Kristin's memories

Here's part of an email I sent to Dad a year or two ago. Memories of/with Dad:

(you can edit and take out stuff about Lexi)

tucking us in bed at night (we now do that with lexi)

laying on a mattress outside watching the shooting stars one night

FHE - you teaching us all kinds of stretches

"I am a child of God" being your song choice every FHE :o)

Father's blessings right before a school year

kneeling on your back for family prayer

if we didn't say thank you, you would say "what do you say?"

countless hikes - glacier nat'l park, hall lake, homestead, etc

carrying me to bed after watching a movie as a family and i was too tired to go to bed on my own

doing yard work together

helping me with school papers

buying me parakeets, later the kittens

watching you play with twinkle toes

watching you play with lexi

listening to stories - from growing up, to gymnastics, to whatever

going sky diving together

taking us snow skiing, water skiing, to silverwood, disneyland, etc

enjoying "one small scoop" of icecream together

opening my byu acceptance letter in the same room as you. i acted all cool and watched you get all excited about it

always giving me hugs, a kiss on the cheek and saying i love you!

Day of Party?

Let's decide on the day for Dad's Birthday Party in Utah.

Marisha's Post

• "Ready? Lets go to Taco Smell, remember to put on your smeetsmelts in the car! (Seatbelt)
• "Sorry Charlie"
• Lee ya sater! (instead of See ya later)
• "See you later Crocodile"
• When I was little, every day that Dad would come home from work I would race to the top of the stairs and barricade it so he wouldn't be able to get through. At times he had a hard day at work he seemed a little annoyed but I fondly think back and hope that it cheered him up on those days. He would crawl through my legs and then I would let go of the walls so that I was hanging on his back backwards and upside down. Then he would go to the living room and spin me around and I would lift out my arms and I was parallel to the ground, like I was flying. Then he would plop me down on the bed, and I was always laughing, and it was so much fun! He did this until I think the very last time was when I was 12.... which means he was 52. Haha!
• At our old house he and I would go bike riding together in the evenings after work. 
• "Dad's home, be polite and have your good manners now!"
• When we went skiing with the Gifford's, I was 9 and I had never been snow skiing, April taught me how. I just wasn't getting it, I was hurting, and very frustrated, I was having quite the miserable time. So Dad took me up to the bunny hill and I was in front of him, my skiis were in the inside of his skiis and he was holding me and I was holding his arms. We went down the bunny hill a few times and I loved it. It was a fun time and I remember that it meant a lot to me that he took time to do that with me to make sure I had a good time.
• I was Dad's little helper when I was little. Every time he decided to make a garden I would always garden with him, I even had a miniature shovel so he taught me how to shovel piles of dirt. Or when he cut down branches I would help him put them in garbage cans. I always felt like he believed in me, he didn't make me feel inadequate like I was "too little" to do something. I loved spending time with Daddio.
• When we went to that Family Reunion in AZ (6 years ago I think? When April got Sasssy) we went to some Petrified Forest park and went on a hike and took pictures. On the way back to the homestead we saw a dead porcupine. So we pulled off the side of the road, took pictures and then Dad stole some of its quills. A couple of years later he made sure that he gave me the envelope of quills - I still have them! 
• When Mom and Dad came to Hawaii to visit, after a long day at the beach they totally snuck in to Turtle Bay Resort with me to go hot tubbing! =)
• I would read to Dad a lot of the time when I was old enough. Every time I read he would always fall asleep, but it was fun to do, and I got better at reading. He encouraged us to read.
• One of my most recent and biggest highlights of Dad was when he and Mom came to Hawaii in the middle of April 2009. We went to Waimea Bay and I jumped off the rock. The rock is this huge lava rock partly on the beach partly in the water. So you can walk onto the rock from the beach and climb up, and "cliff jump" off of it into the ocean. I was a wimp so I jumped off the small ledge (15 ft up) about 7 times before I mustered the courage to jump off the top (20 or so ft). Dad was encouraging me to jump, and he didn't have any problems. He went right off of the top cliff and jumped off! He was 58 right about to turn 59. While I was mustering up the courage he continued jumping. He even jumped off the small ledge with me a few times. Keep in mind there were a ton of college aged kids all around us, and Dad didn't even care. He didn't feel awkward at all, he jumped off the cliff as many times as he wanted because he wanted to do it, and what anybody thought of him, didn't matter - he's always been that way. I was taking forever, so periodically he would go on the beach and visit with Mom. When I finally jumped off the top cliff, he was so proud of me and encouraged me to do it again. I love my Dad! I must get my adventurous spirit from him. (Mom has pictures of this event)
• Dad's cute, witty, silly sense of humor. 
• When I played basketball in Elementary school he would always practice with me at night. At all my games he would crazily wave his hands and get this excited/surprised look on his face and wave at my ridiculously until I saw him and waved sheepishly back. He did this at every one of my games even a few years later, and also at my softball games. It was cute, and funny even though I would be a little embarrassed, I loved it. Again he never cares what people think of him.
• In Sacrament Meeting when I would get to sit by him we would be singing the Hymns and I would start to chuckle at his singing because he wouldn't always hit the right notes. Then to humor me, he would purposely sing very off key and then we would both be cracking up looking around, trying to suppress our laughter both singing horribly. 

Party?

Remember to read previous posts below.

Ashley said she and TC were talking about having a birthday party for Dad when he's in town for Clark's Baby Blessing. (4th of July weekend).

I think that's an excellent idea! We could invite Nathan and Julianne, and other family members. Maybe even his sisters in Montana would trip to make it out for the party? Where could we have it? Maybe at the Gazibo at the church building where I live. There's grass for kids to run around, and a BBQ. We could have everyone bring a side or bring their own meat and we could provide the sides? I guess this all depends on how many people would end up showing up. I could send out an email asking for an indication of interest to find out how many people would want to and be able to come?

Your thoughts and idears? It would be fun to surprise him!!

Geysers & Smackerdoos

Let's each post some things that are unique that only dad says. His cute little nicknames for us, or the random things that he'd say.

Please also post memories. It would be fun to do some pages in the book titled: April's Favorite Dadisms" or "Why April loves her dad" something that each contain the reasons we love him, or our random memories.

It will be cool to have a book like this that the grandkids can see when going to visit Gma and Gpa so they can learn about what life was like growing up with him.

(If the photo-book had photo highlights, but mostly contained information, stories and memories,then I think it will be more sentimental to him). Wish we had more time to do that for your book mom, but keep kicking and maybe you'll get one in 9 years too! haha.

Perhaps Marisha could talk about how dad would rub her feet when he'd come home from work etc. Let's put as many memories and DADISMS as we can.

"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10." He'd come home from trips with candy that we'd get to choose from.

Dinner time he'd say: "Time 'tweet!"

German Pancakes and fried potatoes on Saturday mornings. TC, do you remember having fried SPAM too? :)

I'll add more when I think of some. Share tidbits, or share long stories/memories. Funny or heart warming. Don't hesitate to post multiple times.

The more material we have the better!

-Apes

Purpose of this blog

TC and I talked about a month ago about some of the different ideas that have been tossed around for Dad's 60th Birthday. Let's use this blog to brainstorm so we can be prepared to make it extra special. It's just a few weeks ago, so let's throw this together, shall we?

TC talked about me writing a poem for dad which would be cool to do.

I know dad really liked the book I created for mom through shutterfly. They are currently offering 50% off of the 12x12 books, but the offer ends May 26th. What do you guys thinks about making one of those for him? I could have mom help me with the pictures.

Knowing dad, it would mean more to him if there was a lot of specific information about him in there. Like where he went to high school, etc. Are you guys cool with the book idea? If we can get it in in the next 4 days, it will only cost $42. so it would be about $10/person. Be honest about what you think. Our other option is to not feel rushed in those 4 days, and get a smaller size like an 8x8 or 8x11 and we wouldn't get the 50% off, but it still ends up being about $10/person.

Please comment on this post with your thoughts or post your own blog and ideas.

Thanks.