My Random Thoughts: Jun 22, 2009

Seems like my only posts are on birthday or other special dates. Here's another one of those posts.

Happy Father's Day dad. Even though I did call I thought it would be nice to post a few pictures (even if its a day late).

Thanks dad for all the things that you've taught me.

Thanks for coaching me in Little League. I wish I had some pictures of that. I remember going to the ball diamond with a bucket of balls and you would pitch to be for batting practice. I also remember going to the vacant lot and I would pitch to you. I loved the stories you would tell me about you playing baseball in your youth. You always told me about the things these players could do. The guy who could throw the ball to where ever you put your catchers mitt. After I hit my first ever home run (in the Picture Butte ball diamond) I think you told me that you hit your first home run in the same park. I remember going with you to watch many baseball games in Henderson park. I still love going to ball games.

Here's a team photo taken in 1948.

Back Row: 3rd from left - Uncle John, 2nd from right - dad, far right - Uncle Hank.

I also learned how to throw and catch a football from you. I remember waiting for you to come home from work and before you would go into the house we would play catch for a while.

I learned a lot about cooking from you - although I can't do a fraction of the things that you have mastered.

One thing that I don't think I inherited from you was the love for fishing. Don't get me wrong, I love the catching fish part, but when I was young I found the time waiting between fish quite boring. But now that I am older I've come to understand why you enjoyed it. Its that quiet time. (I've always liked cleaning the fish though - from the time you taught me how to do it)

I know there are pictures like this when me and my sisters where little.

You taught me about work and also to do a job well if you are going to do it.

It took many years but I realized that you had many make work projects for me. I remember going to Diamond City to get the used bricks for the school that was demolished and then bringing them back home and having to stack them a certain way. And then later having to move the stacks to a different location. I've moved thousands of bricks by hand.

I remember learning to use a chain saw and cutting up trees for firewood. Now that I'm an adult I realized that we didn't have "chores" so these are the things that you had me do when I was growing up to teach me how to work and how to do things.

And later when you had me build the fence in your back yard. Not just an ordinary fence that would be quick and easy to build. But a fence made without any power tools and with limited hardware (no nails or screws).

I love the outdoors although I don't think I would go out just to pick huckleberries. I remember many nights in the camper. And a few scout camps too. Like the time we went on the winter camp and had to leave because a blizzard was coming in and we ending up in a camp kitchen somewhere.

And you taught me about religion

Ooops - Wrong religion.

The story is that mom and dad were in Utah visiting Wilma. The Conference Center was new so they decided to take a tour. Apparently the Dali Lama was in town the same time. The tour guide was convinced that dad was the Dali Lama. This is a picture of dad on the tour (or is it???)

Seriously, I'm grateful for your example of service in the Church.

This is us in Salt Lake City headed to watch the Priesthood Session of Conference

But most of all, I'm grateful for the example of fatherhood. Much of what I know about being a dad I learned from you. The following are pictures of dad with grandkids, but somewhere there are similar pictures with dad and us kids. Just need to get those pictures.