70 Memories of Dad

Denny

1. Being rescued in a swimming pool after Aunt Vi pushed me in

2. Watching dad play softball at the old field at Midvale Elementary

3. The bedrooms with the coolest closet that he built for Ramie and I

4. Playing Intellivision with Dad

5. His ping-pong tournament with Scott's dad

6. Going to dad's old office at standard where he was in charge of this humongous computer

7. Caddying for Dad when he won the men's association championship

8. Working for dad and doing general ledger and small business taxes

9. Listening to dad go cold turkey at Christmas

10. Watching Dad feel the spirit at the sacred grove.


Ramie

11. Sizzler and all you could eat shrimp.

12. Late night HBO movies with dad.

13. We drove out to California and stopping at most of the casinos along the way. We really enjoyed staying up late that night in Wendover and were working as a team against the house. We lost. I remember driving under the lights in Reno and thinking oh yea this is awesome, we’re gonna get ‘em ...but again, we lost.

14. I have always enjoyed the golfing with dad ... He is my only scratch partner ... My ego can't take getting out driven by at least 80 yds by everyone else. (I realize jax and briston out drive me by now).

15. I remember dad would find the time to watch most of my baseball games ... It was very nice having his and mom's support. I know my kids don't always look forward too the ride home after a game with me but there is no better time when your child scores the winning run or makes that winning goal.

16. One day we built a ramp for our skateboards and, after a couple of tries, I broke my skateboard in half and without question dad took me to the store and bought me a new one

I appreciate all of the things dad has done for me and I could not ask for a better father.


Tammy

17. Spending hours, days, weeks trying to finish the basement--learning that I loved construction. I remember Dad letting me put up my own sheet of sheetrock and I got to sign my name at the bottom.

18. One summer I stayed up almost every night watching TV with Dad late into the early morning hours and sleeping in the next day. I still enjoy doing that once in awhile.

19. I worked very hard babysitting to buy my own clothes when I was in junior high. I remember clothes shopping in Salt Lake with the family, and when I ran out of money, Dad bought me a couple pairs of pants I liked, even though I know he didn't have any money either.

20. I still can't believe that he agreed to take three extra little girls, at least two friends, and his family in his brand new van to Granite camping. It was a memorable trip and crazy!!

21. When I was probably 9 or 10, I got to sit on Dad's lap and steer the car on the highway during one of our trips.

22. We all remember coming home from dates and seeing Dad hanging out the front door smoking. I used to like buying the exploding cigar fireworks and sneak them into his cigarettes. He didn't like it very much, but I always thought it would get him to stop smoking. I was very proud of him when he finally made the choice to quit.

23. He was my inspiration for starting out as an accounting major in college--I loved numbers (of course it didn't last long). Every year I call him with tax questions that he graciously answers.

24. All the many times Dad taught us wrestling moves (especially the starting position) and would wrestle with us.


Brandon

25. Staying home from Church to watch the Cowboys play with Dad.

26. Dad being coach and chauffeur to my church basketball team.

27. Caddying for him when he won the club championship because a new rule made it so I could not play. I felt like we won it together.

28. Going to his office in Salt Lake was a treat because I could get a bottle of orange soda out of the fridge.

29. No matter how good I thought I was, I still couldn't beat him at horse after he got "warmed up from his spot".

30. His reaction was so calm when Mom made me call him to let him know I had just wrecked the car. I had just walked many miles with the fear of that conversation in my mind; it was not what I expected.

31. While on my mission I got a $20 check from the Stake for Christmas, it had Dad's signature on it. That is still the best present that I have ever gotten.

Finally starting to realize how great a Dad he was and still is.


Downi

32. Changing out the CV joints together in my blue honda.

33. Not letting my friends get out of my driveway because he would talk their ear off.

34. Teaching me how to make rigatoni with bacon and onions.

35. Encouraging me to get a "4 year degree, not a 2 year degree".

36. Teaching me how to check the oil on all my road trips.

37. He stayed up with me all night at my bed when Ana died.


Marni

38. I still play slow motion fighting with my kids.

39. Neil thought it was funny when we were playing with the walkie-talkies and dad made us say "over" every time we ended our sentences.

40. I thought it was funny that anytime Neil bought me flowers dad would give him a strike and warn him that with 3 strikes he is out. It was mostly because he said it made him look bad.

41. If dad was sitting there too long, he would jump and say we needed to exercise and then proceed to do 10 jumping jacks.

42. After dad made a joke, he used to say, "I made a funny!"

43. When I see George Foreman, I think of dad. They both look like teddy bears with big grins. That's how I like to remember dad.


Kori

44. Trying to wake Dad up on Christmas morning so we could open presents

45. The highlight of our Flaming Gorge trips would be sneaking up on Dad and dunking him off his floating mattress.

46. The pink watch he gave me in elementary school that I really loved just because it was a gift from him. After it stopped working, I saved it for years in my jewelry box.

47. The 2 hours that he spent with me in the front yard teaching me to throw a frisbee

48. He took me to watch the "Work and the Glory" in the theatre and he had a perma-grin on his face the entire movie.

49. The Daddy/daughter dance at church where he taught me to Jitterbug.

50. The first father’s blessing I received (and the first he had given in a long time) was to help me decide if I should go on a mission and one crucial one later about marrying Gene.

51. We were passing through Mesquite to go see the Fish’s. He was pretty excited about the buffet and saw a guy heading to the end of the line where he was going. He started chatting, making conversation about the meat and so on, busily anticipating dinner, when he got to the end of the line and realized that it was a huge wall mirror. He had been talking to himself.


Kody

52. Dad comes flying down the street, screeches to a stop, and jumps out of the car. He spots the kids that wanted to beat me up and starts running after all three of them. I have never witnessed anything so heroic in my life.

53. Singing “Sing a Song of Cities” at the Newton Reunion with my wife.

54. Playing many hours of golf on the Wii in Kansas.

55. Watching Tin Cup with him after he told me he liked it so much (I was 14 and it was rated R)

56. Giving his testimony for the first time at my farewell and how nervous he was.

57. Before Sadie Hawkins dance, he made a list of rules that my date had to play by. It said that kissing was optional.

58. Whenever he would make Rigatoni’s, he would always make a pot without onions for me.

59. In addition to reporting for pay, with dollar bills he would always make me put my fingers around the dollar and catch it quick enough RIGHT when he dropped it. I could never catch it.

60. The story he told me of HIS wedding night on the way home from my bachelor party.

61. We went to Titanic together in the theater and I had heard about the nude scene beforehand. I knew it was coming up so I was going to go out of the theater. I asked Dad if he wanted to come with me and he said, “That’s okay.” I proceeded to tell him that there was going to be nudity and that I didn’t want to see it. Asked him again and he told me he’s fine. I visited the concession stand by myself and had to smile at my Dad the whole way.

62. When he escorted me through the temple for my first time, he had to be taken to the side because his robe was on backwards.


Kaysi

63. Dad talking to everyone and anyone in the stores and any public places

64. Getting paid a dime for working on his back

65. Constantly throwing wet rags at each other

66. Reporting for pay countless times and making sure that everything was just perfect

67. Eating pork chops together at midnight. This is many spouses’ first memory of their in-laws—up way too late eating ham and soft boiled eggs.

68. Dad going through every name and adding “George, Henry, Mary…” before finding the right name

69. Carrying me home across the street when I was too afraid to spend the night at Melissa's house

70. And no one can forget Daddy’s best quotes: “Your mom wears commando boots to bed.” “What else do you want, eggs in your beer?” “Baby, baby, baby!”