A Few Short Stories

    Here's just a few short things I remember about dad. When we lived in Peoria, there was a desert nearby and it was fun to go to, but it seemed to be a source of trouble every now and again. John and his friend were playing there one day when they encountered a rattle snake, and somehow they knocked it out and attached it to a stick. Then they decided to bring it home. When they rang the door bell, I don't remember if it was locked or what was going on, Dad answered. He took one straight faced look at it and said, "Don't show that to your mom."
    I remember this reaction a few times, although I don't recall the exact events, but I always found it so silly that he was never surprised, and thinking logically in how not to get in trouble. He was always a child at heart, and a bit of the troublesome kind too.

    I remember one particular trip to the zoo, we were in a building looking at the reptiles. Leslie and I came to a very large snake that was perched on a tree branch several feet off the floor. We both looked at it in silence, but both thinking the very same thing, "Wow...That is some clean glass." Then right after we had that moment, Dad came up, stuck his whole arm, waving into the enclosure and said, "Hey look! No glass!" And there wasn't, we had a bit of shock at this realization, but the sign beside it said that the well fed snake, happily stayed on its perch.
      I loved how observant he was, and how almost everything became a joke, or a tease. I feel like sometimes we all need a little more of this in our lives.

Here's some short things I wanted to share;
He always had a brought me home a little something from any trip he went on. It never mattered how old I got.
Whenever he wanted to try something, he just went out a tried it.
He always had chocolate hidden on his person in church. When he looked sad, or bored...or if HE was bored, we all suddenly had chocolate.
He bought me the most expensive Flute in the store, because we wanted me to have the best, but I think he mostly thought the gold mouthpiece was awesome. So he convinced me to choose that one.
He bought me breakfast every morning when he drove me to seminary, he used to say it gave us a chance to hang out, and made sure I ate.
There was always a project on the floor or coffee table in the living room, with a documentary playing on the TV. Especially on Sundays.
One time he stole my notebook during sacrament meeting and designed a sail boat. After he built that the next thing he designed in church was a missile launcher. He never intended to build it, but it was a fun puzzle for him to solve.
Every now and then he would include me in on his mischief. Like opening a hole in the bag of halloween candy in the back, where mom wouldn't see it. Having Scifi marathons when mom worked that night, and let me try his random new hobbies.

There will always be those little things that I will never forget.

Charity

Stories From Miles

Hi this is to be about my brother Douglas I remember as a small boy about Christmas time when he got a slot car set that was a dragracing set he enjoyed it very much he got very good at it he used to be able to beat all of us at that dragracing he was the enthusiastic about it he enjoyed it immensely.  I remember when we're fishing at fishing bridge in Yellowstone as fonr little boys catching fish back when you could fish off the fishing bridge a lot of people used to fish off of fishing bridge to catch fish off you would have to get your line right in front of the fish you were trying to get then you would poll out as much lying as you can and then let it go. A lot of people didn't know how to do this and didn't catch on for quite a while it really ticked off a lot of people but hate they had been there for hours we would fish a spot and when we would catch a fish we would move in our dad would take the fish off of the line and put another worm on it when we come back the guy that was fishing would take our spot and we would move into his spot that he was fishing and proceed to catch another fish it really really custom off that these little boys would show up and catch a lot of fish and 20 min and be done with their fishing for the day and they would be there for hours trying to figure out how those four little boys caught that many fish in 20 min.  And members watching Old Faithful with him and going to see Mammoth Hot Springs I remember going up to Yellowstone with my grandparents in their agreeing station wagon we used to ride in the center up front we all used to take turns one year our dad was so mad at us because we were chasing down up there and we caught up with the bare and was patented on the but you ought to ask grandpa about that time we were chasing that there are grandfather used to take motion pictures of us when we're up there at Yellowstone. That's when I was about five or six years old I remember going lizard hunt up behind were the high school was that what used to be all open field and all four refused to go up their hunt for lizards and send puppies and spiders. Used to go down around Mason 30 and look at Indian ruins as little children off father told us not the goal lifted up any rocks is or might be scorpions underneath so what do little kids do when their dad tells him not to go looking under rocks scorpions that is the first thing we wouldn't it and we found what our dad was pissed off at us again we didn't have much money bit we sure caused a lot of trouble I remember going to East Fork of the bare with my brother Douglas and Stephen that's right learned how to canoe and I burned my tennis shoes up the first night I was there I had to walk a 5 mile hike the next day up the mountain with no shoes they tried to find shoes for me but they never did so I still won on the hike or 5 miles up the canyon with no shoes I was really a tenderfoot but I remember learning how the canoe with Douglas Stephen that's why I still canoe today I love canoeing I think my brother did to his he tried to make a full boat one year and he picked up some plans to build this thing and any purchased the lumber to do it he was in such a hurry to do this project you know we made a lot of mistakes it link like a sieve summary tried to fix it and fix it and fix it but it never did fault like it should have been always leaked. I remember one year our uncle Robert asked us if we would like to go down the Green River and we did the first night that we camped along the river we were parked by a small screen coming out of the canyon the next morning we would hike up to the respond and Douglas would have this fishing pole in hand and we proceeded to try to finish this pond and little string well fishing was a success but we really didn't have any fun fishing because before we could ever get the line in the water the Fisher jumped out and catch it that morning there was about 14 Boy Scouts and me and Douglas and Robert it took us longer to walk up to the beaver's Pond then took us to fish for 16 guys 17 guys actually and we had parked or can't underneath this blueberry tree that was just coming into season so we had fish and blueberry pancakes that morning we also had camp nearby to a group of people from this University of Utah that were running it on kayaks and small rubber rafts boy was that experience we thought they were pretty good people but they were gone by the time we had finished eating and packing up our stuff to get on the river again but we caught back up with these people about halfway down the next day about new and boy was it back to nature we didn't realize they were nudist colony run in the river boy were there parts going to be sundered and boarded this Boy Scouts that day get a good view of what nature was really all about boy did we have sent to tell our parents when we go if you don't believe us just ask uncle Robert he will tell you it was no lie. I remember doing model rocketry when we were younger we would send grasshoppers up in a two-stage rockets Douglas got for to get it building rockets and lot number oh we were always mean to grasshoppers I member when we were in the entire house in the backyard we would always plug in a light socket and we go out and fried grasshoppers with electricity later on in years when we got into high school I remember Doug was had plant biology with Calvert that is why the hill in the backyard is there in the pond is there me and Douglas started it and jump all really has done a good job of finishing it.  When Douglas and I used to get in fights he used to win but I got bigger than he did than I used to start with it I member of the fight at my grandmother's house and I had the better of him I thought he got to know Douglas a lot better when you tried to fight him he was a tough kid I thought I had the better of them but I was wrong he proceeded to bite me in the privates and it hurt like hell another time we were fighting at the house and hide lifted him off the ground and proceeded to push them through the wall it was an accident to damage the wall but there was it must sustain there for 10 years I love my brother Douglas I remember going here when you're with him up Butterfield canyon to hunt deer and hunt and hunt but what I mean by having we used to go up and sit the place and just watch the other side of the mountain for dear and what used chamber around that time and I remember Douglas and let's go to another spot so we need unloader guns so he proceeded to eject his gun and I proceeded to fire the round off and he turns around and looks at me and he says not that way he was white as a ghost and scared the living hell out of me I thought I'd killed.

The Christmas Box

There was a short phase where at Christmas our family drew names.  During that time I got my Dad.  This was such a fun year!  Ryan and I shopped till we dropped!  Literally!  There was a $25 spending limit per person.  We decided to collect all electronics stores "Free" stuff.  I kept track of all the mail in rebates and upc symbols and receipts.  When we spent $25 in taxes.  We filled an old washing machine box. FILLED it!  There were the normal freebies, like blank cds, reams of paper, a computer keyboard and mouse...and also some fun stuff including a mini rc car!  Dad LOVED it!  I wrapped everything in the box and then wrapped the whole giant box too!  It was so much fun and he is the only guy I know that would actually use all the stuff I acquired for him.  What a great year...and it's true what they say..."It is better to give than to receive!" -Michelle

Eifel Park, Germany

My dad loved animals so much.  We always went to the zoo or other natural zone in every place we've lived. The following are a mere few examples.
Germany
I was about 8 years old and we had April Fools Day off...or maybe we didn't...but we got to go as a family to Eifel Park.  It was a little bit zoo, little bit rides sort of place.  The way I remember it, it was a free day.  I remember seeing 4 bears bathing in a little waterfall.  That is the only time I've seen bears so active.  It was almost like watching Brother Bear when they are all feasting on the salmon and playing.  They were so funny.  Then there was the toboggan ride.  We went on it over and over and over and over.  Mom didn't like to go fast, so we bumped into her a few times.  There was also a play area with a barrel you could walk in like a hamster wheel.  I played in it so much I went to bed spinning.
Phoenix
The first summer we lived in Phoenix we made the mistake of visiting that zoo!  I say mistake because if you know anything about zoos you know it means you walk outside the whole time.  And if you know anything about Phoenix you know that it is too hot to visit the zoo until about October!!!  Anyway, I got heat exhaustion and my dad rescued me with a sit down and a LARGE ice cold drink!
Arroyo Grande
Of course when my parents came to visit us in our beach side abode we had to show them the tide pools, sea lions, and monarch butterflies.  At the tide pools we saw a crab, and of course he was the one to go over and pick it up.  At the sea lions dad almost had to jump in the ocean and save one of us because we got a little close.  The sea lions barked and one of us nearly pushed the other of us into the water! 
Camping at Mirror Lake
We camped a lot.  This trip I was around 13.  We camped at an elevation that was cold and rainy, even in the middle of the summer.  It was the last fishing I remember doing with my dad.  Not that we were really into fishing.  We were just having fun.  John caught a fish and didn't realize that he wasn't going to be taking home a new pet.  Oops! John went into the water with the only shoes he brought.  Mom put the shoes too close to the fire and melted the souls a bit. 
Camping in Yosemite
When Emily was just 1 year old we all went to Yosemite.  We took a tour of a cave and listened to Harry Potter CDs in the car on the ride there and back.  Emily got a little disturbed by something Grandpa Doug did, but he quickly won her heart over with a few purchases and funny songs.  He taught her the song 5 Little Monkeys Sittin' in a Tree and gave her a stuffed alligator.  At the Cave gift shop he bought her a little bird puppet.  We got some great pics of the trees.  We had a close encounter with a deer.  And then John broke his arm jumping off a boulder that was around 8 feet tall.  The trip was shortened but we still made some great memories. 
I'm sure Leslie remembers more than I do, but she'll have to write her own versions. : )

What's your favorite vacation story?

If you guys are like me, I sometime think of stories to share when I am not in a postion to post them. Then, when I sit down to write the story I can't remember what it is. So, I want to try something new. I would like everyone to post about a time when they went on vacation with Dad.

Honeymoon

The day after we got married, we left for our honeymoon at Disneyland. By the time we reached Los Vegas, we were tired so we decided to stay there for a night. We found a tiny little motel and settled in for the night. Doug woke up at about 4:00 am, thirsty, and wanted a drink. We both got dressed and went in search of the motels ice machine. On the way to the ice machine, we saw a patch of June bugs. I quickly walked by them and then I realized my sweetheart was not with me. I turned around and there was Doug bending over fasinated with the June bugs. I returned to his side and he gave me the first of many lessons in entomology. He was so cute sitting on the ground pointing out their characteristics that I forgot how much I dislike bugs and enjoyed the lesson. He had such a quick curious mind. Not even a honeymoon could call him away from his beloved science. He taught me to love science too!

African Concert

Sometime in november or december, I don't remember when, right before dad's surgery. He went with me to an african momba concert, that I had to attend for my music history class. Of course we had to go to dinner before going in so we stop at the outside mall near there. We walked around most of the mall deciding which place smelled the best. The Notorious Pig was the winner. I think it might have been some kind of a bar, but it smelled soooo good. Especially since Dad and I were both craving meat. We had ribs, I offered to share a half rack with him, but we just order a half for both of us. Little did we know that I would end up eating all of mine, and the rest of his.

Do all of you remember how dad used to eat the left over meat off our plates when we were kids at the dinner table?