memories of dad

These next few stories are from my sister Kate. . .

(the comments in parenthesis are Jane) 

Sometimes I didn't want to go to bed but everyone told me to go to sleep in my own bed.  But I didn't want to miss out on anything, so I would eventually fall asleep on the couch.  Dad would always put on an extra warm Indian blanket on us.  Under that tough exterior is and old softy. -Kate

Dad's love of history.- One summer he and mom decided to take what kids were left at home on a church history tour.  We stopped at every single church history site from Utah all the way past New York, and on to Canada to see the falls.  Mom would get up real early to start driving and dad would drive late into the night.  It took us one week to see everything in our trusty motor home, the only Ford we ever owned.  Every state we got a different magnet.  That motor homes whole oven was full of magnets and will still be collected.  When we were younger my dad would always collect shot glasses.  It was kind of funny because we didn't drink alcohol so we used them as Kool Aid shot glasses. -Kate

Another motor home adventure was when dad had to see monument valley.  This was the longest most boring trip I had been on.  It felt like we drove for days.  Then we started to get excited.  I looked out the window and saw wild horses running across the flat mesa rocks.  Then we finally made it to monument valley,  well almost, dad pulled the motor home over to the side of the road got out and said "Lyn take my picture." then got back in and started to drive away.  Apparently he didn't want to pay for the tour to drive out and touch the rock formation.  So my mom convinced us to go into the visitors shop and also go check out the local Indians.  Dad bought a cool tomahawk there. -Kate

I was one of the naughtiest kids growing up and had a lot of sass.  One day I don't remember what I said but my dad picked me up and carried me out to the winter cold night and threw me in the freezing cold hot tub clothes on and all. (Kate was most likely sassing my mom.  My dad would take a lot of heat but don't ever sass mom when he's around he would not stand for it.) -Kate

My dad and I had a good connection. We are both people of few words.  I think he liked that.  I loved to ride horses too, we went on a lot of rides together so he trained me well.  Everyday after school I would saddle up run all the way to the equestrian center behind our house race barrels  then run to the top of the mountain and back home.
One day dad thought Duchesses cold Duke was ready to be ridden and being all macho in front of a guy, I grabbed my boots and jumped on that horse.  Well before I could swing my leg over to the other side the colt bucked and threw me tight onto the hitching post legs apart.  Thank goodness I am not a boy but I had a really hard time walking back home across the front lawn. -Kate

(Dad would often use us kids to break in horses.  He did that because we were tough and light.  It wouldn't be too much of a shock for the horse for a child to get on.  That being said some horses took longer to get used to a rider than others.  My personal limit was about 5 throws.  If a horse bucked me off 5 times I was done for the day.  ) -Jane

Dad loves cars and I don't know much about them but I pretend I do.  Dad found Grandpa Cleo's old red 79 Chevy pickup, we restored it as best we could with a lot of Bondo and I drove that in high school. Always wanting to be like the guys I had to have a truck.  Dad got me 4 other trucks to drive.  No matter how maay accidents or blown engines I had he never said a word.  I think my dad was good at teaching us that stuff is just stuff, and the older the better cause its easier and cheaper to fix.  -Kate

I don't know how but every where I went people knew who my dad was.  I could mention his name and get his special discount. -Kate

Beeing the second to youngest I had a lot of advantages.  I got to go on a lot of trops.  My mom and dad took me to Cozumel, Argentina, Belieze and millions of motor home rides, Hawaii twice and I never had to pay for anything but my souvenears and activities. -Kate

( Dad loved to give his kids anything in his power.  If you ever needed something and he didn't have it to give it to you he would find a way to get it for you.  I call it the poor kids syndrome.  He wanted to give us things he never had, sometimes it was way above and beyond)- Jane

dad was good to take care of mom always letting her be herself with adventure and disiplining us.  They never fought in front of us and dad was always their for dinner.  It made our family seem perfect. -Kate

Christmas was a lot of fun growing up.  We had so many kids that presents filled the entire peach room.  And still every year their was always something hiding outside. (He loved Christmas and loved to give.  We always had some "homeless" people over for some part of the Christmas holiday, dad always had an extra In-and Out shirt, flannel,  or flashlight to give them so they would have something). -Kate

Giving was easy for dad to do.  Anything you wanted to borrow you just had to ask where it was.  He often came by our new house with a truck bed full of garden tools and other things we might need.  I think my dad supported more than 5 young men from our ward on their missions. -Kate

Dad was always early to church, honking the horn cause I was the last one out of the house. -Kate