEFT ME IN THE CAR!. . .

DEE'S on 21st South with the studly "wannabe cop" BIG JOHN. . .

John Tart and his crazy hair- forever playing jokes on me. ..

Trying so hard to be cool. . .

In April of 1968 Susan Carlson, Jody Knott, myself were in Kathe Taylor's VW on the freeway going to hang out in Sugarhouse Park . . .when making a turn the VW rolled on it's top and we slid down the freeway - All survived (Except her bug) and none us were seriously injured! WHEW! I doubt at the age we realized just how lucky we were!!